EATALY - Dubai Mall - The Food Tour

[caption id="attachment_2746" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Louay Moursel(Department Manager)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2751" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me along with Eataly - operations team[/caption]

Yea! I finally managed to get a proper tour of this wide italian restaurant Eataly located at Dubai Mall. I've visited Eataly before after seeing several of their adverts but always wished to get someone give me a proper tour of this wide all rounded Italian store which is a restaurant, bakery, retail shop and has other stations. So once you get in this store for the first time you should definitely get lost in here as there is too much to interpret at a first glance. One of the speciality of Eataly is that you get to buy ingredients of what you eat at Eataly so if you would like to make the same at home you can. They say all their ingredients are imported from Italy.

[caption id="attachment_2723" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Drinks at Eataly starting at Dhs 22[/caption]

Kevin who is the senior Brand Manager of Eataly gave us a complete tour of this restaurant. Starting with their welcome drinks for us which came from their menu in the section of Italian classics. Most of their classic drinks mainly had a composition of a fruit syrup, fruit juice, ginger ale, mint leaves and soda. It's mainly a play around with these ingredients and taste differs as the fruit changes.

[caption id="attachment_2726" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Different types of cheese available at Eataly[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2725" align="aligncenter" width="678"] making of In house scamorza cheese[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2724" align="aligncenter" width="705"] cheese - In house scamorza - Dhs 19.80 per 100gm[/caption]

He then took us to the cheese station which cannot be missed if you visit Eataly. They take pride in hanging those cheese. They are freshly made. They showed us how cheese gets converted at different stages and finally ends up hanging dry. Depending on the dish sometimes they might not leave it to dry or might just use it directly. It's called the in house scamorza. You can buy them to take home which should cost you around AED 19.80 per 100gm.

[caption id="attachment_2727" align="aligncenter" width="705"] LE Piadine - Crema Tonnata Pomodorini - Dhs 45 (left), Tacchiino parmigiano reggiano - Dhs 45 (right)[/caption]

This one was my favourite. The cream tonnata pomodorini which is callipo tuna, cherry tomatoes, onions mayonnaise and fresh basil in a thin flat bread was my favourite of all that I tried in the tour. Two things that makes it exciting is the flat bread and the tuna in it.

[caption id="attachment_2731" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pizzas at Eataly starting at Dhs 49[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2730" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pizza going in[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2729" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Bufala Pizza in the oven[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2728" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Making of an Italian pizza[/caption]

Then we were taken to their pizza station where we got to see them playing with the flour to make some of their finest Italian pizza for us :) When they served me their hot oven-baked pizza, they were just easily a melt in the mouth specially that mozzarella cheese on it. Since we've been just shown from their previous station how they make fresh cheese and use them, it makes their cheese topped pizza even more special in our mind.

[caption id="attachment_2732" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pastas you can take home - Typically Dhs 9 per 100gm[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2733" align="aligncenter" width="705"] making of a pasta at Eataly[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2734" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pasta - starting from Dhs 46[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2735" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with my guest(Alton)[/caption]

You could always buy their pasta and make it from home. Pasta pricing starts from approximately Dhs 8.9 per 100 gm. They hand prepare them and you could find the stuffed pasta at the pasta stall. You could even have the same from their restaurant. There is a picture below where you will find a pasta dish made from home using spaghetti of Eataly.

[caption id="attachment_2736" align="aligncenter" width="705"] showcasing some of their finest breads at Eataly[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2741" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Sampler - Rolatina Di pollo(chicken wrapped in veal bacon) - Dhs 55 and beef ribs - Dhs 95[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2740" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Selection of breaded fried seafood - Dhs 79[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2739" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pomodoro E mozzarella - Dhs 49 - fresh mozarella, tomatoes, green olives and mixed gren salad with balsamic dressing and pesto sauce[/caption]

They also showed us how the breads were freshly made at Eataly. They said they use organic yeast for their breads hence they last longer than normal breads. If I remember right organic yeast was also processed from Eataly. They showed us a machine that was used for it. Any dish with cheese was tasting great at Eataly as they made some great in-house cheese like their pomodoro e mozzrella which came with fresh mozarella. They also serve seafood here and we got to try their mixed fried seafood which has a mixture of their seafood collection. If you love veal bacon then you should definitely try their Rolatina Di pollo.

[caption id="attachment_2742" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Showcasing honey at Eataly[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2737" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Olive oil expert showcasing Dhs 75 bottle of Roi Foto (500ml)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2738" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Sampler - Roi Foto olive oil - Dhs 75(500ml)[/caption]

Here we get a little briefing on their olive oil. That's an original olive tree that you see in the picture. She tells us there are two types of Olive oil. It's either light or strong. Some dishes require strong and some light. Olive trees produce strong or light olive oil depending on the area it grows. You can also find different quality honey to buy here. You can get honey as cheap as Dhs 19 and as expensive as Dhs 149 for the same size.

