Go Gaga for Gabbar’s Grill

I’m sure you all are familiar with Gabbar Singh from the old classic Bollywood movie called “Sholay” that has inspired this restaurant and represents the cuisine at the same time (Indian). Almost all the decor is made out of old unused bottles and pretty colorful kites hanging from the ceiling and old sari used as drapes and so much more. I think its super innovative and smart to recycle all these things in this way.

colorful seat covers

hand decorated/painted bottles

Drop it like it’s hot!

We tried their Rajma masala and Mutton Roganjosh; it was hard to decide which one we liked best because both were outstanding in their own ways. The rajma masala was comforting and spiced just enough to give you an amazing taste while the mutton was so tender and the gravy was fresh and bright in color.

Sweet Endings

This was first time trying “Mango sticky rice” and I’m glad I had it here at Gabbar’s Grill. It was so tasty, the moment you dig in with your spoon and get that spoonful of steaming hot sticky rice with freshly diced mangoes, you’ll understand my happiness.

Good news:

They cater for events, parties and any celebrations you want to have with their awesome menu. All you have to do is go to zomato and contact them from there.

Thank you so much for having us Gabbar’s grill. We loved every bit of our dining experience here.

September 27, 2018 0

Hidden gem in Discovery Gardens – Lee’s Wok

Lee’s wok and Gabbar Grills are like two peas in a pod inspired from the idea that some amazing food from two different backgrounds will be served under one roof. However, if you go to zomato then there you will see these two as separate entities.
The interiors are funky and instagrammable.

Let food do the talking!

Before I begin introducing you to the dishes we had here, I want you to know that I have never had Wasabi before and this was my first time. (phew!)

Ok, so we were served Fried prawns slathered in Wasabi mayonnaise that gives it a mild green color, as soon as I bit into the prawn there was this intense sensation… not on my palette but in my nose. It was so exciting that I tried it again and again and so on. Loved these tiny bombs of deliciousness. I would suggest the chef serves wasabi mayonnaise seperetely as a dip so that anyone who is not a wasabi fan could dip tiny amounts and vice versa for the others.

The other dish was Chicken Chili dry and I absolutely loved it. The spices were balanced perfectly in this dish unlike the usual chicken chili you get at most of the restaurants here in Dubai. It was beautiful to look at and absolutely smacking to eat.

Good news:

They cater for events, parties and any celebrations you want to have with their awesome menu. All you have to do is go to zomato and contact them from there.

Thank you for hosting us. Can’t wait to go back for the amazing food.

September 27, 2018 0

Food Coma is Real at Shakey’s

I remember asking my friend out for Shakey’s and she said that she’s not in the mood for shakes. Little did she know, Shakey’s is a complete dining place that offers different varieties of salads, pasta, fried chicken, fried potatoes, french fries and pizza along with some really nice shakes and mocktails.
My experience at Shakey’s has always been a sweet one. They have an amazing team/staff that makes you feel like home and serves the best food straight from their kitchen with a warm smile.

Drinks galore:

blueberry smoothie

oeach iced tea

lemon cucumber cooler

Loved the lemon cucumber cooler but the smoothies were severely sweet and it would have been nice if the sugar content can be toned down a bit or two.

Salad-elicious!

Nobody thinks of ordering a salad at a pizza parlor but I recommend you their greek salad and chicken Ceaser’s salad because they were a lot more than just plain salads. Greek salad where the crisp lettuce, arugula and cherry tomatoes were drenched in a tangy dressing that gave this salad a definition. And finally it was topped with salami slices and black olives just became my favorite salad place in Dubai.

Crisp it up!

Mozzarella cheese sticks, skinny fries, a platter of wings and rings and the tasty mojos were served as starters. And they all had one thing in common; too much salt. I think the salt content can be reduced a notch to let the other flavors blend it. Carefully, see the skinny fries picture where you can actually see the salt crystals on top (in abundance)

Having said that, I would still crave their mojos because they are always served hot and make my jaw drop.

I was not much of a fan of their Wings n Rings platter because the buffalo sauce wrapped around the chicken wings was way too tangy for my liking.

Pizza is always a good idea

Absolutely love their flat bread pizzas, no matter what flavor you choose- it’s going to become your favorite.

My favorite (if I had to choose one) from the above would be Hawaiin Delight as the pineapple in it was grilled nicely that eventually imparted a gorgeous flavor.

Pasta is love

The pasta looked so pretty and it tasted delightful. The spaghetti were hand made and one could easily feel that while eating. The bright red sauce on top just melts your heart.

Thank you so much for your heart warming service Shakey’s. Always a pleasure dining with you!

