Disclaimer: While there is no need for any reservation for the SMCCU mosque tour, do arrive at the main entrance early (around 9.45am) and do dress appropriately. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
It’s easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top. ∼ Henry Ward Beecher
For a good view in Dubai, you don’t have to go uphill, you can just select some spots for the best views! As the countdown to 2015 begins, my round up posts are all about the *best of the best* from 2014. While an earlier post had me gobbling up gold as I chalked down my list of *edible gold* dishes in Dubai, this post is all about gobbling up stunning views along with my meals at different restaurants that I have come across this year. While some of the best views are naturally the most touristy (for example the above picture – Burj Khalifa from Fortnum & Mason), let’s face it – we love it! While I foresee a challenge during the summers for most of these al fresco venues, by the the next summer, these outlets would have surely come up with their own solutions. A lot of these restaurants are new launches (marked them with an asterisk) and the menus are still evolving for some. But one thing is certain – no one can take away their claims to the best views. Bookmark a few of them for the best fireworks during NYE. Starting with the best night-scapes of Dubai:
Level 43 Sky Lounge in Four Points by Sheraton SZR
Level 43 Sky Lounge: Outdoor sky lounge – Tapas, cocktails, shooters and cigars, and a great venue for NYE fireworks: Practically hanging over the SZR on the 43rd floor, this Al fresco bar and lounge with a view is the latest entrant into the list of the city’s stunning sun downers. The view is, I repeat, absolutely incredible and has one of the best views of SZR amongst the other high rise hotels that are lining the SZR. The seating is laid back – big cane couches with cushions and good for an evening hangout with friends (I couldn’t visualise how a couple would be holding hands in a rendezvous, across couches!). Tapas styled finger food, cocktails, shooters and cigars (hmmm) define the menu. The choice for food is somewhat limited, as is always the case in most bars and lounges, but the food is delicious and enjoyable. We had ordered both the non-vegetarian combos – the Fish and Seafood platter came with fried lobster coated with corn flakes, lemon mayo and fresh mango, crispy calamari peanuts, Thai basil, seared Salmon with capers rosti potato. The Poultry and Meat platter included grilled lamb cutlets served with green lentil, carrot, celery, and onion stew; grilled beef skewer, shallot soya sauce served with pickle cucumber, shallot and carrot; sautéed chicken with light chili sauce, cucumber salad and served with coconut sticky rice. Can’t exactly remember whether we had ordered desserts or we were full gobbling up this incredible view. The cocktail menu is quite exhaustive and there are a few interesting iced tea options available as well. Interestingly, Simone Guerinoni, the gentle man in charge of the evening announced himself as the CEO – the Chief Experience Officer as his visiting card later revealed! Caution: The evenings can become quite chilly, so please carry an extra warm pullover. And definitely this is not a hangout venue for those suffering from vertigo!
This is one venue to book mark for showing off an incredible Dubai skyline to your visiting guests!
Zeta Restaurant & Lounge in The Address Downtown
*Zeta Restaurant & Lounge: Outdoor lounge – Asian Fusion, and probably the best venue to see the Burj Khalifa firework during NYE: Sitting right in front of the Burj Khalifa and watching the Dubai fountains dancing away every half an hour – Zeta is the recently opened *outdoor* lounge in The Address Downtown with an absolutely stunning view (above). We starting off with an array of starters – the Beef salad, the Sashimi platter and the Chicken Karaage (Karaage is the Japanese cooking technique in which various foods — most often chicken, but also other meat and fish — are deep fried in oil). The menu is reminiscent of Fazaris, the other restaurant in The Address Downtown. In fact, I am still dreaming about the Beef Tenderloin, the Black Cod in Miso sauce, the crunchy King Prawn in Kafir Lime and the Chocolate Brownie with Raspberry Sorbet for desserts. If you are drinking alcohol, do try the super spicy Thai Bellini! And unlike other Dubai lounges, a lot of families with kids hung around, and we were told that they weren’t allowed only in a particular section that has been designated as the ‘lounge’ area. Zeta can get as romantic or as family friendly as you want our experience to be. The only challenge that I foresee now, are the summers – but I am told that they are working on a half-covered/half-open option. Caution: Even if you have reserved the best spot just by the side of the railing – the balcony seat in an opera house, the moment the Dubai Fountain starts dancing in the background, you will find flock of diners shoving and pushing you to the side as they scamper to take pictures of the Dubai Fountain. And this will happen every half an hour – so may be 3-4 times in your 2-hours dining date. Yes, I admit – I am one of those ridiculously rude diners!
This is one venue to book mark for showing off Burj Khalifa in all its splendour to your visiting guests or to reiterate to the Dubai resident – yes, Burj Khalifa is Dubai’s pride!
Shades in The Address Marina
*Shades in The Address Dubai Marina: Another Address property, and a completely different look. Overlooking the infinity pool and the stunning backdrop of the glistening Jumeirah Beach Residence, this outdoor lounge is a haven amidst the surrounding city landscape of highrises. I have come to Mazina, the restaurant downstairs many times but chanced upon Shades only recently, when Address Marina celebrated its 5th birthday at the venue. Live cooking, fire dance over a wooden stage suspended over the pool, a few bubblies and the effect of the nightscape afterwards… and I was already making plans to revisit for a sundowner. The weekends have live barbeque sessions with a selection of flame-grilled meats and seafood while you can enjoy Tapas and à la carte offerings daily, with their signature dish being a Chicken Niçoise salad and their regular barbeque platter. The staff is really friendly and when I ordered the two most colourful mocktails that would look nice for my photo shoot – a Summer Cooler and a Mint Lemonade – I was requested that I should revisit around 5pm when one can actually see the sun go down between the JBR buildings, casting a glow all around the Marina and the infinity pool. The daily theme nights seems to be catching up and the weekend sees the resident DJ Enigma8 taking control of the consoles until the wee hours of the morning.
This is one venue to book mark for showing off the stunning new Dubai to your visitors – here the city lights merge into the a star-studded night sky!
Bateaux Dubai in Dubai Creek
Bateaux Dubai: Cruise along the Dubai Creek, savour a 4 course gourmet menu, and a great venue for families with children to enjoy the NYE fireworks over the Dubai Creek:Dubai Creek is one of my favourite spots in the city. I have done innumerable dhow trips, sunset cruises, have walked along the Creek daily when the weather had been kind. Nothing beats the spectacular view of a lit up Dubai Creek at night. Recently, it had been that the traditional Dhows were to move away from my beloved Dubai Creek to the new wharfage opposite Hyatt Regency Hotel. Whether it is a Dhs 2 Abra ride or a dinner cruise in a traditional dhow, the cruise along the Dubai creek is really very special. And imagine an experiential dining as you glide along the Dubai creek, encased in a glass boat – plopping onto large Moét & Chandon signature floor cushions on the upper deck after a 5 course dinner – a cruise with Bateaux Dubai is for keeps! At the helm of the kitchen is the very talented Chef Alan van Heerden and with a team of nine Chefs on board Bateaux Dubai, he creates a 4-course menu, taking in inspiration from their varied mix of different backgrounds and cultures. Every dish ordered from the menu, is freshly made in the specially designed kitchen, with finest of ingredients (here’s my experience with Bateaux Dubai). The Smoked Duck with Wild Mushroom Salad is the winner for me – served with Balsamic ice cream and a crispy Basil Pesto Melba. Try the Seared Salmon with Braised Pok Choi for the Mains. This is definitely a special-treat dining venue – good food and excellent service (also there is a gorgeous lady playing the violin). the vessel is so heavy that one doesn’t feel any movement, unlike in many of my previous experiences of dhow Cruises, where I have tumbled with my plate filled with food. Caution: This is not your typical Dhow cruise with dinner, and if you are stepping into this gorgeous glass boat, be sure to dress up for the occasion if not borrow Cinderella’s glass slippers to wear!
This is one venue to book mark for gliding along the historical part of Dubai, in style and in taste (literally) – here the horizon merges into the waters and the city lights on the land becomes a blurry reflection on the water.
Tomo by Takahashi in the Raffles Terrace
Tomo by Takahashi: traditional Japanese with again a great venue for the NYE fireworks at a distance: A stunning skyline of Dubai from the Tatami Terrace with low table setups on a tatami floor complemented one of the best sushi and sashimi experiences I have had in my life so far. Chef Takahashi is one of the most experienced Japanese chefs in Dubai and a Master, he personally came out to explain what had been served in our platter – the Sashimi comprised of medium fatty tuna belly, salmon, greater amberjack fish; the Sushi included salmon belly, fatty tuna belly, prawn, unagi eel and crispy California roll. This was authentic Japanese at it’s very best and kept at how it must taste the best – very basic and very simple, unlike the other high end Japanese restaurants in town – Zuma or Nobu. (Read my experience of eating out in 5 stunningly different venues in one night)
This is one venue to book mark if you want to savour the stunning city scape from a distance – and enjoy some traditional Japanese with Sake!
Bā Restaurant & Lounge in Fairmont The Palm
*Bā Restaurant & Lounge: Both al fresco and indoor seating available – Chinese, perfect place to watch the fireworks of the surrounding Palm Islands during NYE: With panoramic views of the Marina skyline and the Arabian Gulf from the terrace as well as from inside the wall to wall glass windows, the decor is elegant and comfortable. The team of chefs have been hand-picked to represent 8 regions in China, and the menu focuses on traditional culinary technique under the leadership of Master Chef Lau Pak Wai. Bā Lounge embraces molecular mixology with a twist; from the gold leaf tops to carbonated effects, there are 8 unique signature cocktails to choose from. In fact, this is where, I had tasted the Sparkling Pomegranate Martini with *edible gold* dust in it (included in my earlier blogpost) whil attending a Cocktail Masterclass followed by dimsum making in the Bā kitchen under the guidance of Chef Lau himself. Caution: Do try to make it for the sundowner. With the Marina skyline in a distant, the view is incredible when the daylight is still there. Allow yourself to be stunned with the realisation of the actual size of the Palm Island… the Fairmont is situated in the trunk, and the yet the view isn’t hindered by the the crescent of the Palm Island!
And these are some of my choices for a daytime venues with views:
Creekside Cafe in Dubai Creek
Breakfast at Creekside Cafe: Created by the same team of the Archive Dubai in Safa Park, this cafe cum restaurant intends to develop as a community space with a focus on the arts and culture of the Middle East and North Africa. Its focus lies primarily on architecture, art, culture, design and heritage. Located in the heart of old Dubai and strategically located by the creekside, this is my top *daytime* venue in Dubai. The Emirati-inspired menu is designed by Chef Allan Briones, who loves deconstructing traditional dishes. For example, the Ghouzi, which is a big plate of rice, with a whole lamb on top of it. Here the has been made into a burrito, thereby giving it a very modern and cosmopolitan twist. Also, worth mentioning are the Red Velvet Leqaimats (leqaimats are crisp fried golden dough balls coated with date syrup and sesame seeds), which made us bond with a family sitting at the table next to us. Complete strangers – and suddenly we were sharing these pink fried doughs of love! Gaze at the Iranian vessels as long as they are permitted to traverse the Dubai creek… recent developments suggest that the traditional dhows in the Dubai Creek will have to shift their base to a new wharfage being built near Hyatt Regency. Enjoy the flight of the seagulls as long as you can while enjoying some brilliantly executed gourmet meal. The creek is an integral part of the heritage of Dubai and Sally Prosser aka My Custard Pie writes more on how to explore this beautiful creekside.
Omnia Blue in Gourmet Souk, Jumeirah Fishing Harbour
Omnia Blue: Burgers & Sliders – incredible view of the Fishing Harbour: This is the second restaurant of Chef Silvena Rowe and focuses on handmade burgers and sliders, made from locally sourced ingredients – Omani lobsters, free range chicken raised in the UAE. Most importantly, as Silvena emphasizes this is ‘fast food cooked in the slow way’. As per the name, the restaurant emits blue and is reminiscent of popular seafood restaurants in Pier 39 in San Fransisco – framed pictures in black and white, anchors and steering wheels – it is a sailor-blue paradise interspersed with floor tiles with Arabic motifs, again in blue. I ordered a chicken burger (free range organic chicken sourced locally) and french fries by the side. Potatoes are sourced from Oman, fried in Olive Oil and comes unsalted (Silvena very very consciously doesn’t put in her food). But what blows me away is the Mac and Cheese with Omani lobster. Caution: The view of the harbour is mind-boggling. If you are seating inside, do pray for the rains – I just experienced the rains chasing the clouds from the horizon and am still reeling from it – it’s beautiful. Again, if you are sitting on the terrace outside, pray that it doesn’t rain – it’s too beautiful to rush inside for shelter!
Pin this venue down if you are craving a view and a good meal (be assured that it will be healthy, organic and not run-of-the-mill), and don’t want to run up a five-star restaurant bill. This, for me, would be a romantic daytime venue.
Seaview Restaurant in Umm Suqeim 1 Fishing Harbour
Seaview Restaurant: Daily catch of the day and again an incredible view of the Fishing Harbour:: Another venue that has never disappointed anyone who has visited upon my recommendation. The view here gives me a lot of solace – I still recall a scene from one of my visits – the beauty of the harbour under the wraps of heavy clouds and pouring rain. Otherwise too. This restaurant had been my *brand new restaurant* recommendation until almost the first half of 2014! The menu is fresh and interesting and as I have mentioned earlier, has blends from different cuisines – Crab cakes served with Guacamole, Fish Masala Pappads, Haryali Hamour Tikka, Kesari Macchi or the Saffron flavored fish, Grilled Fillet with Gherkin Sauce, Polenta Crusted Mullet in Oyster Sauce, King Fish Darne in Banana Wraps and many more. The location is spectacular – again, much like the Fishermen’s Wharf in San Francisco. Mr Prashant, one of the partners of the restaurant, has a degree of Hotel Management and his contribution comes in the form of the subtle adaptation of the Mangalorean Prawn Ghee Roast into the Seaview Prawns (above), so that it may suit the international palate. This dish is my winner. Ghee Roast is one of the most popular delicacies of Mangalore (a coastal town in South Indian state of Karnataka) that has been popularized by the Bunt community of Kundapur. The finishing act in this preparation comes from the mild aroma of clarified butter – the Ghee and as I bit into the soft, juicy and spiced prawns, I could imagine myself coming back to the restaurant a couple of times only to taste this particular preparation. The Seafood Roti Canai is also highly recommended. Mr Majid, his local partner is a third generation Emirati. He is a part of the local fishing industry and owns a couple of fishing boats. Hence, one can expect that the quality of the fresh catch that goes into the restaurant kitchen or the taste of a prepared dish is unlikely to be compromised for some time to come. Fresh seasonal catch – local Hamour, Sheri, King Fish, Mullet, Mackerel, Shrimp and Crabs etc keeps the daily menu flexible and dependent on the fresh catch of the day. here’s my experience with Seaview Restaurant). Caution: This is a seafood restaurant – so naturally there isn’t much of an option in either vegetarian or non-seafood dishes!
Absolutely pin this venue down if you are are a seafood lover. At a reasonable bill, you will get sumptuous seafood along with complimentary view of the harbour. This, again, would be my choice for a daytime venue.
Serafina in Souk Al Bahar
*Serafina: Italian cuisine – live jazz every Wednesday from 8pm, another great venue to see the Burj Khalifa firework during NYE: Yes, sometimes it feels like the restaurants with views of the Burj Khalifa and the dancing fountain have it all (Thiptara, Rivington Grill, Baker & Spice and others). But life isn’t really that easy for these restaurants if the food doesn’t do justice to the view. An outdoor terrace overlooking the Dubai fountains, and a cute side terrace opening into Palace Downtown, this NYC import recently celebrated it’s first anniversary on its Dubai shores. The venue has been brushing names with celebrities – and that had been my reason in visiting the venue as late as this November. We walked into the terrace with the fountain bursting into a performance every half an hour and was amazed at the food that we tasted. Right in the middle of the truffle season, our order for a Pizza Di Serafina – Philly Cheese-steak, a Philadelphia steak with Italian cheeses and truffle sauce, was perfect. But the stunner was my Pasta of the day – the Spaghetti All Aragosta – spaghetti in a fresh cherry tomato base, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. And of course a jumbo Lobster in its shell as the divine crowning glory! True to the Italian spirit, Serafina has mastered the art of making Desserts or Nostri Dolci and the Tiramisu was a testimony to that. Caution: Like most restaurants located in Souk Al Bahar and which have the fortune to pay for its terrace, the charm here lies in experiencing the dancing fountains along with great Italian food. Although an American import, Serafina doesn’t serve Italian food the Olive Garden style which is a bit too Americanised (and of course popular!). Here, the authenticity is accentuated with fine presentation and fresh ingredients. When salads can tempt a diner back, that speaks a lot about the venue (yes, I am talking about the Spinaci e Caprino or the Baby Spinach Salad with candied walnuts, Goats Cheese and pine nuts).
