Signature Cuttlefish
The Hot Butter Cuttlefish is repeatedly praised for its crisp coating, buttery sauce and balanced spice.
Chinese Dragon Cafe - Dubai
Al Karama
Chinese Dragon Cafe is a Sri Lankan-style Chinese fusion restaurant in Al Karama, known in reviews for its Hot Butter Cuttlefish and generous rice dishes. You can dine in or order delivery, with nasi goreng, kottu and other spicy, seafood-led plates drawing both Sri Lankan regulars and curious newcomers.
Reputation Score
4.6
★★★★★
234 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Generous Portions
Several diners report substantial servings, including a large seafood fried rice and soup said to feed six.
Sri Lankan Flavour
Sri Lankan customers often say the food tastes like home and recalls the original Chinese Dragon in Sri Lanka.
Friendly Staff
Reviews commonly describe the staff as welcoming, attentive and efficient.
Fast Delivery
Delivery orders have been praised for quick service, clear communication and good portions.
Spice Choice
Some dishes, including devilled prawns, can be ordered with a chosen spice level.
What to Eat at Chinese Dragon Cafe - Dubai How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Chinese Dragon Cafe - Dubai, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
These items at Chinese Dragon Cafe - Dubai got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 2
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Hot butter cuttlefish Net +15
“The Hot Butter Cuttlefish was perfectly crispy, flavourful, and coated in a delicious buttery sauce with just the right amount of spice.”
Positive 15Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The Hot Butter Cuttlefish was perfectly crispy, flavourful, and coated in a delicious buttery sauce with just the right amount of spice.”July 2026
“Hot butter Cuttlefish 5/5”April 2024
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Nasi goreng Net +3
“Nasi Goreng with that vegetable, was a delight.”
Positive 5Negative 2
Review excerpts
“Nasi Goreng with that vegetable, was a delight.”December 2023
“The nasi goreng and fried rice had just the right amount of spice and flavour, and the portion sizes were plentiful.”October 2023
Honorable mentions (17)
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2 Meat rice Net +1
“The 2 Meat Rice was also excellent, with generous portions, great taste, and perfectly cooked meat.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The 2 Meat Rice was also excellent, with generous portions, great taste, and perfectly cooked meat.”June 2026
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Chili chicken Net +1
“Also loved the water spinach with garlic and cashews and the chili chicken.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Also loved the water spinach with garlic and cashews and the chili chicken.”May 2025
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Chilli paneer Net +1
“Really liked noodles and chilli paneer and srikankan ginger cadbonated drink.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Really liked noodles and chilli paneer and srikankan ginger cadbonated drink.”May 2026
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Chilli panner fried rice Net +1
“I tried their hot butter mushroom and chilli panner fried rice. Both top notch taste.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I tried their hot butter mushroom and chilli panner fried rice. Both top notch taste.”May 2024
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Crab and sweet corn soup Net +1
“Of course, the HBC was the highlight of our meal but everything else was wonderful too. The crab and sweet corn soup was top notch; with plenty of crab meat and just the right consistency.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Of course, the HBC was the highlight of our meal but everything else was wonderful too. The crab and sweet corn soup was top notch; with plenty of crab meat and just the right consistency.”October 2023
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Crispy cuttlefish fish dish Net +1
“Good food, great taste and the best crispy cuttlefish fish dish in the world!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Good food, great taste and the best crispy cuttlefish fish dish in the world!”September 2024
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Devilled prawns Net +1
“The devilled prawns were delish too.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The devilled prawns were delish too.”March 2025
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Hbc Net +1
“Of course, the HBC was the highlight of our meal but everything else was wonderful too. The crab and sweet corn soup was top notch; with plenty of crab meat and just the right consistency.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Of course, the HBC was the highlight of our meal but everything else was wonderful too. The crab and sweet corn soup was top notch; with plenty of crab meat and just the right consistency.”October 2023
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Hot butter mushroom Net +1
“I tried their hot butter mushroom and chilli panner fried rice. Both top notch taste. very crunchy and buttery mushroom which melt in one’s mouth.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I tried their hot butter mushroom and chilli panner fried rice. Both top notch taste. very crunchy and buttery mushroom which melt in one’s mouth.”May 2024
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Kottu Net +1
“I tried the nasi goreng and kottu. both had amazing flavor.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I tried the nasi goreng and kottu. both had amazing flavor.”October 2025
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Lamb rice Net +1
“I ordered lamb rice. It was delicious. And very good customer service. Love it”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered lamb rice. It was delicious. And very good customer service. Love it”June 2026
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Roasted garlic prawns Net +1
“Amazing food , Cuttlefish and Roasted Garlic Prawns were the highlights , rice was fresh and aromatic , service was genuine n warm , wish they had more space and it was hot inside ! Will go again”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Amazing food , Cuttlefish and Roasted Garlic Prawns were the highlights , rice was fresh and aromatic , service was genuine n warm , wish they had more space and it was hot inside ! Will go again”May 2024
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Seafood fried rice Net +1
“My order was Seafood fried rice & Hot butter cuttle fish and the first bite reminded me how exactly a proper Sri Lankan dish should taste like.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My order was Seafood fried rice & Hot butter cuttle fish and the first bite reminded me how exactly a proper Sri Lankan dish should taste like.”February 2024
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Spring roll Net +1
“We liked spring roll which was very good but chill sauce had a stale mell.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We liked spring roll which was very good but chill sauce had a stale mell.”May 2026
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Sweet corn chicken soup Net +1