September 26, 2018 0

Amuse your taste buds at Sagar Ratna

Jodhpur is the second largest city in Rajasthan, India. It is known as “blue city” because whenever you see the houses over there, almost each one of them is painted blue according to a widely believed fact that the color blue keeps home cool during summers.
So when you enter Sagar Ratna, you will quite evidently see the color blue that represents their cuisine that is authentic jodhpuri/marwari.

We were served Makhaniya Lassi as welcome drink and honestly, I have never had a welcome drink that was this beautiful in texture (velvety) and flavor ever before. There was a cute blob of freshly hand churned butter on top of it, garnished with rose petals to enhance the look. I can have this any day,every day because it was that good.

Innovation on fleek

For starters, we were served Jodhpuri Pyaaz kachori which was outstanding in terms of both crispiness and filling. It should be a perfect dish to order in evenings while you sip on tea alongside.

The second starter were Karak Seekh Kebab, they were crisp from outside and moist flavorsome on the inside, delivering perfect taste to the palate.

The third starter was Chaap ke Sule and as soon as it arrived before my eyes, I questioned my own conscience because it looked so much like chicken. When I poked into it and tried the first bite, even then it tasted like one but the chef was there to assure me that it is 100% vegetarian made of soya bean.

Ghee Positive!

Before I enlist the mains, I want you to know that all the food here is made with desi ghee and it shines through each and every dish beautifully.

Ok, please be patient with me on this one. “Gulab Jamun ki sabzi” I swear I had no idea what it would taste like but oh my God! it was out of my expectations, extremely delicious. The gulab Jamun only become sweet when you dip them in sugar syrup so what the chef did, is that instead of a sugar syrup; he cooked them in a savory gravy. How cool is that? Brownie points for the innovation!

Then came the Papad methi dana ki sabzi that was super tasty and made with such precision, bearing in mind the combination of spices that eventually just melts your heart with its rich goodness.

We were served Jari Buti naan that complimented the sabzi dishes so well. I mean look at this naan and tell me that you can just have it on its own without a gravy dish. right? it’s that tasty.

Another beautiful dish was this Smokey daal makhani that is just what you need to unwind the day with. Its delicious, comforting and so light that you wont resist its perfectly balanced flavors.

Sweet tooth satisfied

For dessert, the chef amazed me by serving an amazing yet complicated dessert called “Bajra gur ghee ka churma” where you actually work with Jaggery and reduce it to an extent that it caramelizes and induces this sweet yet creamy flavor in the sweet dish. Accompanying this dessert was another famous one “Moong daal ka halwa”. Don’t think that the portion sizes were small, I assure you that they were tiny but mighty.

Thank you so much for hosting me Team Sagar Ratna and Mr. Piyush Maloo for giving us such a warm and friendly dining experience, walking us through each and every dish meant so much. My highest recommendations for everyone to visit Sagar Ratna.

September 23, 2018 0

A Meaty Affair at Smoked Meat Kitchen

I haven’t met a single person whose pupils didn’t dilate and heart didn’t explode with excitement when I say the word “BBQ or Smoked Meat” because lets just be honest and confess that we all love BBQ meat and sitting together, chatting endlessly, laughing our hearts out over some good smoked meat food. That’s exactly what SMK offers minus the hassle of marinating meat and lighting up fire and etc etc.
Lovely little area in La Mer with a serene view of beach serves some super good meaty dishes.

Smoothies:

They have wide range of mocktails, soft drinks and fresh smoothies. I tried the strawberry smoothie and although it was refreshing, I would like to call it a slush because generally a smoothie is based on yogurt. while this drink was fresh strawberries grated in ice. The mango and blackberry smoothies also paired up with the weather perfectly.

Chicken wings on fire! (Quite literally)

Absolutely love the fiery chicken wings, these were drenched in bbq sauce and had no extra spices so that you can taste the pure smokiness with the juicy chicken.

The potato fries accompanying these wings were crisp and fresh. The dip was soft on palette and some celery sticks did some real color breaking there.

Mary had a little lamb (Not anymore!)

Because SMK marinated it for 10 hours, slathered it with freshly prepared bbq sauce and fired it away!

The smoked meat, peaceful view of beach and bruno mars collection is surely going to be a dining experience you will remember for the rest of your life. Now, all you need is some good company 🙂

Good news: They even cater for your parties. Please view the rating chart below:

September 16, 2018 0

Hyper-Kebab-ism at Kebab Bistro

A day in my life when I had this beautiful opportunity to have Parsi food and I was dumbstruck by the combination of flavors and cooking techniques. Also, the fact that most of these dishes were steamed, baked or grilled and was the perfect definition of healthy and tasty food.
This standalone Indian restaurant has taken the responsibility of delivering the best Parsi cuisine. Although now, they have tweaked their menu to comply with quirky foodie needs and is now proudly serving Parsi-Indo fusion food.

