Tamil breakfast
Mini-tiffins bring several Tamil breakfast favourites together, including pongal, idlis, dosa, vada, sambar and chutneys.
Al Karama
Karandi's Restaurant is a small cafeteria-style Tamil Nadu restaurant in Al Karama, with indoor and outdoor seating. It is worth considering for South Indian breakfast, especially dishes such as masala dosa, mini-tiffins and filter coffee.
Source: Google Maps
Mini-tiffins bring several Tamil breakfast favourites together, including pongal, idlis, dosa, vada, sambar and chutneys.
One reviewer especially liked the strong South Indian filter coffee served in a traditional brass davara set.
There are a few pavement tables under a gazebo, and one breakfast visit found the outdoor setting pleasant on a cool morning.
Some breakfast visitors report quick service, with dosa, idly and vada arriving promptly.
The mutton curry dosa received a clear positive mention for its taste.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Karandi's Restaurant Karama, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
“Typical tamil nadu food..especially bajji ,bonda n typical chennai tea”
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Review excerpts
“Typical tamil nadu food..especially bajji ,bonda n typical chennai tea”February 2020
“Typical tamil nadu food..especially bajji ,bonda n typical chennai tea”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Typical tamil nadu food..especially bajji ,bonda n typical chennai tea”February 2020
“The food here is definitely good, especially the Chennai fried rice, though it feels a bit overpriced for the overall atmosphere of the hotel.”
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“The food here is definitely good, especially the Chennai fried rice, though it feels a bit overpriced for the overall atmosphere of the hotel.”March 2025
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
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Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“Excellent South Indian food! The service was quick and courteous. Tried their garlic dosa and filter coffee- both were delicious!”
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“Excellent South Indian food! The service was quick and courteous. Tried their garlic dosa and filter coffee- both were delicious!”September 2025
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“We visited for breakfast on a Saturday morning and ordered porotta with keema, dosa, and idly vada. The food was served quickly, tasted good, and the pricing was reasonable.”
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Review excerpts
“We visited for breakfast on a Saturday morning and ordered porotta with keema, dosa, and idly vada. The food was served quickly, tasted good, and the pricing was reasonable.”February 2026
“There were small portions of pongal, kichidi, one puffy poori, a bunch of little idlis in a cup of delicious sambar, one tiny masala dosa, a medhu vada, a teaspoonful of kesari, with some potato masala for the poori, another cup of sambar and four different chutneys. All the dishes were excellent and tasted great. It was a nice fulfilling meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There were small portions of pongal, kichidi, one puffy poori, a bunch of little idlis in a cup of delicious sambar, one tiny masala dosa, a medhu vada, a teaspoonful of kesari, with some potato masala for the poori, another cup of sambar and four different chutneys. All the dishes were excellent and tasted great. It was a nice fulfilling meal.”April 2025
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“We had a plate of pooris, portal with medium vada and a couple of mini-tiffins, which is like a thali containing popular Tamil breakfast dishes, see picture. There were small portions of pongal, kichidi, one puffy poori, a bunch of little idlis in a cup of delicious sambar, one tiny masala dosa, a medhu vada, a teaspoonful of kesari, with some potato masala for the poori, another cup of sambar and four different chutneys. All the dishes were excellent and tasted great. It was a nice fulfilling meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had a plate of pooris, portal with medium vada and a couple of mini-tiffins, which is like a thali containing popular Tamil breakfast dishes, see picture. There were small portions of pongal, kichidi, one puffy poori, a bunch of little idlis in a cup of delicious sambar, one tiny masala dosa, a medhu vada, a teaspoonful of kesari, with some potato masala for the poori, another cup of sambar and four different chutneys. All the dishes were excellent and tasted great. It was a nice fulfilling meal.”April 2025
“We tried mutton curry dosa it was very delicious.”
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Review excerpts
“We tried mutton curry dosa it was very delicious.”February 2026
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“There were small portions of pongal, kichidi, one puffy poori, a bunch of little idlis in a cup of delicious sambar, one tiny masala dosa, a medhu vada, a teaspoonful of kesari, with some potato masala for the poori, another cup of sambar and four different chutneys. All the dishes were excellent and tasted great. It was a nice fulfilling meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There were small portions of pongal, kichidi, one puffy poori, a bunch of little idlis in a cup of delicious sambar, one tiny masala dosa, a medhu vada, a teaspoonful of kesari, with some potato masala for the poori, another cup of sambar and four different chutneys. All the dishes were excellent and tasted great. It was a nice fulfilling meal.”April 2025
“We visited for breakfast on a Saturday morning and ordered porotta with keema, dosa, and idly vada. The food was served quickly, tasted good, and the pricing was reasonable.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We visited for breakfast on a Saturday morning and ordered porotta with keema, dosa, and idly vada. The food was served quickly, tasted good, and the pricing was reasonable.”February 2026
“Not good food other than rasam, if chapati or poori served along with the lunch then it would have been nice lunch.”