Absolutely pin this venue down if you are want great Italian food along with complimentary view of the dancing fountains and Burj Khalifa. The food is too good looking to be overshadowed in the candle lit ambiance at night!
The Beach Dubai
The Beach Dubai: Amazing seaview, a line up of the best restaurants and of course one of the best venues to witness the Palm Islands fireworks: With a lot of restaurants to choose from, this is the latest development to offer diners a view with practically every meal! There is a lot to choose from and lately the Market by the Beach on Saturdays are catching up. Kiosks selling fresh organic produce, mouthwatering treats, handcrafted goodies and live entertainment forms the part of the repertoire. I still haven’t been able to cover all the restaurants here – but amongst the stand alone concepts (not part of any franchise), my absolute favourite is Eat Greek. The sun rays are reflected off the blue sea waters over the terrace and dreamy, lit-up white nests hang from the ceiling and casts magical shadows on the distressed wooden floors. Try the Kadaifi Jumbo Prawns – a beauty, a must have… Jumbo Prawns wrapped in Kadaifi filo (very popularly used in Arabic sweets like Kunafa), fried and served with a dreamy pink strawberry dressing and chopped pieces of fruits, deliciously called the fruity ratatouille. Another place that I like to bring my guests over is – the House of Curry. Although I am not keen to try our Indian food when I go out for a meal, the novelty in the latter lies, amongst the food is also the rustic ‘Haveli’ interiors with a framed picture of Monalisa draped in an Indian Saree! Caution: Although the Beach Dubai has stolen some glory from the restaurants located in The Walk, you will be spoilt for choice in this Californian style seaside boulevard.
Pin this venue down from breakfast, lunch through dinner – have a dip in the sea and dunk into your food – your choice of cuisine!
Al Badia Golf Club
*Picnic Brunch in Al Badia Golf Club; relaxed weekend brunches with family: This is one of my recent experiences that I would like to do an elaborate photo post on… a real picnic with picnic baskets, picnic mats and umbrellas thrown in. Overlooking the Al Badia Golf course, serenity prevails while the atmosphere is very relaxed and laid back – families lying on the ground, children running around, a messed up low lying tables with empty glasses and an overturned picnic baskets – there is a sense of abandon in the elegant weekend affair that describes this ‘glamping’. The old fashioned wicker basket is brimming with traditional goodies – freshly baked baguettes, smoked salmon, handmade compotes, sausage rolls etc and there is a real smokehouse to flame up your grills.
Pin this venue down for a weekend brunch – a must do if you want an amazingly relaxed afternoon amidst friends and family, and while the weather lasts!
New Year Eve Events at the above venues
Level 43 Sky Lounge: Live DJ – International Buffet – Free Flow Selected Premium Beverages – A Spectacular View of The Palm, The World Islands, Dubai Festival City, Burj Al Arab, and Burj Khalifa Fireworks. Dhs 1500/person. Advanced booking required. For Reservations, Call 04 316 9888 or email szr.level43@fourpoints.com
Zeta NYE Party : With spectacular views over Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain, this is one of the best venues for the NYE fireworks. Dhs 3,000/person/table inclusive of 4 courses, unlimited house beverages and bubbly; Dhs 2,000 per person per table minimum beverage spend, Barstools AED 1,800 per person per table minimum beverage spend. For reservations, please call + 971 4 4368799 or email EHernandez@theaddress.com
Shades: THE GOOD RESOLUTION AT SHADES offers a unique twist on Asian street food and European tapas, Shades presents an authentic experience that will carry you through to the New Year. With a live DJ building you up to the midnight countdown and complimentary access to Blends, make the most of your celebrations with friends and loved ones. Dhs 1,100/person, inclusive of free-flowing house beverages and entrance to Blends. Please call +971 4 423 8884 or email at dine.dubaimarina@theaddress.com
Bateaux Dubai: NEW YEAR’S EVE CRUISE down the Creek with an incredible view of the fireworks over Dubai’s skyline. Dhs 1,300/person for a welcome drink, live entertainment, a six-course a Ia carte celebration dinner, unlimited house beverages and a glass of bubbly. Kids from 5 to 11 years are welcome onboard at AED 495* including unlimited soft drinks. Time: 8.30pm to 1am; boarding at 7.45pm. For reservations, please call +971 4 814 5553 or book online reservations.bateauxdubai.com.
Bā Restaurant & Lounge: Black & White Party and a menu featuring a delicate Dim Sums combination of Steamed Prawn Dumplings topped with Caviar, Steamed Scallop Dumpling, White Mushroom Spring Roll with Truffle Oil and Blue Cheese as well as Steamed Lobster with Garlic, Glass Noodle and Spring Onion as a main course. For a restaurant Seating – Dhs 1,588/person (indoor seating), AED 1,888/person (outdoor seating); Lounge Seating – Dhs 688/person (including two signature cocktails and canapes from 9pm to 12am); After party package in Bā Lounge – Dhs 388/person (including house beverages from midnight to 3am). Please call +97144573457 or email at palm.dining@fairmont.com.
Serafina: Enjoy a 9 course meal to the sounds of an international live band along with a spectacular view of the Burj Khalifa fireworks. Packages start from Dhs 1,495/person with soft drinks and mocktails; Dhs 1,695/person with house beverages and 1 glass of champagne served on arrival; Dhs 1,995/person with house beverages and 1 Veuve Clicquot bottle for every 2 people. For reservations, please call +9714 363 8447 or email at events@ginzarestaurants.com.
Tomo by Takahashi: Meticulously prepared by Chef Takahashi together with his team of skilled chefs, the price for the Set Menu is worth Dhs 880/person and includes a welcome drink, a non alcoholic choice is also available. The price for children below 12 years old is Dhs 440/child. The terraces will be open on midnight for everyone to enjoy the fireworks display and to see the city’s dramatic skyline and the sparkling Burj Khalifa Tower.
Advance bookings recommended for all.
How are you ushering in the New Year? Is there any restaurant that you would like to add to this list? As much as I would love to join in the celebrations in one of the above venues that I have mentioned, but none of these work for our family – we end up landing in one of our friends’ places where we can let the Z-Sisters go wild… and follow it up with a drive in to the desert the following day (here’s our trip to Khor Kalba following on the Bikers’ trail). Whatever you choose to do to celebrate, here’s hoping that the New Year brings in lots of happiness in all your lives. And may the world be a safer place. Hopefully this isn’t my last post of 2014… I haven’t eaten and travelled around too much this year to sign the year off, just yet!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: All pictures have been taken by me unless mentioned otherwise (picture of Bateaux Dubai boat has been provided by venue). Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent and I have paid my bills for most of the venues excepting the ones marked in asteriks. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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Merry Christmas Everyone! Here’s to a sip into a hot Mulled Wine bellowing up smokey dreams in the air, a sniff into the Christmas chill and freezing hands trembling with excitement inside the gloves… yes, it’s that time of the year when happiness is suspended in bubbles in the wine glass and stuck in the grease of the Turkey gravy. A bit of a flashback to our lives in Germany 8 years back. Christmas meant magical Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas market around Romer in Frankfurt and the aroma of Glühwein hitting the nostrils at all hours… and a real Christmas tree! In Dubai terms, it means shopping malls vying for the tallest Christmas trees and hotel lobbies turned into snowy winterlands. which has the most gorgeously decked one. It also means that we have fake snow and snowflakes cheering up some shopping mall around town (Dubai Marina Mall) and we have the ‘tallest gingerbread tower in Dubai’! At 11.7m tall, a tower made by chefs working 432 hours at The Address Marina, using 180kg of flour, 90kg of honey, 570 kg of icing sugar! No complaints at all, for December in Dubai is now unquestionably and undoubtedly Christmassy, as compared to a decade back. And I just tasted my first Mulled Wine of the season in a Christmas Market here… The Souk Festive Market at Madinat Jumeirah. The above picture is a testimony to that. But the real mulled wine of the season – is the one that we tasted on our trip to Prague, only to be recreated later in my kitchen.
Christmas also reminds me of my childhood in Kolkata, where we grew up celebrating all festivals from all religion. Christmas meant special rum balls from the very famous Kolkata confectioners – Flury’s (we revisted this place during my Kolkata visit this summer). We visited the special candle-lit midnight mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral – one of the oldest structures in Kolkata. Years later, I felt the same excitement as I saw my first ‘real’ Christmas tree – a fir tree almost 100 ft long in the Christmas Market in Frankfurt and sipped on my first Glühwein. I felt the same excitement when I sipped into a Svařák, the Czech mulled wine on our visit to Prague during Christmas two years back (my article on Prague in BBC GoodFood ME). At home, our Christmas dinners today are complete with Turkey roast, bread pudding and mulled wine, the latter prepared sometimes in the traditional way or using a shortcut method with pre-packed mulled spices available in one of the city’s wine stores. Recipes of Mulled wine differ with countries, as well with families. Like a treasured heirloom, some recipes are passed on from one generation to another. Here’s the Czech recipe that I follow… and it can be easily replicated at home. Oh, forgive me for the imperfect captures in a home kitchen!
Svařák - Czech Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is a usually made with red wine (Port and claret being the traditional choices) along with various mulling spices and raisins. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and is served hot or warm. Non-alcoholic mulled drink can also be made with hot apple cider and juices.
Ingredients
1 lt red wine (traditionally cheap ones are used as anyone )
Mulling Spices*
10 pieces of whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 of lemon
1/2 of orange
4-7 teaspoons of sugar
Method
- Pour wine into big pot, add cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange and/or lemon and heat up (do not boil).
- When hot add sugar (should be sweet enough for your taste) and serve.
*Note: The combination of spices varies, but it usually consists of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg; and less frequently star anise, peppercorn or cardamom. It also usually includes dried fruit (such as raisins, apples or orange rind). A “mulled” drink is a drink which has been prepared with these spices (usually through heating the drink in a pot with mulling spices and then strained.
(This recipe has been adapted from here. Enjoy another Mulled wine recipe in fellow blogger Drina Cabral aka Eaternal Zest.)
While the above picture is from my Prague album and I still miss the European Christmas Markets, the Festive Souk Market in Madinat Jumeirah really filled us with happiness and we plan to pop by once again… it’s up there until the 27th of December. The season seems all too glittery and my earlier blogpost chalks exactly that – all the edible gold dishes that I could find in Dubai. The Festive Issue of Food e Mag dxb is brimming with recipes, roundups of the best dining venues, chef talk and talks about a winter getaway – an European Christmas market once again – to Vienna! I have been hopping in and out of Sally Prosser aka My Custard Pie’s blog the entire festive season and from the morning today – with all the last minute tips on everything Christmassy – starting with the cheese board that I am preparing for our Christmas dinner tonight to some of the festive cocktails that we will be stirring up. And amidst all the hullabaloo, I am still dreaming of a white Christmas that Sarah Walton aka The Hedonista writes about. And once we settle down after tonight’s party, it will be time to catch up on the dining trends suggested by Samantha Wood aka Foodiva.
Big Z is making cookies as festive gifts for all our friends this time, with Li’l Z helping in decorating them. Nothing brings in more happiness (and chaos) in the house than seeing the two sisters fight over the ‘technical glitches’ that the cookies have been facing. The gifts have already been opened. As I write this post, the Z-Sisters are busy planning for the evening – Christmas dinner is at home. Their stockings are already empty and I am keeping Big Z’s note (above) safely in my drawer… lest she forgets. Happiness should be everywhere and for everyone, only that – it isn’t. News channels on the television and newspaper headlines have different tales to narrate. For our children’s sake, can we pray that the New Year will bring a lot of hope and happiness to everyone in the world? Collective prayer works, and so does collective hope… so once again, Merry Christmas Everyone!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: Please note that this post is not a sponsored post nor are there any affiliated links in this post. The subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own. While you enjoy reading my posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. Please join me on my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
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Merry Christmas Everyone! Here’s to a sip into a hot Mulled Wine bellowing up some smokey dreams in the air, a sniff into the Christmas chill and freezing hands trembling with excitement inside the gloves… yes, it’s that time of the year when happiness is suspended in bubbles in the wine and stuck in the grease of the Turkey gravy. Well that was our life in flashback when we used to live in Germany 8 years back… when Christmas meant the magical Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas market around Romer in Frankfurt and the aroma of Glühwein hitting the nostrils at all hours… and a real Christmas tree! In Dubai terms, it means searching for the shopping mall that has put up the tallest Christmas tree and peeping into a hotel lobby which has the most gorgeously decked one. It also means that there is fake snow and snowflakes perking up some shopping mall around town (Dubai Marina Mall). We also have the ‘tallest gingerbread tower in Dubai’ – a 11.7m tall tower made by chefs working 432 hours at The Address Marina, using 180kg of flour, 90kg of honey, 570kg of icing sugar! No complaints at all, for December in Dubai is now unquestionably and undoubtedly Christmassy, as compared to a decade back. And I just tasted my first Mulled Wine of the season in a Christmas Market here… The Souk Festive Market at Madinat Jumeirah. The above picture is a testimony to it! 
Christmas also reminds me of my childhood in Kolkata, where we grew up celebrating all festivals from all religion. Christmas would mean special rum balls from the very famous Kolkata confectioners – Flury’s (revisted this place during my Kolkata visit this summer). My mother would dress me up in my special gown sewn just for Christmas and we would visit the special candle-lit midnight mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral – one of the oldest structures in Kolkata. Years later I felt the same excitement as I saw my first ‘real’ Christmas tree – a fir tree almost 100 ft long in the Christmas Market in Frankfurt. And sipped on my first Glühwein. I felt the same excitement when Glühwein transformed itself into Svařák on our visit to Prague during Christmas two years back (I have written about it in BBC GoodFood ME). Back at home, our Christmas dinners are complete with Turkey roast, bread pudding and Mulled Wine, the latter prepared sometimes in the traditional way or using a shortcut method with pre-packed mulled spices available in one of the city’s wine stores. Recipe of Mulled wine differs with countries, as well with families. Like a treasured heirloom, some recipes are passed on from one generation to another. Here’s the Czech recipe that I follow… and it can be easily replicated at home (oh forgive the streaks of flash in the home kitchen – it’s Christmas after all)!
Svařák or Czech Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is a usually made with red wine (Port and claret being the traditional choices) along with various mulling spices and raisins. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and is served hot or warm. Non-alcoholic mulled drink can also be made with hot apple cider and juices.
Ingredients
1 lt red wine (usually cheap ones)
Mulling Spices*
10 pieces of whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 of lemon
1/2 of orange
4-7 teaspoons of sugar
Method
- Pour wine into big pot, add cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange and/or lemon and heat up (do not boil).
- When hot add sugar (should be sweet enough for your taste) and serve.
*Note: The combination of spices varies, but it usually consists of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg; and less frequently star anise, peppercorn or cardamom. It also usually includes dried fruit (such as raisins, apples or orange rind). A “mulled” drink is a drink which has been prepared with these spices (usually through heating the drink in a pot with mulling spices and then strained.
(This recipe has been adapted from here. Enjoy another Mulled wine recipe in fellow blogger Drina Cabral aka Eaternal Zest.)
