Crispy spinach
Crispy chicken with spinach is a recurring favourite, with reviewers describing the starter as delicious and worth ordering.
The Monk Indo Chinese Restaurant - Karama
Al Karama
The Monk is an Indo-Chinese restaurant in Al Karama, with a broad menu spanning dumplings, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Reviews especially point to the crispy chicken with spinach and well-sized portions, making it a practical choice for a relaxed family or casual group meal.
Reputation Score
4.0
★★★★☆
672 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Large portions
Several reviews describe the portions as generous; one says three dishes were enough to leave two diners with a large amount of food.
Balanced noodles
The Hakka Noodles were praised for a smoky wok flavour, al dente texture and not being excessively oily.
Fast service
One detailed review says food arrived quickly even during busy hours, while other diners describe the service as attentive and prompt.
Comfortable setting
Reviews describe a cosy, clean and relaxed indoor atmosphere that works for couples, families and casual meals.
What to Eat at The Monk Indo Chinese Restaurant - Karama 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 The Monk Indo Chinese Restaurant - Karama, 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.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of The Monk Indo Chinese 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.
Food 1
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Indo-chinese Net +3
“First time we tried indo-chinese and we like the way of the food texture and taste...hatsoff that we got chcnce to having this type of tasty indo-chinese with the monk especially the supervisor Mr.Prabin who suggest us their most selling dishes and it's incridible thanks prabin we will definitely visit soon this place again...!!!!”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“First time we tried indo-chinese and we like the way of the food texture and taste...hatsoff that we got chcnce to having this type of tasty indo-chinese with the monk especially the supervisor Mr.Prabin who suggest us their most selling dishes and it's incridible thanks prabin we will definitely visit soon this place again...!!!!”May 2026
“Great place for indo-Chinese food with awesome ambience and great service. Food and quality of ingredients are top notch. Special mention to Pushp for attending to us and all recommendations. Highly recommended”April 2026
Honorable mentions (24)
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Chicken crispy Net +1
“Very good food we ordered schezuan fried rice and chicken crispy which we loved so much.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very good food we ordered schezuan fried rice and chicken crispy which we loved so much.”July 2026
-
Chicken hot and sour soup Net +1
“There crispy chicken with crispy spinach is a must try. Food quantity is enough for 2-3 people/plate, so it's value for money. Food taste is really good. Food quality is good and fresh. Szechuan fried rice and Chicken hot and sour soup is really yummy! Because of Covid, now they are serving in thermocol plates and separate packed plastic spoons and forks. I found all the Mont restaurants are always cleaned whenever I have visited.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There crispy chicken with crispy spinach is a must try. Food quantity is enough for 2-3 people/plate, so it's value for money. Food taste is really good. Food quality is good and fresh. Szechuan fried rice and Chicken hot and sour soup is really yummy! Because of Covid, now they are serving in thermocol plates and separate packed plastic spoons and forks. I found all the Mont restaurants are always cleaned whenever I have visited.”December 2020
-
Chicken tengda Net +1
“We visited the monk for dinner during the weekend. We ordered the veg dimsums, chicken tengda and Dan mein noodles. Everything was really delicious. Loved how the food was not extremely oily. Also their portions are quite good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We visited the monk for dinner during the weekend. We ordered the veg dimsums, chicken tengda and Dan mein noodles. Everything was really delicious. Loved how the food was not extremely oily. Also their portions are quite good.”October 2024
-
Chicken thai red curry Net +1
“I would like to highlight their chicken thai red curry which is a favorite. It's comfort food served on a plate.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I would like to highlight their chicken thai red curry which is a favorite. It's comfort food served on a plate.”December 2020
-
Chicken woolly curry Net +1
“Chicken woolly curry was nice too.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Chicken woolly curry was nice too.”May 2026
-
Chilly garlic noodles Net +1
“And served us delicious indo Chinese food. We had manchow soup, lemon coriander soup, crispy beef, burnt garlic fried rice, dan mie noodles, and chilli garlic noodles. My only suggestion would be don’t over fry the beef.”