[caption id="attachment_2747" align="aligncenter" width="678"] making of a hazelnut dark chocolate bar - Dhs 33 per 100gm[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2748" align="aligncenter" width="678"] making of a hazelnut dark chocolate bar - The chocolate poured in a rectangle plate to take shape - Dhs 33 per 100gm[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2749" align="aligncenter" width="705"] making of a hazelnut dark chocolate bar - Takes the shape after hours of cooling - Dhs 33 per 100gm[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2743" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Sampler - Gelato icecream - Dhs 15(small) and Dhs 24(Large)[/caption]

We were also shown how their dark chocolate chunks were made. I did get them for home and they were really good except I am not a big fan of hazelnuts :p Their milk is also imported so they are making you fresh ice creams here. They had many flavours like strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, just milk.. but I am not able to recall which was my favourite here.

[caption id="attachment_2745" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Pastry chef at Eataly showcasing his art(Tiramisu)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2746" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Louay Moursel(Department Manager)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2744" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Sampler desserts - Tiramisu and puff pastry(Dhs 18)[/caption]

This was no doubt my favourite part. The pastry shop in here was fantastic. They gave us two types to try one was a Tiramisu which was like a bomb in the mouth. Once it breaks open there is a sudden burst of taste from the secret liquid inside this tiramisu ball which will make you pick up another tiramisu automatically :p This was the same case with almost everyone who tried the tiramisu.

[caption id="attachment_2750" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Affogato from illy located inside Eataly- Dhs 22[/caption]

They did have an illy cafe inside eataly. Making it a complete one. So I winded up my Eataly tour with this amazing coffee from illy. I am sure you guyz would have already been through my earlier post of illy cafe. It is a recognized Italian cafe and I am not surprised it's in here.

[caption id="attachment_2754" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Riolfi - capricci (tuna stuffed inside bellpeppers in olive oil) - Dhs 70[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2753" align="aligncenter" width="705"] spaghetti pasta dish made at home using ingredients from Eataly[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2752" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Groceries from Eataly - Olive Oil(Dhs 75), Capricci (dhs 70), Tomata sauce 680gm (Dhs 19), spaghetti 500gm (Dhs 23), dark chocolate chunk Dhs 33 per 100gm[/caption]

I luckily got a goodie bag from Eataly after the tour. It contained some of the stuff that can help us make a pasta dish at home. So you can see she's made it well and it tasted fantastic. I was really impressed with that Riolfi - capricci. I just couldn't stop taking from that jar until I finished it. It was delicious. The olive oil, tuna, bell peppers made a great match in that jar.

There official EATALY website would be: http://www.eataly.com/

Click below to enjoy pictures in full screen view.

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="2754,2753,2752,2751,2750,2749,2748,2747,2746,2745,2744,2743,2742,2741,2740,2739,2738,2737,2736,2735,2734,2733,2732,2731,2730,2729,2728,2727,2726,2725,2724,2723"]

Shangri La Hotel - Friday Brunch - Shk Zayed Road

[caption id="attachment_2696" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Desserts at Shangri-La Friday brunch[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2702" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Bassel (Asst. Director of F&B)[/caption]

Wow what a brunch it has been at Shangri-La Hotel. One of the best I've had. I always loved their building standing high, tall, massive and built with premium exteriors. I see it everyday on my way to office towards Dubai Internet City. This hotel structure has been a iconic one from the time it was built on sheikh Zayed road(just before the First interchange). They probably never have to paint their exterior walls, just wipe it with a cloth. Anyway, forget about the architecture it's about their Friday brunch which is available from 12:30pm to 4:00pm at a starting price of Dhs 299 per adult inclusive of Mocktails. Kids under the age of 6 goes in for free and between 6 and 11 pays 50%. The friday brunch is a treat from three restaurants

Dunes Cafe - International cuisine - Ground Floor
Hoi An - Vietnamese cuisine - First Floor
Shang Palace - Chinese cuisine - First Floor

So by paying Dhs 299 you have access to all three restaurants and can eat as much as you want between these three restaurants.

[caption id="attachment_2673" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The lady that sets the right tone at Shangri-La Hotel[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2697" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The Shangri-La Friday brunch tag that gives you unrestricted access to all three restaurants[/caption]

As soon as you enter Shangri La hotel on your right you see this vibrant lady busy singing and dancing on stage. She played her part very well by bringing in a jolly mood to Shangri La that afternoon. Then I see Dune's cafe on the right whereas the other 2 restaurants being on the top. There is a tag they put on your wrist that identifies you as a Friday brunch customer and gives you unrestricted access to all three restaurants(Notice the tag on my wrist in the above picture).