While the above picture is from my Prague album and I still miss the European Christmas Markets, the Festive Souk Market this time really filled us with happiness and we plan to pop by once again… it’s up there until the 27th of December. The season seems all too glittery and my earlier blogpost chalks exactly that – all the *edible gold* dishes that I could find in Dubai. The Festive Issue of Food e Mag dxb is brimming with recipes, roundups of the best dining venues, chef talk and talks about a winter getaway – an European Christmas market once again – to Vienna! I have been hopping in and out of Sally Prosser aka My Custard Pie’s blog the entire festive season and from the morning today – with all the last minute tips on everything Christmassy – starting with the cheese board that I am preparing for our Christmas dinner tonight to some of the festive cocktails that we will be stirring up. And amidst all the hullabaloo, I am still dreaming of a white Christmas that Sarah Walton aka The Hedonista writes about. And once we settle down after tonight’s party, it will be time to catch up on the dining trends suggested by Samantha Wood aka Foodiva.
Big Z is making cookies as festive gifts for all our friends this time, with Li’l Z helping in decorating them (I have caught her licking twice into the frosting – apologies!). Nothing brings in more happiness (and chaos) in the house than seeing the two sisters fight over the ‘technical glitches’ that the cookies have been facing. The gifts have already been opened. As I write this post, the Z-Sisters are busy planning for the evening – Christmas dinner is at home. The stocking is already empty and I am keeping Big Z’s note (above) safely in my drawer… lest she forgets. Happiness should be everywhere and for everyone, only that – it isn’t. News channels on the television and newspaper headlines have different tales to narrate. For our children’s sake, can we pray that the New Year will bring a lot of hope and happiness to everyone in the world? Collective prayer works, and so does collective hope… so once again, Merry Christmas Everyone!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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All That Glitters Is *Edible* Gold!
The gold price in the UAE at the time of writing this article is Dhs 4,392.61/ounce or USD 1,195.87/ounce (as per this site) – cheaper than the ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ cocktail available at the Skyview Bar in Burj Al Arab. The latter will set you back by Dhs 4,950 and you will be sipping into a L’Heraud Grand Champagne 1906 Cognac (imagine finding something in Dubai to toast about that is more than a century old!), Luxor 24k Gold Flake Champagne and Jerry Thomas bitters served in a Swarovski Crystalline Cocktail Glass with diamonds in the stem – a glass that is there for you to keep later on. I haven’t had the luck to sip into this cocktail but I have no regrets. For a city which thrives on superlatives, this is not the most expensive cocktail on the planet currently, having lost out its crown two years back – so why bother? But then, grapes are definitely sour! Dubai being Dubai, there are many more golden options available to choose from – some of which are affordable and some of which I have actually tasted in order to write this blogpost (love my job!). A simple cocktail which had a hint of gold dust earlier in a Cocktail Masterclass that I had attended, left me looking at myself in the mirror every now and then – my lips glittering from the gold dust freckles. I really wonder whether I would have survived an onslaught of gold gushing down my throat, had I sipped into the Diamonds Are Forever cocktail. As the countdown to 2015 begins, I am trying to gather all those Dubai dishes that I have come across with gold and glitters… probably diamonds following soon!
Sparkling Pomegranate Martini at Bā Restaurant & Lounge in Fairmont The Palm: I learnt to make this cocktail – a signature one from the cocktail menu and as Gasel, our bartender picked on the gold dust and gave the final touches to the drink, it made a shimmering golden film coating the drink’s surface and form a thick golden rim along the inner walls of the glass. The questions running through my mind were of the manner… ‘How much does it cost to put in a freckle of gold dust?’ ‘Should I keep the gold dusts that glittered on my lips forever and never wipe them off?’ ‘How does the gold dust taste, smell, feel?’ I couldn’t stop myself from shamelessly sniffing, sipping and romanticizing on this cocktail! Bā Lounge embraces molecular mixology with a twist; from the gold leaf tops to carbonated effects, there are 8 unique signature cocktails to choose from. Location: Panoramic views of the Marina skyline from the terrace, making it the perfect place to watch the fireworks of the surrounding Palm Islands during NYE. Cost: Approx Dhs 150/glass (Dhs 20 towards the gold dust, I would reckon!)
Ultimate White Chocolate Gold Sundae in Fortnum & Mason: I walked into the parlour with only one agenda in mind – tasting the sundae that I had heard about so much – topped with Sevruga caviar and gold leaf. I took a video of the sundae being made lovingly in front of me. Huge scoops of salted caramel & white chocolate ice creams, honeycomb, dark chocolate sauce – followed by picking of the gold leaf and topping it off with caviar (the Sevruga caviar being one of the most expensive caviars available) – the secret to enjoying this sundae is to start pecking at the top and keep scooping downwards until you reach the honeycomb, meringues and the sauce swirling at the bottom. There are different layers to the taste – the caviar, the salted caramel, the crunchiness of the crumbling honeycomb and the meringues dipped into the dark chocolate sauce. Created specially for the Dubai market, the taste dynamics of the sundae may or may not work for many, but it worked extremely well for me. And I think that it would definitely work here as it has got the perfect oomph matching the location and the image of Fortnum & Mason. Location: Strategically located in between The Address Downtown and the Dubai Mall, this is the ‘must-visit’ touristy spot. Don’t forget to click pictures of your haul, keeping it on the railing with the iconic Burj Khalifa towering in the backdrop (in fact it was the Executive Chef Paul Ryan’s idea and he seemed to be an expert in positioning the sundae cup on the railing – I like him!). Another stunning location to catch the NYE fireworks. Cost: Dhs 210/sundae and can be shared comfortably between 2 people. (Dhs 10-15 attributing towards the cost of gold leaf)
VOGUE Café Golden Lemonade at the VOGUE Café in Dubai Mall: From tasting the Ultimate White Chocolate Gold Sundae in Fortnum & Mason, I entered the Shoe Level District in the Dubai Mall, now to taste the VOGUE Café’s Golden Lemonade. Sprinkled with 24-carat gold dust, the mocktail is a citrus blend of fresh lemon juice mixed with honey, rosemary and a homemade golden syrup (the secret syrup) which is infused for 72 hours with different spices and herbs. The actual idea is to bring in a golden trolley with all the ingredients lined up and to create the mocktail in front of guests at their table. The trolley is yet to arrive and I am told is in shipment still. My verdict? The mocktail is stunningly beautiful and even the crowning ice looks exactly the same as in the press release on the mocktail that I had been sent earlier. However, I would love it taste more lemony and less sweet. Location: Tucked away in the Shoe Level District, this can be quite a hidden gem in a humongous mall like Dubai Mall (if there can ever be a hidden gem in a shopping mall)! Cost: Dhs 80/mocktail and I when I signed the cheque, it was with a golden glittering ink. Tell me it was not a coincidence! (Think it would be Dhs 10-15 towards the gold leaf) 
Decadent desserts at Chef Silvena Rowe’s Omnia Gourmet: Chef Silvena Rowe’s creations focuses on food that are super healthy. Thankfully, so are her desserts, most of which are raw, gluten free, sugar free, paleo and vegan, containing super foods like Goji berries and different coatings like Quinoa or the Camu Camu Powder. And to match the Chef’s exuberant image, many are sprinkled with gold dust or covered with gold leaf – be it the signature Chocolate Ganache Tart, *Dubai Lace* – the Chocolate and Hazelnut Butter, Emerald Shaikha tartlets, Raspberry and Chocolate brownie or others. Location: Housed in a Bastakiya style wind-towered Souk by the fishing harbour in Jumeirah 1, the location is outrageously attractive and a great bait if you have visiting guests. Cost: Dhs 29-39/individual slice of cake. Orders for whole cakes have to be placed 24 hours in advance. (Dhs 5 towards the gold leaf and lesser for the gold dust?)
Gold Emotion from Forrey & Galland Chocolatier: This is a luxurious non-alcoholic drink – a sparkling apple juice juice paired with pure 24 carat gold leaf, infused into the liquid via a unique bottling process to maximise the flavor. Gold Emotion was born out of the Luxor brand, an exclusive beverage with gold flakes produced in France. Used by many hotels and restaurants to create their signature mocktail, it is available from the different locations of Forrey & Galland Chocolatier (Dubai Mall, Mercato Mall, Dubai Festival City and elsewhere) and also in VOGUE Café. Sally Prosser aka My Custard Pie talks about all the festive bubbles (even the non-alcoholic ones) that can brighten up this season in the Festive Issue of Food e Mag dxb, and mentions another luxurious drink – the Lussory Gold. The wine is certified ‘halal’ and contains zero percent alcohol, achieved with “a new patented dealcoholization system” that eliminates all of the wine’s alcohol content while retaining its structure and taste. This alcohol-free sparkling white wine has been infused with 23- and 24-karat gold particles and is available in Galerie Lafayette and Bystro Dubai. The Wow Factor: Specks of edible gold leaf floating along with bubbles in your drink! Cost: Gold Emotion costs Dhs 220/750ml; Lussory bottle would cost USD 150 or Dhs 550/750ml.
The White Gold and the Yellow Gold Tea at The TWG Tea Salon and Boutique in Dubai Mall: TWG Tea’s collection – the largest in the world – numbers well over 800 different single-estate, fine harvests and exclusive tea blends from all of the tea-producing countries. All their teas are hand-picked, and tea bags are made of 100 per cent cotton material. While a 78-page Tea Book is presented to you when you sit down to order from amongst the 1000 varieties of tea sitting in yellow vintage loose tins on a dark wooden shelved wall, what you should be aiming for are the ’24k gold coated’ White Gold and the Yellow Gold tea – the most expensive tea in the world. The former is a part of the hand-blended Yin Zhen, or ‘silver needles’, the world’s rarest and most fragile variety of white tea, with a melange of wonderful fruits, flowers and spices. The platinum-coloured buds of Yin Zhen are a rare delicacy picked entirely by hand and privileged access to the small quantities of this most sought-after tea produced each year in Fujian, China (only 2 kg is apparently produced) has been granted to TWG Tea, making it one of the exclusive teas in their White Tea Collection.
It is quite obvious that I haven’t tasted this tea with a teapot having a hefty price tag of Dhs 998. Instead, a rapid fire question and answer session follows – ‘How does the tea taste?’ ‘People actually buy it?’ (yes they do) ‘How many people order it?’ (around 4 customers order for this tea in a month) ‘Which nationality of people prefer to drink this tea?’ (Indians, the local Emiratis, Saudi Arabians and Russians) ‘Would you able to take it out for me to touch the tea leafs?’ (No) ‘If I am writing a feature on this, but I don’t drink tea… would you be able to make one cup of tea for me to click a picture?’ (Sorry Madam!) ‘Would you check if somebody has ordered the tea in the salon, so that I can take a picture?’ (Sorry Madam) and many more such questions from my side… The lady at the counter was very helpful and answered to most of my questions but my first question. So I dug into an article in The National… According to the TWG Tea Salon & Boutique’s tea connoisseur Taieb Charif, a Frenchman living in Singapore, admits the tea is a hot talking point in the salon where he works. “Ninety per cent of customers I talk to like to talk about this tea. But because of the price tag, it’s only drunk by the few people who can afford to buy it.” Mr Charif is one of those lucky few who have tried the gourmet tea, so we asked him to describe the taste. “It has this mineral taste and a gentle hint of flowers, but really light. Even 30 minutes after drinking it, you will still have the taste of this tea in your mouth. I don’t understand how it tastes like that. It’s exceptional.” What did I get to see? Yes, the glittering gold specks gleaming out of the loose tea leaves and the unique gold-inflected crystal tea accessories that arrived to the other tables. Location: A glass walled encased oasis adjacent to the Waterfall Atrium in the otherwise crowded Dubai Mall. Cost: Take a deep breath… Dhs 35,560/1kg for the Yellow Gold Tea; Dhs 63,000/1kg (No idea how much of the cost attributes to the gold here, as I think that the entire cost must be towards those exotic tea leaves!)
‘Oh My Gold’ Cake at French Bakery, Le Meridien Dubai & St Regis Saadiyat Island: No edible gold flakes or gold dust in it, this is the most creative one and an absolute winner in the Gold category, in my humble opinion! Not blingy and outrageously over the top, yet it is gold! A decadent buche de noel resembling one kilogram gold bar and presented in a black velvet box with gold inscription and crystals – this can be quite a novel *golden* Christmas gift having all the right Dubai quotient. Alexandre Treffle, General Manager of French Bakery, teamed up with Benoit Rodriguez, Executive Pastry Chef of Le Méridien Dubai, and Christophe Sapy, Executive Pastry Chef of The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, with special participation of Master Chef Philippe Marand of Cacao Barry to design this creation. With a rich combination of hazelnut mousse, speculoos cream, hazelnut dacquoise, white chocolate parfait with biscuit breton base, the cake orders can be placed at all outlets of French Bakery, Le Meridien Dubai & St Regis Saadiyat Island. Cost: AED 250/bar and can serve 8-10 persons.
Let’s not forget the first golden dish of Dubai – the ‘The Golden Phoenix’ from Bloomsbury’s in Dubal Mall: As we talk about the golden dishes of Dubai, mention must be made to the one which started all of these golden conversations – the unveiling of the most expensive ‘Edible’ Cupcake as Bloomsbury officially opened at The Dubai Mall in June 2012. Named ‘The Golden Phoenix’, this cupcake using 23-carat edible gold sheets made it on the BBC list of world’s most expensive dishes and uses the finest, most expensive ingredients available from around the world. As it was rolled in on a lush, Italian, Villari 24 carat gold plated Maria Antoinette Princess Tea Trolley and presented on a 24 carat gold painted Empire Morning Cake Stand with Cloch, the unveiling of The Golden Phoenix presentation itself exceeded $28,000 or Dhs 100,000! I personally haven’t Location: A very very British setting with vintage tea cups acting as sugar bowls and cake stands commissioned exclusively for Bloomsbury’, I absolutely approve! Cost: $1,010 or Dhs 3,700 and presented on a 24 carat gold Empire Morning Cake Stand with Cloch by Villari.
What is Edible Gold Leaf? Is Gold Leaf Really Edible? Edible gold leaf is a gold product that can be used to decorate food. In candy-making it can be used to cover whole candies like chocolates or truffles, or applied sparingly as a small decorative touch. In most cases, yes. Gold is considered “biologically inert,” meaning it passes through the digestive tract without being absorbed. When selecting gold leaf, make sure to get gold that is as pure as possible – this means 22-24 carats. Gold leaf with a smaller carat value has more impurities and is less safe to eat. If you are careful and buy gold leaf that is clearly labeled as “edible” and has 22-24 carats, eating gold leaf is harmless. How is Gold Leaf Sold? Gold leaf is typically sold either in sheets or as flakes. The flakes are easiest if you want to sprinkle the tops of candies with a gold glimmer, and they are also frequently used for adding floating gold flecks to alcoholic drinks. The sheets are more delicate and can be tricky to use, but they are best if you want to cover a larger surface area with gold. A Brief History of the Health Support Uses Of Gold: The earliest records of the use of gold for medicinal and healing purposes come from Alexandria, Egypt. Over 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians ingested gold for mental, bodily and spiritual purification. The ancients believed that gold in the body worked by stimulating the life force and raising the level of vibration on all levels. The Alchemists of Alexandria developed an “elixir” made of liquid gold. They believed that gold was a mystical metal that represented the perfection of matter, and that its presence in the body would enliven, rejuvenate, and cure a multitude of diseases as well as restore youth and perfect health. In medieval Europe, gold-coated pills and “gold waters” were extremely popular. Alchemists mixed powdered gold into drinks to “comfort sore limbs,” which is one of the earliest references to arthritis. Europeans have long been aware of the benefits of gold in the system and have been buying gold-coated pills and ‘Gold Water’ over the counter for well over 100 years. {Info from here}
Where can you buy gold in Dubai? Sorry, edible gold dust and gold leaf in Dubai? Gold leaf is readily available online, from specialty gold distributors, auction sites, and even amazon.com. Specialty cake and candy decorating stores often carry gold leaf or gold flakes. In Dubai, you can source them from Muddle Me or Secrets Fine Food. Curious about how much edible gold might cost you? It would cost you less if you were to buy gold jewellery I suppose – 10gms of gold flakes selling at Dhs 360, or 30 gms of gold powder costing Dhs 160! Jasmine aka Pear Tree Diaries shares more… Panini Cafe in Grand Hyat sells gold flakes under the packaging of GoldGourmet (edible gold leaf manufacturers since 1867 in Germany) and it costs Dhs 105 for 100gm. 
