Loosen up a little

AER specializes in Italian, Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine. Located in DIFC; this place is for people who want to have fun and some food as well. The restaurant is beautiful with dreamy chandeliers and comfortable velvet couches with indoor and outdoor seating available. The restaurant has a full bar available as well.

Salad:

I started off with the AER wellness salad that instantly became my favorite because of the fresh beetroot and tangy orange along with chickpeas, sunflower seeds and salted maple butter dressing to bind it all together. This salad is a must have from my end because of its sheer simplicity.

Cold appetizer:

I ordered Bruschetta- Tunna and green apple, Tomato caponata, cheese and exotic mushroom. Loved all three of them. My favorite was the mushroom and cheese one, so creamy and light.

Then I tried their Sicilian Arancini and my lord! these were packed with creamy cheese. Loved every bit of these. Totally recommend you try them.

Mains:

For Mains, I tried the wagyu steak which is usually amazing by itself without much effort due to the buttery flavor of wagyu meat but I feel I should have asked the chef to keep my steak medium rare as well done was over cooked for me.

Pasta:

First world problems- To order pasta or risotto? I ended up having Pasta Al Funghi that’s loaded with wild mushrooms and looked absolutely smashing but unfortunately lacked basic flavor and some hint of spices like black pepper or nutmeg.

Desserts:

I couldn’t decide between chocolate molten cake and turtle cheesecake so I ordered both. The chocolate molten cake was pretty good, but I wish it didn’t had crumbs in it that tasted a bit odd.

But the turtle cheesecake was perfection! so soft that my spoon glided in there and the flavor was super indulging! I highly recommend you try this one.

Thank you Team AER for having me over. Your service and ambiance is top notch.

November 6, 2019 0

Fall in love with grills again.

The city’s finest Grills restaurant has so much to offer such as Salmon, Lamb chops, Grilled pepper chicken and their Chinese Bhel that’s offered complimentary before your meal arrives is simply amazing.

What I loved most about Back to Grills was the fact that it is great in all three areas: Food, Look and feel of the restaurant and service. It is a fairly small place with outdoor seating available as well serving Grilled, Asian, Continental and BBQ cuisines. Their food hygiene has been rated Excellent, which is a plus point.

One cannot help but notice the colorful decor inside the restaurant including the creative wood art where the restaurant name plate is placed. The menu is vast with everything from salads to grills, shareable platters, Asian bowls, sizzlers, burgers, mocktails and milkshakes and so much more.

We started off with the chinese bhel that was refreshing unlike the heavy buns and cheese sticks you get as a complimentary starter in most of the restaurants. Our first item on the table was B2G fiery prawns that were a treat for the eyes and soul. Beautifully drenched in a coconut oil based marinade, the prawns were an absolute hit. I would like to mention here that the presentation was extra ordinary.

We then had shareable non-veg platter that comprised of shish tawok, smoked chicken leg, chicken tikka, turkish lamb kebabs and lamb boti. Everything on this platter was pretty good. I specifically loved the lamb kebabs, they were so tender and the combination of spices here was amazing.

On the side, I was sipping Pattaya Breeze that’s made from Guava, galangal (you can think of this as ginger’s sister) and tobasco. Yep! you heard that right! And it tastes beautiful! I would totally recommend you order this one.

I loved their asian bowl- Kung Pao chicken, the sauce was so tangy and intense and the noodles on the side were subtle with bits of fried garlic that paired so well together. I feel this should be a must have dish here.

For Dessert, I had to go with Tangerine baked yogurt as I was curious to what is this, Yes! I have never had baked yogurt which is why I wanted to try it here and I am so glad that I did. It was wonderful! The flavor was like having warm ricotta cheese with tangerine on a cold night. *gosh*

Thank you so much Team Back to grills for having us over. So impressed with the quality of food that I have already planned my next visit.

November 6, 2019 0

Feel the vibe with A Cappella

A restaurant’s atmosphere sets the stage. It’s about more than just a dining room away from home. Food takes the spotlight as guests become its audience. Factors such as music, lighting, artwork and spacing combine to create comfort, intimacy and even romance.

A cappella is just the right restaurant to visit with your special one. Located in Pointe the Palm; the restaurant offers a variety of mocktails and fine dining options. The staff is extremely courteous, they look after you with undivided attention and make the entire dining experience worthwhile.

