Dubai closed. In the same location, it is now a restaurant named Sultan and is part of Sultan Baklava
mmm-yoso!!! is this. What you are reading. A blog about food. Today, Cathy is writing.
The other day, The Mister and I were in El Cajon, at Sprouts market, and a sign kitty corner from that location caught our eye. We had to check it out.
We had already had lunch, so went into Sultan Baklava and bought a few things (Turkish pistachios as well as some fresh made dessert treats)
Everything here is sold by the pound, and *really* good. The sweets are made with a sugar-water mix, not honey…they are Turkish. You can taste the nuts and other fillings. Really, really good.
We got a menu from Dubai and went back last night.
Six tables, four set for six each and two set for four each. Small, cozy, clean. The owners are Chaldean.
We ordered Baba Ghanouj (Large, $4.95)
A nice serving of fresh made, creamy baked eggplant, pureed with tahini, garlic and olive oil. Really good. Really fresh. Served with fresh flatbread.
We also ordered the Dubai salad (large, $5.95). Fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and lettuce with a light olive oil and vinegar dressing (vinegar and olive oil are also on the table) and lemon wedges can be added for more flavor. The plate was double the size of the Baba Ghanouj plate.
The Mister ordered a lamb shank ($13). Don't be put off by the photo. It was not burned or tough. It was marinated lightly and was moist and tender- flaking off in a good way from the bone- and you could taste the lamb flavor (at many other places, there is so much marinade that the meat has no flavor). There was a choice of Biryani or Basmati rice- The Mister chose Biryani: the cumin and cardamom flavors were wonderfully pleasant. The rice had roasted potatoes, peas and raisins in it. The plate also comes with a stew and picked turnips, onions, parsley and tomatoes.
I ordered the chicken schawarma sandwich ($3.95). The chicken was moist and flavorful and the sandwich was filled with cucumber, yogurt sauce and onion, parsley and lettuce. It was wrapped in fresh flatbread. 
All meals come with hot tea. Served this way. Strong tea (4 bags in that pot)…beautiful teacups.
Dubai also has a buffet on Wednesday and Saturday, with most hot sides available and kebabs made to order for $8 per person.
Sultan Baklava 131 Jamacha Road El Cajon 92019 Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily (619)440-1901 website
Dubai Restaurant 133 Jamacha Road El Cajon 92019
Hey Cathy – This sounds like a keeper. I love the tea service……
Nom nom nom nom nom!
Hi Kirk-I notice other people ask for their tea at the end, but we ask for it at the beginning. It tastes so good from the glass cups.
Hi Chris. Nom!
Mmm…the chicken schawarma sandwich looks great. And for less than $4.00?! What kind of tea do they serve?
Hi again, Linda. You can get a schawarma, kebab or falafel sandwich for that price. The bread is pretty large and it is full. I could easily just have half a sandwich and split the salad and be satisfied. The tea is just a generic Ceylon, but with 4 bags in the pot, the flavor really comes out…The Mister had it with large spoonfuls of sugar for the first few glasses.
The sandwich does look quite large. Thanks for sharing your restaurant find with us Cathy! Happy holidays to both you and the mister.
Hi Cathy, the lamb sounds great. Especially with some of that baba ghanouj!
I hope you’ve had happy holidays, too, Linda. The breads at all of the places out here are quite large and are filled accordingly. It’s great.
The lamb was excellent, Dennis. I have found places preparing baba gannouj so many different ways lately that I think that is my new quest this year: to try all of them.
What a great find, Cathy! I wonder what makes Dubai food different from other Middle Eastern foods?
Looking at the menu, WC, there are kabobs and shawarma as well as tekka (cooked over charcoal). The dolmas are listed as grape leaf wraps, onion wraps and squash wrap with rice. There are some kobbas listed (crushed wheat pies) as well as potato pies and cream chops. In addition, shrimp, fish, roasted chicken,hamburger, pizza and wings are on the menu. But overall, the menu seems very similar to the other Mediterranean menus around here (cream chops, lamb shanks and livers, baklava…)I guess I’ll have to go back to research!