Water for Workers by the Sameness Project (13 June 2015)

Join us in this project by The Sameness Project for a hot, sweaty fun and engage with our fellow workers here in Dubai.

[blockquote source="The Sameness Project"]

The month of Ramadan is nearly upon us, but right before that kicks off we're sneaking in a Water for Workers adventure on Saturday 13th June, and reaching one massive milestone.

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To know more about Water for Workers (#W4W) check this blog post by The Sameness Project (see link below) :

[ water for workers ] June & 100K

Saturday 13th June
10am
Collegiate American School
Umm Suqiem 2

 



Photo credits to http://www.thesamenessproject.com/



 

 

All Day Lazy Breakfast at Madeleine Café & Boulangerie

When it comes to food, there are two things that are close to my heart, French and breakfast.

There is something about the French cuisine that seems so simple yet very sophisticated. Not too flavorful, yet not too bland and still will hit you directly to the heart.

As for breakfast, Filipinos are heavy breakfast eater. I never skipped breakfast as I feel  that this is the most important meal of the day (some new studies will disagree with this). I love smelling the aroma of freshly toasted bread and newly brewed coffee in the morning.

So, When I received an invitation to try the All Day Lazy Breakfast Promotion in Madeliene Café & Boulangerie, I didn’t even have any second thought--- I said YES!

[caption id="attachment_798" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The Lazy Breakfast Menu[/caption]

I remember when I was in France a few years back , early morning for breakfast, we went to the nearest boulangerie and bought a freshly baked baguette and croissant. I really love that experience..oh simple joys (#takemeback).

Check out my previous posts below:

The City of Food Lovers

Boulangerie at Saint Andres de Sangonis

I Left My Heart In Paris

[caption id="attachment_796" align="aligncenter" width="800"] LAZY BREAKFAST SPECIALTIES[/caption]

Madeleine Café and Boulangerie is a traditional and hip French restaurant located in Dubai Mall over looking the famous Dubai Fountain. The interior of the restaurant mimic a traditional French brasserie. With reddish stained wooden furniture, french windows and doors, the mood of the place will surely transport you to the streets of Paris.

We were welcomed very warmly and ushered to our table. We sat near the window to have a view of the outdoor. We didn’t dine outside as it is still summer here in Dubai (summer for me means ‘ONLY INDOOR OPTION’). Although, I can imagine how beautiful dining outside will be on a much cooler season (I will try that for sure).

As I said earlier, we were invited to try their All Day Lazy Breakfast offer. I must say, it was already passed lunch time..but I will not even argue to get a French breakfast any time of the day.

All Day Lazy Breakfast:

" An à la carte lazy breakfast... for those who enjoy in a charming brasserie-style setting with a choice of excellent breakfast items prepared à la minute." (Madeleine Cafe & Boulangerie website)

[caption id="attachment_806" align="aligncenter" width="800"] CHEESE PLATTER = AED 45[/caption]

I think we ordered almost everything from the menu. Well, you gotta taste everything right? (with a grin smile haha)

Selections

French Toast - Brioche dipped in egg & milk batter pan fried, served with raisins, caramelized banana and honey (YUM!!!)

Croque Madame - Gratinated ham & gruyere cheese sandwich with fried egg, roasted tomatoes, potato and mushroom. (I first tried a Croque Madame in Paris and I must say, this is delish!)

Egg Benedict - Poached eggs on brioche with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. (We didn't order this)

Scrambled Egg Croissant - Croissant filled with scrambled egg and served with tomato and potato and mushroom. (We didn't order this also)

Smoked Salmon Scrambled Egg Croissant - Croissant filled with scrambled egg, salmon and served with tomato, potato and mushroom. ( I like the French toast more but my friend preferred this one)

Assorted Cheese Platter (THE BEST!!)

I am a big fan of everything cheese, walnut and jam,  so needless to say that the cheese platter alone won my heart already.

