🏝️Hulhumale Food Guide 🍗｜Found 2 solid spots near transit hotels!

Any sisters transiting in Hulhumale know the struggle: finding affordable, tasty food near transit hotels is like a lucky draw. Hotel meals are painfully pricey (a simple Chinese meal for two costs 50 USD—hard pass), so I scoured Xiaohongshu and Dazhongdianping, and finally hit gold with two spots that didn’t disappoint. Safe to try! 🍛 No.1 Bombay Darbar: Pakistani flavors—but go easy on the butter chicken Lured in by its glowing sign, this is a Pakistani spot (some say Indian, but South Asian flavors are similar here). Followed online recs and ordered butter chicken: creamy yellow sauce coating tender chicken, first bite was amazing—meat fall-off-the-bone soft, sauce rich with butter and mild spices, perfect with rice. But after a few bites? The butteriness hit hard, like a heavy blanket—only saved by naan bread. Thankfully, naan is a steal: 2 USD for two pieces, freshly baked with a crispy crust and fluffy inside. Dipping it in leftover butter chicken sauce cut the greasiness. Total for butter chicken + 2 naan: 216.64 CNY (around 30 USD) for two—filling, but plan to chug water after. 🍗 No.2 Fire Chicken: Highly recommend! Amazing roast chicken, unbeatable value This one deserves “Hulhumale Value King”! The roast chicken is chef’s kiss: crispy, slightly spicy skin, juicy meat that pulls apart easily (even the breast stays tender), with just the right amount of spices. And the portion? Insane: a whole chicken + 4 flatbreads + a side of masala (or curry, super fragrant) + a soft drink for 125 Rufiyaa (about 63 CNY). My husband and I stuffed ourselves and still had leftovers—way too much for two. P.S. Grabbed water, drinks, banana milk, and instant noodles at a convenience store just in case (turns out the chicken was so filling, noodles went untouched). 💡 Heads up: There are small cafes/bars around, but I skipped them—afraid of “price assassins” (no need for that stress during transit). Had a simple hotel breakfast the next day, then off to the seaplane! Hunting for food was tiring, but Fire Chicken made it worth it. #HulhumaleFood #ExoticFoodJourney #TransitHotelEats #BudgetFriendlyEats