Shaheen Restaurant is a small, hole-in-the-wall diner that serves Middle Eastern, Pakistani and Indian cuisine. Taxi drivers, hurried businessmen and local vendors gather over burgers and biryanis, filling the space with a symphony of South Asian and Arabic dialects. Inside, the walls are splashed with vibrant decals that befit the colourful cultures of the diasporas present.

From the outside, the restaurant seems like any typical cafeteria in Abu Dhabi. The menu is overcrowded and brightly-coloured, the names of the dishes are misspelled — yummy is spelled as yammy and burger as burgher — and yet almost every table at Shaheen Restaurant is full every day.

“I’ve heard so many good things about this place. The fact that they have majbous and vegetarian biryani is particularly exciting,” said Shahinaz Geneid, Class of 2020.

Immense variety and affordable prices are Shaheen’s most attractive qualities. Open from 7 a.m. in the morning, they serve hearty South Indian breakfasts — think steaming hot idlis with sambhar — for a mere five dirhams. For lunch and dinner, there are almost 10 different kinds of biryani. Their most popular dish is the Hyderabadi biryani, a spicy chicken and rice dish from India. Every meal is served with complimentary pickles, raita — a condiment made from yoghurt and spices — and a sweet pudding made with vermicelli.

There are also over 30 different kinds of refreshing, fruit-based drinks on offer. Customers are especially urged to try the Cocktail, a type of smoothie, cool and ripe red in colour, made entirely from mixed fruits and honey for only 12 dirhams. A wide array of traditional lassis, milkshakes and juices soften the impact of a particularly hot kebab or biryani.

Shaheen is almost as old the UAE with over 35 years of history. Yet sadly, or rather fortunately for us, this quirky cafeteria still remains relatively unknown in the city’s food scene, dwarfed by glitzier fast food chains like McDonald’s and KFC.

When I was leaving the restaurant, an incredulous taxi driver asked, “This is a local place. How did you guys get here?”

To visit Shaheen Restaurant, take the shuttle to Al Wahda Mall. From there, follow the road signs to walk down to Khalidiya Police Station by Hazza Bin Zayed Street; this should only take five minutes. Shaheen Restaurant is found opposite the police station, tucked into the Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society Building.