Among all the ones we ordered, my favorite was the French toast. It was very tasty and soft (I love the caramelized banana flavor). My friend’s preference was the Salmon Croissant. It was a rich dish and very heavy.

[caption id="attachment_813" align="aligncenter" width="800"] FRENCH TOAST = AED 55[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_812" align="aligncenter" width="800"] SMOKED SALMON SCRAMBLED EGG CROISSANT = AED 55[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_814" align="aligncenter" width="800"] CROQUE MADAME = AED 55[/caption]

The croquet madame, another specialty and a best seller during the lazy breakfast comes with a serving of fries. It is a full meal itself.

To complement our meal, we also had coffee and an orange juice. I can actually stay all day and enjoy their breakfast offerings. I love idea of serving breakfast till 5pm on a weekend when everyone is too lazy to wake up early.

If you are looking for a place to enjoy a tasty French breakfast, I recommend Madeleine Café and Boulougerie. Aside from their lazy breakfast, they have pastries if you want to satisfy your sweet weekend cravings instead.

Check out other photos in the gallery below:

[gallery link="file" ids="805,803,820,818,817,815"]

Madeliene Cafe & Boulangerie

Located at: Ground Level, Fashion

Avenue, The Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE

Website: www.madeleinecafe.com

All Day Lazy Breakfast

Available every Fridays & Saturdays

from 10am - 5pm

My Dubai Food Blog: Iftar at Na3na3 The Address Dubai Mall

Ramadan officially started and yesterday I was so excited to receive an invitation to try the traditional Iftar buffet at Na3na3 in The Address Dubai Mall.

Na3Na3 is a Middle Eastern restaurant  famous for its traditional Arabic home style cuisines.—- and I must say, Arabic Food + Iftar = Perfection.



As me and my friend arrived in the restaurant, we were greeted very warmly and welcomed with a sip of Arabic coffee. This really sets our mood for the night.



A table full of of dates, nuts and other dried fruits were present also to kick start the night’s feast. Traditionally, after a whole day of fasting, food are gradually being introduced in one’s body. In order to not shock the body’s system, dates should be eaten first  (somewhat a light appetizer—as far as I know ^^).





As me and my friend were ushered to our table, I can already smell the strong aroma of an Arabic cuisine. The whole place feels very intimate but at the same time I saw a number of families enjoying the feast (maybe it’s the Iftar vibe).

Just a disclaimer before I start discussing about food. I am not an expert in Arabic Cuisine so I will be blogging mainly on what I experienced and tasted. If any of the food I mentioned was wrongly described (and spelled) please do let me know—- thanks ^^





The first thing I grabbed was a plate of salad, feta cheese and hummus (plus a warm Arabic bread). They presented a wide selection of appetizers, dips and rice dishes (mostly I can’t pronounce) . Foul salad, modardara and  mohammara just to name a few.







(yey my starter plate—- I love these labneh balls and of course,  HUMMUS!!!)



After a light starter, let’s move on to a heavier meal. This time around, I got a chance to try a more familiar Arabic food. A wide selection of meat dishes can be found in the warm food stations.





Firstly, you can find some traditional treats such as a very tasty kibbeh, a spinach fatayer, lamb sambusek and a cheese spring roll (I forgot the name of this)—let’s call it a cheese stick.





Also, In the same station, I  got excited to see a casserole of already shredded chicken shawarma, shish tawook, chicken biryani and beef shanks (to be paired with cucus).



I have to make two rounds to taste all of them and I must admit, even though I already felt full, I was able to finish everything on my plate.





Feeling full (as mentioned already), I forcefully convinced myself that I still have room for some desserts. Middle Eastern desserts are known to be one of the best in the world and I for sure will not miss a handful of those during this Iftar.







The cheese konafa and the um ali became two of my favorite desserts of the night.There’s something about warm desserts that I found mouth watering (although I am not a fan of rose water—I didn’t mind that night).

