Ashas - Yas Mall

Firstly, I would like to use this platform and apologize to Zomato for canning on the foodie meet-ups every single time, clearly I had no idea what I was missing out on. 

A few weeks back I finally managed to attend a Zomato meet up at Ashas - Yas Mall

Honestly I went there with no high expectations from the food at Asha's, because from the little I could remember, the food at the Khalidiya branch (Which is shut now) was very average.

This fine dine restaurant is located on the first floor and no before you pop the question, let me clear this out, they don't continuously play Asha Bhosle songs, just a song or two per hour. 

On getting seated, we were offered a variety of attractive looking mocktails, however, unfortunately I had a sore throat and had to give that a miss. 

There was a customized menu created specially for the meet-up, which I think was extremely impressive.

What I ate? Dal Shorba, Mushroom Kurkure, Chingli Chapp, Seafood Seekh Kebab, Murgh Malai Kebab, Muscat Gosht, Prawn Masala, Butter Chicken, Goan Cashew Chicken, Dal Makhani, Kesar Biryani and Chocolate Mousse Cake. 

The Dal Shorba was a bliss for me that afternoon, considering how bad my throat was then. 

Mushroom Kurkure - This was basically battered, deep fried mushrooms, stuffed with cheese, bell pepper and crushed black pepper. An absolute delight for a vegetarian, if you're looking for an option besides the usual Paneer. 

Chingli Chaap -  Before I tell you what this is, honestly, I've been dreaming about this dish ever since that day. Chingli Chaap is basically jumbo prawns that are marinated in spicy ginger-garlic yoghurt paste, then breaded and deep fried. This may sound a little silly, but the Chingli Chaap tastes like the spicy chicken crust you would find on a KFC chicken piece, stuffed with well-done prawns. Much much much RECOMMENDED, even if you aren't a seafood fan.

Seafood Seekh Kebab, I was pretty fascinated to try this out, as I had never indulged in a Seafood Seekh previously. The seafood seekh was basically finely chopped prawns and fish seekh kebab with cheese and bishp seeds, mildly spiced with green chillies. Thankfully this didn't have a pungent smell of seafood, and was very well cooked too, but somehow, it did not appeal to my taste buds. I would give this a miss. 

Murgh Malai Kebab - These were boneless chicken cubes, that were marinated in a creamy cheese and cashew nut paste with a touch of cardamom. This was extremely tender and juicy. 

Moving on to the main course, 

Muscat Gosht - The muscat gosht was basically boneless tender lamb cooked with butter in a spicy, rich onion and tomato gravy, and Anupa from the Asha's team did such a brilliant job in pre-selling this dish that she convinced my Vegetarian friend to actually give this a try. Everybody on the table unanimously rated this dish a 5/5 - I would definitely recommend this.

The other two Non Vegetarian main course dishes i.e. Butter Chicken and the Goan Cashew Chicken were average. Although I think the Goan Cashew Chicken would have tasted better had it been served with rice (which was suggested by the server too) however, I was too stuffed for rice. 

Kesar Biryani - You could literally get the sniff off the rich saffron from a distance, absolutely loved the Kesar Biryani. 

Lastly, they had two options in their desert menu, Chocolate Mousse Cake and Pista Kesar Malai Kulfi, here again due to my sore throat, I opted for just the Chocolate Mousse Cake, which was not just physically appealing but was delectable too. 

The service? Thanks to my sore throat (wow I've mentioned this way too many times) I came across as one of those cranky and demanding kids, because every 10 minutes I would request the server for a glass of hot water, but clearly that didn't seem to annoy the server at all, as he brought it with the same enthusiasm and smile every single time. 

Also a special thank you to Anupa who has been working with Ashas for over 10 years now, it was a pleasure meeting her, as she gave us an insight on the food served at Ashas. 

Interiors - Most fine-dine Indian restaurants go over the top with their interiors making it look a little tacky, but the atmosphere at Asha's is classy and calm at the same time. 

Pricing - Asha's is definitely heavy on the pocket, but a good option for a special family lunch/ dinner. 