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Review excerpts
“Not good food other than rasam, if chapati or poori served along with the lunch then it would have been nice lunch.”February 2020
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Here are some of the favourites from our experience - Maan Biriyani in seeraga samba rice, mutton kheema, Idiyappam Thenga paal, parotta, Chilli Fish, Mutton suvarotti and not to miss their Sambhar and ghee roast! The list is endless but these are a few dishes that we really relished.”May 2025
“Suvarotty was OK. JUST OK.”
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Review excerpts
“Suvarotty was OK. JUST OK.”April 2025
Only neutral feedback
“Taste is ok but really expensive.. Idly 2 peice 6 AED, Set dosa 2 peice 7 AED...”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
“Typical tamil nadu food..especially bajji ,bonda n typical chennai tea”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Typical tamil nadu food..especially bajji ,bonda n typical chennai tea”February 2020
“But given basmati rice briyani. Called and asked, one person came and took back, then after half an hour he delivered finally. Worst service. Briyani looks and tastes like normal tomato rice. pieces were like chicken pieces.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“But given basmati rice briyani. Called and asked, one person came and took back, then after half an hour he delivered finally. Worst service. Briyani looks and tastes like normal tomato rice. pieces were like chicken pieces.”August 2025
“We were actually going to bengalore restaurant beside that still we wanted to try tamil food so we ordered boti curry , chicken biriyaniii and mutton also boti curry so smelling like they took from market and they just put it on the curry like smelling very bad 🤮and the biriyani full of ginger pieces and when we asked them for extra rice very little they charged us 12 AED saying it was plain biriyani never 👎 ever visiting that restaurant again forgot to mention after coming back i had severe vomiting 🤮 i had to admit to the hospital”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were actually going to bengalore restaurant beside that still we wanted to try tamil food so we ordered boti curry , chicken biriyaniii and mutton also boti curry so smelling like they took from market and they just put it on the curry like smelling very bad 🤮and the biriyani full of ginger pieces and when we asked them for extra rice very little they charged us 12 AED saying it was plain biriyani never 👎 ever visiting that restaurant again forgot to mention after coming back i had severe vomiting 🤮 i had to admit to the hospital”January 2026
“We were actually going to bengalore restaurant beside that still we wanted to try tamil food so we ordered boti curry , chicken biriyaniii and mutton also boti curry so smelling like they took from market and they just put it on the curry like smelling very bad 🤮and the biriyani full of ginger pieces and when we asked them for extra rice very little they charged us 12 AED saying it was plain biriyani never 👎 ever visiting that restaurant again forgot to mention after coming back i had severe vomiting 🤮 i had to admit to the hospital”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were actually going to bengalore restaurant beside that still we wanted to try tamil food so we ordered boti curry , chicken biriyaniii and mutton also boti curry so smelling like they took from market and they just put it on the curry like smelling very bad 🤮and the biriyani full of ginger pieces and when we asked them for extra rice very little they charged us 12 AED saying it was plain biriyani never 👎 ever visiting that restaurant again forgot to mention after coming back i had severe vomiting 🤮 i had to admit to the hospital”January 2026
“Don’t eat Biriyani from this restaurant they are keeping tomato rice when we order chicken Briyani or mutton briyani they are mixing with chicken curry and mutton curry then servings to customers instead of saying no briyani they are cheating the people which mean their thoughts we don’t have sense they are very brilliant @not recommend @very disappointed then don’t waste your money”
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Critical review excerpts
“Don’t eat Biriyani from this restaurant they are keeping tomato rice when we order chicken Briyani or mutton briyani they are mixing with chicken curry and mutton curry then servings to customers instead of saying no briyani they are cheating the people which mean their thoughts we don’t have sense they are very brilliant @not recommend @very disappointed then don’t waste your money”December 2025
“I ordered Chicken Pepper Fry, but they delivered Chicken Chettinad instead, which was very disappointing.”
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Critical review excerpts
“I ordered Chicken Pepper Fry, but they delivered Chicken Chettinad instead, which was very disappointing.”October 2025
“Chinese style maan kaari, lost the touch of Tamil restaurant. With a big chunk of bone with four small pieces of flesh.”
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Critical review excerpts
“Chinese style maan kaari, lost the touch of Tamil restaurant. With a big chunk of bone with four small pieces of flesh.”April 2025
“I ordered fish meals , they provide everything other than fish. No fish fry in the meals.”
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Critical review excerpts
“I ordered fish meals , they provide everything other than fish. No fish fry in the meals.”June 2024
“I ordered fish meals , they provide everything other than fish. No fish fry in the meals. Fish meals includes Biryani rice and chappathi in the fish meals.”
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Critical review excerpts
“I ordered fish meals , they provide everything other than fish. No fish fry in the meals. Fish meals includes Biryani rice and chappathi in the fish meals.”June 2024
“Pre-cooked kulipaniyaram and less heated in oven and under cooked. Literally like a card board.”