“I always loved the hot butter cuttlefish and sweet corn chicken soup as it is my go to dishes and found the exact taste in Dubai branch.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I always loved the hot butter cuttlefish and sweet corn chicken soup as it is my go to dishes and found the exact taste in Dubai branch.”January 2024
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Sweet n sour chicken Net +1
“Beat the hunger, a place to try hot butter cuttlefish with sweet n sour chicken and Choice of your fried rice. Amazing taste to satisfy your taste buds ❤️👍.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Beat the hunger, a place to try hot butter cuttlefish with sweet n sour chicken and Choice of your fried rice. Amazing taste to satisfy your taste buds ❤️👍.”June 2026
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Thai rice with hot butter cuttlefish Net +1
“Must try the Nasigoreng and the Thai Rice with Hot butter cuttlefish”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Must try the Nasigoreng and the Thai Rice with Hot butter cuttlefish”September 2024
Drinks 1
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Srikankan ginger cadbonated drink Net +1
“Really liked noodles and chilli paneer and srikankan ginger cadbonated drink.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Really liked noodles and chilli paneer and srikankan ginger cadbonated drink.”May 2026
What to Avoid (5)
Food 5
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Banana leaf seafood rice Net −1
“Banana leaf seafood rice just the basic friend rice comes in a banana leaf nothing is special about that.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Banana leaf seafood rice just the basic friend rice comes in a banana leaf nothing is special about that.”January 2024
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Chicken nasi Net −1
“We ordered prawns and chicken Nasi . There was tiny pieces of prawn and chicken. Not worth for the money.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered prawns and chicken Nasi . There was tiny pieces of prawn and chicken. Not worth for the money.”November 2025
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Hot butter cpc rice Net −1
“I ordered 4 small hot butter CPC rice, and they were not up to the usual quality.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered 4 small hot butter CPC rice, and they were not up to the usual quality.”June 2026
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Lump rice Net −1
“I ordered lump rice from your restaurant today, and I am very disappointed with the quality. I want to share my feedback honestly: 1) The rice used was not suitable for lump rice. Traditionally, very small-grain rice is used, but what I received was completely different and unpleasant. 2) The curries included were not the proper ones that belong in lump rice, and the taste was not authentic. 3) The rice and curries together did not give the original lump rice flavor. 4) The food was extremely spicy, to the point that I could not eat it. 5) Considering the price, the meal was not worth it at all. If your team does not know how to properly make lump rice, it is better not to sell it rather than disappointing and misleading customers. What you are serving right now feels like cheating customers by using the name “lump rice” without delivering the authentic dish.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered lump rice from your restaurant today, and I am very disappointed with the quality. I want to share my feedback honestly: 1) The rice used was not suitable for lump rice. Traditionally, very small-grain rice is used, but what I received was completely different and unpleasant. 2) The curries included were not the proper ones that belong in lump rice, and the taste was not authentic. 3) The rice and curries together did not give the original lump rice flavor. 4) The food was extremely spicy, to the point that I could not eat it. 5) Considering the price, the meal was not worth it at all. If your team does not know how to properly make lump rice, it is better not to sell it rather than disappointing and misleading customers. What you are serving right now feels like cheating customers by using the name “lump rice” without delivering the authentic dish.”August 2025
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Prawns nasi Net −1
“We ordered prawns and chicken Nasi . There was tiny pieces of prawn and chicken. Not worth for the money.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered prawns and chicken Nasi . There was tiny pieces of prawn and chicken. Not worth for the money.”November 2025
Tips for a Better Visit
Ask Spice Level. Ask for your preferred spice level, especially if you are not used to hot Sri Lankan food.
Check Portions. Before ordering rice dishes or discounts, confirm the expected meat and seafood portion.
Share Large Rice. The large seafood fried rice may suit sharing rather than one diner.
Check Charges. For delivery, confirm whether any charge has been added despite a free-delivery promotion.
Expect Heat. If dining in, be prepared for a compact room; one review reported that it was hot inside.
Plan the visit
Practical details
43 4B St
Al Karama, Dubai
| Mon | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Tue | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Wed | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Thu | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Fri | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sat | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sun | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Portion Inconsistency
Some orders contained much less meat than usual, particularly discounted meals and rice dishes.
Strong Spice
Several diners found dishes such as nasi goreng and lump rice uncomfortably spicy.
Saltiness
One repeat customer said five or six different dishes were consistently too salty, especially cuttlefish and chicken.
Small Dining Room
The space is described as clean and cosy but small; one diner also reported heat and poor ventilation.
Billing Concerns
A reviewer reported an unexpected delivery charge despite a free-delivery offer, so check the final total.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Chinese Dragon Cafe brings Sri Lankan-style Chinese cooking to Al Karama, with a menu that makes the choice fairly easy: start with the Hot Butter Cuttlefish, then consider nasi goreng, kottu or a rice dish. The cuttlefish is repeatedly described as crispy, buttery and spicy, while several diners say the food recalls the Colombo original. Portions can be generous.
One reviewer called the large seafood fried rice “rather big”, another said a soup was enough for six people, and a diner reported getting two meals from one order. Staff are commonly described as friendly and attentive, and delivery has been praised for being quick. There are a few reasons to check the details before ordering.
Spice levels vary: some diners loved the heat, while others found the nasi goreng or lump rice too spicy; one reviewer also found five or six dishes consistently too salty. Portion and ingredient consistency is a concern, especially on discount days and with nasi goreng, where reviewers reported tiny amounts of chicken or seafood. The dining room is described as clean and cosy but small, with one review mentioning heat and poor ventilation.
Delivery charges and service fees have also drawn complaints, so confirm the final bill and ask about spice level and portions when ordering.