Mama Kadai Restaurant

Name: Mama Kadai Restaurant
Address: Shop No 8, Building A-19, Meena Bazaar Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road - 37 D Street, Bur Dubai, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +971521572030

Bur Dubai

South Indian restaurant Closed 0 521 572 030

Mama Kadai Restaurant is a Tamil-focused South Indian restaurant in Bur Dubai, serving familiar Tamil Nadu-style meals, snacks and drinks. Reviews particularly point to its filter coffee, vada, dosas and biryani, with indoor and outdoor seating for quick bites or a fuller meal.

Reputation Score

4.1

★★★★☆

286 ratings

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The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 7

Tamil Flavours

Reviews praise authentic Tamil dishes, including dosas, idlis, filter coffee and Madurai-style gravies.

Filter Coffee

The filter coffee is repeatedly praised, with one reviewer calling it rich, strong and perfectly brewed.

Let's go!

What to Eat at Mama Kadai Restaurant

These items at Mama Kadai Restaurant got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!

Food 7

Dosa Net +2

“Tried Dosa, thattu idly, coffee, set dosa, all taste good.”
Bajji Net +2

“Nice tea and bajji. Waiter ahmed is so awesome.”
Bun parotta Net +2

“Wow..food was awesome & reasonable. Must try Kumbakonam filter coffee,Idli sambar,ghee chicken chukka,bun parotta etc..”
Dal vada Net +2

“One of the best places to have evening snacks with tea, do try out their dal vada 😋 really amazing no 1 👌👌👌👌. I have never eaten this quality and taste of dal vada in my entire life.”
Idly Net +2

“Idly and Dosas are good.”
Thattu idly Net +2

“Their thattu idly is good recommended for veg.”
Vadai Net +2

“I tried their filter coffee and vadai, and it truly brought back memories of home. The filter coffee was rich, strong, and perfectly brewed — just the way it should be. The vadai was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of flavour.”

Honorable mentions (26)

Badham milk Net +1

“#Briyani#kari dosa#plain dhosa#badham milk #saalna ultimate .”
Briyani Net +1

“#Briyani#kari dosa#plain dhosa#badham milk #saalna ultimate .”
Chicken 65 Net +1

“The culinary offerings at this restaurant, notably the ghee podi dosa, garlic dosa egg plain kalaki, vada, chicken 65, and their signature degree coffee, are nothing short of exceptional. Each dish is a flavorful delight, demonstrating the mastery of flavors and textures that sets this establishment apart.”
Chicken biriyani Net +1

“Chicken biriyani was sooo good, ambience and staff was soo nice.”
Chicken chukka Net +1

“Today(29-10-2024) I visited this restaurant along with my brother and ordered 1 chicken meais, 1 fish meals and chicken chukka.. Real authentic of down south tamilnadu taste.”
Chicken curry Net +1

“We tried their Bun parrota and chicken curry was as if like in Madurai.”
Chicken meais Net +1

“Today(29-10-2024) I visited this restaurant along with my brother and ordered 1 chicken meais, 1 fish meals and chicken chukka.. Real authentic of down south tamilnadu taste.”
Chicken meals thali Net +1

“I tried the chicken meals thali was lovely just for 13 dhs with variety of sidedishes and extra rice also providing.Overall great restaurant for tamilnadu food lovers in dubai.”
Dosas Net +1

“The dosas, idlis, and filter coffee were excellent.”
Egg plain kalaki Net +1

“The culinary offerings at this restaurant, notably the ghee podi dosa, garlic dosa egg plain kalaki, vada, chicken 65, and their signature degree coffee, are nothing short of exceptional. Each dish is a flavorful delight, demonstrating the mastery of flavors and textures that sets this establishment apart.”
Fish meals Net +1

“Today(29-10-2024) I visited this restaurant along with my brother and ordered 1 chicken meais, 1 fish meals and chicken chukka.. Real authentic of down south tamilnadu taste.”
Fresh milk filter cofee Net +1

“Fresh milk Filter Cofee, Tea and Bajji, Dhal Vada, Medhu Vada are high light in this shop.”
Garlic dosa Net +1

“The culinary offerings at this restaurant, notably the ghee podi dosa, garlic dosa egg plain kalaki, vada, chicken 65, and their signature degree coffee, are nothing short of exceptional. Each dish is a flavorful delight, demonstrating the mastery of flavors and textures that sets this establishment apart.”
Ghee chicken chukka Net +1

“Wow..food was awesome & reasonable. Must try Kumbakonam filter coffee,Idli sambar,ghee chicken chukka,bun parotta etc..”
Ghee podi dosa Net +1

“The culinary offerings at this restaurant, notably the ghee podi dosa, garlic dosa egg plain kalaki, vada, chicken 65, and their signature degree coffee, are nothing short of exceptional. Each dish is a flavorful delight, demonstrating the mastery of flavors and textures that sets this establishment apart.”
Idli sambar Net +1

“Wow..food was awesome & reasonable. Must try Kumbakonam filter coffee,Idli sambar,ghee chicken chukka,bun parotta etc..”
Kari dosa Net +1

“#Briyani#kari dosa#plain dhosa#badham milk #saalna ultimate .”
King fish fry with rice meal Net +1