Move away Gold, its all diamonds now – not yet edible diamond though! Atelier M in Pier 7, the chef-driven restaurant in Dubai Marina, celebrated it’s First Anniversary last week with the launch of the world’s most expensive dish costing Euros 30,000 or Dhs 134,762.36 at today’s exchange rate! The diners get a box made of 70 carat of diamonds, a silver shell plate and black truffles and imperial caviar served on a fillet of dover sole. This is a very special offer and only 30 plates will be sold. I first came across the Diamonds are Forever cocktail 2 years back when I read an article written by my blogger friends – Sally Prosser aka My Custard Pie and Samantha Wood aka Foodiva. Honestly, I had no idea before reading these posts that a world like this even existed – where people sipped into gold flaked champagnes and choked on diamonds. As for myself, I am more comfortable choking myself on Phuchkas standing by the roadside in Kolkata, or learning how to cook Thai red curry in a fisherman’s village in Thailand, or filming the Iraqi Masqouf in a small restaurant in Deira… but you know what? These are the golden superlatives in Dubai that make me smile – those that amalgamate to make up this city. Of course there are many other things that you can do in the city and there are many idiosyncrasies that had once prompted me to write this article… Top 11 Unique Things About Living in Dubai. Would I like to taste a camel burger covered with edible gold? Hmmm… I am not sure! But the question is would I be able to digest the fact that I had eaten gold? Not until I carry a souvenir back with a mini scribbling certifying that I just did exactly that – sipped into gold or ate some gold and that would be my suggestion to all those who are serving gold – create a souvenir capturing the golden moment! Have you tasted gold? Do you have something to add to my golden list that I need to try out in 2015?
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: All pictures have been taken by me, excepting… the picture of mine has been taken by my blogger friend Debbie Rogers aka Coffee, Cakes and Running; the Golden Phoenix Cupcake taken by Shruti Jagdeesh; the Atelier M dish – pic provided by Atelier M and info shared by Debbie. I have used Debbie’s camera to click the other Bā Lounge pictures. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Not golden chandeliers or Golden Ink I suppose!
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Hidden Gems in Dubai – a topic that is very very close to my heart. In this blingy city which is developing by the hour, there are still many places that remain hidden – and hence untouched – and thereby unfamiliar to most people – and therefore continue to remain a *hidden gem*. So be it – for we need such hidden gems to give us a breather from the snarling traffic, the incessant construction, the snowballing statistics (the world’s longest, biggest, tallest etc) and the infinite attempts to put the city on the world map! The Majlis Dubai in the Jumeirah Mosque premise is just one of those hidden gems and I recently wrote about it in the Gulf News Property Weekly (in the coming days, I will be writing about many such Hidden Gems in PW which comes out on Wednesdays). Not many people know that Jumeirah Mosque is also the only mosque in the city that permits entry to non-Muslims. In fact, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) hosts visits to the Jumeirah Mosque 6 days a week, Saturday through Thursday at 10:00 am sharp. The visit to the mosque entails an initiation into Islam and Emirati culture through an interactive session and throws light to many questions that often pop up in our minds – specially who are non-Muslims – both expatriates and tourists. Nestled amongst the same mosque premise in the SMCCU building, is Majlis Dubai – known to be the first and the finest camel milk cafe in the city. The cafe in the Jumeirah Mosque premise, however, is a far cry from their other outlet in Dubai Mall. 
The first time I had visited Majlis Dubai, it was at the insistence of my blogger friend Debbie aka Coffee Cakes And Running. She had earlier visited the place during Ramadan for an Iftar meal and since then had been insisting that I would love this place. And so I did. Only that I didn’t realise that I would be loving it so much that I would end up visiting the place almost every month – at least once! Instead of parking in the parking lot of The One, where all the tourist buses halt and hordes of tourists flock to take their selfies in front of the Jumeirah Mosque, I park in the sand pit behind the mosque. The row of single storied houses and the old cars parked in front of them reminds me of the Satwa area that has now been demolished to carve in the modern shopping and lifestyle arcades under the fancy names of City Walk 1 and City Walk 2. Torn down sofas and upturned broken wooden chairs adorn the entrances. At times, the residents living in the houses are startled by my insistence to park my car in the sand pit. They do not know that I am in a hurry to click photographs of sights and capture sounds of the city that might soon cease to exist. On my visit here, I I feel like a tourist in my own city – a familiar feeling – a sense of déja vu that surges back every now and then whenever I try to capture non-stereotypical candid shots of Dubai. A few minutes later, I would merge into a group of people and led into the mosque. The profundity of each of my mosque visit can only be highlighted by the serenity and the silence that prevails in the adjoining building housing the Majlis Cafe. 
Morning sunshine and camelchinos – not a bad combination at all for a hidden gem, right? The next time you drive along the Jumeirah Beach Road and stop at the traffic signal, instead of sighing at the beauty of Jumeirah Mosque wondering how it looks inside, simply step inside. Curl into a sofa in Majlis Dubai after the end of a mosque tour and while you are ensconced in this hidden gem, don’t forget to order ‘Balateet’ and ‘Chabab’, the Emirati gems off the la carte menu – of course alibi an Ipad. Now, that should take you back to the comfort zone you must be used to – the modern world with gizmos and gadgets, smart phones and social media!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Related Articles:
- Things To Do In Dubai | Like A Tourist In My Own City {IshitaUnblogged}
- Sheikh Zayed Mosque or Grand Mosque In Abu Dhabi | A Photo Essay {IshitaUnblogged}
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My husband is a biker, a late bloomer in that. Like most Bengali boys with overprotective parents, this boy’s passion in wanting to *be one with the machine*, saw the light much later in life. On Fridays, much before the break of dawn, S is out of the house as he joins the other bikers who ride/glide through the darkness along with other bikers – the Harley gang and the newspaper men! They – the Harley gang that is, ride out to different predesignated destinations in the UAE taking routes that are breathtakingly beautiful, seeking out beyond the chrome and the leather, beyond the wind in the face, beyond the harmonious yin and yang of Top Dead Center and Bottom Dead Center, there lies the open road of philosophical exploration (as chalked out in this book that explains a rider’s philosophy). And sometimes, we drive down a route that he has been able to jot down – gifting ourselves with a few hours of a rejuvenating escape from the city of Dubai, my adopted home. Sudden bursts of golden sand interspersed with lush green farmlands, a surprise photo-op as camels cross the streets, mini tiffin breaks at an unknown roadside cafeteria, a discovery of a *meal of a lifetime* in a run down restaurant, shuddering at bikes thundering across the highway, and a heavy numb sleep after sheer exhaustion… these are only a few highlights of each of these drives. Long after we reach home, when I close my eyes at night, all I keep seeing is a kaleidoscopic slow-motion of whirling sands and a drive through a snaky, stony mountainous road – visuals that I haven’t been able to describe until I chanced upon this drone video.
Zero Gravity. from Airspectiv Media on Vimeo.
Leaving a sleepy city behind on a Friday morning, we hit the roads following the same route on the last consecutive Fridays. Our destination this time had been Kalba. First, a halt at Khor Kalba where the droopy mangroves form a subtle foreground to the blurry Hazaar mountain ranges and the tune of Adhaan drifting from the far away mosque fades in with the chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves. Much like the cliched proverb, in all these drives, our final destination isn’t as important as much as the journey that it entails. A GPS navigation system will unmistakeably take you to all the final destinations, however the route that we take is what makes our drives so worthwhile – so varied in its landscape, and each halt being contradictory from the previous one. When we are on our own, our first stop is the Ghadeer Saeed Ghadeer cafeteria at Margam – already an hour onto our drive. But if you are driving in a big group, the best meeting point would be a large gas stations while you are still near the city – it gives you the last minute chance to stock up on your habitual urban essentials. The Emarat gas station on the Dubai – Al Ain Highway after you have crossed the Rugby7 stadiums, is a popular meet up point – and if you are an automobile freak, this is where a lot of hot custom built 4-wheelers gather before they begin their drive off road. Here’s capturing both our trips in one long sequence of photos (a discovery of a cute little restaurant called Breeze Grill in a one-star motel called Breeze Inn in our first trip … and an organised barbeque in the latter, courtesy our friends celebrating his son’s birthday)…
Kalba… the site of Al Gorm and Al Hafiye
Breeze Grill and Fishermen’s Village… 
Kalba Corniche and a tea break before heading back to Dubai… 
The direction to Kalba along the Bikers Trail: Hit the Al Ain Road from Dubai; after the 1st Emarat gas station after Rugby Sevens, take the Exit 47 and continue left towards Margam; at the T junction, take the right towards Dubai-Hatta road, continue for about 200m and take the 1st right exit just after you have crossed a row of small shops and groceries; you will come to a small R/A – take right; from 2nd R/A take the 2nd right; then again from R/A take right towards Nazwa; from R/A take 2nd exit which should take you through the Wadi Al Helo tunnel; Take the Maliha-Kalba road and then take the Kalba exit (Maleha road) – this becomes Sharjah-Kalba road. Cut through the mountains. You come to Kalba city… from R/A take left – the 3rd exit; and the next R/A, take the right exit and immediately after there is a exit to the parking lot. Continuing on this route will bring you to Kalba Corniche. To return to Dubai, take the Dubai exit after seeing this board, otherwise you will end up driving to Khorfokan!
Apart from the first glimpse of the golden sands and the love-lock with camels, a gyrocopter almost landing on us, the other thrills include driving through the 1.6 km long Wadi Al Helo Tunnel on the Sharjah-Kalba road, or finding junk 4 wheel drives along the Kalba Corniche. A decade back, I remember we could actually drive into the marshlands of Kalba as it used to be a very popular picnic spot. But not any more. A depletion of the marshlands and the habitats of a few precious species have now made this area a protected one where I believe a lot of conservation work is taking place. After whiling away here walking on the grass barefoot, trying to fix the kite that dipped into the water, lying down on the mat and snoozing off under the pretext of sunglasses, and a non-stop munching – we drove down to the Kalba corniche. On our first trip, we had discovered a cute little restaurant called Breeze Grill – absolutely a single lady show. Our lunch took an hour to cook, but when it came to the table – fried rice, chicken in oyster sauce, fried squid and grilled whole fish, there was no looking back – the plates were empty in seconds. A further drive along the Corniche and you will find two more restaurants (written family style) and a few cafeterias serving *strong tree* (actually serves nice Saffron teas).
On our 2nd trip, Big Z brought with her a homemade no-bake Peanut Butter & Oat Cookie Bars (above right, recipe in Big Z’s blog – ahem!). Apparently it had been inspired by our first trip – the green grass, the dates and the earthiness of Khor Kalba. It tasted divine, but more importantly I loved the inspiration and the thought that went into its creation. Sometimes, no plan is the best plan and nothing can be more exhilarating than hitting the roads. Although it will take me a long time to convince myself to pillion ride with S (although he assures me that I will fit in his bike!), I look forward to the Fridays when we drive along a route that he has ridden before. Enjoy the weather in this season and ride on or drive on, as your heart desires. Also sharing a little good news before signing off – I am very happy to have been shortlisted as one of the finalists in BBC Good Food Awards 2014. Today, the blog has become my alter ego. Yes, I blog in my head all the time and every moment – food or otherwise, is captured in text and in photos in a manner that is designed for a blogpost. My iPhoto album is stacked with folders and sub folders and sub sub folders. If I don’t go out for a year, yet I will have topics to write about for the next 365 days of the year. And this even after having my recent Mac crash along with all the photographs that I have been taking over the years. I have also decided not to feel guilty about not having written on so many places that I have intended writing on. And letting myself free in my already cluttered blogging mind as I rewind on this random trip on a Friday!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
PS1: We did a barbeque at Khor Kalba on our 2nd visit, only to be stopped by an official from Sharjah Municipality saying that barbequing wasn’t permitted here. No cautionary board around… #justsaying!
PS2: In 2012, this 5 km green belt was declared a protected area through a resolution by His Highness Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. And In March 2013, the site was added to the Ramsar list, as a wetland of international importance (the convention is an international effort to protect the world’s most important marshlands.
PS3: Here’s a recount of our Kalba trip from my 13 year old blogger friend Srishti aka srishtiblogs!
Disclaimer: Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Related Articles:
- Day Trips From Dubai During Eid Holidays | Part 1 {IshitaUnblogged}
- Where Can You Go On A Day Trip From Dubai? Part 2 {IshitaUnblogged}
- Locavorism, Friday Market & Tok Palong/Sour Spinach Chutney {IshitaUnblogged}
- Sheikh Zayed Mosque or Grand Mosque In Abu Dhabi | A Photo Essay {IshitaUnblogged}
- Kalba {Wiki}
- Khor Kalba conservation efforts bear fruits {ebruary 22, 2014 Gulf News}
- Khor Kalba becomes 3rd UAE site hailed as globally significant wetland {March 21, 2013 The Nationals}
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Presenting the Festive Special Issue of Food e Mag dxb… exclusive write ups, inspiring festive recipes, a peep into the Markets, edible gift ideas, the most delicious venues around the city, new launches, Turkey takeaways, a winter getaway, some serious food porn and more… we have tried to include everything that you might need to celebrate the season in style. By the way, do you wish to be someone’s Secret Santa? Register with us, and you stand a chance to gift your loved ones with something very special this holiday season!
What’s inside the Festive Special issue?
Sally Prosser (My Custard Pie) writes about festive bubbles that can add some fizz into the season, including some unfettered fizz; Noreen Wasti (Noni’s Place) talks about Market & Platters and also shares an inspired recipe; I share my experience of Farmers Market on The Terrace as it launches its 6th season; Prachi Grover (Orange Kitchen) and her little Chefling Sara creates a beautiful Advent Calendar followed by a Chocolate fondue recipe; Sarah Walton (The Hedonista) takes up an ingredient challenge, so does Anjana Chaturvedi (Maayeka) and Prachi Grover; Greg Malouf shares his recipe of his signature dish – the Sea Bass Fillet in Fragrant Salt, Tarator-Style; Debbie Rogers (Coffee Cakes and Running) meets up with *Cake Boy* – Eric Lanlard and talks about his cookbook *Chocolat*… our festive dessert section is absolutely splattered with the best of cake recipes ever – shared by Eric himself – starting from his Mini Red Velvet Cakes with White Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate and Chestnut Yule Log and Mince pies!
In our Dubai Dining section, Sarah gives an exclusive roundup of delicious offerings across the city – Christmas Eve through New Years Eve (Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and the best Turkey takeaways too!); the venues with the best views and the best fireworks during New Year’s Eve; I write on the Dining Concept – Dining Around Dubai – where I hop into 5 high end venues all in one night with my own food expert (Samantha Wood aka Foodiva in this case), Debbie Rogers writes on her favourite topic – Coffee and Chai; a quick sweep of the new openings like Omnia Blue, Kitsch Counter, Trèsind, Pacha Ibiza and Cake. We also chat with Chef Greg Malouf as he takes us through 5 of his favourites dishes from the Clé Dubai menu. A roundup on the upcoming events include, amongst others, the announcement of the 2nd Dubai Food Festival which commences in February 2015. From this issue, we have also started a new section on Abu Dhabi Dining and Rupal Bhatikar (Foodie & Fabulous) chalks out two different kinds of restaurants in the capital for us. Christmas without Christmas Markets? Impossible! Radhina Almeida Coutinho (Plate Trotter) takes us to the Christmas Markets of Vienna. Drool, ogle – do what you may, there is some serious food porn in our issue as Sukaina Rajabali’s (Sips and Spoonfuls) shares her brilliant food photography. Finally, our featured blogger in this season is Gina Pistone (Pastry School Diaries) as she shares her aspiration with us – of whipping up Dubai.
Hope you enjoy our The Festive issue (also the previous issues stacked in our virtual shelves, if you like). Read on… it’s December. And did I forget to mention the Turkey? Of course there is one!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: Cover page credit – Sarah Walton. The next issue is going to be the 1st Anniversary Special issue of Food e Mag dxb and will be published in the 1st week of February, 2015. For editorial and advertorial queries, email me. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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Fun is the new fine dining!
