Food with a story to tell- Once Upon a Bite

Karama (Dubai) has some serious food game going on that attracts a fair chunk of foodies (like me) every now and then. Once upon a bite is a dining experience down the memory lane that reminds one of home cooked meals and the flavors, just like a mother makes for her children. The restaurant genuinely believes in people sharing conversations over the comfort food they serve.

The restaurant has a friendly feel with peaceful music playing delivers a relatively soothing ambiance. There are so many colorful quotes and animated graphics covering the walls that it fairly qualifies as an instagram-able restaurant.

Burp!

I was welcomed with a gorgeous “masala coke” that’s actually diluted coca cola with masala mixed well and garnished with mint on top. This was my first time trying a masala cola ever and I was just blown away by how refreshing this drink was.

Chatter on a platter-

I was then served a nice big bowl of chicken sausage maggi that tasted like childhood on a plate. Growing up in Pakistan/India, one has several memories attached with instant noodles and the restaurant is just delivering that to us all. That too on such affordable rates.

Later, I had this amazing aalu paratha on my table with a creamy yoghurt dip that was the right balance of sweet and sour. The paratha was made of whole wheat and was not flaky at all, the potato filling inside was pretty generous and uniform throughout.

Also had the privilege to try their famous “shaadi wali coffee” that becomes clearer once you sip the coffee. It comes in a cute orange designed cup that has a nice story on its back. The coffee is garnished with chocolate powder and tastes just like the ones we used to enjoy on a wedding ceremony back in our hometowns.

shaadi wali coffee

Thanks a bunch for hosting me Once Upon a Bite. Chef Ajay really outdid himself by serving me some really nice dishes. I’m glad I dined in here and I would recommend it to all of my friends and readers.

October 20, 2018 0

Let food do the talking at Bisso’s Bakery

A place that swears by the rule “Do it with passion or not at all” lives up to it in every way. When I walked into the bakery, I was surrounded by beautiful aroma of freshly baked treats. And then the visuals of different buns and pastries just add cherry on top. The place is equipped with simple yet classy interiors that impart cozy and rustic ambiance.

Coffee- The elixir of life

We started off with a giant cup of organic latte prepared on spot.

Baking the difference!

I’m pretty sure that this one is a newbie that’s going to sweep your feet off the floor once you get to taste it. This is Flayfeh & Akkawi that was actually flat bread covered in spicy pickled sauce where you can evidently spot nigella seeds and sesame seeds. The sauce is lip smacking good and pairs amazingly well with the cheese.

Then we tried Baladi with pomegranate molasses that were star ingredient in this dish. You need to have a palate for this dish. Fortunately, I discovered only here that I do. It was absolutely tasty with the tender minced meat and sweet pomegranate.

I bet you have had Kibbeh before several times but this is an absolute MUST have. Because it comes with stir fried onions, bell peppers and is garnished with sumac and parsley that all makes sense when you eat them together. The pita bread serves as bed and blanket for the meat balls that are Kibbeh.

I’m really going to be honest here by letting you all know that this is the dish I will be going for ANY DAY of the year because it just lights up my taste buds and makes me fall in love with honey mustard sauce all over again. I mean who doesn’t adore the combination of honey mustard sauce with chicken that’s baked? But the real information here is that this sauce is made from scratch; that’s the reason behind its gorgeous flavor.

Potato and Chicken in Honey Mustard sauce

This place opens up as early as 7 am and that means you should definitely grab this Zaatar cheese double braid bun after your morning run. Why you ask? Because its freshly baked and zaatar interlocked with cheese tastes like heaven.

I have never had Salmon before but this Smoked Salmon star just made my day. And its actually because the bread underneath that salmon has three kinds of cheese to give a distinct flavor that works amazingly well with salmon.

Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

Nope, those aren’t my words. (But my thoughts sync with it). So, if you read Bisso’s Bakery’s menu carefully. You’ll read this and once you try their menu, you will know how true this is. It was just so challenging for me to decide which dish I would like to order the next time I visit and that very moment, desserts arrived. *Gasp*

Remember when I recommended you their double braid bun for breakfast? well, just add the granola cup and mango chia seed pudding to that list. Because these babies speak for themselves.

I can go on and on for weeks to describe how delicious the zebra cup was. It was actually layers of moist chocolate cake, home made custard and a lusciously intense chocolate sauce. That sounds like a dessert where you can finally drown your sorrows in Huh?

Charcoal Bun filled with butterscotch sauce

Rose Lemonade

See that drool worthy charcoal bun? It was loaded with butterscotch sauce and the rose lemonade actually has rose petals floating on top that add so much intensity to the flavor altogether.

I would really like to thank Bisso’s Bakery for introducing me to amazing food that I had no idea exists. Every item on your menu is pure, quality rich and is packed with bags of flavor. I can not wait to return to have all of this again.

