Kulfilicious- Your best bud for the summers

With the heavy summers approaching, kulfi and falooda are desserts that help bear the heat with a smile on our face. But only if they are made with perfection, the flavors and textures should be spot on. Hence, this place “Kulfilicious” that has over 12 outlets in Dubai. This blog is about the Deira branch that is also listed as Al Muteena under zomato. Its a colorful place with old bollywood timeless movie posters and the songs that they play are from the same movies. Their quirky stools, tables and a rickshaw inside are so instagrammable.

We started off by placing our orders: one for the royal kulfi falooda and the other was Gud Bud that’s based on a custard instead of kulfi and has more dry fruits in there. The best bit for all you vegetarian fans out there is that this comes with a vegetarian jelly also.

Loved the crunchy texture of gud bud, it had rose flavored milk at the bottom that was amazing if you eat and sip together. Super refreshing for any day of the year.

For the royal kulfi falooda, my three flavors were: Gulab daani, kaajuddin and malaika (rose, cahsew and creame) Loved the combination of these three. However, if you don’t want your falooda to be overly sweet then don’t choose gulaabdaani. I love the flavor of rose and the sweetness to it therefore I will always choose this one 🙂

The cherry on top is that they don’t use any preservatives and all the flavors are made locally. The service was pretty great and I highly recommend you try their desserts at any time of the day. You won’t regret 🙂

May 9, 2019 0

Ramadan menu tasting at Osh Dubai

Osh is a classy restaurant with some amazing interiors, located in La Mer; Osh caters to foodies with elegant Uzbek cuisine needs. Recently, I was invited to their Ramadan menu tasting and as I walked into the restaurant; their upstairs is dedicated for smokers while downstairs for non-smokers but since the meet up session was upstairs I climbed up and witnessed a dark ambiance with light only focusing on food.

We were served starters with Baba ganoush, hummus beiruti, fattoush and an egg salad. I loved baba ganoush, it had a lovely smokey flavor to it. I also tried their sambosuk that were accompanied with red tomato dip, loved these little bites. They were my favorite. Also had the lentil soup which was super comforting as the base was chicken stock. I absolutely adored it.

For mains, we tried the mix grills where Lamb kebabs and chicken kebabs were served with fresh salad. I particularly loved the chicken ones, I think the lamb kebabs needed more cooking time but they also were flavorful.

I tried their jellab drink which was presented in a gorgeous way with dates on top and lots of pine nuts inside. Loved it.

For dessert I had the chak chak which is basically crispy fried honey noodles. I wish it came with icecream because then it would have been an instant hit.

Thank you for the amazing service Team Osh.

May 3, 2019 0

The cake that broke my heart…

Magnolia bakery is the prettiest, chic bakery that you will ever come across in Dubai especially if we talk about the bakeries in malls. I’m sure you have had their banana pudding and I have to tell you that I literally dream of their salted caramel banana pudding because its absolutely delicious.

Recently, I was craving for a moist chocolate-y cake and so I headed over to Magnolia as they have beautiful cakes. After much thought I decided to go for the Devil’s food cake because it was made with dutch cocoa that creates a darker sort of chocolate and I am always ready for pure dark chocolate any day. A giant beautiful slice came on my table and I took lots of pictures and poked my fork in. I had a few bites and realized that it was dry 😦 and it needed some kind of moisture in the sponge. The buttercream frosting was perfect but the cake’s sponge itself was a little rough. The price was 28 Aed for one slice and I think its fair but I wish the cake was good.

This just broke my heart because I genuinely love desserts and cakes. So its pretty difficult for the cake monster inside me to be disappointed. I am still going to return and try another dessert from here and then update this blog 🙂

May 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

Buttermilk fried chicken experts in Dubai

I am an absolute fan of succulent and crispy buttermilk fried chicken and while roaming around city walk in Dubai, I happen to find this place “Clinton street bakers” who are actually located in a less crowded kinda dark alley with decent vibes, the restaurant interior is really pleasing, gorgeous comfy chairs and candle light feels.

