"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

We have all read about various inspirational stories and how people have gone through hardships to reach where they are today. Similarly, I met this one young man last night who has been in Abu Dhabi for the past 6 years working as a security guard for a company, he definitely had it in him to take that single step and undertake the risk of starting up something of his own only because of his strong determination.

I know so many people who are quite well to do and yet hesitate before opening up something due to the fear of loss but this man, Mr. Taiyab thought otherwise and started a refreshment shop called ALWAN refreshment shop.

This isn't exactly a restaurant review, I was just quite pumped up on hearing his story and how he opened up this refreshment shop and thought of sharing it.

But I did try the thai chicken wrap which was quite good and more importantly fresh unlike Sea Shells (The most dominated refreshment shop in Abu Dhabi)

It’s a very small place but he also mentioned how he plans on buying the store besides his refreshment shop and expanding it. However I would definitely recommend this place for people working and staying in Khalifa Street/ Salam Street, you can always place an order on 02 - 6713090

Let’s all help make this ambitious man’s dream come true.

La Passion Cafe

La Passion Cafe

La Passion Cafe has been on my mind since the past 1 month. Though I honestly wouldn't even know about this place had it not been for the voucher I was gifted, reason being, it’s located in Reem Island and I haven't really discovered much in Reem Island as yet.

In fact I also tried visiting this place about 2 weeks back but ended up losing my way and did not reach the destination. Finally last weekend I decided to go here and try out Moroccan cuisine for the very 1st time with my family.

The manager of the outlet recommended the buffet they were serving, but that did not seem to impress either of my family members and hence we decided to go with a la carte. We ordered for chicken breast in mushroom sauce, chicken tagine, seafood tagine and brochettes chicken.

Tagine, I believe is referred to as a pot which is served with a semi-gravy dish. The chicken tagine was marinated in lemon and olives. This was very appetizing, however it wasn’t boneless (And just a reminder, I can’t stand chicken with bone)

Chicken Tagine

As for the seafood tagine, this was basically fish tagine and the fish was so soft that it almost melted in my mouth. The spices used in this dish tasted very Indian and masale-dar, in fact what’s funny is that my mom thought it tasted exactly like this ‘Punjabi Machli’ she has had before.  But nonetheless, it was flavorsome.

Fish Tagine

Moving on to the Chicken in Mushroom Sauce and Chicken Brochettes, both these dishes had one thing in common; they lacked tenderness, it was almost impossible to break the chicken into pieces. The mushroom sauce was mouth-watering and really blended well with the chicken. The chicken brochette on the other hand could have been a little juicier.

Chicken Brochette

Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

We also ended our meal with Moroccan tea that was simply out of this world and was one of the best I have ever had.

Mr. Taib pouring the Moroccon tea

The interior of this place is slightly random but not bad either, it's like any other ordinary cafe in a mall. In fact the mall this is located in, i.e. the Boutik mall is filled only with cafes.

The manager Mr. Taib was attending to us and he was extremely sweet and friendly. He also spoke to us quite a bit about Moroccan food and culture.

The prices are average; it’s about 45 - 50 per dish.

Overall it was quite a good experience trying out this new cuisine.

I would rate this place a 3.5/5

Camacho Guido - A unique combination.

Who would have ever thought a restaurant would serve Italian and Japanese cuisine together? Camacho Guido definitely did think that way and came up with this unique concept of serving both these brilliant cuisines together.

I had never heard about this place until 17th august which is also my birthday when my friend and I were craving Arabic food and decided to go to Sheesh Shawarma which was really packed that day and hence we thought of entering Camcho Guido.

We absolutely loved the interiors of this fine-dine and immediately thought of the place as an expensive joint but this wasn't the case, the food here was quite reasonable.

I believe most people were here for the sushi but unfortunately I'm not a fan and decided to go for Italian and called for their Mexican Pizza, this was undoubtedly one of the best pizzas I had ever had. The toppings included red chilly, sweet coconut chilly, cheese, jalapenos and grilled chicken. This thin crust pizza literally melted in my mouth. This is suitable for 2 people.

Mexican Pizza

I had also ordered for the raspberry smoothie here, which was very refreshing and tasted quite good.