I started off the culinary journey with pani puri that comes in a theatrical presentation with smoke blowing from everywhere around and you can witness laboratory inspired funnels carrying chutneys and tiny pani puris lined on the sides. It definitely looked awesome. I believe the stuffing inside paani puri could have been improved.

This place is a goldmine for people who enjoy alcoholic cocktails but since I stay away from all kinds of intoxicants, the staff made sure I don’t miss out on the experience so they served me a non-alcoholic lychee mocktail that was super tasty and pretty.

Then I had amazing beef sliders, the beef patty was juicy and not overly spiced but the caramelized onion at the bottom of patty were the real deal. The entire slider was outstanding. I also tried the cheese slider that was actually made with a cheese patty and it was brilliant! I am definitely ordering beef and cheese sliders separately the next time.

Then came the show stopper lamb chops, they were glazed with slightly sweet yet charred spices. The lamb was soft and convenient to eat with a knife and fork in such fancy setting. Right after this I witnessed bhuna murgh approaching my table and my eyes were wide open with excitement because usually you expect finger food in such settings but this was beyond my expectations. The chicken looked amazingly charred from the corners and was cooked perfectly.

After all of these delicious meals, I was served mac and cheese and this one is honestly the best I have had so far. There was fried garlic chopped into crumbs and garnished on top which provided extra flavor to the dish and the cheese inside wasn’t just liquefied cheese that usually tastes weird. It was pure cheese that melted with the macaroni.

Finally, it was time for desserts (my favorite part of the dining experience). We were served Tiramisu and a chocolate pecan globe. Even though the chocolate pecan was sinfully indulgent, my winner was tiramisu. It was gentle and the mascrapone cheese was added in just the right amounts for a smooth texture.

Thank you for such an amazing night Team A cappella! I would recommend my readers to visit this restaurant on a Friday as they have bollywood nights and I am sure they will be super!

September 2, 2019 0

Famous Dave’s serving passion

You know when there’s “famous” in the name of a restaurant, you gotta figure that out and see what is all that about. Hence, my visit to The Famous Dave’s in Festival City Mall located on level 1 with views of the gorgeous waterfront and LED show; you are bound to fall in love with the restaurant. What I love the most is their staff’s courtesy and the way they make you feel like home/family, they were so friendly that even my bossy toddler gave one of the staff a hi-five.

We decided to sit indoors and started browsing the menu that had several options to choose from. While we were busy doing that, the server brought us a basket of fresh potato chips sprinkled with herbs and salt. He also briefed us about the kinds of sauces on the table and what each sauce is made of and how does it taste. I personally loved the Texas pit because it paired so well with the tacos but more on that later 😉

From the famous American steaks to the barbecued ribs, you can choose anything you like. I had my heart set on the crispy chicken tacos while my husband ordered the Dave’s fried chicken that comes with fries and pickles. The tacos were out of this world! They were literally good enough to sweep my feet off the floor. Crispy chicken with fresh lettuce, zesty lime chipotle and the salsa were just meant to be together, the cherry on cake was fresh jalapenos on top. I am definitely recommending the tacos. Even though these were perfect, I drenched them in the Texas pit and sweet and sour sauces and had a ball!

The fried chicken was pretty amazing as well. Loved the charred chicken skin that was just golden and all the juices ran on the inside, the flavors were subtle unless you order the hot one. The smoked beef was brilliant! Packed with bags of flavors, this is a sure shot to your heart. Portion size was perfect for 2;I would say but if you’ve had a long day, Go for it man!

August 18, 2019 0

Pakistani chinese food in Sharjah

I know its a cardinal sin to admire Pakistani fusion of Chinese cuisine but I can’t help it. Growing up in Pakistan, I always enjoyed the Chinese food served there at various restaurants. Peking in Sharjah serves exactly those amazing dishes with a fairly average ambiance and several options to choose from in their menu. What caught my attention was the server’s dress code wearing a lovely kimono, she was efficient with the menu and even guided us about serving sizes.

I ordered american chopsuey, egg fried rice, chilli ginger chicken and chicken sizzling manchurian. The chilli ginger chicken was my favorite as it wasn’t loaded with chilli or garlic, the flavor of boneless chicken blended so well with all the other ingredients.

