To hype or not to hype: Meat Me There

I know you've seen those sesame seeded buns sprawling on your Instagram feeds. Fess up. You've seen them haven't you? So did I. A few too many times. And since I have a weakness for burgers, I said it's time to try these lil' sesame bad boys out. Let's be honest, they do Instagram very nicely ;)

If you don't know the new 'Souk' mall that they're located in, chances are you might be a little lost like my sister and I were today. I wish they added their GPS coordinates on their Instagram bio. I love when all basic info is laid out for new places. It just makes for easy access.

Once you do get to it, it's one those burger 'shack' type places, a few indoor tables, simple & short menu, you're in-and-out-before-you-know-it sorta thing. I personally like these places. I don't always want a big restaurant with long waiting time for food. Sometimes you just need to grub you feel me? 


Let me say, the outdoor seating was great. So so so glad the weather is getting better. I get so excited when it does in Dubai. I love to be outside as much as possible so whenever the weather allows, I'm a small kid jumping for joy!

The menu has 3 burgers, 'Me Burger' - usual toppings hold the cheese (I will never understand why people hold the cheese on burgers. Never), 'Meat Me Burger' - usual toppings with the cheese (boom) and 'Juicy Double' - a double patty version of the meat me burger (double boom). Toppings included onions 4 different ways - caramelised, roasted, crispy, raw. A bit of an onion obsession going on at this joint, I'm not sure why. For fries, you get normal 'Me', 'Paprika' or 'Chizu'.

We got one single and one double burger along with paprika and chizu fries.

Besides the burger hype, I've seen a ton of hype on the chizu fries so we were pretty excited for those. The burger itself was so juicy but not greasy which we loved. The duo colored sesame seeds gave a nice dimension of texture and you could taste each and every topping inside. Points to that. I don't like burgers that taste like mush in your mouth. Burger down, we were super pleased.

As for the fries, we did enjoy the paprika dusted ones. The chizu however, was meant to have gruyere, american cheddar, parsley, spring onions and green onions. Let me tell you. There was barely a pinch of cheese or parsley. Personally more concerned with where the cheese was. Not happy. It was a little too onion-y for us and I generally like onions. Downside to both fries was they were both heavily salted and I also generally like my fair share of salt. We were a little too thirsty after. If I go back I'll get the normal or paprika fries (ask for less salt).


Is this place worth the hype? Hmm... Burger was really good. Fries had issues. Place was cosy but music was a bit of a roller coaster - they should just keep it chilled. I may have to say (burger aside!) it's not worth the hype for a few reasons. One, it was over priced for what it is. You get more fries in other gourmet burger joints and topping variety was pretty much onion variety. For the single patty, the meat wasn't substantial enough to complete the burger. You needed two patties to balance out the bun & toppings. Third, fries were too salty.

So verdict is, burger aside - not worth the hype. Does that even make any sense for a burger place verdict?? Ok I've given you the low down. You decide! Comment below, to hype or not to hype?

x

Rated: Tasha's

When I hear The Galleria, I instantly think of Home Bakery and their addictive chewy melt cookies. And that my friends, are exactly what they are. But let's not get into that right now.

Now we're talking about Tasha's, the new South African export recently opened at The Galleria. I saw a few posts here and there on Instagram but had no idea how popular this new gem was until I got there.

It was a late dinner on a Friday night and we were told there was going to be a 45 minute waiting list. My friend and I were eager to try it so we waited it out. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do you know what I mean? Honestly, even parking was a struggle. I accidentally parked in what I thought was the "extended" parking of the mall but later on that night, the kind Dubai Police told me I was parked in their authority parking! Whip out a little Arabic with these bad boys and no biggie ;)

Back to Tasha's!

Finally got a table and it was jam packed but still cozy. It was a mix of warm, honey interiors with pops of color from the exposed fruit and dessert counters. Furniture was a blend of textures with hints of leather couches, wooden and crisp white chairs. It felt like a homey-elegant-deli-cafe type feel if that makes any sense.

Our server, Caroline was the best! One of the best servers I've seen in Dubai. She took care of us the entire night and gave us honest suggestions which I loved instead of the usual "Everything is good." answer. 

The menu has something for everyone. It ranges from delish-looking breakfast options, sandwiches & flatbreads, salads and sharing platters and even a 'healthy appetite' section. There's global hints all over the menu from a 'Tabbouleh & Halloumi salad' to a 'Shnitzel Sarnie'.

We decided to start off with the wagyu beef carpaccio, served with rocket & shaved parmesan, caper berries and truffle.

