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Martinis are no longer simply vodka or gin, shaken or stirred or saved for cocktail hour. Slipping an Espresso Martini in with breakfast is not uncommon and sweet, spicy Chili and Mango Martinis are perfect for brunch. Dirty Martinis for lunch and, I could go on.

Karma Kafé in Souk Al Bahar, Downtown Dubai, has become a local for us. Spectacular views of the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain, connected to Dubai Mall and with Friday Brunch an institution in Dubai, their’s is one of our favourites.

You wont find bain maries at the Karma Karvery Brunch so you wont find queues either. The menu is served à la carte allowing conversation to flow. Dishes may be ordered multiple times so it’s still an ‘all you can eat’ but a civilised one. Service is prompt and friendly with staff happy to offer menu suggestions. Alcoholic and non alcoholic packages are available and based on the location, quality of food and service, the prices are more than reasonable. The Asian menu is broad offering sushi and sashimi, gyoza, duck rolls, Sichuan tofu, dim sum, shrimp tempura, Thai curry, tea smoked salmon, the Karvery and of course, dessert.

It was after a Karma Karvery Brunch we were introduced by our brunch buddies to Chili Mango Martinis . You wont find them on the cocktail list but the bar staff are happy to make them for you. Ahmed, the mixologist, asked for preferences, we threw in a few suggestions and voilà, there were 4 chili mango martinis ready to tantalise our tastebuds.

A fresh sweet mango hit, spicy back palate from the chili and the garnish of a sprig of coriander (cilantro) gave just a hint of south east Asia. Truly delicious!

Returning to acquire the exact recipe at the request of a few paraphernalians we were advised Ahmed had left the building. Enter Shobil who was happy to recreate and share. Here is his version of Chili Mango Martinis: Serves 2.

Ice your glasses and into a cocktail shaker muddle a small piece of fresh birds eye chili (no seeds unless extra spicy is your thing).
Add 50ml each of mango purée and your favourite vodka, 10 ml each of fresh lime juice and sugar syrup, ice and shake, no specific instructions on how many times, this is totally up to you and I could tell he thought I was quite mad for asking.
Double Strain; very important to ensure zero pulp, pour into your glasses and garnish with a sliver of chili placed on a mint leaf and float.

Here at paraphernalia.co we’ve become slightly obsessed with recreating these martinis. Shobil’s was a delicious version yet different to Ahmed’s. Could the difference be Mango liqueur? Mango infused vodka? The mango itself, puréed fresh daily? We’ll never truly know until we find Ahmed so in the meantime here’s what we’d like you to do: try Shobil’s recipe first, you wont be disappointed. Then try it again adding 50ml of mango liqueur but delete the sugar syrup. Swap the chili on mint garnish with a leaf of coriander and tell us what you think in the comments below.

Recreating Chili Mango Martinis: a thing we love….