October 14, 2018 0

Go Green with Spoon & Glaze

Located in the world’s largest mall, The Dubai Mall. Spoon & Glaze has aesthetically pleasing interiors and some mouth watering desserts that look like real floral plants. This is because they swear by environment friendly policy which includes wooden cutlery, clay pots for desserts and mud mugs for all kinds of drinks. Even for take away, they wrap your dessert nicely in a paper bag that says “Together we grow”. I took a dozen pictures of the floral interiors that I’m gong to show you below:

Finger licking good!

We started off with earth cake that had a purple flower on top and lots of oreo creme inside. It actually felt like you are digging your spoon into a plant. It tasted really nice.

Then came the Sand cake that was pistachio flavored. I liked it best because the pistachio creme was not overly sweet and had the perfect texture.

Third item on the menu was Mud cake that was presented with attention to detail as the filo nest sat perfectly in the middle of nutella. But it was too sweet for my liking.

Positivi-TEA

I got their berry tea that was really refreshing and paired well with all the sweet desserts. But most importantly, can I get a hallelujah for the classy mug they served this tea in?

They also served us some hot Basbousa that tasted really good, only if you like Basbousa in general.

Showstopper Kunafe

Their Kunafe was literally drool worthy, it was the best I have had. The gooey rich pastry was filled with sweet cheese filling topped with generous drizzle of sugar syrup. Although, I would have loved to try orange blossom drizzle over it but nevertheless, it tasted amazing.

Thank you for having me Spoon & Glaze. And special thanks to Rex who walked me through each dessert. Your service was excellent and I look forward to visiting you again.

October 11, 2018 0

It’s raining chocolate at The Choco Monarch

If you are a Choco-holic like me, you are going to fall in love with this place and the amazing treats they serve. Before visiting Choco Monarch, I saw a few pictures online and wondered if everything would be too overly sweet and loaded with sugar but now that I have been here and had most of the items on their menu. I want to tell you: No! the desserts aren’t loaded with sugar, they are subtle and comforting with combinations of hot crepe/waffle/pancake with chilled scoops of Ice cream and yes the much raved about chocolate drizzle.

We started off with some awesome shakes and a nice cup of signature hot chocolate that looked so beautiful. Scroll down to witness this beauty.

Sweet tooth in trouble:

Their staff is pro when it comes to chocolate rain, see the pancake below that is plain in the first picture and then covered with milk and white chocolate in front of us; effortlessly.

Pancake before chocolate drizzle

Pancake after milk chocolate and white chocolate drizzle

Loved the combination of flavors here especially fresh citrus-y fruits on the side. Also, the portion size was pretty generous for almost all items.

Alright! so the winner for me was….. *drum roll* Pain Perdu- the french toast. I couldn’t have enough of it. It was so moist and subtle in terms of flavor, texture and the balance of sweetness was perfect.
Having said that, I wish there were options including dark chocolate on the menu. I think there are millions of dark chocolate fans out there too so it would be nice to see the menu expand.

Thank you so much for having me ChocoMonarch. I think its wonderful to finally find a place that treats you in such warm and friendly way and their desserts don’t cost you a fortune. It is one dessert experience that I will remember always 🙂

October 5, 2018 0

WokBoyz = Wok- Stars

I won’t bore you with bazillion wok puns and get straight to how sizzling the food is served at this place. Its not a proper restaurant and I like it that way, colorful and artistic walls surround the counter where you order your meals. They have two branches as of yet, one in Trade Center and the other in Dubai Internet City. People have been going crazy for their food because when I was here, there were constant phone calls received for orders and the chef definitely needed a break.

Juice up!

The only drink options I could choose from were fresh coconut water, freshly squeezed orange juice and soft drinks. But the good thing was that the juices were actually fresh and not just “labelled” as fresh. I tried the coconut water which was chilled and as refreshing as always. The orange juice was really good and I would recommend you to order that with your meal.

Appetizing appetizers!

I was actually here for just the wok but the appetizers were surprisingly amazing. I tried their vegetable spring rolls, prawn tempura, Sui Mai and Spicy Korean wings (which is actually their signature appetizer). It was so difficult to decide a winner here, but I would go with the spicy Korean wings any day of the year. They were perfectly fried and drenched in an amazing sauce that was balanced so beautifully, it was silky smooth to touch and smoking hot to taste. You better get some of that right now!

Wok like a captain! Eat like a Pirate

Please bear with me as I struggle to find words that will truly represent how much I loved their wok. I chose Indonesian sauce, chicken as my protein, soba noodles, broccoli and snow peas (sad, that you only get to choose two) and spicy level with fried garlic on top.
I think the wok was absolutely smashing, it was exactly how I wanted it to be and all the flavors made me super happy.

The only demerit of my visit to WokBoyz was that they took an hour to serve me this wok because they had so many orders coming in. I hope the next time, it won’t take so long.

Thank you for having me WokBoyz. Your food speaks for itself.

September 29, 2018 0

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

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