This was delicious! Alongside were these holed out sliced bagel like crisps to prepare the perfect bites with the beef. Super delicious, would definitely have this again. Only downside is there was some mayonnaise in the dish that wasn't necessary. It was sort off odd to see mayonnaise on a beef carpaccio.

For mains, we shared the salmon flatbread and chicken milanese. The flatbread had classic flavors that pair so well together. Listen to this, smoked salmon, avocado, mascarpone, chives, seaweed caviar and dill... Now I know this sounds super simple but sometimes restaurants here forget that you have to be good at the simple stuff. Man was this good! Great quality salmon, beautiful medley of fresh salad and scoop both on the crispy, fluffy flatbread and you're in business! I'd order this again.

Chicken milanese was huge! Enough for 2 if you're sharing and 3 if you've ordered starters prior. Two crispy pieces of chicken breast cooked to perfection topped with a fresh salad that I loved! Fennel, cherry tomato, rocket, red onion and a punchy dressing to balance with the crispy chicken.  Also served alongside was a side of mash potato. This was pretty good too although, very very filling. Definitely share this one. In general, the majority of dishes flying out of the kitchen were on the larger side. Ain't no complaining bout that. Side note, I've just checked online and can't seem to find this dish on the menu... not sure why that is :(

We were super stuffed but decided to still indulge in dessert since we were in it to win it. We ordered the highly recommended doxas chocolate cake served with vanilla bean ice cream.

It's pretty simple. The ultimate bite involves a scoop of the ice cream with a slice of the cake topped with the caramel sauce. Decadent and delicious. Loved the crunchy candied pecans too! So so so good.

Overall food, service and ambiance are all a winner! I'm pretty excited about this place - it's been a while since I've experienced such a hit with a newbie in town. Small note is it is on the pricier side but that doesn't seem to be slowing this place down whatsoever.

I've rated Tasha's 4.5 out of 5!

If you found this review helpful and would like to keep posted on the regular, please subscribe to FMTB. Subscribe button is on the right side of this page. Thanks :)

x

To hype or not to hype: Qbara

So it's been one of those weekends where I haven't moved out of my bed. Not because I'm lazy but since there's been a coughing-sneezing-blockage-stuffiness-headache-the-works-type-of-situation. Oh yeah. Fab combo. 

With that beautiful image in mind, I've been meaning to try this place for a long long time but that applies to a lot of places and keeping up can be a tad bit difficult.

I've heard a lot about Qbara! From the dishes to the atmosphere to the music, pretty much everything has been very positively 'hyped'. The other day, I got around for a quick Saturday night dinner with a friend. I'm sure you already knew that from my Instagram ;)

Here's my take on whether Qbara lives up to it's hype.

I really liked the fact that Qbara was located somewhere a little different. Super easy to find when you're in the wafi/pyramids area.

The venue itself was gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous. Beautifully warm dim lighting, cool light projections against a huge wall, amazing music with remixed slow jams... just what I like. The place itself wasn't busy so a heads up for you, we were notified Tuesdays & Thursdays are the busiest so plan in advance if you're heading on those days.

We were seated upstairs. On the way to our table, we passed by the wine bar, enjoyed the glass window edges overlooking the downstairs seating area and the hues of purple/blue/pink light projections on the giant wall.

I've heard a couple of recommended small dishes so without any time to waste, we ordered the 'Crispy soft shell crab "saj", garlic & harissa and the 'Lobster kibbeh with fresh herbs, avocado labneh'.

Soft shell crab was amazing! Seriously good. The crab meat tasted really fresh and tender. The texture resembled a falafel because of the crunch factor. The harissa was the perfect added kick - not too spicy, I actually could have had it a little spicier - but can definitely suit all. The garlic wasn't overpowering either, and trust me, I love me a hit of garlic. Also, great portion. Highly, highly recommended.

Kibbeh was good. I am a huge fan of kubba (how we pronounce it in Iraqi). I always remember my grandma hand making her delicious kubba, which nothing can beat, even Qbara - sorry :) Anyways, these were crunchy, had a decent amount of lobster - not dry at all, and that avocado labneh was yummy! If you know me by now, you know I love me some avocados. It's hard to ignore it on any menu I see. The labneh was creamy with chunks of avocado and swirled in olive oil. Nice topping to the kibbeh.

Our main was a shared pot of "Chicken tagine, preserved lemon, apricot & walnuts" with a side of (I don't remember the exact name but this is what it was) Spiced brown rice with puy lentils & fried onions.