Raspberry Smoothie and another smoothie that my friend had called for.

I was really glad to stumble upon Camacho and shall definitely visit the place soon to try out their other dishes.

The staff here was quite friendly and as I already mentioned before the prices are quite reasonable and the interiors are beautiful.

I would rate this place a 4.5./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.

The unexpected has happened; The Anorexic hog is reviewing a vegetarian restaurant.

As a true Mumbaikar I was super excited about trying out Salam Bombay because I had heard a lot about it from a few friends who literally live here during their lunch break.

Thankfully they opened a branch right next to my office in Al Nahyan, which I personally think was a great move from their side because if you have visited their other branch in Salam Street it is filled with ADCB and other banks crowd at all times and similarly here there is an ADCB bank right besides Salam Bombay and more over the entire area is a commercial area. I’ve also heard they are opening a branch in Mussafah very soon.

Now getting to the food I’ve tried out a few things here, starting with their Paneer Tikka. Salam Bombay takes, 'teekha banana' to a whole new level, I almost had smoke coming out of my ears (as seen in cartoons) but no seriously, my face had turned red. It definitely tasted really good, but their thick level of red chilly powder around the Paneer made it very little difficult to have it after 3 pieces.

Paneer Tikka 

 I’ve also tried out the Paneer Cheese K Seekh but unfortunately the Paneer wasn't as soft as it should have been and tasted very average and similarly the Dahi Puri I tried out very recently was very ordinary too, hence you can definitely give both these items a miss. If you’re craving delicious Dahi Puri,i I would recommend Chappan Bhog.

Dahi Puri

Paneer Cheese K Seekh

Next moving on to to their Chole Bhature, this was absolutely amazing. The Bhature are huge and the chole are spicy, make sure you ask for the green chutney for some extra flavor. I would definitely recommend this.

Similar to the Chole Bhature, another brilliant dish I would recommend here is the Pao Bhaaji, it reminded of the brilliant Pao Bhaaji I used to have in Mumbai at Bhagwati (Kandivali)

Pao Bhaaji

Salam Bombay is the most renowned for, it's ‘Vada Pav’ (the Indian burger) There is a huge hype in Abu Dhabi for the brilliant Vada Pav served by Salam Bombay, but all that is for a reason, the reason is the vada pav is actually outstanding, it takes you right to a small street vendor on the busy streets of Mumbai.

Lastly unfortunately they don't have too many options in desserts, but I remember trying out the Rabbadi in the other branch which tasted a little stale.

Salam Bombay

Talking about the interiors, you would find nice bright green walls with some huge posters of famous places in Mumbai and for some odd reason they have a London tube station board saying chaat counter, but I think they were trying to make it like one of those Mumbai station sign boards.

Also even though I haven't tried the Veg Lolypop and Tandoori Platter, I’ve heard it’s brilliant.

I would rate this place a 3/5

Zaatar W Zeit

Zaatar W Zeit has a very unique, or as we Indians would say 'Hatke' concept, it's a blend of Lebanese and Italian food. 

The menu comprises of salads, wraps, pizzas and a few appetizers. I tried out two variations in the pizza and two variations in the wraps.

To start off with the pizza, I called for the Ultimate Cheese Pizza and Chicken Barbeque Pizza. 

The ultimate cheese was a complete delight for a cheese lover like me; it was smothered in 4 cheese and oregano. There wasn't too much of tomato sauce thankfully. The crust was thin and crispy. This was priced for 33 Dirham’s.

Ultimate Cheese Pizza

Moving on to the BBQ Chicken Pizza, this obviously was loaded with barbeque sauce along with chicken that was very well cooked, mushrooms, green pepper, onions and cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Here again the crust was brilliant. Also I think it would be safe for me to say that it was one of the best BBQ chicken pizza's I've had. This was priced for 42 Dirham’s.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

The quantity of the pizza is suitable for 2 people.

Next we have the Wraps; we called for the Baked Falafel Wrap and the Spizy Chicken Wrap (and no that isn’t a typo for spicy) I'm usually not a fan of spending 30 Dirham’s or so on a wrap when I can have a main course for around the same price, but thought might as well give it a try.