Rating - I would rate Ashas a 4/5 

P.S. Post this meal, all I would like to say is, Dear Asha's

.

.

.

.

.

.

Mission Dessert

I've been wanting to visit Galleria Mall at Al Maryah Island for a while now and finally managed to get myself there over the weekend, but I was there for a mission, a very important mission.

A little confession, I'm not so much of a dessert person, but when I crave for something, am worse than a pregnant woman, I NEED IT, I REALLY DO.

So for the past couple of days I've been having a major craving for Red Velvet Cheesecake and what better place to fulfil this craving than Magnolia Bakery.

So with no second thoughts I instantly ordered for a Red Velvet Cheesecake on being asked my preference, also along with that I added a Peanut Butter Icebox Pie.

On a single bite of the Red Velvet Cheesecake, my taste buds did the happy dance. The cheesecake was velvety and creamy, the cheese wasn't too sweet either, just the way I prefer my cheesecake. Also, the red velvet texture was very tender and almost melted in my mouth. The quantity was quite generous, but then again it's priced at AED 30, so it better be. 

Moving on to the Peanut Butter Icebox Pie, this basically was Wafer crust layered with caramel, peanut butter and whipped cream, topped with Reeses peanut butter cups. I wasn't a huge fan of the wafer crust by itself, but it was very palatable, when I had it with the butter cups, however there were just a handful of butter cups on top, so it wasn't as delightful as I expected it to be. This again was priced at AED 30 and can easily be shared by two - three people. There was also an option of a Snickers Icebox Pie, which is something I might give a try on my next visit.

The interiors of Magnolia are very vintage and chic and is the perfect place for a girls hang-out. 

There wasn't much interaction with the staff as such, but judging from the short conversation I had with the server, he seemed polite. 

Also lastly for all those who don't know, Magnolia isn't limited to just desserts, they also serve Salads and Pasta, but I would still not recommend this to the calorie cautious folks, as you're sure to get tempted and call in for something that would do you no good ;)

Overall I would rate Magnolia a 3.5/5

P.S. Here is some food for thought, you're welcome. 

Alouette je te plumerai

Alouette is a French restaurant known for their crepes and surprisingly I'm not here to review their crepes, because I haven't tried them yet but intend to soon. But then again Alouette is not just about its crepes, it also had a wide range of other dishes inclusive of salads, waffles, Parisian fries and some breath taking drinks.

This place is absolutely mesmerizing and it's almost impossible to not fall in love with it at first sight due to its beautiful interiors. Alouette is filled with Eiffel tower replicas and other peculiar things you would see in Italy which makes this place a perfect location for a first date, different story that I went here alone twice. #ForeverAloneMoment.

But well coming back to Alouette, I recently went here during my lunch break to sip on some hot coffee since I had a bad throat ache and since Alouette also sells Starbucks coffee. But then I happened to see an Arab lady being offered one of the most appealing and fancy drink ever, however I wasn't sure what it was and inquired about it and told him to get it right away.

The fancy drink I had called for was a cotton candy lemonade drink, who would have ever thought of a drink like this?

The Cotton Candy Lemonade Drink

I absolutely loved the cotton candy and the refreshing drink, but what I probably LOVED was the glass. The Eiffel tower glass was absolutely adorable.

Also the last time I came here I remember trying out the cheese bolognese fries, which was so appetizing and was literally overflowing with cheese. The quantity was great too; it took 3 of us to finish it.

The staff here is quite friendly and I love their outfits.

Alouette is slightly expensive but it's a brilliant place to visit once in a while, especially since it’s hard to find such places in Abu Dhabi.   

Also have a look at their super cute feedback form in which I attempted to draw my cotton candy drink. Yep, drawing is clearly not my thing.

The Feedback Form

I'm definitely going to head back here soon and try out their crepes.

I would rate this place a 4/5

Rolls N Rice

Rolls N Rice is literally a stone throw away from my office and hence I almost treat this as my pantry and have food from here very often.

It’s also one of the very few affordable restaurants in the vicinity since it’s located at Al Nahyan camp which is a commercial hub; most restaurants situated here are quite overpriced.

