FAMISHED EXPLORER

Ashiana is an Indian restaurant located in Sheraton beside Dubai Creek. Recently it has got a new head chef - Joseph Yohanna - and has started its Indo-Arab menu; and we were among the first ones invited to try it out.  This was my first time visiting this outlet, and as soon as I entered, the ambiance felt classy. They've got live Indian music too (bollywood, and ghazals), so if you're a fan, you'll love it, otherwise it might be a bit too loud.  We started off with some pani-puri fruit juice shots . In this, instead of the regular pani, there was a mango-based fruit juice. The taste wasn't bad by itself, but if you're in the mood for pani-puri, then this doesn't quite hit the spot.  After this, all the items were Indian, with an Arabic twist to it.  We had a soup which was called dejaj (chicken) shorba . In a bowl were small pieces of chicken, and a bread-stick tempered with cumin, over which we poured the broth that was served separately...

This place was previously called the "house of curry", and now it has got a complete makeover. We were at JBR walk, and looking for an Indian restaurant. There aren't many choices so we ended up going here.  The ambiance inside is really nice. They've got a mini fountain inside, and some trees too, and especially the Indian Monalisa that caught my attention. The starters were really interesting. They were a fusion of sorts. After seeing " calamari bhel " in the menu, obviously I couldn't resist ordering. This one was really yum. The chutneys aren't as much as you'd expect in a bhel, and it is a bit dry, but taste is good nonetheless. Now I love paneer, and I'm a big fan of zaatar. Guess what I see on the menu next. The zaatar paneer tikka ! This one wasn't all that bad. The flavor of zaatar wasn't so prominent, and overall felt a bit bland, though the paneer was soft. I was expecting more from it. It is served with a tahi...

This restaurant is located inside Al Barsha Mall and the first thing I noticed before I even entered is that the parking is easy to find; but at the same time, this mall is a small one and doesn'thave too many shops. This was the first time I was going to this mall since I was invited by this restaurant. As soon as you enter, you notice the fantastic view from this place. It is beside the Barsha Pond Park , and you get a view of the Burj-Al-Arab too.  We ordered the mezzeh platter to start with.  It comes with a selection of hot and cold mezzeh.  I really liked the meat kibbeh as the meat was really soft, and the cheese rekak was delicious. The hommos and moutabel were nice too. The platter also has vine leaves , meat sambousek , and spinach fatteyer , and is served with a salad on the side. They also give you fresh hot breads along with olives, pickles, and a lovely labneh.  They also give you fresh hot breads along with olives, pickles, and a...

Zaatar W Zeit is one of my favourite when it comes to wraps and salads. They have a good choice of healthy food. This outlet is located near the food court in Dubai Festival City. To start with, we ordered a falafel wrap . They also had an offer that day - we could get two sides for AED 5 when we order a main dish. So along with the wrap, we chose a hummus and a quinoa & tabbouleh salad . The sides arrived immediately. The hummus was served with crispy lavash and some chopped cucumber on top. It was really nice. The quinoa & tabbouleh too was good.  Then arrived the falafel wrap. It looked tempting, but it could have tasted better. It was a bit dry. The quantity though was really good. After this we ordered one of my all time favourite from this restaurant - the baked potato and cheese . For anyone who is a fan of potato and cheese, this is a must try. Sprinkle some salt and pepper, and it tastes delicious. This dish isn't too fancy, but its simplicity is wha...