The mandi meat Al Nusari serves on a bed of rice is moist, falling off the bone, its dewy texture bringing to mind the origin of the word mandi, which comes from nada, the Arabic word for dew.

Najeb, the manager of another chain who only wished to be identified by his first name, has opened multiple outlets of the al-Yemen Mandi chain across the UAE over the past 15 years.

Al Qaswa near Masab Tank, Yum Yum Tree in Madhapur and Al Zaara Mathbaq Al Mandi in Tolichowki are some of better known among these. Sabyasachi is a food explorer and blogs at www.foodaholix.in ...

One of the first Mandi restaurants in the area is Mataam al Arabi. Its proprietor Abdullah Bashaadi says the dish is a combination of large chunks of mutton and rice garnished with dry fruits.