I was invited to the grand opening of Cafe Barbera at Uptown Mirdiff Mall (Dubai) last Saturday. Originating from Trentola Ducenta in South Italy, Cafe Barbera started its humble beginnings in 1870 where the Barbera family sold coffee out of a car.
Today, Cafe Barbera has over 53 outlets across the globe, and has a devoted fan following from coffee addicts who want the real Italian deal.
I was invited to the annual Lafayette Gourmet Food Fest 2015 that was held last Thursday, and the event was populated with the media, UAE food bloggers, and food enthusiasts.
The 3-day fest is on its fourth year running, and is being held at Galeries Lafayette, The Dubai Mall. It runs from Thursday 17th September to Saturday 19th September, and is loaded with exciting tastings, foodie workshops, and entertainment for the entire family.
The event was hosted by local and internationally renowned chefs, and I had the pleasure of tasting some gourmet dishes from around the globe. This post is a photographic tour of my experience.
Per Te or ‘for you‘ in Italian, has to be my favorite place for Italian food in Dubai. I raved about our dinner at their Jumeirah branch here, and also shared a few recipes by the talented Chef Glady of Per Te with you (try out his Wild Mushroom Risotto with Truffles or his super simple, yet elegant Almond Crusted Lamb Chops). So when I got an invite to visit their second branch in Business Bay, I was more than happy to oblige!
At just over a week old, Per Te is the latest addition to the row of restaurants on the Ground Floor of the Bay Avenue building in Business Bay. And when we got there for lunch last Friday, it was also the busiest! To avoid disappointment, I would recommend reserving a table (call 04 4371685).
Carluccio’s, the Italian Restaurant-Caffe-Foodshop chain hailing from the United Kingdom, has had phenomenal growth within the UAE. Within 5 years, the brand now has 8 outlets in Dubai and 3 in Abu Dhabi, with more openings on the way.
Carluccio’s owes its success to its simple, yet unique casual dining concept. Being a full-fledged restaurant, cafe and food store in one, Carluccio’s offers authentic Italian flavors at very reasonable prices.
We visited the branch at The Walk, JBR (Dubai) last weekend and discovered authentic Italian flavors go well beyond pastas and pizza.
The Hub 7 is the latest addition to the JLT foodie scene. Located in Cluster M on the ground floor of Icon Tower 1, the restaurant owes its name to the seven styles of cuisine being offered.
The seven styles under Hub 7 are: Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Pakistani, Italian and a Bakery section.
We had the pleasure of visiting The Hub 7 last week, and were probably one of their first guests at their innovative Japanese teppanyaki table!
Chef Glady, Executive Head Chef at Per Te Italian Restaurant Dubai, has quite a few tricks up his sleeves! If you liked his risotto recipe that I posted here earlier, the picture below will surely make you drool:
This is Chef Glady’s take on Costa di mandorle costolette di agnello (or Almond Crusted Lamb Chops for those not blessed with an Italian tongue!).
It is a surprisingly easy recipe given how good it looks and tastes. If you are just starting your journey into Italian cooking, this dish is guaranteed to get you praises in no time. Read on for the recipe.
In Italian, ‘Per Te’ translates to ‘for you’, an apt name for Jumeirah’s newest Italian restaurant located in Jumeirah 1 (right behind Jumeirah Plaza, Beach Road, Dubai).
Hubby was skeptical about dining here. In his opinion, Italian cooking is overrated and simply involves massive overdoses of pasta sauce and cheese. Our dinner at Per Te last Friday managed to make him a convert, and he’s been raving about the restaurant all week!
What do Dubaiites do on an idle weekend? Mall-hop ofcourse! Nothing more gratifying than a bit of retail therapy and window browsing.
A couple of Thursdays ago, my family and I found ourselves in Mirdiff City Centre. After an epic shopping spree, we had to do justice to our growling stomachs and decided to do Italian at Romano’s Macaroni Grill.
Craving a home-style Italian meal? I suggest you book a table at Romano’s Macaroni Grill.
Offering a trattoria (or casual dining) setting befitting of a memorable night out with friends and family, Romano’s Macaroni Grill has a line up of rustic Italian favorites including Lobster Ravioli, Cannelloni Bolognese and a very delicious Penne Rustica.
Dine at any of Romano Macaroni Grill’s six branches in the UAE (see their Facebook page for details), or try replicating their Penne Rustica at home.
Penne Rustica is a delicious medley of roasted chicken, shrimp, rosemary cream, prosciutto and parmesan.
Read on for the recipe by Romano’s Macaroni Grill:
The Tezzy Files 