Delicious! Succulent generous portions of chicken, balanced flavors of spices, fruits, nuts and a delightful addition of cooked quinces (similar to pears)! The rice went so well with this dish. I highly recommend this combo if you are looking for vibrant flavors with a twist but keeping true to authentic Moroccan palette. I absolutely love dishes with fruit, nuts and spices - have grown up eating such types of dishes and can't get enough.

Although I regret it now, we were just way too full at the time to order any dessert. Another excuse to go visit Qbara now :)

As for the service, it was great. Food came really fast and all the waiters were quite knowledgable of the menu.

For good quality food with generous portions, great service & music, and a clear concept of original dishes with an added twist, let the hype continue about Qbara!

x

Once upon a foodie in London... Part 3: B&L, Spun, Ceviche, Mix

How are you? Has anyone asked you that today? If not, I'm asking right now... and I hope you're doing great :) 

My London diary has come to an end. Until next time that is. Somehow at the beginning of the series, I thought I had this all planned out. 3 parts was just enough to cover it all... and suddenly it seems that I'm squashing a whole lot in this part. Woops! You now know that I'm not a huge 'numbers' person. 

Just grab a cup of tea, relax and enjoy the read...

Part 3 - let's roll!

Burger & Lobster

I'm sure this already grabbed your attention. Everyone and their grandma seems to know and love this place. I went for the first time with a big bunch of hungry girls. It was a great combo. 

Here's the low down. There's a burger, a lobster roll and a lobster on the menu. That's it. Clear and simple. Since I have a weakness for burgers, as you very well know, I still wanted to try the famous lobster roll everyone speaks about. So my sister and I decided to share the two.

Oh my. I now know the hype behind that lobster roll. Perfectly cooked lobster. Creamy. Lemony and the hit of chives tops it off. Delicious! Highly recommended. As for the burger, it was good. Decent size. Simple ingredients and great portion of sides.

Loved the simplicity of this place and would definitely go back for good food and service.

Spun Candy

For those who don't know, Spun Candy is a super cute candy store which allows you to custom make your own candy, even of your own face! How cool. Opening soon in Candylicious Dubai, I had the chance to tour Spun Candy in Covent Garden, the headquarters. Check out their UAE Instagram to keep up with them. 

They also had a mini pop-up shop in Selfridges. Their signature candy is the hard candy "London Mix" which is so cute for souvenir gifting if you're traveling back from London. It's a very interesting concept and watching the candy makers in action at the store is such a cool experience. I'm excited for what's to come in Dubai!

Ceviche

Situated in the vibrant area of Soho, a delightful Peruvian kitchen awaited us for a dinner of endless ceviches and tapas. I loved the place! The ambiance, the decor, the staff, the music and the menu. Oh my. It's half kitchen/half bar with super dim lighting - just how I like it - and it's not that large but also not as 'cosy' as a lot of the places in London can be.

'Don Ceviche'

We ordered everything from king fish & watermelon ceviche to braised beef tongue. The stand outs included 'Don Ceviche' - fresh sea bass in amarillo chilli tiger's milk, radish, limo chilli, sweet potato & red onions, 'Sakura Maru' - tiradito of thinly sliced salmon Nikkei tiger's milk made satsumas, mirin, soy sauce & limo chilli (tangy and delicious) and 'Lenguas' - braised beef tongue and caramelised onion, cassava mash & aji limo chimichurri.  As usual I'll keep it real and say I didn't try the tongue but everyone else on the table did and said it was amazing. I felt it was a little too fatty of a meat for me.

Definitely go to Ceviche for a night out in Soho before or after catching a broadway show :) we went after Phantom of the opera and was an awesome duo for the night.

Mix: Chipotle/Wasabi

I thought I'd add in a couple of 'bits and bobs' that I experienced over here. I've heard a ton about Chipotle and since I'm a big fan of good Mexican, I gave it a try.

There's no pretty image to really show here but their burritos are bomb diggity GOOD. Stuffed with vibrant flavors, fresh ingredients and generous portions, I can see why this place is always packed in London. Dubai, get on it!

I personally think we lack affordable every day sushi places that we can order during work or have weekday meals at. That's something London is known for. One of the most popular ones is Wasabi. There are ready made sushi combo platters or you can pick and choose your own. I tried out both ways and really enjoyed it. Definitely give it a try. If you wanna see my sushi picnic with wasabi, check out my Instagram here.

