per te - Ristorante and Cafe - Jumeirah 1

[caption id="attachment_5081" align="alignnone" width="470"] per te - restaurant and cafe located in Jumeirah 1[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5080" align="alignnone" width="470"] ME with Restaurant Manager(left) and Executive Chef(right) of per te Dubai[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5071" align="alignnone" width="470"] Me for lunch at Per Te Dubai[/caption]

Ever heard of per te before? A hidden gem located in Jumeirah 1. They serve lovely Italian cuisine and must try are their signature platters. Unfortunately, there location is such that you will only know about this restaurant if someone told you about it otherwise finding this one by chance is highly unlikely. From their mind blowing starters all the way to the dessert, it's been a fantastic ride. So scroll down to read further about per te.

[caption id="attachment_5078" align="alignnone" width="470"] Per Te Restaurant & Cafe - Interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5075" align="alignnone" width="470"] Per Te - Interiors[/caption]

They have different types of seating arrangements. Leather seats, wooden chairs, sofas. My favourite where the wooden chairs and tables which you notice as soon you enter this restaurant. Spacious with glass surrounding that helps pour natural light into the restaurant. They have seating up stairs as well. The seatings for the cafe lounge is a little more relaxed and more comfy.

[caption id="attachment_5063" align="alignnone" width="470"] Complimentary bread platter - different types of foccacia with different sauces[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5068" align="alignnone" width="470"] minestrone soup - Dhs 36 - with spring vegetables and basil pesto[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5065" align="alignnone" width="470"] fritto misto - Dhs 52 - mixed fried sea food and vegetables with rock salt and pepper served with pesto mayonnaise[/caption]

First came in the complimentary foccacia breads. They were all made in house but what made the difference were the sauces. My favourite was the foccacia along with the arrabiata sauce. The hot soup was straight forward and nice. The thriller were those fried seafood which I couldn't stop picking. Whichever seafood it was, just dip them in that thick pesto mayonnaise and wow what a delight.

[caption id="attachment_5066" align="alignnone" width="470"] Classic non veg platter - Dhs 83 - Beef, spicy salami, rocket and parmesan, black sesame tuna fish, grilled vegetables, semi dried tomatoes, olives, focaccia, prawns wrapped with bacon and sun dried tomato pesto and buffalo mozzarella cheese[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5067" align="alignnone" width="470"] Classic non veg platter - Dhs 83 - Beef, spicy salami, rocket and parmesan, black sesame tuna fish, grilled vegetables, semi dried tomatoes, olives, focaccia, prawns wrapped with bacon and sun dried tomato pesto and buffalo mozzarella cheese[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5064" align="alignnone" width="470"] Classic non veg platter - Dhs 83 - Beef, spicy salami, rocket and parmesan, black sesame tuna fish, grilled vegetables, semi dried tomatoes, olives, focaccia, prawns wrapped with bacon and sun dried tomato pesto and buffalo mozzarella cheese[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5069" align="alignnone" width="470"] Salad - Dhs 47 - mixed lettuce, goat cheese, fig, beetroot, capsicum with creamy balsamic[/caption]

Then came their lovely platter of starters which was the best plate for me at per te. Simply delicious! They were so many little items in the platter that you stay focused on that wooden board as if you were playing chess. The best part was each item was as good as the other. The main non veg items in the platter that came was the beef, tuna and prawns. A must order platter and they do have a veg only platter as well.

[caption id="attachment_5074" align="alignnone" width="470"] pizza valtellina - dhs 58 - beef bresaola, rocket leaves, mozzarella and shaved parmesan cheese[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5073" align="alignnone" width="470"] Pan fried Salmon fillet - Dhs 81 - witih sauteed spinach, pine nutes, creamy balsamic glaze[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5072" align="alignnone" width="470"] ravioli pasta stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese - dhs 61[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5070" align="alignnone" width="470"] Ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese - Dhs 61 - coked with sage butter sauce[/caption]

The Salmon that came as our maincourse stole the show for it's dazzling presentation. Ofcourse besides the good looks, the salmon tasted fresh. The nicely stuffed ravioli was yummy and surely a must order if you love stuffed pasta. The wood fired pizza was similar to the ones you normally find in other Italian restaurants.

[caption id="attachment_5079" align="alignnone" width="470"] Dessert platter - Dhs 150 - brownie, ricotta cheesecake, tiramisu, il bianco[/caption]

Dessert platter was beautifully presented with great skill of art. Both the ricotta cheese cake and the brownie were my favourites in here. To be honest I should say I've had better Tiramisu than the ones here. The little Meringue were cute and nice. il bianco was a nice one as well. The semi freddo was more creamy in nature which made feel guilty everytime I tried it :(.  If you love their food as much as I did and you want to make them home, then good news is that they have a store inside the restaurant where you can buy their items like Italian pastas, olive oil etc.

Click here to visit their official website. Click pictures below to see them in full screen view.

[caption id="attachment_5077" align="alignnone" width="470"] Per Te Restaurant & Cafe - Interiors[/caption]

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Romano's Macaroni Grill - Dubai Mall

[caption id="attachment_3846" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Dessert - warm berry torta - Dhs 36 - zabaglione, pistachios, raspberry sauce[/caption]

Here I am at one of my favourite Italian restaurants, Romano's Macaroni Grill! I've been here several times before but this would be the first time featuring them on my blog with a little more detail on what they have to offer. Always cherish eating at RMG and it's one of those restaurants that you don't mind spending a little more to eat some quality food. It gets even better when you find entertainer vouchers to get their main course discounted ;) They are no more located in Dubai Festival City though. For me the only challenge eating at RMG, Dubai mall was how to get our little son not going out of the restaurant to stare at the fishes in Dubai aquarium located just opposite to the entrance of Romano's Macaroni Grill.