I felt American chopsuey was a let down as the one I used to have back in Pakistan was served with a fried egg on top and I believe that’s how this dish is supposed to be served.

Chicken sizzling manchurian was nicely done, it sizzled all the way. The flavors were pretty good except for the quantity of chilli in there that I felt could have been a tad bit higher. Nevertheless, it was good and I recommend you try this one along with the ginger chilli chicken.

The fried rice were average. Nothing special about them. May I suggest the chefs to tweak these with some burnt garlic to give that amazing authentic fried rice flavor 🙂

I apologize for having no pictures to put up with this blog post as I was starving at the restaurant and gobbled up the dishes pretty quickly.

July 16, 2019 0

Chase the flavors with Manoushe street

Manoushe street has always been the talk of foodies for as long as I remember but I never really got a chance to try them out. Last week I accepted a blogger’s meet invite after a month I guess and I am so happy that I went there and tried their menu because it they had various combination of breads, salads, pizzas, wraps, Labenese kaak and manakeesh.

What I loved the most was how all manakeesh and pizza had this soft doughy bread that tasted beautiful along with their toppings. If you are a vegetarian then you my friend are in luck because they serve amazing veg manakeesh and pizza. Their potato wedges and homemade hummus was pretty awesome to begin with.

From pizza, I tried pepperoni pizza and three cheese pizza where my favorite was the pepperoni one. It was fresh, juicy pepperoni and the soft base made so much sense. Also, I would totally recommend you order their baked halloumi; even if you are not a halloumi fan. These guys bake it to perfection.

The tidbites with zaatar and spinach were also very nice. I specifically admired the sujuk because it was loaded with cheese and chicken. Tastes so much like a quesadilla but only more in terms of filling.

Thanks for having me Team Manoushe street, your service and quality of food was amazing.

July 3, 2019 0

Play with fire at the Wok’s Den

Wok’s Den is a nice restaurant located in Jumeirah 1 near La Mer with free parking and some really cool dragon graffiti on the walls inside. The kitchen has giant glass windows so you can watch the chefs in action while your food is being prepared.

The service is top notch! Our server made sure we were comfortable and helped us decide different dishes from the menu. Since we were fasting, the staff made sure that all our food was ready a minute before sunset so that we won’t have to wait and that made me feel super happy.

So we ordered Dragon shrimps and stir fried momos with schezuwan sauce for appetizers. The dragon shrimps were absolutely lip smacking, super creamy and soft to chew. The momos were an instant hit because the filling was so flavorsome and generous and the final toss in schezuwan sauce was ethereal.

For drinks, I ordered a pistachio shake and their specialty drink called Dragon’s Fuel which is suoer fun cocktail that has an intense kick of spice to it. Its literally like the sweet tangy and spicy gummy bears. I would recommend you go for it but have it in small sips instead of gulping it all in one go. Whereas the pistachio shake was great too!

For the wok, I chose soba noodles, mushrooms, snow peas, bok choy, sweet corn, black pepper sauce with chicken stripes. Loved the flavors in there and it wasn’t loaded with salt and chilli. The combination of flavors was just perfect. Wanna see how the wok was made? go check my Instagram page 😉

Then we had the triple schezuwan fried rice which were subtle and flavorful. They also have a black bean chilli sauce on the table that you can add to your food as you like. It was actually amazing and not too hot.

For Dessert, their coconut fried icecream was so delicious. I know it sounds so simple but please try it. Thank you Team Wok’s Den for the wonderful iftaar. Can’t wait to drop by soon 🙂

June 1, 2019 0

Jordanian cafe in downtown Dubai

Tche Tche premier is a quite fun place to spend a weekend evening at. They have separate area for smokers (outside) while inside for non-smokers. There’s even a play area for kids inside and so many LED screens to watch game on. The interiors are simple and neat, what stands out most is their superb service that won’t let you down. Our server “Nadine” guided best for their best dishes and cocktails.

We started off with the sea food sampler that priced at 70 aed and is loaded with crunchy calamari, crispy panko shrimps, mozzarella sticks and lots of french fries with dip. I absolutely loved this, especially the panko shrimps that were crisp and delicious. However my favorite part of this was the fact that it came in such big portion size that can be shared among two and the masala that was garnished on the fries :p

Then we had Chicken Escallop Funghi which is basically a chicken steak topped with melted mozzarella cheese paired with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. Loved the creamy mushroom sauce that accompanied this, it was spot on! Priced at 60 aed.