Positive 1Negative 0Neutral 1
Review excerpts
“And served us delicious indo Chinese food. We had manchow soup, lemon coriander soup, crispy beef, burnt garlic fried rice, dan mie noodles, and chilli garlic noodles. My only suggestion would be don’t over fry the beef.”December 2025
-
Crispy chicken Net +1
“Their crispy chicken, fried rice, and noodles are consistently perfectly cooked and delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Their crispy chicken, fried rice, and noodles are consistently perfectly cooked and delicious.”October 2023
-
Crispy chicken appetizer Net +1
“Their crispy chicken appetizer is awesome (worth trying).”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Their crispy chicken appetizer is awesome (worth trying).”January 2020
-
Crispy spinach and vegetables Net +1
“Recommended: Crispy Spinach and Vegetables & Paneer Schezwan from the Appetizer menu.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Recommended: Crispy Spinach and Vegetables & Paneer Schezwan from the Appetizer menu.”January 2023
-
Crispy veg salt and pepper Net +1
“Next, we had the Crispy Veg Salt and Pepper alongside the Chicken Szechwan. The vegetables were lightly battered and fried to absolute perfection, carrying a wonderful crunch and a beautiful balance of black pepper and aromatics.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Next, we had the Crispy Veg Salt and Pepper alongside the Chicken Szechwan. The vegetables were lightly battered and fried to absolute perfection, carrying a wonderful crunch and a beautiful balance of black pepper and aromatics.”June 2026
-
Dan mein noodles Net +1
“We visited the monk for dinner during the weekend. We ordered the veg dimsums, chicken tengda and Dan mein noodles. Everything was really delicious. Loved how the food was not extremely oily. Also their portions are quite good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We visited the monk for dinner during the weekend. We ordered the veg dimsums, chicken tengda and Dan mein noodles. Everything was really delicious. Loved how the food was not extremely oily. Also their portions are quite good.”October 2024
-
Mandarin fish Net +1
“im looking for the restaurant that my nephews is working at , till i came to this place. Ambiance, architecture, staff are great specially Ms Priyanka. The food is perfect, Mandarin Fish, prawn fried rice, Dumplings, even the soup.Its also price friendly. I highly recommend this place if your looking for a different taste.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“im looking for the restaurant that my nephews is working at , till i came to this place. Ambiance, architecture, staff are great specially Ms Priyanka. The food is perfect, Mandarin Fish, prawn fried rice, Dumplings, even the soup.Its also price friendly. I highly recommend this place if your looking for a different taste.”June 2025
-
Monk special soup Net +1
“Enjoyed the food, my highlight being the Crispy Chicken with Spinach starter and the Monk special soup.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Enjoyed the food, my highlight being the Crispy Chicken with Spinach starter and the Monk special soup.”May 2026
-
Paneer schezwan Net +1
“Recommended: Crispy Spinach and Vegetables & Paneer Schezwan from the Appetizer menu.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Recommended: Crispy Spinach and Vegetables & Paneer Schezwan from the Appetizer menu.”January 2023
-
Prawn fried rice Net +1
“im looking for the restaurant that my nephews is working at , till i came to this place. Ambiance, architecture, staff are great specially Ms Priyanka. The food is perfect, Mandarin Fish, prawn fried rice, Dumplings, even the soup.Its also price friendly. I highly recommend this place if your looking for a different taste.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“im looking for the restaurant that my nephews is working at , till i came to this place. Ambiance, architecture, staff are great specially Ms Priyanka. The food is perfect, Mandarin Fish, prawn fried rice, Dumplings, even the soup.Its also price friendly. I highly recommend this place if your looking for a different taste.”June 2025
-
Schezuan fried rice Net +1
“Very good food we ordered schezuan fried rice and chicken crispy which we loved so much.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very good food we ordered schezuan fried rice and chicken crispy which we loved so much.”July 2026
-
Steamed chicken dumplings Net +1
“The Steamed Chicken Dumplings were a fantastic surprise—the casing was delicate and thin, and the minced chicken filling inside was wonderfully seasoned, juicy, and packed with flavor, especially when paired with their signature dipping sauce.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The Steamed Chicken Dumplings were a fantastic surprise—the casing was delicate and thin, and the minced chicken filling inside was wonderfully seasoned, juicy, and packed with flavor, especially when paired with their signature dipping sauce.”June 2026
-
Stir-fried chinese greens Net +1
“We had the Szechuan Noodles and the Stir-fried Chinese Greens. Both were delightful and went perfectly together.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had the Szechuan Noodles and the Stir-fried Chinese Greens. Both were delightful and went perfectly together.”May 2025
-
Szechuan fried rice Net +1
“There crispy chicken with crispy spinach is a must try. Food quantity is enough for 2-3 people/plate, so it's value for money. Food taste is really good. Food quality is good and fresh. Szechuan fried rice and Chicken hot and sour soup is really yummy! Because of Covid, now they are serving in thermocol plates and separate packed plastic spoons and forks. I found all the Mont restaurants are always cleaned whenever I have visited.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There crispy chicken with crispy spinach is a must try. Food quantity is enough for 2-3 people/plate, so it's value for money. Food taste is really good. Food quality is good and fresh. Szechuan fried rice and Chicken hot and sour soup is really yummy! Because of Covid, now they are serving in thermocol plates and separate packed plastic spoons and forks. I found all the Mont restaurants are always cleaned whenever I have visited.”December 2020
