Doner Deli at Al Barari

I had received an invitation to Doner Deli’s event at their Al Barari branch a couple of weeks ago, but I wasn’t able to attend because it fell on a weekday and I was swamped with work. Fortunately, I had the chance to visit the same branch with my family over the weekend, allowing us to see and taste for ourselves what made it different from the shawarma that we’re more accustomed to.

The restaurant also has branches in Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Al Barsha, and Fujairah.  Al Barari is not exactly near where we live, but since it was on the way to where we would be going to later, it was the convenient choice for us.  I also heard that there was a playground in front of the restaurant where kids could play, so being a mom, that was a plus.

As soon as we arrived, we were given the menu to peruse; and after considering the staff’s recommendations, we ordered and eagerly waited for our food.

one little hand just couldn't wait to taste the bread

Being a rice person and since we hadn't had lunch yet, Hubby chose the Doner Over Rice, opting for the chicken option with yellow herb rice.

Gabe (my nephew) really likes shawarma, and since I prefer my "sandwiches" in wrap form because they're neater to eat, we had the Classic Durum in chicken and mixed (chicken & veal) doner.  Our durums seemed too salty at first, but when we added garlic sauce, they tasted delicious, allowing us to enjoy them with gusto.

The first thing I noticed with their Chili Pita was it was huge! We had to ask the staff to cut it in half for Hubby and Gabe to share because it was practically bursting with chicken meat, fresh onion, lettuce, red cabbage, tomato and jalapeno peppers.  Despite the many fillings, Hubby said that they didn't overpower the meat, probably because the chicken was already tasty to begin with.

We had ordered the Doner Mac & Cheese for our daughters to share, but Sophie preferred her Daddy's deli special instead (rice only, though) while Caila ate up all the pasta.

the pasta was underneath all that chicken doner

Again with the staff's recommendation, we tried their Deli Signature drinks of Lemon & Mint (Hubby's), Oreo Shake (Gabe's), Mango Strawberry Fusion (Caila and Sophie's), and Electric Green (mine).  All were refreshing, and my beverage had just the right amount of citrus flavor without being too sour from the lime.

Finally we ended our meal with a couple of Doner Deli's baked sweets.

Having large chunks of chocolates, the Brownie Bites was moist and tasted completely chocolatey.  A bit too sweet for us adults, but of course the girls loved them.  The Cheese Cake - Plain, on the other hand, was absolutely delightful! It was smooth and rich, and deliciously creamy.  Even though it was plain, it didn't need any sauce or topping to make it taste better. As a matter of fact, I almost finished the entire slice all by myself!

So what did we find out about doners?  Well, according to Executive Chef Louie, this German street food, which comes in chicken or veal, is packed with loads of fresh veggies and served with different tasty sauces, making it much more flavourful.  And apparently, only Doner Deli in the UAE serves veal doner kebab.

A minor thing I noticed was there were no plates, so we had to make use of tissue or plastic container covers from the rice and pasta to catch whatever fillings fell from our pita sandwiches or durums.  It would have also been nice (presentation-wise) if the desserts were served in plates.  But then again, maybe they were served that way because, after all, Doner Deli is more of a casual, fast-food restaurant.

Anyway, overall, we were very satisfied with our experience.  The staff were helpful and friendly, service was prompt, and food was delicious.  Despite the really big servings, we managed to finish everything. Well, except for my nephew who couldn't eat his half of the Chili Pita and opted to pack it for later.    

And now that I've tasted a doner, I'd happily choose this over its Middle East counterpart because it's the more healthier and filling option.

Doner Deli currently has a special deal called the Lunch Express where you can order a sandwich (pita or durum), fries, and drink all for only Dhs29; available daily between 11am and 3pm.

Disclaimer: We were invited to dine at Doner Deli as guests. However, all views and opinions are my own.

Doner Deli
Shop #4, Al Rabia Tower
Al Barari, Dubai
Phone: 800-6936637