I instantly ordered their best seller chicken and waffle that is also on their breakfast menu, I also ordered a fried chicken salad and toddler’s meal; mac and cheese

The food arrived so quickly, first up- my toddler’s mac and cheese was amazing. They made it with precision and added extra cheese for the child. It made me so happy. My chicken and waffles were oh-so-good! the portion size was way too much for one person, I suggest you share it between two people with large appetite. What I loved most about this dish was the waffles that were extra fluffy and melt in mouth, i wish there was a buffalo sauce to accompany this dish which would have made it even more amazing.

Fried chicken salad was top notch. The fried chicken strips in there were super crispy yet not heavily battered. I enjoyed my dining experience here and I would recommend you to have the chicken and waffles here 🙂

April 18, 2019 0

My experience at Peppermill

One of the toughest decisions to make while shopping in the mall is “where to eat?” (First world problems) I know. So, I had my eyes on this restaurant since a long time and I finally had dinner here. The ambiance is lively and there’s room for a lot of people. They also have separators for specific dining requirements.

I ordered their Chicken sev puri from the starters that turned out quite wonderful except for the fact that the chicken wasn’t quite adding up with the chaat. There were juicy chutneys in there and the creamy yogurt was simply amazing.

Ordered the katiafi prawns from appetizers, these were amazing. The best thing about this dish was their mango salsa that wowed me. It was placed in small quantity on the plate but was packed with intense flavors.

peppermill food

Next, I had the soya chaap curry which was the winner for me. The curry was composed of some serious spices, no nonsense. I love a luscious curry with pure spices and this is exactly the one I had been looking for. Also the soya chaap were velvety soft and flavoured well too. I request you to order this even if you are a hardcore non-veg 🙂

For dessert, I opted for ras malai milkcake, it came with lots of crushed laddoo topping. I felt there was too much zafran in there for my liking but overall it was delicious.

April 4, 2019 0

Ordered food home from Sandwich factory

Sandwich factory is a small place newly opened in al qusais that caught my attention while driving quite a few times. So I thought it’ll be a good idea to order from here. I ordered peri fries, grilled italian jumbo panini and crunchy chicken burger.

The peri fries had literally no spices in there, since the name was peri; there should have been some flavor to it. But sadly, there wasn’t.

The italian jumbo panini was delicious, grilled to perfection and the portion size was good and filling.

The crunchy chicken burger was not crunchy at all, no powerful flavors in there either and pretty tiny in size.

I would suggest the restaurant to enhance the flavors in their menu items and live up to the title of these dishes. For example if you’re labeling fries as “peri fries” then justify that. All the best!

-Captain Lychee.

March 28, 2019 0

Turn up the heat at Turkish steak restaurant

I am absolutely in love with the food served here, be it their juicy adna kebabs or the flamed ribs; they have pioneered each dish in a beautiful way. Turkish steak restaurant is located near Mercato mall and its actually a villa with lots of space to accommodate big group of people.

Started off with their grilled chicken salad where the chicken was spiced perfectly and grilled, loved the neat presentation of this and the flavors in this salad were spot on.

Next, I had the Oven cheese mushrooms that you can find under hot starters in their menu. These were gorgeous baked mushrooms oozing with the right amount of cheese. My advice: have them hot and let them sway you 🙂

Had their butcher’s cheese kofta, these were the showstoppers of my entire dining experience at Turkish steak restaurant. They were not over cooked and the juices in the meat were preserved well, also the cheese in koftas was not overpowering and formed a lovely lacey texture when cut open.

Also had the sultan (2 plate) which comprises of adna kebab, kuzu, shish kebab, chicken shish, lamb chops and tomato kebab. I’m a hardcore carnivore so I conveniently ate everything on this platter except for the tomato. Loved this so much. So difficult to decide my favorite element from this platter but I would go for the shish kebabs. They were amazing!

The drink I ordered was called Honey roasted pear and I swear I have never tried a drink that is this refreshing before. The combination of honey, vanilla, cinnamon and apple was just mind blowing.

They have amazing variety of steaks and burgers and platters to share. I highly recommend you visit this restaurant with your friends who love meaty delicacies especially authentic Turkish flavors.

For the dessert, I had authentic turkish baklava with vanilla icecream, the baklava was melt in mouth good and added an extra zing to my wonderful dining experience.