For sandwich we ordered the chicken zinger but it felt more like a crispy chicken sandwich as it had turkey slices in there as well. Nonetheless, the taste was amazing. The sandwich turned out pretty awesome. It was priced 45 aed

We also tried their house pizza that was priced at 48 aed and comprised of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and beef bites. I know what you’re thinking, that these all would make one hell of a pizza but there was something missing for me. I would say may be the spice quotient could have been a bit better. But if you like low food then this will be an instant hit for you.

We were so full with all the scrumptious delicacies that we skipped dessert but wait! their cocktails satisfied our sweet tooth because they were literally yum! I felt they were more like milk shakes, I had the summer cocktail (mango, banana, strawberry, vanilla icecream, avocado and mango) priced 32 aed and TCHE’s (strawberry, banana and vanilla icecream) priced 32 aed as well. Loved the way these cocktails were presented.

Thank you for having us Team Tche Tche premier. Your service was absolutely wonderful, special thanks to Chef Sayed from Jordan who served us amazing dishes. Thank you.

April 30, 2019 0

Lunch with Philip Chang (co-founder of PF changs Middle East)

Super excited to be at the same lunch table with Mr. Philip chang who is the co-founder of PF changs ME. I’m sure you all must have been to Pf Changs atleast once, their menu and flavors are so genuine that one may find it simply irresistible to not go back. There was so much variety in the dishes I tried that day especially the few items from their newly launched menu were instant hits.

Started off with the famous dynamite shrimps. Even though there are atleast 30 restaurants in Dubai who have this dish on their menu but no one does it like PF changs because they introduced the world to it and they’re still nailing it. The main reason would be the simplicity, thier dynamite sauce is creamy and has a subtle zing unlike the duplicate ones.

The new menu had korean corn pie which was loaded with cheese and tasted quite nice. Although I wish the consistency of the pie should have been a little thicker, the flavors were great.

Also had Singaporean noodles, stir fried chicken, ceaser’s salad, chicken dumplings and so much more. Out of all these dishes the ones that stood out for me were the dumplings, they were so soft and the filling was comfortingly delicious.

They are introducing a kid’s meal called the “Bento Box” which comprises of one portion of rice, fresh fruits, vegetables on a stick, fish or chicken sticks, spring roll and a tangy sauce. My 2 year old got all excited when he saw the box coming on the table and he actually loved it.

Desserts were the best, especially the great wall of chocolate. It was the most delicious cake I have tried in a long time. Felt so satisfying, zero regrets 🙂

I would like to thank Team PF changs the QODE team for organizing such a wonderful lunch. The service was top notch and the team efforts were quite evident. This shall always be a beautiful day in my life as a food blogger.

April 24, 2019 0

Ramen experts- Wagamama

I remember walking past Wagamama in London and looking at the long queue outside waiting to be seated in rainy 6 degrees. And in that moment I thought to myself that their food must be legit.
I recently received an invite to Wagamama in university city sharjah for a review and this name surely rang a bell in my head. I instantly said yes and went for the review. Its a lovely place with simple interiors, open kitchen and an outside seating area too.
Before I jump on the description of what I ordered and how it was, I want you to know that their service was top notch!

So, I ordered their steamed chicken and tomato buns that were cloudy soft to touch and were loaded with dynamite sauce, crispy fried chicken and thin slices of fresh tomatoes. I was left wanting for more, so much so that I think I’m going to order more of these the next time I visit. I found them brilliant! (quite, literally!)

Then I laid my hands on the best ramen I have ever had. (I swear!) The winner here was the ramen broth; complex and comforting. If you’re having a bad day, suffering from cold or anything. This ramen speaks to your taste buds on levels you don’t know exist before. The spring onions and red onions make so much sense and the lemon wedge on top equals to the cherry on this cake.

I also had the oh-so-famous Firecracker chicken to see what the fuss was all about and hey! the buzz is real. This dish is going to awestruck you in real ways. Now I know that this dish generally has a whole lot of spiciness in it but what me made me even more excited was the fact that there were other flavors in there too that weren’t overpowered by the high chilli quotient. Sweet, spicy, tangy- all of these were perfectly balanced.

