Tribes @ Dubai

Princess and I went shopping at one of the first luxurious mall in Dubai and went to Tribes to try some African grubs.

Tribes offers a memorable fusion of exotic flavours, taken from the African continent since the Tribal era, influenced by the Spice Islands of the East, the French in the West, the Malay and Dutch in the South and the Arabic flavours of the North.

The menu has been inspired by the amazing food and flavours of Africa, an extremely diverse continent, with numerous tribes, who not only speak different languages, they also have very different foods, which they prepare and serve to their family and friends with a lot of pride.

The bread service came with a nice, warm rolls in three flavours – pine nut and turmeric, beetroot, sourdough.

Mix Grill Braai

Selection of meat skewers, including beef, lamb, chicken & prawns, served on a hot charcoal platter

The word ‘braai‘ is Afrikaans, originating from the Dutch word ‘braden’ which means ‘to roast’. The beauty of the braai is that it’s not specific to any one cultural group in South Africa, and it transcends the country’s turbulent past to bring the nation together.

The mini kebabs of beef, lamb, chicken & prawns were perfectly marinated with different spices. The grilling was perfect and finished at the table with a mini stove.

And the grill platter came with a nice serving of the creamiest mashed potatoes I had so far in Dubai, with a nice side of mushroom brown sauce.

Hakuna Matata Tasting Platter

Pan-fried chilli & garlic prawns, fried calamari, boerewors, crumbed chicken lollipops, cheesy meatballs, chicken liver

Named after the Disney hit song from “Lion King”, NOT! Hakuna Matata is Swahili for ‘no worries’, and this appetiser platter basically means no worries if you do not know what to order – just get a bit of everything!

• Mozambique Prawns – Pan-fried 16/20 size Peri-Peri prawns, served with steamed coriander rice & cress
• Buffalo Chicken Chops – Crispy fried chicken lollipops, tossed in original Peri-Peri sauce
• West Coast Fried Calamari – Garlic & rosemary fried calamari, capsicum & mayo dip

Boerewors is a type of sausage which originated in South Africa. The name means “farmer’s sausage” and comes from a combination of the Afrikaans words boer (‘farmer’) and wors (‘sausage’). It is a classic food for the South African tradition of braai or barbecue. They were really juicy and full of flavours.

Another outstanding item on the platter was the chicken liver pan-fried in a Peri Peri sauce with onion, garlic, chilli and peppers. Peri Peri sauce is a traditional South African sauce made by Portuguese settlers to the area made with spicy African bird’s eye chili peppers. It is also known as piri piri, or pili pili. The liver was cooked to the right doneness, tender and moist.

And finally the cheesy meatballs that came loaded with cheddar cheese, with a datterini tomato and capsicum sauce, and sprinkled with shaved Parmesan.

The drinks menu came with some very interesting mocktails. Princess ordered the Vuvuzela and I ordered the Dawa Cujo. The Vuvuzela looked pretty in red with strawberry, banana, papaya, cherry, and red apple.

Even though the Dawa Cujo came in a pineapple shaped glass, but there’s not pineapple in it; it’s a mixed fruit juice with ginger, maracuja (yellow passionfruit), lime, mint and sugar cane juice for sweetness

They have very friendly staff, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try out some excellent meat meals with an African twist. There’s another branch at Dubai Mall overlooking the fountains.

Tribes at Mall Of The Emirates
Mall of the Emirates, vox cinema 2nd level, Dubai United Arab Emirates
Tel : +971 (0)4 395 0660

Visited Nov 2022

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