Over the long weekend – we took the kids along with us to review CHAIHONA in the Marina. As a long-time resident in the community, we cycle pass the restaurant all the time, and have always wondered what it was like inside. Did you know that Kids Eat Free at CHAIHONA this summer?
Curious to know what it’s like? Here’s a little glimpse.
Where is CHAIHONA?
CHAIHONA is located in front of Marina Gate 2 Residences, or for those familiar with the area – in front of Carrefour and Kids Hub. If you’re driving over – they do have complimentary valet, and the valet booth is situated in front of Damac Heights by the roundabout.
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What’s the venue like?
They take up a lovely terrace area right by the promenade, and they’ve very smartly decked it out with plush sofas, boho chic parasols, and lots of greenery. It’s a nice contrast sitting there, admist the concrete jungle that is the Dubai Marina.
The indoor area is very much the same – with overhanging vines althroughout, a few large sofas perfect for families with little ones or even those who would like to work quietly in the corner.
What sort of food does CHAIHONA serve?
CHAIHONA serves Uzbek cuisine – and of course, to cater to the international demographic in Dubai – they also have Pan-Asian, European, Slavic and Mediterranean dishes.
Salads & Hot Starters
For starters – we tried their Olivier Crab Salad ( 95 AED ) which comes with sliced chicken, shrimp and crab meat mixed with Japanese mayo. It came, beautifully put together in a ring, sprinkled with salad greens. This is the reason we go out to eat right? Something that takes effort to prepare and put together – and tasty, too. The baked cheese eggplant ( 59 AED ) came recommended – and it was interesting to see that they use soy sauce ( a common condiment for our Asian cooking at home ).
Soups
The star of the show was their Homemade Borsch with Borodinsky bread and Beef Ribs ( 95 AED ). We do soup everyday at home ( typically with chicken or pork bones) as well so it was interesting to try an Uzbek one, and find that although different – it was still somewhat similar similar in taste. We liked it. The bread however, and the other condiments – we weren’t too sure about. But hey – that’s what happens when you try something new right. Still interesting.
Not pictured here was the tomato-cheese picha-non ( 47 AED ) which essentially a thin dough flatbread filled with cheese, tomato and coriander. First time trying this and the kids loved it. It was like a Uzbek version of a margharita pizza – with coriander sneaked into it, ha ha.
Mains
We also tried their Napolean Shalslyk ( 139 AED) and Lamb Chops Chaikhansky Pilaf ( 135 AED ). The Shalslyk was made out of layered beef and tail fat shaslyk. Similarly, the pilaf was like an Uzbek version of a biryani – mixed with yellow carrots, garlic, cumin and fried barberries. Both dishes were on the greasier side of what we were used to, but we can completely understand that it was created in a country which goes down to minus 40 degrees in the peak of Winter. Gotta keep warm, right?
Any offers at CHAIHONA Dubai Marina?
Over the summer season – they’ve launched a Kids Eat Free campaign which runs from 1st June until 31st of August 2025.
This applies to all Kids under 7 Years Old, with dishes from their Kids Menu. Don’t worry – they do have the usual kid favourites like mini pizzas, mac and cheese, fries and chicken cutlets.
If your little ones would like to try something different – there’s mini adjarian katchapuris as well as pancakes with cottage cheese.
Overall Thoughts
The fabulous thing about living in Dubai is that it’s a melting pot of cultures and with that – you can try cuisine from absolutely everywhere. Speak to the wait staff when you are there – so you learn about Uzbek cuisine, how the food came about and what’s in it. It’s refreshing to learn about other cultures and food of course plays a big part in that. Drop by CHAIHONA for a different dining experience. Just a little word of warning – they serve only Antipodes water and 1L will set you off at 42 AED. I’m still working on getting them to introduce local water. Hang in there! 🙂
- CHAIHONA by Vasilchuki
- Marina Promenade in front of Marina Gate
- More Details on vasilchuki.ae
Disclosure : We were guests of Vasilchuki to review the venue with the family.
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