Unique dining concepts offering something unexpected every time – this has been the recent dining trend in Dubai in recent times. This season, I have been lucky to have experienced a variety of them, alibi exclusive dinner invites at different venues or booking into pop-ups and other dining experiences through social dining platforms like Lime&Tonic. ‘Fun is the new fine dining’ – another concept that I experienced recently, was dining (and driven) around town with a food expert as our personal guide. A food tour that lasted five hours with handpicked dishes paired with wine (courtesy MMI) from five different cuisines across five different top-end venues, each with a different view – 5 absolutely different experiences, all packed all in one night. Our host for the evening had been Samantha Wood aka Foodiva. That Samantha is a great host, was already known to me from an earlier experience – an exclusive dinner organised by Club Uno di Peroni for a culinary journey through the Mediterranean, specially curated by Samantha and catered by Ghaf Kitchen, the gourmet catering service out of a food truck, on the lawns of Le Meridien Mina Seyahi. Sea breeze, full moon, flowers, candlelights, palm trees, amazing food, live performance by Juliana Down and a great company… these just helped in increasing my appetite for more such experiential dining events.
So where all did we stop while Dining Around Dubai With Foodiva?
In a nutshell… our first stop was at the Chef’s table at La Serre in Vida Downtown Hotel for French Mediterranean; second stop was Rivington Grill at Souk Al Bahar for British – posh fish and chips served on a mini picnic table with the Dubai Fountains at the background; third stop was Cut by Wolfgang Puck for some classic steak (a brief walk from Souk Al Bahar to the Address Downtown located adjacently); fourth stop was Tomo by Chef Takahasi at the Raffles Terrace for Japanese; and finally Qbara for some classic desserts with a modern twist like the ‘rahat al-hulqum’ or the Sidr honey and saffron pashmak. Talking about unique dining experiences, it was only in the Autumn issue of Food e Mag dxb, the food and travel e-magazine that I now edit, I had written about another such experience – seated at the Chef’s Table and tasting a special menu created by Chef Izu Ani at La Serre in Vida Downtown… this had been the first of a series of *secret Badoit dinners* designed in collaboration with Restronaut, another social dining platform. The above experience came into the discussion because this is exactly the same place where my food tour with Samantha starts – a bit of a delightful déja vu!
First Stop: The Chef’s Table at La Serre in Vida Downtown
Striking up a conversation with strangers (I mean you could end up with companions you know when you book into such tours – but that’s a sheer coincidence), you realise food is a subject that immediately bonds people, specially when one meets for the first time. Seated at the Chef’s Table in La Serre (above), the evening started off with Chef Izu Ani taking us through each of the dishes that Foodiva had chosen form La Serre’s new menu. Direct interaction with the chefs and a gaze into the theatrics of a kitchen (in an earlier experience of a Chef’s Table, my dining companion had been Foodiva – a sheer coincidence!)… this is the charm of seating at a Chef’s table. Our menu consisted of Onion Tart, Warm green bean salad with fois gras, Beef tartare, Mackerel with green chilli and rosemary. An elaborate menu for a first stop, I did suggest at the end of the tour that there could be less dishes here – but probably the first stop sets the tone for the evening and must impress the guests the most – after all, as the saying goes, the first impression is indeed the last impression! (La Serre) Wine pairing: White – Tolpuddio Chardonnay; Red – Mas de Daumas Gassac 2012.
Second Stop: Rivington Grill in Souk Al Bahar
Whisked away in a luxurious Mercedes mini coach, we halt at the The Palace Downtown entrance. ‘Thiptara’ – I scream in delight – definitely one of my favourite high-end restaurants. Well, no we walk towards the Souk Al Bahar entrance and again the guessing game starts… until we arrive at the British import – Rivington Grill. A table for us awaits at the terrace and we are greeted by the Dubai Fountains dancing to the tune from a Bollywood blockbuster. Canapés set on cute little mock picnic tables arrives, with the chef explaining all the dishes – Chicken liver pate; Devonshire crab; Prawn cocktail, Welsh rarebit and their signature Fish and chips served in the popular paper cones. The Dubai Fountains erupting into a performance every half an hour and the dramatic backdrop of Burj Khalifa – the location is absolutely touristy, but you know what? I am thrilled and excited every time I am around here. Full marks for the choice of venue and the simple but delicious choice of menu – drastically different form the previous one. (Rivington Grill) Wine Pairing: White – Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc; Red – Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 
Third Stop: Cut by Wolfgang Puck
A mini walk through a secret garden (well that’s what I felt) to the Address Downtown and we reach the Cut. Claimed to be one of the finest modern steak restaurants in America, Singapore and London, the Cut has recently opened doors in our Dubai shores. Housed in one of the Emaar’s flagship properties, the very elegant (and naturally dark) decor gives the clue to what we can expect – a refined dining experience. An introduction to the different cuts was followed by a tasting of New York grain-fed sirloin, both Australian and a Japanese Wagyu along and… well, any guess here? A creamy and delicious Mac and Cheese – yes, the good old American comfort food served along with some home made bread and butter (and an edit here after Foodiva leaves a comment on this post later…’By the way mac and cheese dates back to 14th century England – you must have been snapping away when I explained that ‘ oops… faux pas there, and I am caught red-handed!). (Cut by Wolfgang Puck) Wine Pairing: White – Chenin Blanc Stellenrust; Red – Primitivo di Manduria Feudi di San Gregorio
Fourth Stop: Tomo by Chef Takahashi
Now a long drive to the other side of the town – from Downtown Dubai to Wafi. An abrupt sweep of fresh chill in the air on the Raffles Terrace changed the mood of the evening completely. A stunning skyline of Dubai from the Tatami Terrace with low table setups on a tatami floor complemented one of the best sushi and sashimi experiences I have had in my life so far. Chef Takahashi is one of the most experienced Japanese chefs in Dubai and a Master, he personally came out to explain what had been served in our platter – the Sashimi comprised of medium fatty tuna belly, salmon, greater amberjack fish; the Sushi included salmon belly, fatty tuna belly, prawn, unagi eel and crispy California roll. This was authentic Japanese at it’s very best and kept at how it must taste the best – very basic and very simple, unlike the other high end Japanese restaurants in town – Zuma or Nobu. (Tomo by Takahashi) Drinks Pairing: Sake – Rihaku Junmai 
Fifth and Final Stop: Qbara
Dining around with Foodiva without entering Qbara is a sacrilege (the lady has left no stone unturned to profess her love for Dubai’s most contemporary foray into the Middle Eastern dining scene)… so when our coach halted at Wafi and we walked into the Raffles building to go to Tomo, rather than walk across the street into Qbara – I was slightly confused. Honestly, no Qbara in Foodiva’s itinerary? While I felt ‘relieved’ and thrilled to be heading back to Qbara on our fifth and the final stop, but choosing Qbara only for its dessert tasting menu did seem like an odd choice – till we actually tasted an assorted platter Qbara’s signature desserts. Each dessert was traditional, yet an element of fusion lend it a contemporary look and an unique taste. Chef Colin, the creator of Qbara, is known to for his approach to Middle Eastern food from a British point of view (as described aptly by Greg Malouf in an earlier interview in my blog), hence the eclectic result. The final stop couldn’t have been more dramatic. A live performance by Adam Long on the saxophone and the dancing shadows on the wall – this was Indiana Jones finds himself in a Middle Eastern fine dining restaurant in a modern cityscape! A Baklawa ‘smash’, Milk & Honey crowned with candy floss (or was it something else?), Turkish delight chocolate bar with rose ice cream… what lingers on is the taste of the ‘rahat al-hulqum’ or the Sidr honey and saffron pashmak. And an tempting invite from Gustavo de Hostos (who had been till now another companion in our group) to the Cigar Bar upstairs for tasting one of the finest cigars that his dad supplies… of course, kind compliments from the fine man! (Qbara) Wine Pairing: Sweet Wine – Planeta Passito di Noto 
Can’t I replicate the experience myself?
It is definitely not impossible. But would you actually cab it to 5 different venues (assuming you would want to pair your food with wine); Or go through each menu and order only the signature dishes (assuming you already know what these are from each menu) or try to customise a bespoke platter containing all the signature ones; Or be sure that you will get the best seating with the best view (assuming you have already made reservations, but still my guess would be that you might not be getting the Chef’s table at La Serre or you may have overstayed in one restaurant and end up arriving late for your next destination… here Foodiva sweet talks you into leaving on time. The only restaurant where I steered out of her sight and managed to overstay so that I could click pictures – was at our 4th stop – not too bad considering my history of lagging behind when I am in a group of foodies); and finally be personally attended to by the Chefs themselves (assuming Chef Izu Ani of La Serre and the Japanese Master Chef Takahashi – both are on your speed dials, still they may be busy in their kitchens, considering how hands on they are or they might pretend to ignore you as they would rather attend to other guests that night than those who have them on their speed dials)… these are only a few of the odds that come to my mind right now, while trying to replicate a similar tour on your own!
The Signoff
Who does the food tour target at – Dubai residents? or Tourists? I would say – both. I have been a Dubai resident for a very long time now and yet it felt wonderful to be hand-held and led to each dining destination, with a tailor-made platter containing the choicest dishes from the menu awaiting us. Also, each venue held a surprise element for me. For a venue that I was revisiting, the surprise came either in the form of choice of food from the menu or the fact that I hadn’t known it to exist in the menu before. I loved the element of guessing through out the tour (made me feel like an excited child) – where were we off to next? At AED 1050/person (inclusive of wine, transport from one venue to another in a luxury vehicle – no, not a stretch limousine at this moment but this is a suggestion… it befits this high-end restaurant hopping perfectly!), the food tour doesn’t come cheap. But if you were to calculate the amount it would cost you at each restaurant and the choice of venue, eat what we were offered to eat that evening – I am sanguine that it would cost you way more (yes, I did my calculations). The choice of venue were all very different from each other, so was the choice of dishes selected from each menu. Also, not to mention the tiny doses of food wisdom from Foodiva that came along with each dish. Pardon me for assuming here that like me, many of you aren’t aware of the commandments in the art of eating sushi. Here goes an example – after dipping your sashimi in the soy sauce, the fish side that doesn’t have the sauce should touch your tongue first – and many more. And if you find this really hard to understand, Foodiva would be too happy to demonstrate that for you – again and again – as she did for us. A snippet of this dining concept is featured in the Festive Special issue of Food e Mag dxb (above). Would you ever consider booking into unusual dining events or food tours and share your evening chatting and away to strangers and dining with them? Or have you done a similar food tour else where – do let me know. But for now, ‘Dining around Dubai’ with Foodiva couldn’t have been more fun!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
PS1: If you fancy a similar food tour with Foodiva, the next tours are scheduled for January 26th, 2015 and February 23rd, 2015… you can book into them by clicking here.
PS2: For a food tour in Dubai with a diametrically opposite character and showcasing a different genre of restaurants – the eating holes in Dubai, read my experience of Arabian Pilgrimage Food Tour with Frying Pan Adventures.
Disclaimer: The Dining around Dubai with Foodiva cost me Dhs 900 (with a special discount of Dhs 150, courtesy Foodiva). Bookings can be made via Lime & Tonic. Excepting Chef Izu Ani’s picture, all of the pictures above have been taken by me. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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Edited on November 2018: The Farmer’s Market on the Terrace has shifted its location to Bay Avenue at Business Bay (opposite Zaha Hadid building) and is open on two days - Fridays and Saturdays during season from 7am until noon (October until April).
Buy local, eat local
The above is my article on the Farmers’ Market on the Terrace in the Hidden Gems column in Property Weekly of Gulf News. Yes, I absolutely adore this initiative! Imagine eating breakfast on Fridays sitting on a wooden bench or on a picnic mat on green grass surrounded by locally produced fresh, bright organic vegetables available at affordable prices. Does the term ‘affordable’, that too ‘organic’ even exist in Dubai, you wonder? Yes, it does. Cooler weather brings local, organic, seasonal produce to the original Farmers’ Market Market on the Terrace, as it returned for its sixth season at Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Starting with 7 farmers, today there are many more local farmers who have joined in, along with other organic vendors displaying a variety of organic products – ranging from Coffee to Honey. In fact, interestingly there are more and more farmers joining in with each season, and that is a very good sign. A gathering over breakfast served by Baker & Spice on the lawns of Jumeirah Towers kick-started the Farmers Market yesterday, along with discussions and talks to increase the awareness amongst people and to support the farming community. It was an opportunity to know the local farmers and buy the produce directly from the Farmers. What started as a locally inspired, community-based initiative in 2010, the Farmers’ Market has really gained momentum in the UAE and should be supported.
This is not a request to you all to increase the awareness of people about this community, but my demand that you do it!
Yes, those are the exact words from Yael Mejia (above), food consultant and retired founder of Baker & Spice Dubai, the lady who has been championing the cause of farmers’ market in the UAE cause since 2010. And why? Because, according to her,
The knowledge that the produce is organic, local, of such amazing quality and so cheap, has resonated with people who are concerned about what they eat and how they feed their children. Being able to connect directly with the people who grow the food we eat is so important. By purchasing fruit and vegetables at the market, not only are you getting the freshest produce possible, you are actually getting a better choice. You can feed your family with quality ingredients for the week at considerably less cost than you would spend in the supermarket. In addition, you are doing your bit for the environment, reducing carbon footprint and supporting a sustainable practice.
Thoughts pouring out from a lady who is so passionate about ingredients that she makes sure that the spices used in her restaurant are not only organic but also procured ethically. Yael along with Lokesh of the organic store Down To Earth Dubai, share their experience of Shekhawati Festival in Rajasthan, where they actually travelled to check on the farms from where the spices are grown (read all about it in an earlier article). On the day, we were invited to a breakfast picnic to celebrate the launch of a new season of the Farmers’ Market on the Terrace, hosted by Yael and Bakers & Spice. Everything was home made, fresh and presented creatively. Labneh made with leftover coffee milk, or the homemade Clementine and fresh ginger Syrup, the Palestinian version of Ka’aks, or my favourite – Russian tea breads. Gabi Kurz of Talise Nutrition created her delicious version of muesli with fruits – what a wonderful kick start to a wonderful season indeed! Here’s a photo journey of the breakfast and the produce from the Farmers’ Market on the Terrace on it’s first day of this season.
Familiar faces
The first day of this season had a great vibe and had many familiar faces who have been shouting out loud for the Farmers Market for a long time – Suzanne Husseini – a regular in the market doing her cooking demonstrations, Sally (My Custard Pie) too, is a very strong advocate on buying local produce, Debbie (Coffee Cakes and Running), Dima Sharif (DIma Sharif) and others. Debbie writes a lovely post about the first day and her thoughts on the Farmers Market, while Dima has been making a series of videos. I was also thrilled to meet Shaikha (the first image in the series below), the first lady farmer in the UAE and owner of Organic Oasis. Local farmers participating in the Farmers Market this time include Showaib Farm Al Ain, Rashed Farm Al Ain, Organiliciouz Sharjah, Organic Land, Organic Oasis, BTC, Integrated Green Resources Abu Dhabi & Dubai. Down to Earth Organic Foods showcases pulses, rice, herbs and spices as well as teas while Coffee Planet brews locally roasted organic coffee.
The Farmers Market on The Terrace – how did it all start?
Baker & Spice Dubai became aware of the local farming community in 2009 and began using this fantastic produce in their kitchens. When discussing their discoveries with their customers they were greeted with astonishment and disbelief, and people wanted access to the same produce. Out of this The Farmers’ Market on the Terrace idea was born. Since then, the discussion about locally grown food has spread. Baker & Spice Dubai is proud to have contributed to the change in people’s perceptions, and has watched with delight other initiatives follow in their footsteps. The Farmers’ Market On The Terrace continues to create a new standard for legitimate, certified, locally grown, organic, fresh, authentic, sustainable, ethical produce. It remains true to basic principles and is a farmers’ market in the correct sense of the word and still the only one in the UAE. It is a market by the farmers, of the farmers and for the farmers. All generated income goes to the farmers directly.
