There was a time I’d pass by the colorfully quirky facade of Sugar Factory and mistaken it to be a candy store. The rainbow of candy options are enough to make Willie Wonka go green with envy, and for my little girl to get a major sugar high with just one look.

And then I discovered their soulfully delicious Laksa. Very few menus in Dubai offer this coconut milk based noodle soup, and who would have thought an American chain (in the guise of a candy store) could do such a good job?

That was in their Dubai Festival City branch, and they have since opened up in La Mer Dubai. I was invited for a review there, and took it as a great opportunity to catch up with a friend.

The interiors here are super kitsch, and so in tune with La Mer as a whole. I purposely chose a table bang opposite the light-bulb framed ‘Couture Pop’ wall just for shots like these 😀

 

The drinks here massive. It was just the two of us, and quite honestly, one of these goblets can easily quench a group of four. For a bit of theater, the drinks come decked up in liquid nitrogen smoke. We had the Lollipop Passion and the Mai Tai. The Lollipop Passion, as its name suggests, is super sweet and tastes of lollies. In comparison the Mai Tai isn’t as overbearingly sweet, and has a hint of raspberry muddled in. I found it tasted a bit like cough syrup. If you love sugary drinks, you will definitely get your sugar high with these.

 

Our appetizers round introduced us to one of Sugar Factory’s most popular dishes; the Mac & Cheese Pops. These ultra cheesy balls of macaroni sit on a bed of red sauce, and are so decadently, gooey good!

 

Next came the Rainbow Sliders. I’ve cribbed about ‘rainbow’ sliders before. To make something ‘Insta Worthy’, they must have really gone all out with artificial coloring. I therefore go easy on the buns. At Sugar Factory, the beef patties are made from scratch and hand-pressed, and taste absolutely delicious. Just get me a regular bun please.

 

… And it was like they heard me wishing! One of the mains was The Signature Sugar Factory Burger. A fluffy, freshly baked Brioche Bun sandwiching a prime hand-pressed beef patty with swiss cheese, layered with tomato, lettuce, minced pickles, crispy fried onion rings, fried egg and a special Sugar Factory sauce.

 

Then there was the pan-roasted Norwegian Salmon, perfectly cooked a steamy, soft pink with a deliciously crisp skin. It sat on a bed of creamy mashed potato, and was served with asparagus spears and a special lemon sauce.

 

However, the star dish of the evening was the ‘falling off the bone’ Slow-Braised Lamb Shank. It sat on a bed of creamy mashed potato that had a mild kick of wasabi.

 

We ended the night with Sugar Factory’s S’Mores Crepe; a chocolate filled crepe garnished with toasted marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate chunks and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

 

Everything here is enormous, and can easily be shared between two to three people. The quirky interiors are perfect for some Instagram indulgence, and the service is fast and friendly.

If you are looking for American-style food with portions to match, Sugar Factory is the place to be. And no, they are not just a candy store!