Like Global Citizens themselves, modern cuisine is a never-ending feat of combining the best of world flavors together. We all love our Indo-Chinese, rave over Western-style steaks using Japanese Wagyu, but who would have thought of bringing together Mexican with Indian?
Wrapchic is the brainchild of Mahesh Raikar, a well-paid employee of a Fortune 500 conglomerate who quit his job to delve into his passion for recreating Indian food for a health-enthused, global palate (you can read up more on the brand’s story by visiting their global website. Click here).
Urban Seafood, one of Dubai’s most popular eateries for quick and casual bites of delectible seafood, has opened a brand new branch in the heart of The Beach, JBR. Under a week old, this branch has a condensed version of the menu that is available at its predecessors (located in Ibn Battuta Mall, Outlet Village and Last Exit).
I don’t know about you, but after a leisurely day at the beach, I always tend to crave good old fish & chips! This was my very first visit to an Urban Seafood branch, and I was looking forward to a greasily satiating F&S combo, but what we ended up having was a far more ‘urbanized’, posher alternative, loaded with lobster!
What would you pay for a generously large 300 gram serving of prime beef, served with seasonal vegetables, fries and even a soft-drink of your choice? I was recently invited for the Steak Promotion at Al Bustan Centre & Residences, and was absolutely gobsmacked by the great value dinner we had there. All this for a mere AED 40 per serving!
Over the last year or so, Indian molecular gastronomy has taken the Dubai dining scene by storm. It was initially reserved for exuberantly priced fine-dining restaurants like Tresind, and soon seeped into the high-end cafe and bar scenes with the introduction of Farzi Cafe and Carnival by Tresind. Going a few steps further down the affordability scale, we can now rejoice with the opening of Mumbai’s very popular vegetarian joint, SpiceKlub.
(Image taken from TimeOut Dubai)
Just a month into its opening, and it is already a challenge getting a table booking at this brand new joint. Located in the hub of busy, traffic-congested Mankool where parking can be a nightmare, we booked ourselves a table at SpiceKlub midweek for dinner. Despite not having a valet service, the place was absolutely packed… and this was a Tuesday evening!
My Hubby does not prefer Indian when dining out, and least of all a vegetarian joint. To make matters worse, it took us a good 20 minutes to find a parking spot, so by the time we settled into our table I was praying the food would be to his liking. Miracle of miracles, he walked out very content raving about the dishes and the immaculate service!
Got a serious case of the weekend munchies? Substitute your regular fries with more healthful, wholesome roasted sweet potatoes. For those not counting the calories, I would highly suggest a generous bowl of sour cream on the side!
One of my all-time favorite comfort foods has to be Avo on Toast. I love smashed avocado on a slice of rye, sprinkled with salt and pepper. On other occasions, I add a poached egg to make the meal all the more substantial, but never have I had it the way they do it in Pantry Cafe.
Pantry Cafe has long been my recluse from a crazy, stressed out day at work. It’s just a few minute’s drive from the office, and has the perfect chic cafe ambiance for catching up with the girlfriends.
We sip on their healthful smoothies and juxtapose the superfood overload with crisp, golden fries. They also do a wicked Soy Latte here that I’d highly recommend. However, my all-time favorite item off the Pantry Cafe menu has to be their Avocado on Toast.
Great news coffee lovers, you can now get access to your favorite brews at Costa Coffee by the means of a drive-thru. Costa Coffee’s first ever drive-thru concept has opened up on Jumeirah Beach Road this month, and will be operational 24/7!
How blessed are we with the current weather! As a family, we are making the most of it by spending as much time outdoors as possible. Last Friday I received an invite to try out Inn the Park, a brand new dining concept located right inside Al Khazzan Park. The idea of combining a tasting session with a day out in the sunshine sounded highly appealing, and what’s even better was the fact that we didn’t have to pack up a picnic hamper either!
Al Khazzan is a very small park by Dubai standards, but is pretty easy to locate given it is bang opposite CityWalk. Inn the Park is just a mere 2 weeks old, and the restaurant doesn’t even have a signage up as yet.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Jumeirah Beach Road is Beach Park Plaza, perhaps the least frequented of malls on this strip. A chance tasting invitation saw us there last week, and I now come to you with the perfect excuse to visit Beach Park Plaza for yourself: Chop Suey!
Named after the ever-popular American Chinese stir-fried noodle dish, Chop Suey is the brainchild of husband and wife duo Bassam and Diana. The restaurant has been in operation for over 2 years, and has a regular steam of visitors from the vicinity, as well as a long list of frequent delivery orders that covers the Business Bay, Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Barsha, Media City and Meydan Heights areas.
The Tezzy Files 