Malabar Melange - Authentic Malabar Cuisine Restaurant

Malabar Melange - Authentic Malabar Cuisine Restaurant

Al Karama

Kerala restaurant Closed 04 239 6933

Malabar Melange is a Kerala restaurant in Al Karama serving Malabar-style dishes with a modern twist. Reviews point to beef biryani, beef dishes, seafood such as kallumakkaya thawa, and creative options including mango puttu as reasons to consider a visit.

Reputation Score
4.2
★★★★☆
250 ratings
5★
65%
4★
17%
3★
4%
2★
2%
1★
12%

Source: Google Maps

The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 6
01

Beef dishes

Beef cherulli curry, beef roast and beef coconut fry receive some of the strongest praise, especially for tenderness and rich flavour.

02

Seafood highlights

Kallumakkaya thawa, prawns roast and koonthal are repeatedly described as well-spiced, tender and satisfying.

Let's go!

What to Eat at Malabar Melange - Authentic Malabar Cuisine Restaurant

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Malabar Melange - Authentic Malabar Cuisine Restaurant, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 8

  1. Beef biriyani Net +5
    “We really enjoyed your beef biryani—it was flavorful and well prepared.”
  2. Kallumakkaya thawa Net +4
    “The kallumakkaya thawa is straight-up addictive. Juicy, packed with masala, with that perfect sear that gives texture and flavor at the same time.”
  3. Mango’s ice cream Net +3
    “A blent of mango’s and ice cream with kerala traditional putt infused with mango pulp 🥭 Good to go with this rare and variety combo which is kept subtle and tasty”
  4. Beef coconut fry Net +2
    “We tried their Coconut Beef Fry, and it was incredibly soft, rich with authentic Kerala spices, and full of flavor.”
  5. Chicken biryani Net +2
    “Tried their beef biryani and chicken biryani,both were amazing.”
  6. Mango puttu Net +2
    “The mango puttu was the highlight and is a must try.”
  7. Nool parotta Net +2
    “Then I ordered Nool Parotta with Kallumakkaya Roast. The Parotta was was soo fresh & soft, the roast was tasty, though I felt it could have been a bit spicier.”
  8. Prawns roast Net +2
    “The prawns roast? Absolute knockout. Perfectly cooked prawns coated in a deep, spicy, slightly caramelized masala that sticks to every bite.”
Honorable mentions (33)
  1. Beef roast Net +1
    “Every item we tried tasted fresh and full of traditional Kerala taste, especially the biryani and beef roast.”
  2. Chicken curry Net +1
    “The chicken curry was quite good too, and the mango salad was super tasty.”
  3. Beef cheriyulla toast Net +1
    “Beef biriyani & beef cheriyulla toast was very good and”
  4. Beef cherulli curry Net +1
    “The Beef Cherulli Curry was the highlight of the meal, with good flavor and a satisfying taste (3.5/5).”
  5. Beef curry Net +1
    “Loved their beef steak starter, beef curry, super soft putt and definitely try their puddings because they were too good.”
  6. Boil porotta Net +1
    “Thai thawa chicken, prawns soup , boil porotta and beef coconut fry were delicious.”
  7. Cherully beef roast Net +1
    “Their chicken curry had so much flavor and we had it with Kerala porotta, their cherully beef roast was very juicy and hit the right spot.”
  8. Chicken with capsicum Net +1
    “Though I am not a big fan of south indian I like this chicken with capsicum”
  9. Coreander rice Net +1
    “Coreander rice and prawns roast were so good”
  10. Creamy chicken & salad Net +1
    “I ordered Creamy Chicken & Salad as starters. Chicken was excellent — creamy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced with spices.”
  11. Creme de appam combo Net +1
    “Their breads and Creme de Appam combo were delightful, and the Nool Porotta and Puttu were just perfect.”
  12. Erachi puttu Net +1
    “For the main course, I tried the signature Erachi Puttu (steamed rice cake layered with spiced meat). It was prepared flawlessly. The rice was perfectly steamed, light, and fluffy, and the accompanying spiced meat filling was rich, aromatic, and deeply flavorful. It’s a must-try dish for anyone visiting.”
  13. Kallumakkaya roast Net +1
    “Then I ordered Nool Parotta with Kallumakkaya Roast. The Parotta was was soo fresh & soft, the roast was tasty, though I felt it could have been a bit spicier.”
  14. Koonthal Net +1
    “Then comes the koonthal — tender, flavorful, not rubbery (thankfully, because bad squid is a crime). Beautifully spiced and cooked just right.”
  15. Koonthal roast Net +1
    “The Koonthal Roast and Kallumakkaya Tawa were also amazing, both had such a traditional and unique taste that really stood out.”
  16. Lemon pepper grilled thawa chicken Net +1
    “The Thai Mango Salad, Lemon Pepper grilled thawa chicken and travancore chicken fry was good”
  17. Nadan chayya Net +1
    “I paired this with a cup of Nadan Chayya (local tea), which was the perfect, comforting accompaniment—strong, sweet, and perfectly brewed.”
  18. Pothi biryani Net +1
    “The only positives are the fresh milk tea, snacks, and the pothi biryani.”
  19. Prawns soup Net +1
    “Thai thawa chicken, prawns soup , boil porotta and beef coconut fry were delicious.”
  20. Sadhya Net +1
    “The sadhya, biryani, and beef dishes were all well-prepared and met expectations.”
  21. Seabass tawa starter Net +1
    “The seabass tawa starter was the best thing out of everything we had.”
  22. Slow cooked black colour dry beef Net +1
    “We tried their beef and kallumakaya The beef was so tender and flavorful, and the spicy mussels tawa masala were delicious.The slow cooked black colour dry beef is always my favorite and it truly met my expectations.. The only drawback was that the portion size was quite small compared to what we expected. Overall, great taste and quality, but the quantity could definitely be better”
  23. Spicy mussels tawa masala Net +1
    “We tried their beef and kallumakaya The beef was so tender and flavorful, and the spicy mussels tawa masala were delicious.The slow cooked black colour dry beef is always my favorite and it truly met my expectations.. The only drawback was that the portion size was quite small compared to what we expected. Overall, great taste and quality, but the quantity could definitely be better”
  24. Super soft putt Net +1
    “Loved their beef steak starter, beef curry, super soft putt and definitely try their puddings because they were too good.”
  25. Thai chicken fusion Net +1
    “• Thai Chicken Fusion: A creative and delicious twist — absolutely loved it!”
  26. Thai mango salad Net +1
    “The Thai Mango Salad, Lemon Pepper grilled thawa chicken and travancore chicken fry was good”
  27. Thai seabass Net +1
    “We also tried a starter called Thai Seabass. While it was soft and delicious, there was nothing distinctly Thai about the dish.”
  28. Thai thawa chicken Net +1
    “Thai thawa chicken, prawns soup , boil porotta and beef coconut fry were delicious.”
  29. The meals with fish fry combo Net +1
    “The meals with fish fry combo is amazing! 100% value for money and the taste is top notch.”
  30. Travancore chicken fry Net +1
    “The Thai Mango Salad, Lemon Pepper grilled thawa chicken and travancore chicken fry was good”
  31. Beef steak starters Net 0