Aside from the wide selection of Arabic sweets, they also offer a number of international desserts such as a very cute carrot cake cups (shown below—cute right?) and a shot of  tiramisu.





If you like to experience authentic home cooked style Arabic food, I will highly recommend Na3na3. I truly enjoyed spending my Iftar here. Good food, reasonable price and a very nice location.

Of course, aside from food, Iftar really is a time to bond with family and Na3na3 for sure has a good enough space and food selections for the whole family (and FYI, children below 6yrs old are free ^^)

Iftar buffet price is AED 195 (inclusive of unlimited drinks)

Time: Sunset until 9:30pm

Location: The Address Dubai Mall

Aside from Iftar, Na3na3 also have regular restaurant hours (with doors half open during Ramadan)

Breakfast: 630am -11am (11:30am on weekends), AED 140

Lunch: 12:30pm -5:30pm, AED 155

Dinner: 9:30pm - 11pm, AED 195

to know more about Na3na3, check out their facebook page and website below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaddressdubaimall

Website: http://www.theaddress.com/en/hotels/the-address-dubai-mall/dining/na3na3.aspx

My Dubai Art Blog: The Greater Middle East Unveiled at Opera Gallery

I have always been vocal with my love for the arts. Wherever I go, visiting art galleries are always part of my itineraries. This is the reason why I fell in love with New York, San Francisco, Florence and Paris.

As a growing hub for arts such as furniture design, paintings, sculptures, crafts and even the performing arts, Dubai is becoming a heaven for art enthusiasts like me.

A few years back, art galleries (whether formal or informal ones) started sprouting in this rich sandy nation. Al Qouz Industrial Areas for one, has a lot of thriving art galleries from independent artists in the region. If you are looking for a more formal gallery, The Gate Village in DIFC surely is a place you would like to visit.



Just recently,I was invited to an art exhibit launch at the Opera Gallery in DIFC where contemporary collections from artists in the Middle East are now being displayed. Art works from Cairo, Tehran, Baghdad, Istanbul and other parts of the region were curated to unveil a rich and vibrant exhibition.







The exhibition features  artworks from some well-known artists and curators like Yousef Ahmad, Arzu Akgun, Samira Alikhanzadeh, Mahi Binebine, Vahid Danaeifar, Morteza Darehbaghi, Reza Derakshani, Mohammad Ehsai, Ali Esmaeilipour, Hossein Fassih, Golnaz Fathi, and many more.





This is my favorite piece by Ali Esmaeilipour

Personally, I really love contemporary art because it doesn’t box you in any genre and style..I call it feel free art! I was impressed with how these artworks were put and worked together, maybe it’s the (non judgemental) artists in me talking.

If you are planning on an art wagon trip, do drop by the Opera Gallery from the 24th of April till  the 6th of May 2014 and check out The Greater Middle East Unveiled.

For more info you can call at +971 4 323 0909 or you can check their website here:  http://www.operagallery.com/ang/middle-east/dubai-difc.html

Before the Dubai summer heat comes, foodies like me are in panic mode to dine al fresco. As a growing hub for fine and casual dining, the EMAAR Boulevard is a good place to start searching for a good spot to chill, relax and enjoy the good weather (what’s remaining of it —-please winter breeze, dont go yet).

I was privileged to be invited to try one of the new restaurants along  Downtown Dubai. Qube Cafe and Resto, owned by a Lebanese TV anchor, Tony Baroud serves traditional Lebanese favorites and also some international mix of sushi, salads and flat breads.

Attending the “by invitation only” food tasting event, I didn’t know what to expect, I know there will be shisha lounges —and for sure there will be the traditional fattoush, aside from these, I was clueless.

As our courses (appetizers and mains) started coming, I was overwhelmed by the serving sizes, my tiny (but starting to get bigger) body cannot hold in the amount of food being placed on our table.