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Critical review excerpts
“Pre-cooked kulipaniyaram and less heated in oven and under cooked. Literally like a card board.”April 2025
“Don’t eat Biriyani from this restaurant they are keeping tomato rice when we order chicken Briyani or mutton briyani they are mixing with chicken curry and mutton curry then servings to customers instead of saying no briyani they are cheating the people which mean their thoughts we don’t have sense they are very brilliant @not recommend @very disappointed then don’t waste your money”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Don’t eat Biriyani from this restaurant they are keeping tomato rice when we order chicken Briyani or mutton briyani they are mixing with chicken curry and mutton curry then servings to customers instead of saying no briyani they are cheating the people which mean their thoughts we don’t have sense they are very brilliant @not recommend @very disappointed then don’t waste your money”December 2025
“Recently I had food for Iftar one of the worst Nonbu Kanji I ever had. Simply to say it's like Sambar Rice that much tight. There is small piece of Aluminum foil was there.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Recently I had food for Iftar one of the worst Nonbu Kanji I ever had. Simply to say it's like Sambar Rice that much tight. There is small piece of Aluminum foil was there.”April 2024
“I have ordered Rabbit briyani seeraga samba rice (cost mentioned as per menu card 24AED. Menu card took from shop yesterday night only, but he said, price increased to 25AED then 1 dhm for parcel). But given basmati rice briyani. Called and asked, one person came and took back, then after half an hour he delivered finally. Worst service. Briyani looks and tastes like normal tomato rice. pieces were like chicken pieces. I have already had Rabbit meat. Simply waste of 26AED. HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I have ordered Rabbit briyani seeraga samba rice (cost mentioned as per menu card 24AED. Menu card took from shop yesterday night only, but he said, price increased to 25AED then 1 dhm for parcel). But given basmati rice briyani. Called and asked, one person came and took back, then after half an hour he delivered finally. Worst service. Briyani looks and tastes like normal tomato rice. pieces were like chicken pieces. I have already had Rabbit meat. Simply waste of 26AED. HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED.”August 2025
“Ordered rava dosa and got served something else of sour taste If a dish can’t be made properly, it’s better to say it’s unavailable—instead of serving something that doesn’t even come close to how it’s supposed to be.”
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Critical review excerpts
“Ordered rava dosa and got served something else of sour taste If a dish can’t be made properly, it’s better to say it’s unavailable—instead of serving something that doesn’t even come close to how it’s supposed to be.”June 2025
“sambar is like a hot water and chutney doesnt have the standard taste.”
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Critical review excerpts
“sambar is like a hot water and chutney doesnt have the standard taste.”May 2024
“Just tried samosa and they were very very very spicy”
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Critical review excerpts
“Just tried samosa and they were very very very spicy”April 2026
“In unlimited chicken meal chicken was missing I got potato curry,”
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Critical review excerpts
“In unlimited chicken meal chicken was missing I got potato curry,”April 2026
“Each Idly 4 aed and Vada 3 aed price are Very expressive.......average food quality...very poor service....it's not worth.”
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Critical review excerpts
“Each Idly 4 aed and Vada 3 aed price are Very expressive.......average food quality...very poor service....it's not worth.”November 2024
Check prices. Ask staff to confirm the current price before ordering; a lemon soda listed at AED 5 was reportedly billed at AED 10.
Clarify unlimited. Ask exactly what an unlimited meal includes, especially whether extra rasam or buttermilk requires another rice order.
Avoid biryani. If biryani is your main reason for visiting, check what is being served first; one customer specifically advised avoiding it.
Plan timing. Allow extra time for delivery or busy periods; one Al Karama delivery took over 1.5 hours.
Budget parking. Factor in paid parking when driving: one visitor reported paying AED 6.30 per hour.
Plan the visit
| Mon | 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Tue | 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Wed | 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Thu | 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Fri | 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Sat | 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Sun | 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
Several customers reported prices differing from the menu, including a pongal billed at AED 12 despite a different menu price.
Waits can be lengthy: one order took 42 minutes, while another delivery took more than 1.5 hours.
Two reviews specifically say the restaurant has no restroom, which may matter during a longer meal.
Multiple customers said chicken or mutton biryani tasted like tomato rice rather than traditional biryani.
Reviews range from delicious meals to sour dosa, bad-smelling chutney and an undercooked rava dosa replacement.
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
Rabbit briyani seeraga samba rice
“I have ordered Rabbit briyani seeraga samba rice (cost mentioned as per menu card 24AED”Google review · August 2025
The Bottom Line
Karandi's Restaurant is a modest Tamil Nadu-style cafeteria in Al Karama, with a handful of indoor tables and additional pavement seating under a gazebo. Breakfast is where the reviews are most inviting: you can order masala dosa, idly, vada or a mini-tiffin, a small thali-style spread of Tamil breakfast dishes. Filter coffee, served in a brass davara set, is another memorable mention, and the mutton curry dosa has also drawn praise.
The experience is uneven. Some customers describe food that is tasty, authentic and quickly served, while others report sour dosa, poor chutney, small portions and inconsistent dishes. Biryani is a particular caution, with several reviews saying chicken or mutton versions resembled tomato rice.
Service complaints include long waits, missed or incorrect orders and abrupt responses. Check prices before ordering because multiple customers say the bill did not match the menu. Clarify what “unlimited” meals actually cover, and remember that the restaurant is reported to have no restroom.
Outdoor seating can be pleasant for a cool morning breakfast, but the compact layout is less comfortable for family groups. 30 per hour in one review.