Thank you Team Turkish Steak restaurant for hosting me. Your service is superb.

March 22, 2019 0

Turkish food fix done right at PideKeyfi

Can’t afford a visit to Turkey? but miss their adna kebabs and cheesy pide real bad? Then you gotta head over to pide keyfi in JVC where some of the amazing turkish food is being served with 100% authentic flavors.

Their interiors are simple and orange is quite evident, love the candle stand on every table that adds to the ambiance. Also the pretty embossed turkish tea holders are quite wonderful to look at and take pictures with.

For welcome, they bring you a complimentary naan with nigella and sesame seeds on top, this bread is super huge and tastes so good. I tried the mix pide which comes with , minced meat, beef and meat thats topped with gorgeous kashkaval cheese. Loved the flavors there, the cheese was fresh and the bread was soft.

Also had the mix grill kebab platter that comprises of urfa kebab, tikka, chicken shish, chicken wings, kofte, mini lahmachun and kashkaval pide. I can try my best to explain how every element on this platter was but you have to taste it yourself to believe me. I simply loved the koftas, they were so juicy and flavored with subtle spices. The tikka was beautiful, charred from top with amazing spices and I actually replaced urfa kebab with adna because I’m adna kebab fan, those were super tasty too.

And obviously, one can just not leave without having kunafe at a Turkish joint. So we ordered their cheese kunafe and oh boy! was I blown away… It was the most tastiest kunafe I have had in ages and its all because the cheese used wasn’t mozzarella but special kunafe cheese that doesn’t form lacy texture but melts in mouth. It took them a while to prepare this because it was prepared fresh.

Thank you for amazing turkish food fix Team Pide Keyfi. Your staff and service is outstanding. Love how you served us in time despite of several delivery orders. Your staff is well trained in terms of remembering all the items on menu and guiding customers well while we order.

March 11, 2019 0

Parker’s truly a hidden gem

Honestly, I had been planning to go here for ages but then my friend visited me in Dubai and I couldn’t think of an innovative place with delicious food that’s not overly fancy at the same time except for Parker’s. We dressed up casually and headed towards the La Mer branch (Jumeirah 1)

Their staff is so friendly, they flaunt warm smiles all the way. We were seated according to our preferred area despite of the place being full with people. We ordered pretzel chicken strips from appetizers. These were delicious! the portion size was amazing and the chicken was not heavily crusted.

We ordered crispy potato chicken slider, chicken shawarma slider and Parker’s fried chicken burger. Along with truffle fries that were super gorgeous. The sliders were great, buns were velvety soft but I think the flavors can be improved a bit in terms of the chicken patty that was not much spiced and felt a tad bit bland. But overall the sliders were pretty good.

Truffle fries were the winners! they were covered in cheesy mushroom (beschamel kinda) sauce and the flavor of garlic in there was pretty evident and that’s why I loved these!

I bet most of you are just reading this for desserts 🙂 I hear ya! Yes, the dessert was outrageously good. I ordered the “Pull me” Bubble brownie that rocked my world. It was a sinful combination of dark chocolate brownie underneath thick vanilla icecream underneath chocolate bubbles slathered in hot chocolate sauce. If this doesn’t make you drool, I’m concerned about you dude 😉

February 27, 2019 0

Kebabs of your dreams at Mashakeek

Its always a tough decision of “where to eat” when you have been shopping for a long time in the mall. I was starving when I roamed around mall of emirates “Food court” and found this gem. Team Mashakeek are kebab experts, they gave me a tester called “yogurt kebab” and that’s when I made my mind that I would like to have this.

I ordered a mix grill shareable platter with lots of different kebabs, you can tell the servers to customize kebabs according to your liking that is if you want to opt for chicken only or beef only or both. The platter comes with rotis and rice and salad and raita (herb spiced yogurt)

The platter was delicious, all the kebabs in there were tender, cooked perfectly and flavored with well balanced spices. I didn’t like the chicken malai kebab though. It was a tad bit bland.

Also tried the mint lemonade that is part of the deal. It was really nice and fresh. I would recommend you try this place yourself and share with me your experience 🙂

February 10, 2019 0