    Mixed feedback

    “Loved their beef steak starter, beef curry, super soft putt and definitely try their puddings because they were too good.”
  32. Crab roast Net 0

    Only neutral feedback

    “Crab roast was fine.”
  33. Fish curry meal Net 0

    Only neutral feedback

    “The Kallumakkaya Thawa was excellent and definitely worth trying—the taste was superb! The Fish Curry Meal, however, was just average. Compared to other restaurants, the price for the meal felt a bit high, especially since it didn't come with any complimentary fish fry.”

Drinks 1

  1. Fresh milk tea Net 0

    Mixed feedback

    “The only positives are the fresh milk tea, snacks, and the pothi biryani.”
What to Avoid (11)

Food 11

  1. Achayan chicken curry Net −1
    “Food was average overall. We tried Achayan chicken curry and chicken fry. Unfortunately, the chicken curry was quite mild and lacked the expected flavor.”
  2. Alleppey chicken curry Net −1
    “The Malabar Chicken Curry and Alleppey Chicken Curry tasted almost identical despite having different names, which was a bit disappointing (2/5).”
  3. Beef dry fry Net −1
    “I ordered a beef roast, beef dry fry, and porotta, but all of them had a very bad oil taste with poor masala . The pathiri and the chicken starter were just okay”
  4. Ghee rice Net −1
    “The ghee rice and chicken curry were equally disappointing, with the curry lacking any real flavor.”
  5. Kerala porotta Net −1
    “The Kerala porotta was flaky but hard, which completely ruined the texture.”
  6. King fish fry meals Net −1
    “Went there yesterday for lunch after seeing all the reels they have posted in Social Media. Had a King fish Fry Meals and the meals was very average in taste specially the side curries. The rasam served along with the meals was not even Rasam so it didnt meet my expectation at all. Service also was average not worth the hype in social media.”
  7. Malabar chicken curry Net −1
    “The Malabar Chicken Curry and Alleppey Chicken Curry tasted almost identical despite having different names, which was a bit disappointing (2/5).”
  8. Prawn coconut soup Net −1
    “Very mid. Prawn coconut soup tasted like the prawn curry you make at home.. just watered down.”
  9. Wheat puttu Net −1
    “The Wheat puttu was below expectations and could have been softer.(2/5).”
  10. Beef fry Net −2
    “The beef fry had no personality at all, bland and dominated by the taste of excess oil or sauce.”
  11. Porotta Net −2
    “” The porotta was a day old and heated in microwave and came crinkled the beef was very very average and chicken was normal ! Nothing melange nothing malabar ! No interesting menu no difference not even tasty food !!”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 6
1

Check availability. Ask what is actually available before ordering, especially at lunch; one diner found most menu items unavailable.

2

Allow time. Avoid a tight schedule: a biryani order took nearly an hour, and another visit reported more than one hour.

Plan the visit

Practical details

73 - 55 10D St
Al Karama, Dubai
04 239 6933
Mon9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Tue9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Wed9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Thu9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Fri9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sat9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sun9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Get directions

Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Long waits

Multiple diners reported waits exceeding an hour, including a biryani order that took nearly an hour at lunch.

Menu shortages

A lunch review said most menu items were unavailable, while another reported that three-quarters of the menu was unavailable.

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Malabar Melange is a Kerala restaurant in Al Karama with a distinctly Malabar focus and a modern interior. The menu gives you plenty to explore, but the clearest review-backed bets are beef biryani, beef roast or beef coconut fry, along with seafood dishes such as kallumakkaya thawa. Mango puttu adds a more unusual finish, pairing traditional puttu with mango and, in some versions, ice cream or purée.

The setting is one of the restaurant’s more consistent strengths. Diners describe a calm atmosphere, warm lighting and a modern-Malabar design that suits family meals, couples and relaxed evenings. Service has also been excellent for some guests, with attentive staff and food arriving on time.

The main caution is inconsistency. Several reviews praise the beef, seafood, biryani and soft breads, while others found biryani, meals or curries bland, oily or below expectations. Pathiri and porotta were sometimes dry, hard, thick or cold.

Lunch availability and timing can also be problematic: one table found most menu items unavailable and waited nearly an hour for biryani. Check what is available before ordering, allow extra time, and expect parking to take some patience.

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