Take a look at some of the pictures from the restaurant that resonate cozy vibes. Kebab Bistro is located in the heart of Karama, serving parsi-indian fusion food with a variety of options to choose from. The owners are two gems that treat their customers like family and take good care of you.

We were served a nice chilled glass of mint lemonade as a welcome drink.

Starters:

For starters, we were served “Prawn Arincini” and “plain Arancini” that’s actually stuffed rice and cheese ball which is deep fried and topped with a prawn along with an intense sauce.

These were so light and packed with bags of flavor. Not to forget the flattering cheese pull situation once you cut open them. Another marvel from the starters list was “Patra Ni Macchi” which is white pomfret fish marinated in green coconut chutney wrapped in banana leaf and steamed.

To All The Kebabs I have ever loved before:

For Main course- we were served Fish seekh kabab, mutton seekh kebab and dhansak. Now, it got pretty tough for me to choose a winner over here because all of the dishes were mind blowing. Fish seekh kebab were out of this world, soft, flavorsome and juicy.

The mutton seekh kabab were cooked to perfection. Not only they were succulent but also imparted a subtle spiciness and were not loaded with extreme chili heat.

Chicken malayi boti were tender to touch, marinated slightly with subtle spices and sizzled to perfect.

Dhansak was composed of slow cooked mutton and their juices flowing in the luscious lentil gravy that might remind you of a famous Pakistani dish- Haleem. This is served with basmati rice cooked with onions and whole ground spices. It is an honest definition of good home cooked food.

Parsified Dessert:

It is a traditional Parsi dessert served at weddings which is eggs and reduced milk baked to a custard that tastes almost like caramel because of the burnt sugar element.

Kebab Bistro does not feel like dining in a restaurant at all, they make you feel like home with delicious cooked dishes and I assure you that they won’t let you leave unless you’re stuffed. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience 🙂

September 4, 2018 0

A treat for the eyes and soul at Nurai Cafe

I am not going to list reasons for you to visit this cafe, instead I will share my experience with you all so you can witness the beautiful location, let the atmosphere sink in and then you bite into the scrumptious food that they serve all day.
The interiors are classy and colorful. There is a strong modern cafe vibe going on that’s going to impress you the moment you walk into this place.

Salads/Starters:

We tried their fattoush salad that was super fresh and a rather innovative version of the usual fattoush as it was presented with high attention to detail. The other salad was crunchy chicken salad that changed my perspective about salads in general; mainly because it had delicious dynamite chicken pieces in it and crunchy bits on top. Hummus had some amazing smokiness to it that enhanced the flavors.

The moment I had been waiting for finally arrived and I tasted these bad boys: Spicy potatoes with coriander. My taste buds lit up with the slight taste of these, packed with some awesome flavors, these are a sure shot to your heart.

Oriental Grill:

For mains we had the famous Mixed grill platter that comprises of beef, chicken and kafta skewers served with french fries, hummus dip and oven fresh pita bread.

We also had the much raved about- Nurai special combo that consists of spring rolls, pepperoni garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, breaded shrimps served with tartar sauce and honey mustard

Then stepped in the glamorous buffalo chicken wings drenched in freshly prepared buffalo sauce. It was served with ranch sauce and plastic gloves, needless to say that I opted to enjoy them with bare hands.

Manakeesh Mania:

I have always loved me a good warm slice of manakeesh. And Nurai cafe won me over with their super tasty manakeesh straight out of the oven.

Drinks galore:

Absolutely loved the drinks, they were not loaded with sugar. Perfectly balanced sweet and sour, with just the right amount of fruitiness.

Dessertable:

I’m out of words to describe the uber chic profiteroles and Ice cream, it was oozing with fresh hot chocolate over velvety soft profiteroles with the hazelnuts, caramel and chocolate sauce along with the smooth vanilla icecream.

Thank you for having me over Team Nurai cafe. Your hospitality and service was wonderful.
Dear Readers,
The fact that you get to enjoy your food with the view of sea and Burj Khalifa is alone reason enough to head over to this place. My highest recommendations.

September 1, 2018 0

Roll up your sleeves for “Roti Rollers”

Eccentric interiors, bohemian ambiance is what comes to your mind when you step in Roti Rollers at La Mer. Something so pleasing about their staff, they have the most warmest smiles that will put a smile on your face before you begin the dining experience.

Now, I know that the title “Roti Rollers” might be deceiving when you check out the menu in detail because there are so many delicious treats to choose from and the best bit is that all dishes on the menu are made carefully, bearing in mind that healthy food should not be boring. And that’s exactly what they deliver.