Thanks for tuning in... Happy weekend!

x

KANAFA CHEESECAKE: To hype or not to hype?

In the foodie/blogger/overall Dubai life, there is always a new cupcake, a new flavor, a new dish, something... that starts to float around everyone's Instagram accounts like a virus. Some of the time, it lives up to it's name but a lot of the time it doesn't. I've decided to tackle each one that creeps up, haunts me until I try it and give you my lowdown.

Debuting with the all mighty, Kanafa Cheesecake from Sukar House of Desserts.

First things first, the name just reels you in immediately doesn't it? I've never heard of this combo. Also, I'm pretty much a sucker for anything kanafa since I've been brought up eating kanafa quite a lot, so I'd like to think I know what a good one tastes like. I always get my fix at Feras Sweets - they have the BEST 'kanafa khashna'.  It's the one with the crispy 'sha3riyah' pastry on top with ooey gooey Nabulsi cheese and perfect sugar syrup to pair it with. I always add extra pistachios too!

So let's get down to business!

It's a beauty to look at. It got my taste buds going.  I was recommended to have the cake cold and have the syrup warmed... guessing to enjoy both worlds of a cheesecake and a kanafa? So I did just that. As for the taste, I was a bit torn honestly. I'm so used to the original kanafa that I think I prefer that. I also hoped that the cheesecake base was a biscuit so there would be added texture but it was sugary and soft. The kanafa pastry topping was a little different to traditional kanafa but was still tasty and I enjoyed the warm syrup to pair. Definitely ask for extra syrup and pistachios on the sides since each slice is huge and needs it :) 

So... kanafa cheesecake: to hype or not to hype? I'm just not sure but a lying a little more towards the not to hype side. Purely because I'd much rather have traditional kanafa or traditional cheesecake and not mix the two.

Have you tried this? What did you think? Let me know if there's anything new that you've tried recently that's been hyped up?

Thanks for stopping by!

x

Once upon a foodie in London... Part 2: Petit Déjeuner, Jerk and Serious Meat

I see you're back for part 2 of my London diary. Without further a due, please continue and enjoy the read... :)

L'eto Caffé
Located in the heart of Soho, we were drawn in to this French spot simply by just passing by and here's why.

Good reviews and no table empty in sight also reeled us in. We headed there for breakfast and instantly fell in love with the menu. Simple, French with some Mediterranean and British hints floating around on some dishes. What also really intrigued me was their wide selection of fresh tea mixes.

We opted for a selection of egg dishes. Fresh, high quality, perfectly cooked eggs. All served with feta in olive oil and rosemary, tomato and fresh baby rocket, and sour dough bread with smashed avocado, cumin and chilli. I am a huge fan of eggs and I always order the simplest egg dishes at breakfast joints to test their quality. This was a winner. We also shared the best french toast I have tried with perfectly poached peaches, pecans, and an ice cream I can't even remember at this point since my mouth is salivating thinking about. Unfortunately it was not pictured for obvious reasons :) 

I definitely recommend trying out one of their amazing fresh teas. I enjoyed my forest berry and rosemary one a lot! Really generous portions, ended up sharing this one with everyone.

Cottons Rhum Shack @BoxPark 

Photo credit to www.boxpark.co.uk

Watching the football matches was also in our London schedule as I love the spirit of it and more importantly, since my cousins are partially German :) The champs!

We headed to BoxPark in Shore ditch, a funky pop-up housing shops, restaurants and airing the games. Definitely go if you're in the area! Loved the ambiance, culture & variety of food.

We chose Caribbean to feast on at Cottons Rhum Shack. We all went for the signature jerk chicken with coleslaw, fried plantains, rice n' peas and mixed salad. Delicious! Beautiful homemade tangy BBQ sauce to accompany which had a slight kick. My first time trying fried plantains and it was so good! Great experience and generous portions. My cousin went for the Trinidadian fish curry, which of course I sampled, and it was such a beautiful blend of spices and flavours. Highly recommend this place!

Meat Market by Meat Liquor

I won't lie, this next one was a home delivery order but I thought I'd keep things real between us and share with you all my food excursions. Purely since we had a match to watch and we were super tired from being Londoners all day. In Dubai, the main movement we do is walk from our house to the car, if you know what I mean.

You could sort of say I'm one of those people that has a weakness for burgers. By sort of I mean sort of a lot. I surfed on Zomato London and saw Meat Liquor was a must try so we took the nearest option which was the spin off Meat Market - serving the same burgers.