Starting with the Spizy Chicken, this was basically marinated chicken with bell pepper, spinach, onions, melted cheese and a spicy sauce on top. The sauce was very mild, it was barely spicy, or maybe that's just the Punjabi in me talking. But the melted cheese was extremely breath taking. This was for 33 Dirham’s.

Spizy Chicken Wrap

Lastly the Baked Falafel Wrap which was a delicately spiced falafel mix seasoned with sesame syrup topped with parsley, tomatoes, turnip, radish and mint. I think it was absolutely bizarre for my friend to pay 22 Dirham’s on a falafel wrap, you could get almost 70 falafels for that (just saying) anyhow coming back to the wrap, it was no doubt good, it was minced falafel with all the right sauces complimenting it, but not sure I would want to spend that much on falafel. (I could be a little too judgmental sometimes)

Baked Falafel Wrap

The common factor between both the wraps was that it was really filling. 

The ambiance of the place is like any other fast-food joint, but their prices are slightly more than a casual fast food restaurant. Also since I visited the branch on Salam Street there were no tables catering for larger groups. But for that you could always visit the branch at Abu Dhabi Mall. 

What I absolutely adore about Zaatar W Zeit is that, it is one of those very few brands who go all out with Social Media presence and that has also helped them create such a strong brand identity.

Overall  it was a great experience, I would definitely recommend the place and looking forward to visiting Zatar W Zeit soon. 

I would give it a 4/5

Una comida deliciosa

Now that you’re done google translating the blog-post title, let’s get to the review :D

Out of the various things I miss in Mumbai, one of them has got to be Sammy Sosa (A Mexican restaurant located in Oshiwara) apart from the amazing Mexican food they serve; this place has too many memories attached to it as well. Moreover I have tried several other Mexican restaurants in Mumbai as well but absolutely disliked those.

Surprisingly the first Mexican restaurant I visited in Abu Dhabi turned out to be a mind-blowing experience. Cantina Laredo located in Khalidiya Mall, is all about tortillas, enchiladas, nachos and margaritas.

A friend of mine was celebrating his birthday and decided to have a small dinner gathering here and on just hearing the cuisine Cantina serves, I was absolutely thrilled. Any food that is served with over-flowing cheese automatically gets my mouth watering.

We called for Laredo Fries, Pollo Chipotle and Chicken Fajita. It must have been the very first time I visited a Mexican restaurant and did not call for Nachos or Quesadillas.

I had also called for a Sangria Swirl which was a traditional Mexican frozen lime cocktail swirled with sangria. Thankfully for this one time, the taste of the lime wasn't overshadowing the sangria taste.

They also had Mango Lassi in their drinks section which was quite funny for a Mexican restaurant to have. I was almost convinced to try it out but decided against it thankfully.

Moving on to the Laredo Fries which were Mexican style fries smothered in chili con queso and melted mixed cheese, topped with taco meat and sour cream. So this pretty much tasted like Nachos, but obviously the nachos were replaced by Fries. The meat was very well cooked. Even though this was considered to be an appetizer, it was very filling.

Next we had the Pollo Chipotle which was basically grilled chicken breast topped with a creamy smokey chipotle pepper sauce and melted Monterey jack cheese. This was so full of flavour and even though I absolutely love cheese, we all know an over-dosage of it in a dish can spoil the taste, but this has the right amount which made it extremely tasty.

Lastly the Chicken Fajita which was chicken that was warmly served in a sizzling skillet with grilled onions and peppers. It was served with flour tortillas, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole. This again did taste quite good, not the best I've ever had however.

I would definitely recommend the Laredo Fries and Pollo Chipotle. If you're a fan of Mexican food, you are sure to fall in love with Cantina.

The staff here was friendly and also almost convinced us that they serve liquor but just to see our reaction. They knew their food well; our waiter also served us guacamole that he made live on our table itself which complimented the free tortilla chips we were served.

The ambiance is elegant, a good fine dining restaurant. However the place was rather empty when we went.

It is no doubt slightly expensive, but I personally think it was totally worth the experience we had here.

Overall nachos nahi khaya par khaana khake nachne ka man zarur kiya (Sorry, my post in incomplete without a PJ)

I would rate this place a 4/5