Coming to the food, it's not one of those restaurants with 200 options on their menu, they have about 8 - 10 options in their main course and about the same in the rolls section which makes it easier for one to come to a decision.

Unfortunately I haven't tried out the rolls yet but tried out quite a few other things such as Tarragon Chicken, Laban Chicken, Spicy Grilled Fish, Fish in Tahina and their mixed platter.

I can't really tell you what is good and what's not here, because honestly everything I've had here is really good.

However I can advise you that if you're a fan of spicy food then you should opt for Tarragon Chicken and if spicy isn't your thing you should stick to Chicken Laban which is basically grilled chicken in laban (yogurt) and herbs. Unlike most other places their laban chicken wasn't dry thankfully.

Tarragon Chicken

Chicken Laban

What I would really recommend here is the spicy grilled fish, I absolutely love this, this is glazed with spicy marinade and is extremely juicy.

Spicy Grilled Fish

Also similarly if you aren't a fan of spicy food, opt for the fish in tahina which is grilled fish in a garlic-lemon-tahina sauce, which tastes a little tangy.

All these dishes are accompanied with saffron rice and mashed potato. I don't really like the mashed potato here though so I always exchange that for its fries.

Moving on to the mixed platter consists of spring rolls, mozzarella sticks and potato wedges. Each appetizer is better than the other and the sweet chilly sauce and mozzarella sauce that comes along with it, compliments it really well.

Mixed Platter

It's not a very huge place though and can probably accommodate only 20 - 25 people and hence gets a little cramped up when it’s crowded.

As much as I like their friendly and welcoming staff, their service is quite slow and the food takes longer than usual to arrive.

Also if you're a fan of 60's music, you would have a good time here with their music collection.The also have free WiFi.

Lastly I love how they have a milkshake on their menu named after a girl who sent her recipe for a competition they had on their Facebook page. 

I would rate this place a 4.5/5.

Chicken Tikka

I faintly remember an incident about 12 years ago when my mom and brother were out of the country and my dad and I decided to go out for dinner to some restaurant on Airport Road.

Now since the food here was awful, and I being the stubborn kid that I was, I refused to eat and my dad being the Hitler that he was decided to scream his lungs off at me.

So after almost 12 years I gathered my courage and ignored my fear and decided to go back to the same restaurant (I'm joking, I dint even remember the incident until my meal was over)

 

I went there with 3 other friends who wouldn't stop talking about the food they had here a month ago, so I was honestly looking forward to a great meal since my friends had hyped it so much. 

Americana Chicken Tikka which is now called as Chicken Tikka is a small decent place, there is no ambiance as such, it’s something you would see in a fast food restaurant. In fact the furniture and interiors is quite similar to that of Pizza Hut (which is owned by the same company)

Coming to the food, I ordered for the Chicken Tikka Spicy which comes along with Puri, Garlic Sauce and Fries. The Chicken Tikka was basically grilled half chicken marinated in lemon and plenty of spices. I'm usually not a fan of any chicken that comes with a bone (Yes, I don't like chicken lollypops, go ahead and judge me) but this was something that definitely changed my mind and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

 

Along with this came the Puri which looked and pretty much tasted like a Bhatura. This was loaded with butter and tasted simply brilliant. Lastly the fries, we had asked for the spicy fries which were undoubtedly the best I've ever had. And well garlic sauce is always awesome, isn't it?

They also have something called the Potato Twister that they plan on introducing soon, I remember trying this dish out a while ago at Fingers Cross (Mumbai, Lokhandwala) I hope this is equally good. 

Coming to the pricing, the spicy chicken tikka + puri + garlic sauce + spicy fries = 22 Dirhams which is super cheap for the quantity they serve.They also have a Grilled family meal which is suitable for a family of four. 

 

So after the awesome meal, all of us were energized and pumped up about flying a toy airplane but sadly failed since it wasn't charged enough.

                                           My genius friends trying to fix the plane.

 

P.S. I loved the food here so much that I called for it again after two days. 

I would rate this place 4/5

You can find the contact details on Zomato

If you liked this post and want regular updates on Food and other random things, follow me on;

Instagram and Twitter