Hidden in the nook of Shoreline Beach Club 4 in Palm Jumeirah, I wouldn’t have come across @Blend if I wasn’t actively looking for it. This spunky little eatery is all about healthful eating, and caters to a nutrition-hungry niche looking for guidance for the perfect blends and bites.
The eatery itself looks very kitsch and inviting with its sailor theme. The walls are painted in waves of blue, and decorated with memorabilia from the sea.
We got to @Blend around 2 in the afternoon, and the place was absolutely deserted. The store manager was on attendance, and had the help of one staff member.
The menu itself is short and concise (four pages to be exact). Half the menu is dedicated to smoothies and juices. You can choose from 4 different sections:
- Wellness Smoothies
- Fitness Smoothies
- Dessert Smoothies
- Detox Smoothies
The smoothies have clever tongue-in-cheek names. Having had a rather hectic morning, I chose to try their Beet Fatigue smoothie (from the ‘Wellness Smoothie’ section). This is a blend of almond milk, yogurt, beets, strawberry and blueberries.
“Beets are a nutrient powerhouse, rich in vitamin C, fibre and potassium. They are known to boost your stamina and fight inflammation. Mix beets and berries, and you won’t even taste how healthy this smoothie is.” – @Blend Menu.
The smoothie has the gorgeous purple colour of beets. Before I took my first sip, our server cautiously warned me that the drink is rather bland. He offered to add honey if I should need it. Apparently this drink is a hit among gym goers, and chosen as a pre-workout snack.
This smoothie is definitely not everybody’s cup of tea. My little 5 year-old found it tasteless, but I rather liked the mild hint of berries in a predominantly beetroot drink.
The staff at @Blend were sweet enough to offer a separate drink for my little one. Her’s is from the ‘Dessert Smoothies’ section, and is named after the very lovable, pot-bellied Yogi Bear.
Yogi Bear might look strikingly similar to my beet drink, but instead of beet it has the sweetness of bananas and apple juice. This is definitely a more child-friendly smoothie.
As for Hubby, he went for the Guiltfree smoothie from the ‘Fitness Smoothie’ section. This is a thick, tropical mix of mango, avocado, coconut butter, pineapple and protein powder.
“Fill up on good fats to lose fat. Coconut butter and avocado are excellent sources of healthy fats shown in countless studies to reduce waistlines and give you the necessary nutrients to stay full longer.” – @Blend Menu.
This smoothie sure kept up to its ‘keeping full’ promise! The pale yellow colour of the smoothie is mischievously deceiving. One serving of this, and steak-loving Hubby was struggling through his Steak & Cheese Wrap.
@Blend also allows you to add additional proteins and other supplements including beauty-enhancing collagen to your drink.
The food section of the @Blend menu includes wraps and sandwiches, a ‘create your own salad’ section, and an all-day breakfast list. Everything in the menu (including the drinks section) comes with Kcal information, and where appropriate, the protein count is given as well.
Here is a look at Hubby’s Steak & Cheese Wrap. Stuffed with beef fillet, caramelized onion, blue cheese and healthful spinach, tomato and alfalfa sprouts, the filling is dressed with a yogurt herb and horseradish dressing. Quite a mouthful, all rolled up very compactly into a wrap.
I had a bite of the wrap, and loved the play of caramelized onion with blue cheese. The decadence is not too overpowering thanks to a bush of alfalfa, and the steak itself is marinated in a deliciously sweet and salty gravy.
I decided to create a salad of my own. For the base, I chose the @Blend Superfood Q (red quinoa with avocado, spinach, onion, cucumber and cherry tomatoes). For the dressing I chose to go with Ginger, Soy & Sesame Dressing, and asked for a poached salmon fillet for protein.
Somehow, the server got my order wrong, and my salad came sans salmon. It was delicious nevertheless, and the staff were very apologetic about the mishap. The store manager himself rushed to the kitchen to poach the salmon for me, and it arrived while I was halfway through my salad.
The poached salmon at @Blend is a work of art! Poached to absolute perfection, the fillet was steamy hot, and moreishly soft and tender on the inside. The flesh was a perfect pink, and tasted absolutely divine with the Ginger, Soy & Sesame dressing.
If you are looking for a guilt-free, ‘good for you’ place to dine, @Blend is an absolute gem. The staff are very knowledgeable about healthy eating, and are there to guide you through your menu choices. Perhaps you can look them up for a post-workout treat?
@Blend is located in Shop 5 on the Ground Floor of Shoreline Beach Club 4 (Shoreline Apartments, Palm Jumeirah), Dubai. Have a browse through their website, and for more details, call 04 514 8966.
The Tezzy Files 