What you can do here apart from remembering the above hashtags? You can buy organic produce including vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey, jams, bread, cakes, beans, pulses, spices and rice. Baker & Spice Dubai displays fresh homemade breads, cakes, jams, curds, freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices, compotes and chutneys. Prachi (Orange Kitchens) writes beautifully in her article what the farmers’ market gives our children. It’s definitely time to rewind the clock and go back to the basics – for adults and children alike!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Baker & Spice for the breakfast gathering. However I had been a supporter of the initiative for a long time, even featured TFMOTT in my Hidden Gems section of Property Weekly in Gulf News and also in the December issue of FoodeMag. Please note that this isn’t a sponsored post, nor are there any affiliated links in this post. The subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own. While you enjoy reading my posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. Hope you join me on my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. xx
HELPFUL LINKS The Farmers Market on the Terrace Baker & Spice Down to Earth Dubai OTHER READS A Reason to Rise Early Every Friday – The Farmer’s Market on the Terrace! {Memoirs of a Taste Bud} The Farmers' Market and what it gives our children {Orange Kitchens} #TFMOTT The Farmer’s Market on The Terrace {Coffee Cakes And Running} The Farmer's Market on the Terrace in Dubai {Kitchen in the Sand} My kind of shopping – organic, local farmers market in Dubai {My Custard Pie} Local {Noni's Place} My Fruitful trip of Friday Local Market {Ritu's Fuss free Cooking} The Farmers Market at Dubai {Naked Plate Blog} Farmer’s Market Fun with Kids {Cuddles & Crumbs} The Farmer’s Market – a Friday Foodie Romance {Food Kissed}
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Presenting the Autumn Issue of Food e Mag dxb (the Christmas activities around the corner just made me realise that I had missed sharing this on my blog), featuring a beautiful Autumn and a Pink October… Diwali and Halloween. Inspired recipes, culinary travels, chef interview and a roundup of the best dining experiences in Dubai. I am very proud to announce that Food e Mag dxb, Dubai’s first Food and Travel E-Magazine by Bloggers now has a brand new website with an inbuilt reader. Register your names here and win one of the many unique dining experiences that we are always organising.
What’s inside the Autumn issue?
Sally Prosser (My Custard Pie) writes on Food Sourcing; Erum Gulman (Total Salads) and Dima Sharif on Extra Virgin Olive Oil; we also review DinnerTime and LiveFreshr. In the Recipe section, we have some inspiring pink recipes from Suzanne Husseini, Chef Silvena Rowe and Francine Spiering (Life in the Food Lane); and gorgeous Diwali recipes from Anjana Chaturvedi (Maayeka) and Ritu Chaturvedi (Fuss Free Cooking); healthy Pumpkin recipes from Anjas Schwerin (Anja’s Food 4 Thought), *Lola* inspired kid recipe from Prachi Grover (Orange Kitchen), inspired recipe from Dima Sharif and more. And in the Dubai Dining section we have Sarah Walton (The Hedonista) , Samantha Wood (Foodiva), Debbie Rogers (Coffee Cakes and Running) and myself writing about the Dubai dining scene – from dining concepts of Lime&Tonic – Ghaf Kitchen, Badoit – Restronaut to cafe restaurants like Omnia Gourmet; a peep into the big launch Clé Dubai; new openings like Olive Garden, Zeta Lounge etc, upcoming food events, coffee corner and more. We also chat with Chef Silvena Rowe about her food philosophy and share the most inspiring pink stories of all – Claire’s story… Read on. My blogging journey has now led me to become the Editor of a magazine authored by bloggers. So food bloggers are changing the culinary landscape. So much so that BBC Good Food ME has added a new category in their Annual Awards to recognise the contribution of bloggers. Without beating around the bush, I would like to share that… I have been shortlisted under the category of *Best Blogger* along with some great food bloggers around… you may want to vote for me or your favourite food blogger by clicking here!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: The Festive Issue of Food e Mag dxb will be published in the 1st week of December. For editorial queries and feedback, email me. For advertorial and sponsorship queries, I can direct you to the marketing team. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read the magazine
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Poetry on Truffles!
No, I haven’t been brought up with the knowledge of these ‘fruiting body of a subterranean Ascomycete fungus’ that creates such an exciting topic of conversation amongst my foodie friends. It was not until I read a post written by Francine (aka Life in the Food Lane) that I became completely mersmerised by truffles. In her post, The Truffle Hunter and his Dog, she writes about her experience of hunting for truffles in the woods of Alba, in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. I learn about truffle dogs and how these specially trained dogs hunt down quality truffles and rejects the inferior ones. She writes… Truffle dogs are trained from 3 months old. They get started on little bits of truffle to learn the taste and smell. Next, they practice finding little truffles buried in the garden, until they’re ready for the real hunt... Many attempts have been made to describe the scent of truffle. It is an enigmatic and complex aroma, with “notes of wet earth, hay, fermented honey, funghi, garlic, spices, and even ammonia”, as described by those that live and breathe the Alba White Truffle. Hovering so close to the forest floor, with its autumn smells of dried berries, crushed acorn, tree bark, and fallen leaves, and wet dog stirring up dark chalky clay enriched with an incredible fungal aroma”. Below is a picture of Francine with black truffle found in her truffle hunt (image courtesy – Francine). 
Researching more on truffles, I also learn about the best truffle grounds – Alba, Umbria and other Northern parts of Italy where there exists heritage estates that have been cultivating truffles for centuries. In fact, the rarest and the most expensive white truffles come from Italy’s Alba region. I start to believe that a truffle lover’s writing on truffles is equivalent to a poet’s rendition of a romantic poetry. The website of San Pietro a Pettine, one such heritage estate, reads… it’s hard to explain how deep and symbiotic is the relation between us and our truffles. It’s for them that the seasons alternate, that we learn how to interpret sun and rain. It is of them that we discuss, even excitedly, with friends. I learn how truffles, once in abundance and widely used, have become one of the most rare and exclusive natural foods in the world. And this year due to a bumper crop and bad weather in northern Italy, the prices of truffles have come down by half. Truffles, I am told, can be very delicate and both complex in terms of understanding. For those who aren’t conversant with truffles, Sarah (aka The Hedonista) gives a round down on the different types of truffles and what events you can look out for in Dubai. Over the last two years, I have acquired a taste for truffles and wait in anticipation for the truffle season to set in and the different truffle menus that hit the town. Not that we have to wait for the year around for seasonal truffles to arrive – we do have our very own resident Truffle Man (more on him later). 
My Mum still thinks that I don’t cook quite up to her standard!
Waking up one fine morning in this truffle season, I go for an exclusive lunch with Giorgio Locatelli, over a Truffle menu on the terrace of Ronda Locatelli, his restaurant in Atlantis The Palm. Bereft of his signature locks, this was a new Locatelli. However, the passion that flared when he talked about Italian cuisine, truffles and his menu at Ronda was the same as ever. His understanding of the finest nuances in Italian cuisine is unparalleled. Quite naturally so… growing up near Lake Maggiore, Italy, in a village called Corgeno, his family ran a Michelin-starred restaurant. It’s not surprising that passion for food runs in Locatelli’s veins. I ask him what his parents think of his cooking now. ‘My dad thinks I can cook. But my Mum still thinks that I don’t cook quite up to her standard!’ Talking about truffles, he explains why truffles are so delicate and truffle hunters are so . The truffle dogs are trained to sniff out truffles but when the truffles are perfectly ripe – the tail stands up and their paws dig into the ground with a lot more ferocity and excitement. It is now up to the truffle hunter to take the decision whether he they should leave a not-so-truffle behind at the risk of losing it to another truffle hunter. Because of this scarcity and the specific knowledge in only a few people in the region, truffles are expensive and considered such a haute gourmet food item. According to this GN article, the Italian market price is now about €220 (Dh1006) per 100g, compared with €350 last year and €500 in 2012, according to data from the National Centre for the Study of Truffles cited in a Bloomberg report. But that still translates to Dhs 10,000 per kg! When asked whether the abundance in crop would actually make truffles a *mass product*, Locatelli reassures me that it will never be so.
My Locatelli experience in the past
Well, I love everything Italian – Italian men (ever since Michelangelo sculpted David) and Italian Mamas, their accentuated English, the animated hand movements, their love for cooking and feeding (as I got to know on our Sicilian sojourn). And Locatelli is all that and more. He is passion translated into cooking. I have attended a session in the past where he demonstrated the making of pasta (above). He explained all the minor nuances of Italian cooking, the two different types of Italian olives and the importance of a good Olive Oil. As you can see from the pictures, he was all animated – he put his sunglasses on as the sun hits his eyes, rummaged through his unruly hair (sorry, I couldn’t get over the fact that you have chopped off your hair!) and signs off a copy of his cookbook for me in such a stylised manner. He emphasised on making pastas at home than choosing a variety from supermarkets, also adding that making pasta at home is much easier than what the supermarkets would make us believe. Ronda Locatelli, his restaurant in the Atlantis, The Palm, reflects the same joie de vivre of the consultant Chef. Next on my wish list – visiting Locanda Locatelli, his restaurant in London. The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star in 2003, which has been retained in 2004, 2005,2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011! It is Locatelli who has instilled the love for Italian cuisine in me (yes, making this hard core Bengali blogger attend Risotto Masterclasses too!)
Coming back to the White Truffle Menu and the White truffles
Ronda’s Chef Alessandro in collaboration with Giorgio Locatelli, have tailored a special menu around il Tartufo Bianco, or the White Truffle, running all month long (Carpaccio with shaved white truffle, homemade tagliolini with shaved white truffle, veal cutlet and potato puree with shaved white truffle, the white truffle menu offers us more – and every dish has white truffles shaved on it. Locatelli uses the Umbrian white truffle from San Pietro a Pettine. He tells us how fresh truffles cannot be kept for more than a week and white truffles are never cooked as it kills the flavour of the truffles. So a lot of the truffle butters and truffle oils that are available in supermarkets can be synthetic. The white truffles are used best used as shavings on risottos and pastas. Although the white truffles cannot be kept for more than we week, if it is infused with honey, they can last longer… thus inspiring him to create the Honey Truffle Ice cream (further below) in the dessert section of Ronda’s White truffle Menu. In the usual Locatelli style, our lunch menu was elaborate, a sheer sensory delight in its use of ingredients and fresh produce. Truffles, non-truffles, our choice was aplenty. The gallery follows… 
The non-truffle delights at The Ronda Terrace that afternoon…
I still can remember Giorgio Locatelli’s face as he shared his truffle stories and his excitement about the white truffle season. But, guess what? Dubai being Dubai… we don’t really have to wait for any truffle season to appear or any abundance in crop to bring down the prices of truffles. Food importer Massimo Vidoni, or the Truffle Man as he is known as, brings in truffles into the Middle East, all the year around. Specializing in sourcing the best fresh truffles, frozen, canned or in jars… he also brings in truffles that this golden city of Dubai would be ecstatic to have… the *ultimate* one … the white truffle honey with 23KT Gold or the *sublime* one… Italian Acacia honey with 23 kt Gold… all the way from Italy!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
PS: Another interesting Truffle invite that I couldn’t attend but seems very interesting… The White Gold menu at Umai in The Oberoi. Available until November 29. The menu is infused with the taste and aroma of white truffles from the Urbani region of Alba, combined with Chef Yasunori’s special Asian twist.
Disclaimer: Ronda Locatelli had been part of the Italian Cuisine World Summit 2014 that was hosted in Dubai. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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+ Recipes
Learning To Cook Risotto The Italian Way And A Creamy Brothy Recipe of Risotto Alla Milanese
If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant? ∼ Martin Scorsese
But for the rest of us who don’t have Italian mothers, we have to learn!
The Italians had been in town recently. Not one, not two, but more than 40 Italian Master Chefs from Italy and around the world, 25 of them associated with Michelin starred restaurants. The 6th Italian Cuisine World Summit is back to Dubai for the second year in a row, after the overwhelming success of the summit’s debut in the city last year. Masterclasses on a varied topic from Italian cuisine, special dinners at the city’s finest Italian restaurants (like my exclusive lunch session with Giorgio Locatelli on the terrace of his restaurant in Atlantis – a blog post later on that!), cooking competitions, truffle auctions and a lot of events have been lined up for this summit. The two week long summit (7 -20 Nov) is considered one of the world’s most influential Italian food events and showcases the finest that Italian cuisine has to offer – from techniques to cook Italian cooking to high quality ingredients that are so integral to the Italian cuisine. I chose to do a masterclass on Rice & Risotto – not surprising though, as this is the most frequently cooked Italian dish in my Bengali kitchen!
History of Italian Rice with Chef Walter Potenza
Chef Walter Potenza is known as one of the most passionate and accomplished practitioners of traditional and innovative Italian cooking in the United States, having his own fine dining restaurants (Walters originally located in East Greenwich, Rhode Island and also Potenza Ristorante-Bar) and also a cooking school (Chef Walters Cooking School). The history of rice in Italy date back to the 15th century. Rice came into Europe by way of India, China, Afghanistan etc and found its way to Italy via Spain, courtesy the Moors and the Arabs. In Italy, rice arrived specifically around Naples in the south of Italy and because of lack of water around this region, it didn’t remain confined only to this region. In the beginning, it had been used mainly as a medicine for physical rejuvenation with the prescription of ‘rice cooked in white/milk’, the blancmange – or the white food. Although it used to be produced in the north and west of the country – specifically Lombardy and Piedmont, where the fertile swampy plains of the Po river valley – the Padane plain provided suitable growing conditions for rice, it slowly moved to all parts of Italy. Specially, with the construction of Canal Cavour which distributed the water from the main rivers of Italy (Po, Dora Baltea, Sesia, Ticino) to the surrounding land. Until the mid 19th century, there was only one variety of rice that grew in Italy – the ‘Nostrale’. In the 19th century, a Jesuit priest named Padre Calleri, returned from the Philippines and brought 43 different rice varieties with him. Thus began Italy’s experiments with rice production. Today, Italy produces 150 varietals of rice, the more popular varieties being Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma etc. The speciality of the Italian rice is that they are high in starch and the grains are round, medium or short grained white rice. Unlike the long grained rice varieties, these absorb more liquids and release more starch and are stickier – making the creamy Italian Risotto dishes so unique and legendary. Italy is also currently the biggest producer of rice in Europe, and as Chef Potenza lovingly declared – ‘1 in every 3 rice grains consumed in Europe is produced by Italy’!
Risotto is not a Rice dish, but merely a cooking technique!
My masterclass on Risotto starts with the shocking knowledge that Risotto doesn’t refer to the Italian rice dish that I have always known. It is merely a cooking technique. As Chef Walter Potenza explained, ‘Risotto is nothing but a combination or a love affair between a solid and a liquid. When the two combines, it makes a technical procedure called Risotto’. Risotto can be made of anything and can be utilsed in a variety of ways – hot, cold, lukewarm, as a salad and so on. There can be various recipes of Risotto. In theory, if one is making a Risotto, understanding the grain is very important. As the Chef says – ‘We Italians are very particular and picky in selecting the right grain for the right dish. In North Eastern Italy, say Venice, people enjoy eating their rice with more liquid because they use seafood. In western parts like Piedmonte and Lombardy, the grains will be more reduced and the type of rice that are used are different – for example, Carnaroli. The different varieties of rice that are available in Italy, allows the us to choose the grains that is right for the application of the final recipe that we want.’ The most commonly used rice grain in Risotto is Arborio. Ordinary grained rice cannot be used for making Risotto as they do not have any starch. The creaminess of the Risotto comes from the starch that is there in the grain and its the ‘love affair’ of the solid and the liquid releases the starch.
To make a good Rice Risotto
• Choosing the right grain that releases the most starch – because this starch is what that would eventually lend the creaminess to the Risotto. Hence, the rice that are available in Asia is not suitable for making Risotto, however, they are suitable for making the fluffy rice.
• A wooden spoon, as a metal spoon breaks down the fibre in the rice or the shape of the rice grains. A metal spoon breaks down the outer surface of the rice grain when used for continuous stirring and actually cuts through the rice grain as it soaks the liquid. So the idea is to add as much of the grains, however, cooked.
