I have had a strong connection with karak chai – strong black tea with milk and sugar – since I was a child. In Emirati homes, the brew is always offered alongside another traditional hot beverage – gahwa, or Arabic coffee.
And many people, including my husband, won’t start their day without a cup of karak.
At our house, we have it every afternoon, and so I went on a quest to find the best karak in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
I asked my close friends and family to name their favourite places, and to my surprise, they all picked the same ones. I knew I was left with the best.
And so I set off to discover the cafes. In Abu Dhabi I tried White Coffee, Yadoo House, and House of Tea. I took my niece with me so we could discuss the merits of each tea (plus I needed the company). To be honest, the karak at each place was delicious.
In Dubai, many friends volunteered to join me on this mission. Eventually, I went with my husband. He was more than happy to come along. We visited Karak House, Logma and Raju Omlet– and I must say that the competition was strong.
While drinking all those teas was not an easy job, I actually ended up finding the best places to go for karak.
• Coming soon: a review of each of these six delicious teas.
EALDhaheri@thenational.ae