So happy I ordered the wagamama iced tea (strawberry & mango) as it paired very well with the firecracker chicken.

I urge you to put this place on your bucket lists as it is definitely worth a visit!

February 21, 2019 0

At Grubshack- It’s always hot!

Grubshack is famous for their take on sea food dishes such as prawns, fish and crabs. Every dish on their menu stands out in terms of flavor and quality. I personally love their spice quotient that matches my palate in a beautiful kind of way.

Their ambiance is relatively dark and cozy with some gorgeous music playing live as you dig into your meal. I love how they have decorated the place so effortlessly, it looks neat and pretty especially if you visit in day light. The candles and wooden furniture give you some real positive vibes.

Gemma’s double dragon king prawns

Beef croquettes

Started off with Gemma’s double dragon King prawns that came with smoke falling out from eveywhere and it tasted amazing, The prawns were marinated beautifully in the spicy red sauce and I just couldn’t get enough of these.

Also tried the beef croquettes that were velvety soft and so tender, the beef was mashed perfectly and rolled into cylinders that were then deep fried or baked.

Chicken lollipops were yet another item that was spot on! it was super crispy on the outside and the spices were inside the chicken too. Loved these.

I was so happy to see my favorite dish come in that I always order when I visit these guys. Its none other than the Tawwa tandoori chicken. Its chicken with bone in that has been marinated with tangy lemon and spicy chillies, its served with sliced lemons and tastes absolutely beautiful. I would recommend you this dish as a must have.

I did not find Gemma’s mango fish curry that appealing, probably because I am not fond of fish in a curry. I felt that this curry needed more zesty element to it. Do give this one a try and let me know how you liked yours?

The chicken burnt garlic and chili fried rice were so delicious, the flavor of burnt garlic literally stands out.

Munna bhai’s mutton rohanjosh is amazing simply because the mutton is cooked to perfection, so tender than you touch it with a fork and it falls apart.

There’s a kulfi cart parked inside in collaboration with Kulfilicious. I had their mango kulfi and royal kulfi falooda. Both were splendid!

February 9, 2019 0

Food with integrity at Bombay Dreams

It is almost so rare that I visit a restaurant for review and everything on the menu speaks to the foodie in me on another level. I happen to visit Bombay dreams in Oud Mehta for a blogger’s meet and was awestruck by the dishes served. The food made me so happy, there were genuine flavors packed inside each dish and I would highly recommend you take your loved ones here even if they don’t usually enjoy a pure vegetarian meal.

Bombay dreams served 100% vegetarian dishes with a blend of aromatic flavors and spices to tempt your taste buds. Their interiors and simple and neat, colorful walls with hand paintings. The menu is quite vast so take your time before you order.

Indian Starters:

The first starter that I tried was Beetroot tikki, that’s basically mashed beetroot with coriander and cheese rolled into a ball and dunked in bread crumbs and eventually deep fried or baked. It tasted amazing! I feel i’m short for words to describe this here. It was the right kind of spicy and sweet. The cheese was just lovely on the inside!

Next, I had the Batata Hibiscus where baby potatoes were covered in strawberry chutney. The flavors here were pretty awesome.

Halloumi cigar was another appetizer that tasted delicious. It was simple cigar stuffed with halloumi cheese topped with fried onion.

Then came the Sambal Tofu where fried tofu was tossed in chilli sauce and spring onions. The best bit of this dish was Sambal, it had a kick to its chili quotient. I’m not much of a fan when it comes to tofu but this one was pretty nice.

The other item that stood out was Bird eye chili paneer, the crispy potato along with creamy capsicum and chili paneer was fantastic.

Mains:

All the main course dishes were amazing, my favorites were Thai khichri, tomatillo risotto and snow white pasta. Thai khichri is a must have, its super creamy and has a zesty tomato punch that makes the khichri overall beautiful.

The portion sizes were quite generous. I suggest you share between two people.

Desserts:

As you know the trend of theatre food has gone viral and everyone seems to enjoy it. One dessert “Ghewar with cucmber gelato” was presented dramatically with smoke coming out from the sides and eveything. I personally loved the flavors in this, the cucumber gelato was creamy and the taste of cucumber was quite evident.

I request you to visis Bombay Dreams with big apetite and high hopes as this restaurant’s food is not going to disappoint you! Also, its really pocket friendly.

February 3, 2019 0