Meatburgers, cheeseburgers and red chili cheeseburgers were ordered with pretty much every sort of side they offered: hippie fries, chili cheese fries, fried pickles, jalapeño poppas and bingo wings. Even though each burger had 2 patties, they were on the smaller side and did not leave us very stuffed as expected. Which is a good thing. Meat was juicy and cooked medium well. For sides, I recommend everything except chili cheese fries and the wings, they weren't that memorable. The others hit the spot - especially those hippie fries! Love the topping of grilled onions and the tangy "hippie sauce" they use. Overall, a pretty decent, good quality burger place.

Part 3 is coming your way really soon! If you liked, don't forget to subscribe, comment and let me know what you think.

If you don't know already, my first feature is currently on Krisp Dubai - a new online magazine showcasing homegrown talent. Full article can be found: http://krispdubai.com/foodie-feature-the-wing-showdown-with-mina/ Check it out now!

x

Once upon a foodie in London... Part 1: Pizza, Columbian and Cheese

Is it still ok to say hi? Anyone out there still reading this?

I'm back with a BANG after a 2 month hiatus! *insert fireworks here*

After settling in to a new job (within food - woohoo!), travel, fasting and since we're always honest with each other, just a tad bit of procrastination in the mix of things, I neglected my FMTB baby for a little bit. But frowns must turn upside down! So I am back and I'm here with a delicious and dynamic foodie getaway for your eyes from London.

London is starting to become a regular spot to visit since I have cousins (more like sisters :)) over there. Miss them already. Planning my next trip there as we speak? This time I came in prepared with my tasty ambitions to bring to you my diary. So here it goes... well part 1 for now.

Franco Manca


Super cute, bustling and has a unique take on pizza offering sour-dough pizzas with toppings ranging from organic olive oil to buffalo ricotta. You had me at sour-dough pizza. Menu is very simple which is what I look for in Italian places - minimal and to the point with ingredients that shine.

We quickly skimmed the menu and ordered everything on it. If there is a burrata on a menu, it's almost impossible for me to ignore it. See what I mean?

Probably not the best picture but you know what, it was one of those moments where the smell and look of the pizza could not let me try for more photo taking attempts.

The pizzas were delicious. I would highly recommend the classic: tomato, mozzarella (we changed it to buffalo - for obvious reasons ;)) and basil. I love when authentic Italian places do the simplest things best. The other pizzas were great as well like the courgettes, basil, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta & Franco's pecorino. I know... your mouth just watered. Same. I absolutely loved the elastic, soft and melt in your mouth sour dough. So different and interesting.

Brixton Market 

This one is more about the experience and a little less about the food. We were walking around in Brixton market and stumbled upon a Columbian shack. Their "arepas" looked delicious - cheese stuffed corn bread fried and served with spicy salsa. One by one, all of us starting devouring these small pastries of goodness. What made the experience for us was the man behind the shack, Louis. He was the grandpa running the show along with his wife, daughter and grand daughter. Here he is teaching us about Columbian food and culture.

I absolutely love meeting these types of people. I can talk to them for hours and just explore their side of the world. Here's a special moment we shared with him. The idea for the photo was all him! 

Left-right: Dalia, Yasmin, Lina, Monica, Me, Joanne, Louis

Morty & Bobs

Here's a fun side note you should know about me. I'm a huge fan of Backstreet Boys. Oh yeah, hard core fan since the 90's. I was super happy to get a chance to see them for the second time in London. Don't leave the page, this relates to the food part I swear! 

One thing I enjoyed about this concert was that there were tons of food pop up shops at the venue. Something I wish we had in Dubai, instead of the over priced bland food that gets served here. Any who, before jamming out to "I want it that way", we needed to get our grub on. My cousins and I have a soft spot for grilled cheese toasties, super simple but when done right, you just can't go wrong. 

A cute pop-up shop called Morty & Bob's won us over with their grilled cheese. 

No joke. No lies. All seriousness. One of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had! Oh my. Whenever you're in London next, track them on twitter and find out where they're popping up so you can get one of these. Crunchy, toasted, sour dough, delicious trio blend of cheese with onion mix - crispy on the outside, ooey gooey on the inside. You have to try it. I highly recommend the "Straight Up" - their signature.

Stay tuned for part 2! If you liked, don't forget to subscribe and comment. Let me know what you think. 

OH and big news! My first feature is currently on Krisp Dubai - a new online magazine showcasing homegrown talent. Full article can be found: http://krispdubai.com/foodie-feature-the-wing-showdown-with-mina/ Check it out now and let me know what you think.

x