20 Sept 2024
We recently sat down with Faizal Razak to chat about his project, THE KARAK, and naturally, we had to ask the co-founder of a project named after this iconic tea to share his favourite spots to enjoy it. So, that is exactly what we did! Here is his list of the best places to sip on the best karak (and a bonus: Faizal’s secret spot).
Dunia Al Sham
Faizal: “Dunia Al Sham is one of the OG spots in Dubai. I’ve been going there since I was 15. My friends and I used to ride our bikes there just to grab a cup of their legendary chai. It’s the place where the essence of karak was born for me. I spent so much time there with the people I love and grew up with, so it holds a very special place in my heart. They also serve amazing shawarma from a spot next door called Sea Shell and Chilli paratha from Koukh Al Shay.”
Location: 40 2C St — Al Hudaiba
Project Chaiwala — Alserkal
Faizal: “Project Chaiwala supported us when we first started promoting THE KARAK as a concept. I had the privilege of redesigning their space! Project Chaiwala, being a homegrown brand, is doing something really cool by changing the narrative of how people perceive karak and chai culture in the UAE.”
Location: Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse 68
Al Hara Parking
Faizal: “Al Hara Parking is one of those OG spots in Dubai, located in Karama. It's actually one of the oldest karak spots, where people would hang out in the parking lot. The name 'Hara' comes from a cafeteria that used to be there.”
Location: 12 8B St — Al Karama
Image: The Sandy Times x Midjourney
Lava and My Special Karak Spot
Faizal: “Lava and my special karak spot is in Jumeirah. It holds a lot of significance for us. It’s where Lava and I used to hang out, talk about our visions, and align on what we wanted to do in the future. That’s essentially how we started working together in the first place. So, this spot has a special place in my heart.”
Location: here
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