Mamma Italia and exploring Jumeirah Road

A little bit of Italy in Dubai. How many other people out there feel that there is quite the parallel between Italians and Arabs? Down on Jumeirah Road, which is fast becoming my favourite part of town, is the Mamma Italia restaurant.

My friend and I happened upon it while on a stroll along Jumeirah Road. It is located just after the Al Hilal Bank on Jumeirah Road (near to the Burj al Arab). And it has outside seating! Our super friendly waitress explained the restaurant to us as we were still deciding where we want to eat. We walked a bit further but then decided to go back. We made the right decision.

The menu offers a typical assortment of classic Italian fare from Bruschetta and Panini to various pizza (in an actual pizza oven and the chef can swirl that dough like nobody's business, mind blowing).

Adorable detail on the menu



Hamour dish (cannot remember the name)





Roasted chicken panini

It was so nice to sit outside, in the shade of course. The roasted chicken, complimented by the lightly sweet taste of the tomato salsa, was wonderful and my friend also enjoyed her hamour. At the end our plates were clean. We were also asked if we would like a dessert but after the delicious lunch we needed for a small walk to digest. We promised to come back for gelato, though.

Jumeirah Road has a slower pace of life to it. Perfect if you need to get away from the usual rat race present in the malls. Plus it is rather quirky to come across a Milka Cow at Al Bashaer Grocery. Jumeirah Road is ideal for walking as it has many little shops along it and the walking path is separate from the road. There is not much shade so take care to bring along water. There are water stations dispersed along the road that can also be used.

As it was getting hot, and because it is rude to break a promise, we made our way back to Mamma Italia for gelato.

So many flavours to choose from! We each had about 5 flavours that we tried. Really though, how can you say no when someone recommends you to try, try, try! We even tried Smurf ice cream. Does that make us cannibals?

I went for the Stracciatella in a waffle cone mainly because it seemed lighter than the Nutella one. But who am I kidding, lighter is the wrong word. We are talking about ice cream here. It was more refreshing than the Nutella. Have you ever had the dark chocolate ice cream from Cold Stone? That is what I would call a "heavy" ice cream. These gelatos did seem lighter than the typical Cold Stone fare and when you are looking for something indulgent and refreshing: light is right.

Take the time to explore your city. I know that I am thoroughly enjoying this aspect to living in a new place.

As usual: I was not compensated for this post so it is entirely my own rambling opinion.

Ready for the weekend

Winter in Dubai means beach days, comfortable beach days, where sitting in the sun will not make your body mimic a sauna session. Now we have glorious mid 30s temperatures, cooling breezes and clear blue skies.

A beautiful beach in Dubai is Sunset Beach located in Umm Suqeim beside the Burj al Arab. During the weekend parking can fill up quickly but is usually not an issue if you arrive before 09h00. The side which is closest to the Burj al Arab is most busy so be prepared to stake your claim early. Sunset Beach is an open beach but I have not noticed many gawkers. The beach is unfortunately still lacking in facilities, currently there are only changing cubicles. The water is quite shallow but be aware that there may be undercurrents in the middle of the beach because of the shape of the beach. The sand is clean and the waters are clear and almost turquoise.

view from the further side of the beach

View to the Burj al Arab

Beautiful not only in the day light, Sunset Beach is of course known for its views at sunset as well as the unobstructed view of Burj al Arab at night. Whichever time you go pack a blanket and a picnic to make the most of your time.

 

Pink Afternoon Tea *update*

A couple posts ago I mentioned that, as October is breast cancer awareness month, the Fairmont the Palm has a Pink Afternoon Tea. During the Eid holiday some girlfriends and I made it there and once again it did not disappoint.

The menu was specifically geared towards foods which contain cancer fighting properties.


First of we were offered the tea menu which has 35 various teas. I went for the yummy berry as it fit with the pink theme of the day and even without sugar is nice and sweet. For a more exotic style tea go for the Cote d' Azur which blossoms into a flower from it tight circular form. Of course, if java is more your style it is on offer as well. With tea one also receives a fresh fruit juice.