Chaat Station:

No matter what you do, begin with their pani puri and mix papri chaat because if you missed on these then it would be considered as a cardinal sin. The chaat was really tasty packed with bags of flavors, the intense chutney (wide varieties) complimented the chaat so well.

There are variety of chutneys to go with the chaat and all of them are freshly prepared by this gentleman. The chaat station is a colorful vision that treats your eyes and soul. It is beautifully decorated with hints of masala and chaat condiments.

Yup! that’s right. It’s 11 kinds of chutney with the colorful papri.

Cooler:

For drinks, we were served a power packed punch called “Minty Lemonade” that was super tasty and combined mint and lemon with a perfect balance delivering a zesty oomph flavor.

Mains: (Up all night, to get plucky & The Lamb-shank redemption)

I want to spare a moment just to mention here that the titles of dishes on the menu are literally awesome. I have mentioned my favorite two in the heading above and rest you should go and check out yourselves.

The vadaa paav was buttery and wholesome, the chutneys served with it were complimenting the entire dish pretty well.

These scotch eggs were cooked just the perfect way. For those of you who might confuse scotch eggs with another breed of bird laying eggs, I want to clarify that scotch eggs are just normal chicken eggs that are wrapped in crispy sausage and are kept gooey from the center while crispy on the outside.

Desserts:

So, if you are a hardcore desi like myself; you would know the importance and love for freshly prepared hot Jalebis. But if they are served with rabri? Dear Lord! I’m sold. P.s Not going to apologize for the drool worthy picture below:

Then came the showstopper dessert, Kulfi trio which was actually made from three flavors: Blue berry, mango and the malaayi. It was really amazing and the flavors fused together perfectly to entertain a kulfi-holic’s tastebuds.

Thank you so much for the wonderful dining experience Team Roti Rollers (La Mer). Your food made its way to my heart 🙂

July 29, 2018 0

Kulfihouse – Melting hearts..!

Located in the busy streets of Karama (Bur Dubai), Kulfihouse is breaking usual kulfi norms by serving out of box flavors and the famous chocolate pani puri. Now, if you think the chocolate pani puri is just made out of chocolate, let me enlighten you that No! It is crunchy puri literally drenched in thick milk chocolate covered with almond shavings; that’s going to rock your sweet tooth. Wait, what? Yes. There’s a show stopper filling that’s actually ras malai milk. So, here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Drool over the scrumptious chocolate pani puri as soon as it arrives

Step 2: Fill it generously with the milk potion and don’t wait too long or the puri will get soggy.

Step 3: Forget all the worries because life is just better with chocolate pani puri in our lives.

The second best item on the menu was Spicy guava kulfi and I was instantly a fan of it because guava is my favorite fruit and it was the first time I was having its kulfi, that too sprinkled with red pepper on top.

Then, we were served three trendy kulfi flavors that I had never tried before. Blueberry, Gulkand and green chilli. Nope! that ain’t a typo, you read it right! green chilli it is.

Absolutely adore all of the flavors but my personal favorite was Gulkand because when you bite into that kulfi pieces, you get clear rose petals in the middle and that’s what makes the whole kulfi experience worth it.
The green chilli kulfi was amazing! It imparts a smokey chili flavor that does not overpower the coolness of kulfi itself which I think is a challenge mastered.

Loved the interiors, so colorful and trendy.

Thank you for hosting me Kulfihouse. Your hospitality and generosity is as good as the desserts you serve 🙂

July 28, 2018 0

Super Lassi under 7 aed

The cruel summer outside calls for healthy drinks and speaking of healthy drinks, I don’t think any cold drink can beat the health benefits of a freshly prepared glass of Lassi. I went to the Lassi shop in Al Nahda 2 Dubai, and the menu surprised me because they had so many tasty options like smoothies, mocktails, faluda, icecreams, cold coffee, kulfi, juices and even protein shakes. And the best part is that all the items on the menu are priced at either 5 aed or 7 which means it is super affordable. Nothing makes me happy than having a tasty food/drink that is affordable and caters to people from all walks of life.
Here’s the badaam Lassi that I devoured with no shame and all I gotta say is Sorry not Sorry?!

This badaam lassi was not made with sugar at all instead, it had honey and the taste was brilliant. I always looked for lassi with less sugar and this one worked perfectly for me. It was topped with toasted almonds that enhanced the overall flavor. Even my picky eater 2 year old was happy gulping the lassi without any breaks.

The other item from menu that we tried that day was “death my chocolate” icecream. Now, I want to make it clear right away that it was a desi version or a rather self claimed title that does not go well with the dessert itself. Nevertheless, it was delicious and consisted of a soft dark chocolate cake at the bottom, thick layer of vanilla icecream, topped with toasted cashew nuts (lots and lots) and chocolate syrup.

July 28, 2018 0