Along Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street, away from the bustling cohort of shops and restaurants, there is a small store packed with taxi drivers chatting with cups of karak in their hands.

Dar Al Karak & Al Mehala serves the most common and much-sought after UAE street foods. With a mix of Arab and South Asian influences, UAE’s street food offers various options that will satisfy a wide range of tastes.

The store is tiny and is not designed for a sit-in service — instead, it specializes in serving fast food. After placing their orders, customers can watch their food being prepared in the kitchen, such as luqaimat being deep fried in oil and coated with gooey syrup or savory Chips Oman with parathas fried to the ultimate crispiness rolled up in front of your eyes. These simple yet flavorful dishes attest to the reputation of Dar Al Karak & Al Mehala.

A cup of fragrant, sweet karak costs two dirhams and is served in a larger cup than the standard one dirham karaks in other stores. Even though you might end up burning your tongue after a hurried sip of karak, the sweet aroma and the tingle will soon soothe the pain.

While karak and luqaimat are considered the uncontested customer favorites, a hidden favorite is its jabab — a common Emirati bread resembling a pancake. In particular, the jabab honey cheese is a mouth-watering combination, embracing a perfect balance between sweet and savory.

The best feature of the shop is its delivery service, which even reaches Saadiyat Island. This convenient feature adds to the popularity of the place; indeed, Dar Al Karak is already a favorite among a number of NYU Abu Dhabi students as well. It is often ordered on occasions like First Year Dialogue meetings, and with a minimum order of just 30 AED one can enjoy a plethora of options from the store.

Open from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m., Dar Al Karak & Al Mehala is located by the mangroves, on Salam Street, Al Dhafrah, Abu Dhabi. It can be reached through +97124410055 or accessed online through Zomato.