Eat. Share. Love. Is Al Maeda Restaurant's tagline. And that is exactly what we experienced when we went there for dinner. 

Hello gastronomes!!


I had the opportunity of reviewing Nom Nom Asia in Karama, and I’m so happy to share my review with you. 

Nom Nom is a quaint joint in Karama with a branch in Al Barsha. If you lack observation skills, you are bound to miss this place and I must say that will be a huge loss. Nom Nom is heavily inspired by South East Asian street food with an emphasis on different types of sauce which definitely adds that extra flavor and twist to their dishes.

The place looks incommodious at first, but once you settle in you feel at ease. I loved the fusion of vibrant red and subtle white along with the dim yellows of the light, making you feel instantly comfortable. The décor is ‘instagram worthy’ with white walls and white tables perfect for those white themed grammers and for flat lays.

I always get nonplussed when it comes to food. If you are like me, then the menu at Nom Nom is a welcome change with ‘chef recommendations’ which is such a life saver. 




To start off we were served Homemade Ice tea. It was aptly named ‘Homemade’ as the first sip reminds you of ‘ghar pe bana ice tea’. With the first sip, you get to taste the subtle hint of lemon and it wasn’t overly sweetened as is normally served in restaurants. It was very refreshing but it didn’t quench my thirst (mind you I drink a lot of water). I ordered for Thailand coconut water, which was served in its shell, and that definitely called for pics!




We were then served the trademark Lettuce wrap, and guys this is one of the dishes that actually scream ‘Dikhao pe na jao, apni tastebuds lagao’. When two meat eaters are served a bowl of lettuce along with a bowl of fried noodles and chicken, you cannot expect them to be happy. I exchanged an ‘it’s ok, it’s just a leaf’ look with my husband. I gingerly placed the lettuce on my plate and generously filled it with chicken, noodles and sauce. The first bite baffled me, it was a mix of textures and flavors hitting you at once. The crunchiness of the noodles teamed with the crunch and freshness of lettuce along with the flavors of meat packed with the crazy blend of spicy and sweet sauce was an absolute treat to my palate. It was an explosion of texture and taste, and in 2 minutes or less the entire dish was wiped clean (not exaggerating). Those who did follow my Instagram stories on that day were proofs to the same. 





The lettuce wrap raised our expectation levels and we were juiced up for the rest of the dishes. On knowing that we love sea food, we were served with Crab cakes, Prawn Tempura along with drumsticks in Sichuan sauce. 




For me the star among the three, was hands down the Prawns tempura. Usually when they go cold it taste’s meh and the batter isn’t as crunchy as it is when served hot. I’m so happy that I tasted them once they went cold, else I wouldn’t have realized how yumm they actually are. You could hear the crunch of the batter, it was just perfect and fried to the right amount.
The Crab cakes were too thin in my opinion, I’m usually used to a generous serving of crab cakes. Chicken drumsticks were coated in sichuan sauce and It made my mouth water the moment I took the first bite (I’m drooling, even writing about it). It was neither super spicy nor bland. It was a balanced level of spiciness. It was tasty, however I just kept going back to the scrumptious prawn’s tempura.

The plates were cleared and we were served with smoking (literally) beef plate with rice. My husband and a few patrons did walk out owing to the smoke, but I stayed put (Yes, Im a bit weird), but the smell was so good that I decided to stay back with minor bouts of cough. But so totally worth it if you are a ‘smell before taste’ person. So post the smoke we dug in to the beef plate. The first morsel itself was enough for me to dig my face into it. Beef plate was served with rice which didn’t receive any attention. We just loved gorging up the beef plate with veggies. The beef was just perfectly soft and not overly chewy and the vegetables retained their crunch. It was a perfect balance of meat and vegetables. 



We were in for a surprise with Fried ice cream!! Simply put, it’s ‘Dessert Heaven’. Just visualize vanilla ice cream hidden inside fried cake coated with chocolate and served with almonds and chocolate sauce, now you know what I meant? You break the spherical chocolate crust to see vanilla ice cream staring back at you. That foodgasmic moment when you place the first bite in your mouth is indescribable. The cake, ice cream, almonds chocolate hits you, and nothing else can literally beat that. Had I been eating that at home, I would have wiped the plate clean! All I wanted was for that to never get over!





Overall we had a great time with really good food. The staff were very helpful, and were ensuring that the patrons were having a good time. From helpful recommendations, to prompt service they had it all covered.

We also had the pleasure of making acquaintance with the owner, Vivek. It’s always inspiring to hear how or why a particular venture came into being. His journey from retail to hospitality, and his passion for the same came across very vividly. The same has led to Nom Nom being nominated for the What’s on Awards.

I wish you more success and accolades because you are fabulous. Keep surprising our palates!.