Food

Eataly: An Italian Mega-Store for Foodie Fanatics

Oscar Farinetti opened the very first Eataly store in Turin (Italy) in 2007. Today this ‘mega-store’ has a presence across 6 different countries, and their extensive range of Italian produce can also be bought and delivered worldwide on their online store.

Eataly is an Italian restaurant, but most of the restaurant’s expansive space is taken up by Eataly’s ‘mega-store’. The brand sells everything you could possibly need to whip up an authentic Italian meal!

I am a regular at their Dubai Mall branch. I find it to be the perfect spot for a mug of Italian mocha and a fancy sweet treat. Last week, I got invited to Eataly’s newest branch at Dubai Festival City. Till then, I thought Eataly was a cafe-cum-Italian food store. I now know they have a full fledged menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner 🙂

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Black Rice: The Forbidden Food (A Guest Post by Sharmin Pasha)

Black Rice is an exotic, healthful alternative to ordinary white rice. It is high in fiber, and has a beautifully nutty aftertaste. You might have noticed the Black Rice Pudding I had at Thiptara in my Instagram feed, it gave the traditional Thai Sticky Rice & Mango Pudding a delicious upgrade!

I discussed this with my sister in-law, Sharmin Pasha (you met her earlier here). Sharmin is the creator of the very popular Facebook page Assamese Cuisine and Recipes. This is a page dedicated to the indigenous cooking styles of Assam, the North Eastern state of India from where my family and I originate.

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I was under the impression Black Rice is only used in Thai cooking. Sharmin tells me it is just as popular in the North Eastern regions of India, even beyond Assam. Today’s article is a guest post by Sharmin Pasha. Read on about the fascinating attributes of Black Rice, the ‘forbidden food’, and try out Sharmin’s Black Rice recipes (two are traditional Assamese recipes that would be perfect for the upcoming Assamese Bihu festival. The other is an innovative take on the traditional Thai Mango & Sticky Rice Pudding, and the fourth is a traditional Manipuri Black Rice Bread to enjoy with a piping hot cup of tea!).

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Lunching at Radisson Blu (Lemon Pepper Restaurant)

Have you been to the Radisson Blu branch in Business Bay? I was meeting a friend over lunch, and ended up driving to their all too familiar Deira branch. I wasn’t even aware they had a branch in Business Bay! Talk about being unobservant… especially considering I blog about food!

Radisson Blu’s Business Bay branch is located on Al Asayal Street, just a stone throw away from Downtown Dubai and Dubai Mall itself. It is the only international hotel chain in this corner of Dubai. The Business Bay branch looks and feels more brighter and airy than its older Deira counterpart. The lobby features fun and funky shades of lime green, and has a good deal of natural light streaming in.

We were having lunch at Radisson Blu’s Lemon Pepper restaurant. They have an impressive spread for as low as AED 89 per head.

Radisson Blu Lemon Pepper Brunch AED 89 review
Image taken from the Radisson Blu website.
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Thiptara: HypnoThai Brunch with Exclusive Dubai Fountain Views

The Friday before last, I had the pleasure of attending yet another fabulous #ZomatoMeetup . This time round, we met up at Thiptara, an exclusive fine-dining Thai restaurant tucked away in the nook of The Palace, Downtown Dubai.

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When somebody says ‘Thai’, the foodie in me gets super excited. Thai food is by far one of my most favorite cuisines in the world! It also means I am quite a cynic when it comes to trying out a new Thai place. We cook Thai at home, have eaten Thai all around the globe, and quite honestly, have morphed into major Thai food snobs!

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Mozzo Centrale: Umm Suqueim’s Neighbourhood Italian Eatery

Tucked away on Umm Al Sheif Street, off Jumeirah Beach Road is a beautifully done up slice of Italy. With its vintage-style street lamps and very inviting checkered red and white tablecloths,  Mozzo Centrale looks like it has been transported directly from Italy, furnishings and all.

mozzo centrale dubai food review by the tezzy files lifestyle blog uae (7)

The location is pretty residential, and I would have easily driven past it if I wasn’t actually looking it up on my trusty GPS. Given it is in a cosy neighbourhood nook, Mozzo Centrale truly is a well-kept neighbourhood secret.

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#DubaiGetsFarzified : Farzi Cafe, Now Open at City Walk – Jumeirah

When I saw an email invite in my inbox from Ishita Saha, I gave out a squeal of delight! Celebrity blogger Ishita Saha of ishitaunblogged fame (who also happens to be co-editor of FoodeMag, Dubai’s finest e-magazine on food) is the kind of role model aspiring food bloggers like me look up to. Dinner with Ishita was bound to be a memorable experience, and she elevated my expectations with this short clip on the restaurant we were previewing:

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Paco’s: Al Ain’s Most Happening Tex-Mex Night Spot

We had a very memorable, chilled-out staycation at Hilton Al Ain. Our day was lined up with siestas in our suite, splashes by the pool, and a delicious lineup of gastronomy at Flavours restaurant and Makani Cafe.

Hilton Al Ain is also renowned for Paco’s, Al Ain’s most happening Tex-Mex bar featuring award-winning live entertainment by a very talented band called “Steel”.

Paco's Tex Mex bar Al Ain nightlife review The Tezzy Files travel lifestyle food blog UAE (1)

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Dinner Under the Stars at Makani Cafe (Hilton Al Ain)

Our staycation at Hilton Al Ain involved a great deal of snoozing, floating about the poolside and having an idle lunch at Flavours restaurant. Our dinner reservation was made at Makani Cafe, Hilton Al Ain’s open-aired restaurant specializing in Arabic grills and shisha.

Makani Cafe Hilton Al Ain review uae food and travel blogger (2)
Click of the front entrance of Makani Cafe, taken in the morning light.
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Flavours Restaurant (Hilton Al Ain)

Flavours Restaurant at Hilton Al Ain is the hotel’s all-day dining venue. The restaurant has recently been renovated, and features stunning Arabesque decor.

During our staycation at Hilton Al Ain, this was the very first restaurant we tried out. We got to the hotel around noon, dumped our luggage in our suite, and after a quick cup of tea, we headed to Flavours for their international buffet lunch.

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