If you are a fan of North Indian thaali’s, chances are Rajdhani is way up on your list. Banking on their well-established brand name, the company has now opened a sister chain called Rajdhani Street.

I visited their branch in Karama (Dubai) last weekend. The interiors are colorfully kitsch and inviting. The walls are splashed with color, and at one end is a retro-style Indian bicycle heaped with a pile of colorful ware.

The menu is just as spunky and covers a range of ‘chatpata’ treats that are not easily found in the menus of Dubai. Maggi-spiced Dosa anyone? Or how about a Pizza Dhokla?

Being a huge fan of Indian street food, I tried quite a few interesting treats.

We started off with the traditional Pani Puri, which comes in a very cute ‘thela’. Loved how generous they are with their puris, and the mix was tangy hot and sweet the way I like it. The only qualm I had was the green moong that is served on the side. I found these to be a little too raw for my liking.

If you want an all-out chatpatta chaat experience that will really fill you up, you can never go wrong with the much-loved Raj Kachori. Featuring a cruchy deep-friend hollow dumpling that is stuffed with potatoes, spices, yogurt and other condiments and topped with drizzles of chutney and fresh pomegranate, the Raj Kachori at Rajdhani Street is an absolute explosion of flavors.

One of their signature dishes is the Pav Bhaji Fondue. The traditional Pav Bhaji is served as a fondue, enriched with melting Amul cheese and you get to dip buttered bits of pao bread into the thick, spicy goodness. My daughter has a very restricted tolerance for spice, yet she loved the novelty of this dish.

From the sandwiches section, we tried their Breach Candy Grilled Cheese sandwiches. I am not sure why it’s called ‘candy’ as there is nothing sweet about the filling. It consists of cheese, green chutney and a whole lot of grilled vegetables and raw onion and comes with a serving of chaat-masala infused fries. I really enjoyed these sandwiches, although I would prefer less onion.

As for drinks, the menu at Rajdhani Street has quite a few Indian classics on offer. We had a serving of Kuluki Sherbat (the very popular lemonade with basil seeds from the Southern Indian state of Kerala) and Jal Jeera Pani (a cumin spiced lemonade that is believed to aid digestion).

We ended on a very decadently sweet note with Rajdhani Street’s very innovative Gulab Truffle. This platter features three traditional Indian gulab jamun dumplings that have been splattered with thick chocolate sauce and coated with Bournvita. This dessert is made for chocoholics who have a very high tolerance for rich and sweet. I couldn’t down more than one, so if you plan to order this, I would strongly suggest sharing.

My little one insisted on having a Baraf Ka Gola. When ordering one of these, I’d always recommend Kala Khatta.

Apart from street-food, Rajdhani Street also offers an a la carte lunch menu that is available between 12 noon to 3 pm.

Overall, I loved the Rajdhani Street concept. You can find so many chaat favorites and innovative remixes under one menu. Everything is so reasonably priced, and the fun and funky venue makes for the perfect casual spot to hang out with friends.