“I have tried mutton sukka before and recently I tried the King fish fry with rice meal. A small bowl each of fish curry & sambar dal was added. The fish was of excellent quality at 15 dhs, though it could be slightly bigger in size. The marination was on point.”
Kizhi porotta Net +1

“We ordered kothu parotta and kizhi porotta. Kizhi parotta is very nice.”
Masala milk Net +1

“Masala milk also good”
Medhu vada Net +1

“Fresh milk Filter Cofee, Tea and Bajji, Dhal Vada, Medhu Vada are high light in this shop.”
Plain dhosa Net +1

“#Briyani#kari dosa#plain dhosa#badham milk #saalna ultimate .”
Poroto Net +1

“Food was fantastic and it is homely food taste. Poroto also very good. Everything is good.”
Saalna Net +1

“#Briyani#kari dosa#plain dhosa#badham milk #saalna ultimate .”
Set dosa Net +1

“Tried Dosa, thattu idly, coffee, set dosa, all taste good.”
South indian biryani Net +1

“Superb place to taste South Indian biryani. Friendly service.”

Drinks 1

Filter coffee Net +4

“Their filter coffee is amazing too.”

Honorable mentions (6)

Chai Net +1

“The Bestest chai around the area.”
Coffee fresh milk Net +1

“Tea with fresh milk & coffee fresh milk is very tasty”
Degree coffee Net +1

“The culinary offerings at this restaurant, notably the ghee podi dosa, garlic dosa egg plain kalaki, vada, chicken 65, and their signature degree coffee, are nothing short of exceptional. Each dish is a flavorful delight, demonstrating the mastery of flavors and textures that sets this establishment apart.”
Kumbakonam filter coffee Net +1

“Wow..food was awesome & reasonable. Must try Kumbakonam filter coffee,Idli sambar,ghee chicken chukka,bun parotta etc..”
Orange juice Net +1

“I had a glass of freshly made orange juice with this which was also large in quantity and tasty.”
Tea with fresh milk Net +1

“Tea with fresh milk & coffee fresh milk is very tasty”

What to Avoid (5)

Food 5

Chicken 65 biryani Net −1

“I ordered chicken 65 biryani; they brought fried bone chicken pieces and filled with brown cultured biryani on top along with 1 egg. Its really un-delicious, collecting 15 DHS for this its not worthy for money. Mainly they doesn't know what is chicken 65 Biryani.”
Deer chukka Net −1

“Worst experience non veg starters is very worst and deer chukka cost is very high but not good, don't go here”
Fried bone chicken pieces Net −1

“I ordered chicken 65 biryani; they brought fried bone chicken pieces and filled with brown cultured biryani on top along with 1 egg. Its really un-delicious, collecting 15 DHS for this its not worthy for money. Mainly they doesn't know what is chicken 65 Biryani.”
Rasam Net −1

“Veg Poriyals, Rasam requires more taste.”
Special milk Net −1

“I had a special milk feom here before which included a elaborate preparation style of heating up in large samovars - but to be honest , I didn't feel anything special from that then.”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 6

Allow Time. Visit when you are not rushed: a review records an extended 25-minute wait for dosa.

Check Availability. Ask whether your preferred dish is available before settling in, as one evening visit found biryani, medu vada and mini tiffin unavailable.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Shop No 8, Building A-19, Meena Bazaar Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road - 37 D Street

Al Souq Al Kabeer - Al Fahidi, Dubai

0 521 572 030

Mon	6:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Tue	6:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Wed	6:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Thu	6:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Fri	6:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Sat	6:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Sun	6:30 AM – 12:00 AM

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Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Slow Service

Multiple reviews report long waits, including a 25-minute wait for dosa and generally slower service after the restaurant opened.

Inconsistent Food

Food quality is uneven: one reviewer found the coconut chutney stale-tasting, the sambar poor and accompaniments too limited.

Customer-reported prices

These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.

AED 7

dosa

“I ordered a dosa that cost AED 7, served with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, and sambar”

Google review · July 2026

13 dhs

chicken meals thali

“I tried the chicken meals thali was lovely just for 13 dhs with variety of sidedishes and extra rice also providing”

Google review · August 2023

4 AED

coffee

“Coffee was good quantity for 4 AED”

Google review · November 2023

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Mama Kadai is a Tamil-focused South Indian restaurant in Bur Dubai, with a menu that ranges from breakfast staples to Chettinad-style meals. Reviews make it especially appealing for filter coffee, vada and dosa, while chicken biriyani, bun parotta and Tamil-style gravies give dinner more weight. The strongest praise is specific: one reviewer called the filter coffee rich and perfectly brewed, another rated the dal vada their best ever, and a chicken meals thali at AED 13 came with varied sides and extra rice.

The fish fry was praised for its quality and marination, though the portion was described as small. The setting gets credit for a neat interior, a central aquarium, clean washing area and indoor/outdoor tables. Monthly home-style meal plans are mentioned with three free deliveries, but delivery reach is limited in one review to 2 km from Meena Bazar.

Service is the main uncertainty. Several customers report slow waits—25 minutes for dosa in one account—while others describe polite, attentive service. Availability can also be patchy: one evening reviewer found biryani, medu vada and mini tiffin unavailable.

Food feedback is mixed too, especially for meals and some non-vegetarian dishes. If you are going mainly for biryani or a particular item, ask before ordering and allow extra time.