• Rice like Pasta must be cooked al dente, that is the grain should be firm and has some resistance or bite, yet cooked. How to determine that? The rice grains should fall off smoothly from the spoon and not stick to it.
• The ingredients – vegetables, meat, spices, if they are to be added to the Risotto, are added while cooking the rice itself and not the other way round.
• Patience and time to slow cook a Risotto and adding the stock lovingly at frequent intervals and continuous stirring (as Chef Potenza described rightly – it’s almost like ‘making love’… yes Italians and passion is known to go hand in hand, isn’t it?). Hence, it is important to understand that when we order a Risotto dish in a restaurant, we shouldn’t be expected to be served immediately – a minimum of 20 minutes has to be kept in hand.
• Risotto cannot be kept overnight, it has to be served and eaten immediately after it has been cooked.
• In Italy risotto with a fork but you may want to add a spoon on the table mis-en-place.
• There is no one way in cooking Risotto – no right way or the wrong way. The only rule to remember here is ‘The rice roasted in water and dined in wine’!
Procedure of making a Rice Risotto
Rice grains are not washed but directly stirred in a base of onion and butter or olive oil – the Soffritto. This to coat each grain in a film of fat, the Tostatura. The next step is to add white or red wine which needs to be absorbed by the grains (this step skipped in the masterclass for obvious reasons ). Hot stock or broth (meat, fish, or vegetable) is continuously added in small amounts while stirring – this is when the starch releases from the rice grains into the liquid, creating the smooth creaminess of the Risotto. The Risotto, cooked al dente, is taken off the heat and the creaminess is further enhanced by stirring in diced cold butter into the Risotto – a process known as Mantecatura or the addition of fat at the end of the cooking process. Usually, the Risotto is served on flat dishes, with a bit of broth overflowing in its sides. Chef Potenza used the Carneroli for making this Risotto as they can be moulded into different forms. This is why it is important to understand the different rice grains as they can be applied in different styles of Risotto application as envisioned by the cook and his recipe. The recipe of Risotto varies across different places of Italy, depending upon the fresh produce and the type of grain cultivated in that region.
Chef Enrico Bertolini’s *modern and contemporary* Risotto
The youngest Italian chef to be associated with a Michelin star (two stars actually), Chef Enrico Bartolini of the acclaimed Devero restaurant in Cavenago di Brianza, Italy, took us through some creative techniques to create Rice Risotto. Incredibly beautiful and easy to make… we learnt 3 different Risotto dishes – all of them inspired by 3 different spectrum of the colour wheel. The first one was the Saffron & Parmesan Risotto (above) – Risotto alla Milanese. Traditionally, this dish is a speciality of Milan and is made with beef stock, beef bone marrow, lard (instead of butter) and cheese, flavored and colored with saffron. The second dish was a Beetroot Risotto with a creamy Gorgonzola cheese (below). The Gorgonzola cheese is a veined Italian blue cheese, produced in the northern Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. And the third was a beautiful green Herb Risotto with hints of a green jelly made with different herbs like sage and mint. Once the technique of making Risotto has been mastered, one could always play with the creative use of ingredients to give it different colour. Not only did each of the dishes look different, they tasted very different too. And nothing could describe these dishes better than what Chef Enrico strongly believes in… ‘Be Contemporary’!
Risotto alla Milanese or Saffron & Parmesan Risotto
(SERVES 4)
Essential Equipment
One heavy copper or stainless steel saucepan with one handle 28×10
One wooden cooking spoon (mestola)
Ingredients
300 gm rice, Vialone or Carnaroli
100 gm butter (unsalted and cold from the fridge, not half melted and greasy)
150 ml dry white wine (at room temperature not cold)*
1 lt broth (made from beef or beef and chicken or veal, keep it light in color but full in flavour, salt sparingly)*
1 teaspoon of saffron threads
50 gm white onion, chopped very fine
50 gm grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano (not everything is Parmesan!)
(Bone marrow. You can skip this ingredient. Alternatively you may pan roast 20 pieces of 1cm thick slices of it and place them on top of your risotto just before serving it)
Procedure
- Fry the chopped onion in a pan at very low heat until translucent, making sure the onion does not gets dark, and place it aside.
- Add 50gm of the butter to the saucepan, making sure it is not too hot otherwise the butter will burn. Add the rice and toast it at medium heat and always keep stirring with the wooden spoon.
- When the rice is well toasted, add the onion, stir well and add the wine, simmer and keep mixing until the wine has evaporated.
- Cook the rice, stirring in the broth, ladle by ladle, making sure that the level is of broth is about 1cm over level of rice. Keep mixing. Add the saffron threads.
- Continue stirring the rice, adding the broth, mixing the rice and the broth until the rice is al dente.
- Remove the saucepan form the heat. The rice should be of a runny consistency (all onda) and ready for the mantecatura – the vigorous addition of the cold butter into the rice. This will give the risotto a creamy but a light consistency, so add the remaining butter and the freshly grated cheese and stir well until the butter is all melted and the cheese is incorporated into the risotto. If the broth is perfect in flavour you will not need to adjust the salt, so serve the rice on a hot flat plate.
* In the masterclass that I attended, wine hadn’t been used, neither a non-vegetarian broth. And they tasted divine! The recipe for this authentic Risotto alla Milanese has been shared by GVCI President Mario Caramella. The recipe has been modified by me as I have tried and tested it in my kitchen. More Italian recipes here.)
I chose the Rice & Risotto Masterclass mainly because everyone in my family, the Z-Sisters included, are primarily rice eaters. I do cook Risotto very often, but obtaining the ‘al dente’ state is always a challenge. If I were to compare the Risotto to any Bengali dish (I am born to compare or find similarity between Bengali and other cuisines!), it would be the rainy-day-must-have-Bengali-dish – the Khichuri. a dish made with rice, lentils and spices all put together. Coming back to Risotto… and back to the Italians, my next post would take us through the aroma of truffles. And a gorgeous lunch with Giorgio Locatelli in the sun drenched terrace of his restaurant in The Atlantis. And on a very different note altogether, on the same day as my Risotto Masterclass, the Dubai Tram was launched. The fireworks (below) reminded me of the bright red Beetroot Risotto (above) with sparks of Gorgonzola Cheese splattered on it!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
PS 1: I had been a guest at the Emirates Academy Of Hospitality Management, courtesy my friend Dima Sharif, who has been the official blogger of Italian Cuisine World Summit 2014. Some of my fellow food bloggers from Fooderati Arabia have also written about their experiences from the masterclasses they had attended… Orange Kitchen at the Fresh Pasta Masterclass; Kitchen In The Sand at Michelin Chef Claudio Sadler’s Masterclass; The Recipe Writer at Chef Walter Potenza’s and Lionello Cera’s Italian Main Courses Master Class
PS 2: According to the Italian Cuisine World Summit website, it is the most influential global event promoting Italian quality food, beverages and lifestyle. Its next, sixth edition is also dedicated to the celebration of Dubai as exciting and inimitable worldwide food destination and in particular as the world capital of Italian cuisine and lavish lifestyle outside Italy. Created by Food and Travel Communications (Australia) in Hong Kong in 2008, the Summit is promoted with the collaboration of the best Italian restaurants of Dubai and itchefs-GVCI.com, a network with more than 2500 chefs and culinary professionals working in 70 countries around the world.
Disclaimer: Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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A huge group of friends, a visiting mom, some noisy children and a lot of hungry tummies – when all descend on a small restaurant tucked away in a small side alley in Satwa-Jumeirah for a Friday lunch, what’s the result? Chaos, a delicious chaos! Jargons aside, this is one lunch buffet to remember. Kebab Bistro fed us till our eyes couldn’t drool or our mouths couldn’t chew anymore. All for Dhs 50/person! The only complaint being that the tiny restaurant couldn’t provide us with a few hammocks outside in the garden for our afternoon siestas. Just like it should happen on a weekend afternoon after having gorged on a good home cooked authentic Parsi meal. Please bear in mind – even though its a buffet, don’t expect buffet containers filled with food that has been cooked hours back. Here, every dish is cooked *fresh* and only after an order has been placed. That means that you will have to wait until food has been cooked and arrives at you plate hot and steaming. As the aroma of the food cooked inside the kitchen wafts through the open semi-window, the next best thing to do is – sip into fresh sugar cane juices, with a hint of lemon in it.
Kebab Bistro is small – 12 covers inside the restaurant and probably 12 more outside in the garden – and we hijacked the entire space, irrespective of the 40º C temperature outside. The food takes a long time to arrive (but presumably that’s the same at home, right?). But it’s well worth the wait. There was only one staff assigned for serving on that day but he made sure that we were well looked after – serving us everything hot, and immediately whatever came out of the kitchen. All these amidst the multiple times the kids must have asked him for a fork or a coke or some napkin. And I asking him whether Kebab Bistro had a Twitter handle! The buffet spread had all the Parsi classics – for the Starters we had Marghi na Farcha – the Parsi styled fried chicken that can give KFC a run for their money and which also reminded me of our Bengali Chicken Kabiraji, a Raj influenced epic snack (except that the latter is prepared with chicken fillet and the Chicken farcha used chicken drumsticks); for the Main course, we had the legendary Parsi dish – the Mutton Dhansak – mutton and vegetables cooked in a thick daal and a typical Sunday favourite in a Parsi household because of the elaborate cooking process, Sali Boti – small diced tender chicken pieces cooked in a spicy gravy with potato straws or sali, Patra ni Machhi – fish marinated and steamed while being wrapped up in banana leaf; and the famous Lagan nu Custard for dessert. Accompanying all these, we had Kachumbar (a tangy onion-cucumber salad), garma garam Rotlis (hot thick fluffy wheat flour Rotis) just off the tawa, some hot vegetable Biryani and the Salli (below). Salli or the Parsi wafers are crispy potato julienne and are essential to a Parsi meal. Thinly shredded potatoes are washed several times in water to get rid of the starch and then they are dipped in cold salted water for some time. Once drained, they are dried and deep fried until crisp. Looks and tastes exactly like the Bengali jhur jhure aloo bhaja and also prepared in a similar manner. Somebody later said they were also called matchstick potatoes. Truly so, as they set fire to our already soaring appetite!
Parsi and Parsi Cuisine: Distinctly different from the Iranians, the Parsis are members of one of the two Zoroastrian communities found in South Asia. A dwindling community in India currently, the Parsis came from Persia and settled first in Gujarat. Bombay still reflects the bygone era of Parsi history, heritage and social influence.
According to Wikipedia… Parsi, also spelled Parsee, member of a group of followers in India of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster. The Parsis, whose name means “Persians”, are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by the Muslims. They live chiefly in Bombay and in a few towns and villages mostly to the north of Bombay, but also a few minorities near by in Karachi (Pakistan) and Bangalore (Karnataka, India). There is a sizable Parsee population in Pune as well in Hyderabad. A few Parsee families also reside in Kolkata and Chennai. Although they are not, strictly speaking, a caste, since they are not Hindus, they form a well-defined community. The exact date of the Parsi migration is unknown. According to tradition, the Parsis initially settled at Hormuz on the Persian Gulf, but finding themselves still persecuted they set sail for India, arriving in the 8th century.
The Parsi cuisine in India has therefore evolved from its place of origin – Persia. It has the influence of both Persian and Gujarati food – vegetarian Gujarati cuisine and non-vegetarian Iranian cuisine, and a heavy dose of coastal Indian influence of coconut curries. Rice and Daal or a coconut curry are the main features of a Parsi diet. A Lagan nu Bhonu or a Parsi wedding feast is incomplete without the inclusion of rice, fish and coconut. Our Parsi friends believe that vegetables are meant for difficult times, but amongst vegetables, potatoes are a must. So are fish, meat, potatoes and eggs – but in the reverse order!
The Parsi Patra ni Machi seemed like a spicier version of the Bengali Maacher Paturi or the steamed mustard fish wrapped in banana leaf, much like the one that I had cooked earlier in an event. While the Patra ni Machi had a very strong taste of coriander and chilli, it was the mustard in the Bengali Maacher Paturi. An epic Parsi dish, the fish is marinated in a spicy chutney made of coriander, mint, chillies and coconut and then wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed. As we unwrapped the banana leaves, smoke bellowed out of the freshly steamed fish that had been gently packed into the banana leaf parcels. We were told that on request, the same preparation could be made with white pomfret, instead of the cream dory fillet that we just tasted. 
Apart from the popular Parsi dishes that were on the buffet that day, our foodie friend who had initiated us to Kebab Bistro earlier at his housewarming, suggested that we order the Taamota par Edu from the menu (not served in the weekend Buffet). Poached eggs layered on a thick tomato gravy, the Taamota par Edu is a dish to practically die for (sorry, live for!) – my current must-taste-once-in-a-lifetime dish! Eggs or Eenda seems to have a preferential treatment in Parsi cooking and as I found out, there seems to be more egg preparations in Parsi cuisine than any other cuisine in the world (well, the list of Parsi dishes in this article suggests so). A thick red gravy with poached eggs staring back at us, I would describe the Taamota par Edu as the Parsi Huevos Rancheros, but a tomato salsa version of it. Or, could this be the Parsi Shakshuka? However I might choose to describe the dish, the fact remains that we ordered too many of them that day. Two photos of Taamota par Edu below to sing my ode to the dish.
The other ode would be for the Lagan nu Custard which is a Parsi wedding speciality. Reminiscent of a thick crust over our regular custard, the preparation of this dish is quite elaborate. Milk is boiled along with sugar until it is reduced to half. When the mixture cools down, eggs are beaten into it along with dry fruits and added nutmeg flavour. This is then baked to form a thick golden crusty surface.
The lunch at Kebab Bistro has only made my wish to visit Mumbai much stronger, and join in the Parsi Food Walk conducted by my blogger friend Finely Chopped there. And also write the long overdue post on Dishoom, a London restaurant that I visited earlier in April this year. But till then, I am happy with my new find – Kebab Bistro, tucked in an alley in Satwa-Jumeirah, behind another favourite joint of mine – the original Smiling BKK. And just to clarify the statement when I said – we hijacked the entire space of Kebab Bistro – both outside and inside… it was only the men who were sent out in the 40ºC heat of Dubai afternoon!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: The lunch buffet costed us Dhs 50/person plus a bit more as we had also ordered the Taamota Par Edu and a few sugarcane juices. Apart from the Parsi food, Kebab Bistro also makes great Kebabs, as you can read from my fellow food blogger Geordie Armani’s review. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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A home grown restaurant – a home grown destination restaurant – a home grown fine dining destination restaurant – a Michelin starred Chef’s home grown fine dining destination restaurant (striking the previous part after a Michelin controversy that ensued with a comment left behind by a very respected food expert and some email exchanges wit the restaurant PR) – the tags had been increasing with each passing day and the curiosity that had been building up surrounding Greg Malouf’s Clé Dubai, was unlocked to the public on the 13th October, 2014. For me, the excitement that leads to the build up of a restaurant is gaining more momentum than the launch of the restaurant itself (much like this one). Exactly a month back, I was chatting with Greg Malouf in the posh lounge of Clé Dubai, which was still undergoing some last minute touch up. Clé Dubai promises to showcase Greg Malouf’s award-winning contemporary Middle Eastern cuisine in its home turf. Having had a taste of Greg Malouf’s creativity earlier in Nawwara in JW Marriott Marquis during a Taste of Dubai event last year, I am absolutely certain, that he will be doing a great job of ‘selling ice to the Eskimos’, as The Hedonista puts it. She further writes… ‘Dishes like hummus, moutabel, muhammara, fattoush and tabbouleh are recipes we eat constantly in the region, and those which many of us will gauge a restaurant’s capabilities by. They set a benchmark, and by giving us his versions, Malouf has painted his own standard.’ I have immense belief in Greg Malouf, despite the chaotic media preview night where the only dish that stood out was a shankleesh salad.