All the Lebanese mixes were as expectedly very tasty and flavorful, while the flat breads (my recommendation), crab meat salad (best seller) and  the sushi were surprisingly became my favorites during the whole course of munchies.

If i will be asked if I will be willing to come back, my answer is 100% yes. Aside from the well prepared food, the staff are really friendly and the location is pretty good. At the heart of Downtown Dubai with a magnificent view of the Burj Kahlifa (and a good parking allotment—this is very important ), for sure your hungry tummies will be full in no time—or until your food has been served.

My Dubai Food Blog: Qube Cafe Resto - Downtown Dubai Al Fresco

My Dubai Blog: Betawi Indonesian Restaurant - Peanut Sauce And All That Spice

I was so happy that along with my fellow Filipino bloggers in Dubai, we have decided to meet up in a little Indonesian Restaurant called Betawi. 

It is located along a (semi) hidden street in Karama. Just at the back of Park Regis Hotel. If you are not familiar around Karama, better get hold of a map ( yey for google map!). 

I have tried Betawi once after reading a lot of great reviews about it. To be honest, the first time I tried it, it didn’t catch my taste so I was excited to give it a second go. 

It is a small and humble restaurant but boasting on its reputation as one of the best South East Asian Restaurants in Dubai. In fact, it was honored last 2011 by Time Out Dubai as a “Highly Recommended South East Asian Restaurant”. 

With its authentic Indonesian menu selections, it attracts not only Indonesian expats but also a lot of different nationalities (including Filipinos like us).

With my renewed hope, I asked the one million dollar question—-what is you specialty? The waitress, a Filipina, immediately recommended the Nasi Padang. A plain rice based meal topped with vegetable curry and sided with egg bolado (hard boiled egg with chilli sauce)and with your choice of either grilled chicken or beef rendang (caramelized beef curry). 

Aside from this, other specialties include the famous Nasi Goreng (no brainer, we ordered this of course!) and the beautifully presented Pecel Timbel.

Nasi Padang with Beef Randang - 28 dhs

I ordered this. As mentioned, it was highly recommended by our waitress. It’s full of flavor but blended together by a strong curry taste. If you like flavors and spices, this is the dish for you. 

Nasi Padang with Grilled Chicken - 28 dhs

Siomay - 25 dhs

I love siomai (dumplings) but this particular Indonesian version is very different. This tangy appetizer is a set of steamed fish dumplings topped with unsweetened peanut sauce.  

Sate Ayam with Rice - 25 dhs

This is a marinated chicken satay topped with peanut sauce (the love curry and peanut sauce — don’t you think?)

 Nasi Goreng - 25 dhs

This famous rice based meal (Nasi - means rice) has been a popular choice for many in any South East Asian Restaurant — well, why won’t you? It is a very heavy meal packed with spices, meat and perfectly crisped sunny side up egg.

Pecel Timbel - 30 dhs

When I saw this, I told myself..ooh I should have ordered this one! Aside from its presentation, it is a full packed meal. You have soup, garlic rice, sticky rice cake, fish crackers, grilled chicken —- and of course PEANUT SAUCE! 

For drinks, aside from the usual iced tea and soft drinks, they have specialty drinks such as Es Teller (fruit cocktail, coconut, milk and grass jelly mix - 15 dhs) and the Es Campur (fruit cocktail, jackfruit, avocado, coconut, grass jelly and Indonesian syrup mix - 15 dhs). These are sweet drinks but totally refreshing.

All in all, I really liked it! Very affordable and flavorful. This is not a posh place which is very much ideal if you are looking for comfort food or just a place to satisfy those Asian food cravings. 

South East Asian food are known for being spicy, full of flavors and at times very sweet, so if you are salivating for this kind of meals, Betawi is highly recommendable. 

My Dubai Blog: Betawi Indonesian Restaurant - Peanut Sauce And All That Spices

Betawi Restaurant: Affordable Indonesian Food in Dubai

Betawi Restaurant: Indonesian Comfort Food in Dubai