And on to the first course a wonderful sabayon with fresh mixed berries which was a treat to indulge in.

Of the sandwiches we could all agree that the smoked salmon and the egg sandwiches were our favourite. The reaction to the roasted beetroot sandwiches was not as positive but that may have been because of the unexpected flavor combination. I myself quite like beetroot.

The small deserts were presented like jewels in the display. My personal favourite was the lemon tart with the raspberries on top. Something about lemon and raspberry is refreshing and of course the nod to the cause was welcome. The chocolate triangle was decadent and the creamy ganache paired well with the light crunch of the bottom.

Clotted cream, jam and warm scones oh my! Delicious and warm scones were also brought with a choice of plain or with raisins. By this point we were all wondering if we could roll our selves to valet when the final treat was served: milk chocolate lollies with a white chocolate coating sprinkled with dried strawberry pieces.

It was a wonderful afternoon out and seeing the sunset from the Fairmont is beautiful, as it is in most places in Dubai. We had wonderful service and a fun, relaxing time.

As with all other reviews I am in no way compensated for this post. It is my own opinion and taste buds (figuratively, of course) doing the typing.

Hot Pot in the Desert

There is something about finding an authentic restaurant in a city like Dubai that makes your heart beat a little bit faster. One of those places would be the Xiao Wei Yang International Restaurant also known as the Little Sheep/Lamb Hot Pot.

Exterior of the restaurant

The restaurant is easy to find across from the Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa on Al Sufouh Road. There is still construction taking place in the area so parking is still at a premium.

Interior of the restaurant

The moment my friend and I walked into the restaurant our throats were tickled with the hint of spice which was lingering in the air. And with that my smile grew broader as I have not had hot pot in about two years, one could say it was a long time coming. After settling at our own table we were given the menus and allowed a moment to peruse them. A definite plus here is that there are pictures showing what you will get which is perfect for hot pot neophytes. We went with menu four which has a divided "pot" which just means one side has a spicy broth and they other is a milder beef broth. In addition to the normal assortment of mushrooms, fish balls, lettuce and thinly sliced meat which comes with the hot pot we also ordered golden needle mushrooms. Be still my heart of I do have a fondness for these.

Hot pot ingrediants

As expected the food came quickly and was fresh. Hot pot is essentially an eat at your own pace food where you can cook as you go.

Ready to eat

As usual I was not compensated for writing about this restaurant. I do, though, welcome suggestions on new places to try out.

Canada in Dubai ... eh!

How absolutely brilliant is it to find poutine and Montreal style smoked beef in Dubai? Let me answer that in one word: very. Where did we find this slice of Canadiana? At the Maple Leaf Restaurant - Montreal Smoked Meat and Poutine. The name says it all.

We started off with a poutine each. The label "sides" was misleading as it was easily enough as a main course. The gravy could have been slightly more flavourful but overall a nice poutine. Then on to the Maple Leaf Sandwich which we thankfully decided to share. The smoked beef can only be described as amazing, tender and flavourful it was nicely complimented by the caramelized onions. The service was friendly and quick. From the look of the other diners and the high chairs against the far wall this looks to be a very family friendly place. The menu is not overwhelming, what they do they do it well (my taste buds agree).

Round one: Poutine with home made fries

Round Two: The Maple Leaf Sandwich

Inside the restaurant

The Maple Leaf Restaurant - Montreal Smoked Meat and Poutine is located on Jumeirah Road across from the Advanced Radiology Centre. Check them out on facebook.
 

Time to Think Pink

October is breast cancer awareness month. Fairmont The Palm has come up with a novel (and might I add, delicious) way to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. I have been here previously for high tea and can highly recommend it. Professional and friendly service, food which tastes as good as it looks and a tea menu which is novice friendly (TWG gives me a headache from the selection and lack of description). So go ahead, grab a couple girlfriends and help in the fight to end cancer. For more information you can go to special offers webpage from Fairmont The Palm


from Fairmont The Palm

Please note that this is not a paid endorsement. I received this as an email through work and wanted to share as I feel that supporting a cause does not have to be "boring".