Contrary to the celebrity halo surrounding Greg Malouf, the man seems so reclusive and shy, preferring to toil away in the kitchen rather than pose in front of flash bulbs. In Nawwara, he was busy preparing the food rather than mingle with the guests, much like Pierre Gagnaire. And in the launch of his restaurant, he seemed pretty out of place posing with the supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio and Irina Shayk for the high profile restaurant photos that would appear on page 3 the next day (apparently ‘the most glamorous launch party of 2014’!). So, imagine me directing Greg Malouf to pose for this interview! The only place where he came out of his shy armour, was in the kitchen (above) which he proudly showed me around. This says a lot about the Chef – leave Greg Malouf in the kitchen and and let him create his magic. It will be a shame if Clé Dubai resorts to celebrity diners to stand out (we don’t want a Cavalli Club) rather than the food it serves. After all, the man been the head chef at the award-winning restaurant MoMo in Melbourne for 11 years before leaving in 2012 to take over the famous Petersham Nurseries in Richmond, UK. His Middle Eastern take on seasonal dining had earned the latter a Michelin star. 
Greg Malouf in conversation (he is a very soft spoken man, and describes himself as ‘a humble Lebanese-Australian boy from the suburbs’ doing what he loves to do best: cook and eat!’):
It’s always such a delight to have chef – driven restaurants. And also to see a resident chef, not just a celebrity chef lending his name and moving on. Welcome to Dubai!
I am a hands on Chef and I am more comfortable in the kitchen. I have always wanted to cook in the Middle East because of my roots – Beirut, where I still have my family. I have been in Dubai for some time now and I am coming out of my shell only now – I am a bit of a recluse you see (he laughs). I have been visiting the markets to check out food suppliers. I have also been dabbling my hand in a bit of pottery – creating my own tagine. This tagine has a round circular lid on top, rather than the standard conical one, more like a flying saucer. I found a potter here who could translate my ideas and design into reality. (I ask him to etch his signature on a tagine and then burn it for me, but he suggests that he could sign his name with a golden pen on the ceramic – which might look great as well). The idea of a tagine is that it creates vapour and condensation which drips back into the food that is being cooked. The tagine that I have designed, has more surface area. One could use this ornamentally or actually use for cooking up a slow stew. It will be sold from Clé Dubai and if it does well, I will definitely look for commercializing it.
Since you have lived outside the Middle East (your association with Momo and Petersham Nurseries), you have a different perspective to Middle Eastern food. Will you be bringing all these back into the Middle Eastern food that we know?
Australia is a new country with different values and has got an incredibly mixed culture. This is fantastic and that’s why we have such a diverse food culture in Australia. People are willing to try new food, they have got fantastic produce and is surrounded by the oceans. It is very different in Dubai – nothing grows here. The population is mixed between the Emiratis, the business travellers, the resident expats and tourists. Each restaurant will have a different way of dealing with this, depending upon their own target audience.
Dubai diners are always wanting something new, a new brand. So what are your plans for Clé Dubai?
Yes, I hear about different restaurant openings all the time. (He asks me which are the new restaurants that have come up in the recent times). Are there any restaurants which are closing down? (And when I say, yes constantly, the Chef says ‘Ouch’! I also tell him about the different hotel restaurants that are being revamped). I think the latter is a great thing because that means that there are free standing restaurants which are shaking up the hotel restaurants a bit. And there is a scope for both. I think most people don’t understand brands. I am not a hotel chef and I most certainly don’t want to be a brand. All I want to do is to try and alleviate the food I cook and put Middle Eastern food on a pedestal. I still have a long way to do. I am still learning, I am still writing books, I am still travelling and I am still cooking in the kitchen.
Is Clé Dubai going to replace Q’bara as the current new Arabic fine dining venue? Are you also incorporating Emirati cuisine like Chef Silvena is doing? Is your food going to be contemporary or very traditional?
I like Q’bara and I know Chef Collin quite well – he’s been supportive of what I am doing. We cook very differently and while he approaches Middle Eastern food from a British point of view, I come from the other angle of having a Lebanese palette and paying a lot of homage and respect to Middle Eastern and Lebanese dishes. I try to look at the produce itself and then try to use it in a dish, try to elevate it and create an architecture by adding a few more layers to it. Q’bara is a lavish restaurant and there is a lot of Western technique used to create food. Coming to Emirati cuisine, it is a hidden cuisine and one doesn’t have much of an opportunity to taste Emirati food outside an Emirati kitchen. I think Silvena is doing a great job here. Silvena, Collin and myself – we are very different in our approaches in what we do, the common thread being the interpretation of Middle Eastern food in a modern way. A lot of my dishes have evolved from my memories of childhood and my travels.
We have tasted your food in Taste of Dubai last year. When you serve traditional food to people who are already used to eating that food, it shows a lot of confidence.
I know Hummous is Hummous. But half the Hummous in this city is full of Tahini. So it is actually Tahini with Hummous. Part of my menu is traditional but it is presented beautifully. There is a lot of quirky things in there that would be exciting. So this is Middle Eastern food as presented in 2014 as opposed to 1896.
Dubai has started its quest on local and organic produce. You have Farmers Markets here too. How much can we see your support here?
I know Silvena is trying to do this. But I am a bit skeptical. I would love to use local produce but I have been around for a while here and I have used local produce – it hasn’t convinced me at all. For example, the local fish or the lobster – it is warm water fish and there is no fat content. Onions – I have used them for cooking, used them raw – but I still don’t think that they taste good. I will definitely use produce from around the region – Lebanon and Iran. I think the issue lies in the way produce are handled. If you have a beautiful produce that has been handled properly, packaged beautifully and transported with care and delivered to the kitchen, you get very excited. Not when some produce is dumped into a box and dragged in the 40ºC heat, it’s not the same. You can’t be running a fine dining restaurant without A-quality produce. (Much like Zuma, I would say).
What else are there in the pipeline?
I have got a bit of a retail outlet for a Spice Range that will be sold within Clé Dubai and there’s a new book coming up as well (he’s collaborating with his ex-wife Lucy Malouf on their new book, based on Middle Eastern vegetarian cuisine and this is due to be launched in November 2014).
Post-Qbara, the Middle Eastern fine dining scene is getting hotter and more attractive – Chef Silvena’s Omnia opening soon in Down town Dubai (it will be unlicensed though) and Aseelah, the top end Emirati restaurant opening in Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek. After the brouhaha over the guest list of the launch party fizzles down, its time to head down to Clé Dubai to taste the food from Greg Malouf’s kitchen – because that’s where he is most comfortable in!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
PS: For those who are curious about how Cle Dubai is faring post launch – do read the review on FooDiva. And the December issue of Food e Mag dxb captures Greg Malouf taking us through his favourite 5 dishes from the Cle Dubai menu.
Disclaimer: I was invited for Cle Dubai media preview (above two pictures – Dave Reeder with Paris Hilton, Samantha with Khloe Kardashian, Dalia Dogmoch with Akon, Sally and Sam with Greg Malouf and myself with Hrithik Roshan). The interview however, took place a month back and all the above photographs have been taken by me. Please note that this post is not a sponsored post and the subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and are independent. While you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts. You can catch my daily food and travel journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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+ Bengali Food, Kolkata, Press, Recipes
Bhapa Mishti Doi and A Food Safari of Bengal | BBC GoodFood ME
Eid Mubarak and Shubho Bijoya to all of you! Born a Hindu and brought up embracing all faiths, I am always amazed to find how different festivals from different faiths almost always coincide with each other – as if, underlining my belief that we are ultimately bound by only one faith… that of humanity.
This year, the pujo bumper came via a feature on me and Bengal in GoodFood Middle East’s 7th Anniversary Bumper issue in Food Safari: Bengal. The article chalks out my childhood, my food and travel memories and Bengali cuisine, followed by the recipes of Bhapa Mishti Doi and Shorshe Bata Salmon or Mustard Salmon (here’s another version of Mustard Salmon with French mustard paste in my blog), the signature mustard fish preparation with Salmon. Every year, around the five-day long autumn festival that surrounds around Durga Pujo, I anxiously wait for the Facebook uploads from our Bengali friends and family living around the world for an annual update on food and fashion ideas that are born during the Durga Pujo! This time, my brother led me through a journey of ‘Pandal hopping’ in Kolkata. He also shared his experiences of witnessing the Bishorjon, the immersion of idols in the River Ichamati, along the borders of India and Bangladesh under the strict vigilance of the Border Security Forces, courtesy Whatsapp. I have also shared the beautiful images in this post with his kind permission.
Food Safari: Bengal, in BBC Good Food Middle East, October issue
Both dishes are legendary dishes in Bengali Cuisine – obviously not Mustard Salmon, but the Bengali mustard fish, although these two dishes don’t encompass everything Bengali Cuisine has to offer. If you are so interested, do read my encyclopaedic post on Bengali Cuisine. Following are some of the behind-the-scene shots of the photo shoot on the day the BBC Good Food team came home. The actual photographs in the feature look gorgeous (taken from the other side of the table), so do grab yourself a copy and let me know what you think.
My Bhapa Mishti Doi on The Travel Show of Dubai Eye 103.8FM too
The protagonist in the last few months in my life has definitely been the Bhapa Mishti Doi. Just a few days back, I had been chatting with Mark Lloyd and Lucy Taylor on the Travel Show of Dubai Eye 103.8FM about Kolkata, Bengali food, my blogging journey, Bhapa Mishti Doi and more. Sharing the podcast – note the mmms as both Lucy and Mark relish the taste of Bhapa Mishti Doi on air!
My thoughts on Mishti Doi and Mishti in general
Mishti or sweets ‘belong’ to Bengalis. You will find many famous Indian sweet shops outside Bengal with a Bengali Sweet counter. Yes, even in Dubai – in Bikanerwala, Chappan Bhog and others. Sweets are a necessary sign-off for a traditional Bengali meal. The Chutney signals an end to a meal and beginning of a more formal dessert tasting. Chutneys can be sweet and tangy and can be made with every conceivable fruit, sometimes even vegetables. The choices in the Mishti category are absolutely endless. While Roshôgolla or the Rasgulla rules the popularity chart, the one dessert that comes a close second is definitely the Mishti Doi or the sweet yoghurt. While the making of the traditional Mishti Doi can be pretty time consuming and there is always the apprehension of whether the Doi will come out perfect, the Bhapa Mishti Doi or the baked sweet yoghurt can be pretty easy, if one is using store bought condensed and evaporated milk to fasten up the process. Bake a bit longer if you find that it’s not set yet! In Kolkata, if you enter any sweet shop, you will get to see a stack of earthen pots in different sizes like the above where Mishti Doi is set in earthen pots like these. The traditional preparation of Mishti Doi calls for an elaborate process – caramelising the milk with sugar or Notun Gur, the season fresh jaggery. The thickened milk is then let to ferment overnight in a container which has been coated with fresh yoghurt, which helps in the culture. An earthen pot allows gradual evaporation of water through its pores and provides the right temperature for the yoghurt to set in. Why not make my quick Bhapa Mishti Doi instead?
I feel that Mishti Doi, specially Bhapa Misht Doi caters better to a non-Indian palette more than any other Indian desserts. As I spend more time with food and meet different people through my blogging, I have come to the conclusion that although people may enjoy and experiment with different types of cuisine, it’s not the same with desserts. My non-Indian friends may love Indian food, but when it comes to Indian desserts – they feel that they are too sweet.
I absolutely love Thai food (having had a brilliant experience in the country along with some authentic Thai cooking lessons), but I don’t get excited by Thai desserts at all. The liking for desserts, by and large, is probably an acquired taste. This is where Mishti Doi wins hands down over other Indian desserts. The texture and the taste resembles the crème brûlée or the pudding or the Dulce de leche – Journey Kitchen writes about her version of Mishti Doi – the Baked Dulce de leche Yogurt. The other day, I had dropped in at my friend and food blogger Debbie’s place (she writes as Coffee Cakes and Running) when she was in the midst of making her famous Banoffee Pie. The caramel toffee she had prepared tasted exactly like the Mishti Doi. A few blogger friends who had attended one of my Bengali pop ups in Book Munch earlier on (above), commented how the Mishti Doi would taste like a cheese cake filling if it had been thickened more – thus giving me new ideas – to set a thicker Mishti Doi in a pie crust. That would be my Mishti Doi Tart!
My own experiments on Mishti Doi
While the Mishti Doi Tart is yet to be born in my kitchen, there has been a few successful variants that I am already proud of. My friends and family are an integral part of my kitchen experiments – while the Z-Sisters are never tired of my experiments with Bengali fusion recipes, some friends willingly lend themselves to being the untiring guinea pigs (thanks Shelly). And there are other friends who are my *recipe consultants*. For example, Sumana. She is my authority on desserts – my *dessert consultant*, while with Neel I am always exploring new recipe possibilities. The former has successfully inherited the recipe of Bhapa Mishti Doi, after having tweaked the original recipe from one of my favourite Bengali food blog – Bong Mom’s Cookbook. My recipe has been re-tweaked from Sumana’s. Often, we brainstorm on different Mishti Doi variants. While different flavours of Mishti Doi are not unusual in Kolkata, like Elaichi Doi / Cardamon Doi or the Mango Doi … from vintage sweet shop *Balaram Mullick* (estd in 1885!), we are currently experimenting variations of toppings, without changing the flavour of the original Bhapa Mishti Doi. Here are a few of them…
Bhapa Mishti Doi with pomegranates or the saffron topping – both worked very well (Lucy Taylor commented that the latter tasted like honey). Again, Debbie accidentally discovered during my Bengali pop up event, that the Mango chutney topping (above), which I have to admit worked really well! The next on the pipe line is the hard caramelised topping a la the crème brûlée! I have also tried setting the Bhapa Mishti Doi in one big earthen pot (below) – the challenge lies in not burning the surface, while making sure that it has thickened consistently. I ended up burning the surface as well as the earthen pot and spoilt the look by scraping off the burnt crust. It tasted very good, nevertheless!
Bhapa Mishti Doi or Steamed Sweet Yoghurt
Ingredients
1 ½ can of sweet condensed milk (I used Nestle, each can = 350 gm)
1 can of evaporated milk (I used Rainbow, each can = 410 gm)
1 kg of plain yoghurt
½ tsp saffron strands
Method
- Whisk the sweet condensed milk, evaporated milk and yoghurt finely or beat with a hand mixer or in the blender till nice and frothy
- Pour them into small ceramic pots (if you can’t get hold of earthen pots)*
- Sprinkle saffron strands on top (not used in traditional mishti doi)
- Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Fill a large baking tray with water so that the pots are submerged in the water for about half an inch
- After 30 – 35 minutes the yoghurt will set. It’s ready when the top and the edges start browning a little. At this point insert a tooth pick lightly to see if it is done (the tooth pick should come out clean. It might be a little wobbly but will be all fine once refrigerated. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
*Please wash them in running water and let them dry out before you use them.
(Recipe as shared in BBC GoodFood Middle East, October 2014)
The Bhapa Mishti Doi is also a favourite of the Z-Sisters! Do let me know what you think of the recipe… and also the write up of Food Safari on Bengal. Do have a look at the incredible gallery of Durga Pujo in Kolkata – including the Shovabazaar Raajbari Pujo and the Bishorjon in the River Ichamati, as shared by my brother Stay blessed by the Man, the Goddess!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Thank you for joining me on my daily food and travel journey on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!
Disclaimer: This isn’t a sponsored post, nor are there any affiliated links for any of the brands that may have been mentioned in this blogpost. The subject, story, opinions and views stated here are my own and all images are from my personal album. While you enjoy reading my posts with lot of visuals, please do not use any material from these posts.
My brother’s pick of the most creative idols
Shobhabazaar Rajbari:
Shovabazaar Rajbari Durga Pujo
Shovabazaar Rajbari Durga Pujo
Shovabazaar Rajbari Durga Pujo
Shovabazaar Rajbari Durga Pujo
Shovabazaar Rajbari Durga Pujo
The crowd in the courtyard of Shovabazaar rajbari
Immersion in River Ichamati
Immersion in River Ichamati
Immersion in River Ichamati
Immersion in River Ichamati
Supervision of BSF
Supervision of BSF
And finally, Pujo fashion…
IshitaUnblogged 