[caption id="attachment_2700" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Shang Palace - interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2674" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Our table at Shang Palace, Shangri-La hotel[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2686" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mocktails - Dhs 38 - Mango Coco, Out Right Fraudulence, Saigon[/caption]

Though you can pick and eat from all three restaurants you need to decide which restaurant you want to sit in. So we decided to reserve our seat at Shang Palace restaurant. The restaurant seats with a tall back and comfortable. We had the perfect spot that had more breathing space in the area and had a view of the Hotel below. The Mocktails were free on the house and some we tried were:

Saigon: Ginger Ale, simple syrup, mint and coriander leaves, fresh lime juice
Out Right Fradulence: Raspberry juice, apple juice, lemon juice and sugar syrup
Mango Coco: Mango, pineapple, coconut cream, simple syrup

The Saigon was refreshing but i enjoyed the mango coco but if you don't like coconut cream then it might not be the one for you! It's a luxury hotel so you know even the basic water is premium. Evian bottles were just all over like masafi bottles :p

[caption id="attachment_2675" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Peking duck station at the entrance of Shang Palace[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2690" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The chocolate factory[/caption]

I like the way how they educate you about chocolates and it's making from A to Z. They have sample pieces at all stages, from the tree to the end product. They did have a variety of chocolate to try with different percentage of dark chocolates. If you really like them you can buy bars of it to take home. In front of you they make the kind of chocolate pastry you want.

[caption id="attachment_2695" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Fresh Cheese and bread[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2694" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Live cooking stations[/caption]

On our table we had a menu of both Asian restaurants. One page dedicated to Hoi An and the other for Shang Palace. Both Hoi An and Shang Palace are award winning restaurants. You can see many of their Timeout and What's ON awards at the entrance of both restaurants. The menu would includes their in-house appetizers, side dish and maincourse from each of the restaurant(Hoi An and Shang Palace). You could order from the menu and they would bring it your table. Below is some of the items that came from their menu. Pictures on top shows you some of the LIVE stations available on the top floor.

[caption id="attachment_2689" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Vegetable spring rolls[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2688" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Seared Black Angus beef tenderloin[/caption]

Whatever came from the main menu was better specially their vegetable rolls/organic chicken spring rolls, dimsums and beef tenderloin. Infact I was pretty happy with tenderloin I got from the menu on my table rather than the grill I picked up at the LIVE station below. I was damn excited when I chose my fresh raw meat and gave the chef to grill it but instead of it coming as well done and it came to my plate as well burnt. I could taste charcoal as I tried them hence I had to quit half the way. I think it's important you don't rush with your cooking else it will be definitely make an impact on taste. Something that has to be cooked slowly has to be cooked slowly. I guess the chef get's overwhelmed with many people waiting at the counter.

[caption id="attachment_2691" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Slow roasted beef prime ribs with baby potato and yorkshire pudding[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2677" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Fresh meat ready to be grilled[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2693" align="aligncenter" width="705"] My plate of Grilled meat[/caption]

At Dune's cafe is where all the beauty lives, where you get to see an area packed with desserts. A lady, dancing and singing for you. You can see and select you meat(mutton, beef, fish) before its cooked. A stretch of salad bar. A huge collection Dim Sum. So if you are seated upstairs like me then you very often shuttle up and down. I wish all three restaurants where on the same floor. Some waiting is required for the lift and if you have a plate full you could bump into a hungry visitor in the hotel starring at your plate whose not part of the buffet. So all that makes it a little difficult as you shuttle between the two floors.

[caption id="attachment_2680" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Salad bar[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2681" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Prawns[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2692" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Dim Sum collection - pick all that you like[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2682" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Sushi collections - Pick all that you like[/caption]

All that hunger for dimsums and sushis should get over when you are here. All this is visible on the ground floor at Dune's cafe for you to see and pick. Infact that had many more items which I didn't cover. They had this LIVE stations where they make you fine pasta dishes. I remember my wife raving about it and so did the kids. One thing I noticed even though they call it an international cuisine at Dune's cafe there wasn't any indian collection as such like the tandoori, paneer items or rotis.

[caption id="attachment_2687" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Desserts(cheesecake, Hazelnut Daquoise, chocolate tart) at Shangri-La Brunch[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2683" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mixed arabic baklavas[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2684" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Kids enjoying Chocolate fountain[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2685" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Carrot cakes and tarts[/caption]

There is a reason why I've put up the desserts as the first pic here for this post. Their dessert quality and collection were fantastic. I've seen plenty of desserts in other buffets but only some of them would taste great but here almost all of them can impress you with quality and taste. For example the arabic baklava I've seen it many buffets but they just don't taste as fresh(either too cold, hard, dead) as you get from an Arabic sweet shop but here the baklava were fresh, crispy and of excellent quality. Their chocolate baklava were interesting too. Anything to do with chocolates that get an A+. One reason could be the chocolate they use is of good quality.

[caption id="attachment_2699" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Kungfu style of serving tea - a tradition in China[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2698" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Jasmine tea[/caption]

At the end I had their jasmine tea which came served in a surprising kungfu style. This is a tradition in china. You can see how the tea is served in the cup. Needless to say that was the only time when my kids were glued to their seats :D

You can know more about Shangri-La hotel at http://www.shangri-la.com/dubai/shangrila/

[caption id="attachment_2701" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Shang Palace team[/caption]

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="2702,2701,2700,2699,2698,2697,2696,2695,2694,2693,2692,2691,2690,2689,2688,2687,2686,2685,2684,2683,2682,2681,2680,2679,2678,2677,2676,2675,2674,2673"]