Chicken tikka is AED 10 here, for a leg or a chest piece, your choice at the counter. Published prices elsewhere in this emirate for a comparable charcoal grilled piece run roughly AED 15 to AED 21, which is worth knowing before you order anywhere.
But the bigger problem with a BBQ menu is that the words mean nothing to most people reading them. Here is what each one actually is.
The grill, decoded
| AED | What it actually is | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken tikka | 10 | A large piece on the bone — leg or chest, grilled whole |
| Tandoori boti | 22 | Boneless cubes on a skewer, red masala marinade, charred edges |
| Chicken kabab | 22 | Minced chicken moulded onto a flat skewer |
| Reshmi kabab | 22 | The same mince with cream and cheese in it. Soft throughout |
| Malai boti | 25 | Boneless cubes in a cream and green chilli marinade |
| Chargha, half / full | 18 / 35 | A whole bird, steamed in spice an hour then fried to order |
Three words do all the work:
Tikka = a piece on the bone. Bigger, slower, and the bone keeps it moist. At AED 10 it is the cheapest thing on the grill and the best value on it.
Boti = boneless cubes on a skewer. Faster, more char per bite, and the marinade matters more because there is no bone doing the work.
Kabab = minced meat on a skewer. Not cubes. The texture is completely different and it is the one most people mean when they say "kebab".
Which boti, and which kabab
The two pairs are where people hesitate, so:
Tandoori boti at AED 22 vs malai boti at AED 25. Tandoori carries a red masala marinade and comes off the coals charred at the edges — it is the assertive one. Malai is marinated in cream and green chilli, which makes it much gentler and paler. Malai boti is the mildest thing on this grill and the right order for anybody avoiding heat, or for children.
Chicken kabab at AED 22 vs reshmi kabab at AED 22. Same price, same idea, different texture. The standard seekh is firm and dense. Reshmi means silken — cream and cheese go into the mince, so it stays soft all the way through. If a normal seekh kabab has ever struck you as heavy, order the reshmi.
Charcoal, and how to check
Everything goes onto the coals after you order it, which is fifteen to twenty minutes. Nothing is grilled ahead and held under a lamp.
The test, which works anywhere: look at the char pattern. Charcoal is uneven by nature — hot spots, cooler spots, coals burned down on one side — so the meat comes off with dark blistered edges and paler patches between them. Gas gives you tidy, even bar marks and a flatter taste.
You can usually smell it from the car park too. Burning hardwood has a distinct sweet smoke. A gas grill smells of nothing at all.
Charcoal is also a cold weather dish, and from late November the outdoor tables are the best seats in the place. More on the winter season.
What to order it with
Grilled meat is dry by design. That is correct and it is the point — but the table needs something wet next to it or the meal is hard work.
| Order alongside | AED |
|---|---|
| Zafran chicken karahi, half | 15 |
| Chicken white handi, no chilli heat | 26 |
| Daal of the day | 5 |
| Tandoori roti, each | 1 |
| Lassi | 5 |
A proper BBQ order for two: chicken tikka at AED 10, tandoori boti at AED 22, four roti at AED 4 and a daal at AED 5 — AED 41, and that is a serious amount of food.
For three or four, the chargha at AED 35 is the order. A full bird, steamed in spice for about an hour and then deep fried after you order it, which is why it takes fifteen to twenty minutes and why the skin crackles. Press the skin — it should crack. More on chargha.
More on the charcoal grill generally and on what is actually hot on this menu.
Finding us
Shop 8/1, ground floor, Amman Street, Ajman Industrial Area 2, beside Nesto Hypermarket. Free street parking directly outside, step free from the pavement, indoor and outdoor seating, families welcome at every table.
Open 7:30 am to midnight, every day, and the grill is lit every evening. Call or message 050 720 8707. We answer in English, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic.
We do not deliver, and charcoal is the clearest reason why: a kabab is at its best in the ninety seconds after it leaves the skewer. The full menu with every price is on this site.
Common questions
- How much is chicken tikka in Ajman?
- AED 10 at Zafran Kitchen in Ajman Industrial Area 2, for a leg or chest piece, your choice at the counter. Published prices elsewhere in the emirate for a comparable charcoal grilled piece run roughly AED 15 to AED 21, so it is worth checking what you are paying before you order.
- What is the difference between tikka and boti?
- Size and cut, mostly. Tikka is a larger piece on the bone, usually a leg or a chest piece, grilled whole. Boti is boneless cubes on a skewer. Tandoori boti at AED 22 carries a red masala marinade and chars at the edges, while malai boti at AED 25 is marinated in cream and green chilli and is much gentler.
- What is a seekh kabab?
- Seekh means skewer. The meat is minced, seasoned, moulded by hand onto a flat metal skewer and cooked straight over the coals. Our chicken kabab is AED 22. Reshmi kabab, also AED 22, is the same idea with cream and cheese worked into the mince, which is what makes it soft all the way through.
- What is reshmi kabab?
- Reshmi means silken, and the name describes the texture. Cream and cheese go into the mince before it is moulded onto the skewer, so it stays soft rather than firming up like a standard seekh. It is AED 22 and it is the kabab to order for anybody who finds a normal seekh too dense.
- How long does the BBQ take?
- Fifteen to twenty minutes, because everything goes onto the coals after you order it. Nothing is grilled ahead and held. If you want it ready when you arrive, message 050 720 8707 on the way and it will be coming off the grill as you park.
- How can I tell charcoal from a gas grill?
- Look at the char pattern on the meat. Charcoal is uneven by nature, with hot spots and cooler spots, so the meat comes off with dark blistered edges and paler patches between them. Gas gives tidy, even bar marks and a flatter taste. You can usually also smell the difference from the car park.
- chicken tikka ajman
- chicken tikka price
- tikka vs boti
- seekh kabab ajman
- reshmi kabab
- malai boti ajman
Hungry now
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The kitchen is open every day from half past seven in the morning until midnight.