-
Szechuan noodles Net +1
“We had the Szechuan Noodles and the Stir-fried Chinese Greens. Both were delightful and went perfectly together.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had the Szechuan Noodles and the Stir-fried Chinese Greens. Both were delightful and went perfectly together.”May 2025
-
Chicken man how soup Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“We tried the chicken man how soup, crispy lamb, chilly chicken and the chilly garlic noodles. They were all acceptably average.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
-
Chilly chicken Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“We tried the chicken man how soup, crispy lamb, chilly chicken and the chilly garlic noodles. They were all acceptably average.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
-
Crispy lamb Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“We tried the chicken man how soup, crispy lamb, chilly chicken and the chilly garlic noodles. They were all acceptably average.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
-
Garlic chicken Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“However, I found the garlic chicken to be just okay; I hope they can improve that dish in the future.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
What to Avoid (2)
Food 2
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Crispy beef Net −1
“And served us delicious indo Chinese food. We had manchow soup, lemon coriander soup, crispy beef, burnt garlic fried rice, dan mie noodles, and chilli garlic noodles. My only suggestion would be don’t over fry the beef.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“And served us delicious indo Chinese food. We had manchow soup, lemon coriander soup, crispy beef, burnt garlic fried rice, dan mie noodles, and chilli garlic noodles. My only suggestion would be don’t over fry the beef.”December 2025
-
Mongolian pot noodle Net −1
“Mongolian Pot Noodle was very very presented but out of all the items we ordered this is the lowest rated item. Vegetables like Cauliflower tasted raw and something seemed off about it, not sure if it was the oil or the way of cooking.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Mongolian Pot Noodle was very very presented but out of all the items we ordered this is the lowest rated item. Vegetables like Cauliflower tasted raw and something seemed off about it, not sure if it was the oil or the way of cooking.”January 2023
Tips for a Better Visit
Order spinach. For a first visit, consider the crispy chicken with fried spinach, repeatedly singled out as a standout starter.
Lower spice. If you prefer medium spice, ask for less spicy: one review says the regular level was difficult to manage.
Share plates. Portions can be substantial, so sharing may work well: one reviewer says a plate can feed two to three people.
Check water. Ask about bottled-water pricing before ordering; a reviewer was charged AED 10 for a large bottle and found it unusually high.
Plan groups. For groups of 12–15, allow extra time and expect limited space, as one large party reported a long initial wait.
Try favourites. Other review-backed orders include Szechuan fried rice, Chicken Thai red curry and the Monk special soup.
Plan the visit
Practical details
G Floor,Al Mabrooka,4B St - Khalifa Bin Zayed Rd - opposite Burjuman
Al Karama, Dubai
| Mon | 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
| Tue | 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
| Wed | 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
| Thu | 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
| Fri | 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM |
| Sat | 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM |
| Sun | 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Uneven service
Several family-group reviews report a supervisor responding rudely to basic requests such as extra tissues and forks.
Water pricing
A reviewer considered AED 10 expensive for a large bottle of water, comparing it with an usual price of around AED 3.
Limited seating
The outlet is described as small, with indoor seating only and limited space for larger groups.
Occasional waits
One large-group visit reported waiting a long time for the initial order, so service may not always be as quick as other reviews suggest.
Mixed dishes
Most dishes in one visit were considered average, while the Mongolian Pot Noodle was criticised for raw-tasting cauliflower.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
AED 10
large bottle of water
“However, the large bottle of water was very expensive at AED 10”Google review · June 2026
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
The Monk is an Indo-Chinese restaurant in Al Karama with a menu broad enough for mixed groups. You can order steamed chicken dumplings, Hakka noodles, crispy chicken with spinach, or Chicken Manchurian gravy, alongside vegetarian options and soups. Reviews generally describe the food as fresh, flavourful and generously portioned, with one diner saying three dishes produced a “huge” quantity.
The crispy chicken with spinach is the clearest recurring recommendation. Hakka Noodles also received specific praise for their al dente texture, smoky wok flavour and relatively low oiliness. The indoor setting is described as cosy, clean and relaxed, and several reviews mention quick, attentive service.
It suits casual dinners, families and smaller groups, although the outlet has limited indoor seating. There are a few practical cautions. One older review reported a long wait for the initial order, while several May 2026 reviews describe rude handling of simple requests during a 12–15-person family visit.
Pricing is not uniformly viewed as low: one diner called the food expensive, and another objected to AED 10 for a large bottle of water. If you like spice, consider ordering below the regular level; a reviewer found the medium-spicy preparation hard to manage.