[caption id="attachment_3838" align="aligncenter" width="678"] From left: Fresh raspberry lemonade - raspberries, lemonade, limonata - Dhs 19, Ultimate Bellini(white peach puree, raspberry) - Dhs 24[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3836" align="aligncenter" width="705"] complimentary bread[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3837" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Soup of the day - Dhs 21 - lentil[/caption]

Once you place the order, as always you are greeted by their thick hot herb bread(my favourite) which you dip in that olive oil and yummy. Ultimate Bellini is the signature drink at Macaroni Grill but it really didn't move me as much as I expected. it's comes in a sexy glass and it is hell tempting. The raspberry sauce place a critical role in boosting the taste of ultimate bellini but I more enjoyed the Fresh raspberry lemonade. Guess I was more in a mood to have something fizzy today :( The soup of the day which was a lentil soup gave me an excellent start. It was a clear soup, felt healthy and good having it.

[caption id="attachment_3841" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Spicy ricotta meatballs - dhs 28[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3840" align="aligncenter" width="705"] chicken florentine - Dhs 48 - spinach, orzo, pine nuts, capers, parmesan, garlic lemon vinaigrette - dhs 48[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3839" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Goat cheese peppadew peppers - dhs 27[/caption]

From starters the goat cheese peppadew pepper was mind blowing. It was the most I enjoyed out of the whole lot we ordered today. The stuffed peppadew(sweet pepper) with goat cheese was very special. Each of the stuffed peppadew hits you with a strong punch of spice. You get the same one packed in a jar at EATALY but instead of goat cheese they stuff tuna. You can find about that post here. The chicken florentine was also one of a kind. You normally get a little bit of this if you order the Parmesan crusted hammour. I could just have the chicken Florentine alone and be happy as it comes in a descent sized portion. The spicy ricotta meatballs was my wife's favourite and so was the recommendation from the restaurant. It was good but I wouldn't call it great as compared to other two(chicken florentine and Goat cheese peppadew peppers).

[caption id="attachment_3844" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mama's Trio - Dhs 74 - chicken parmesan(INFOCUS), lasagna bolognese, chick and mushroom cannelloni[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3843" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mama's Trio - Dhs 74 - chicken parmesan, lasagna bolognese(IN FOCUS), chicken and mushroom cannelloni[/caption]

Then came their maincourse. First came in the Mama's trio which is a combination of three dishes in a plate. It's bit tough to decide which one to begin with and but the good looks of lasagne stands out from the crowd so I jumpted into it right away. You should order this one specially if you are a lasagna freak. To our unluck the cannelloni was out of stock and got a replacement with pasta and white sauce :( The chicken came crispy with that KFC look but was much tender. I am sure if the chicken and mushroom cannelloni was there then that would have been the highlight for me. The white sauce over the paste made it creamy and delicious. The mushroom ravioli is definitely one of the best at Romano's Macaroni Grill. Since I've showcased it before, I didn't order it this time. You can find the post about their mushroom ravioli here.

[caption id="attachment_3842" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pan- seared hammour - dhs 64 - vine-ripened tomatoes, arugula, cannelini beans, balsamic glaze[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3845" align="aligncenter" width="705"] BBQ Filet - filet, veal pancetta mac-n-cheese, grilled vegetables, garlic dip, crostini - dhs 99[/caption]

After eating Parmesan crusted hammour last time, the pan seared hammour felt less exciting. I suggest to try their parmesan crusted hammour than the pan seared version. The BBQ fillet was the man of the match. Super tender and juicy. The steak was the best out of our three main course today. The pasta that accompanied the bbq fillet was bland in taste but the grilled vegetables was nice to have along with the steak. If you love steaks then you should definitely try one of their steak at Romano's Macaroni Grill.

[caption id="attachment_3847" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Dessert - warm berry torta - Dhs 38 - zabaglione, pistachios, raspberry sauce[/caption]

It finally ended with a warm berry torta. It came hot including the plate, you should be careful! The cold ice cream on top of the hot torta as well as nuts and berries were fun to have, but the cake within itself was a bit on the tougher side(not soft enough). I should have gone for their Tiramisu which I found later on their facebook page here
Click below to see pictures in full screen view:

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Biella - Caffe Pizzeria Ristorante - Wafi Mall

[caption id="attachment_3640" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Myself along with restaurant manager of Biella Mr. Riyaz[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3636" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Maincourses at Biella[/caption]

Some of those days where you get everything right from A to Z. I love Italian food! Atleast that's how I felt when I came out of Biella. The cuisine tasted great and ingredients that were set right. Biella, is one of the oldest restaurant at Wafi Mall. I've been seeing this restaurant in the same spot at Wafi Mall for many many years now. Scroll down further to read my Italian tale...

[caption id="attachment_3630" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Biella - outdoor seating - smoking area[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3628" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Biella - Interiors[/caption]

You can choose to sit inside or outside this restaurant. The outside felt more like you sitting in a garden with plants around you. The outdoor faces the same space where the lazer show takes place at the pyramids. It's a frequent site to see the BIG BUS tour making it's way around the restaurant. I was surrounded mainly by local crowd and I am not surprised as I was at Wafi Mall! :)

[caption id="attachment_3626" align="aligncenter" width="705"] On the house - Italian breads with Olive oil[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3627" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Drinks - Dhs 38 - Left(creamy Picasso - vanilla ice cream blended with passion fruit syrup) and Right(Frutti Di Bosco - A medely of mixed berries, lime juice and fresh mint charged with lemonade)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3629" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Iced Coffee - Dhs 26 - La Giola Italiana - combination of vanilla, milk and freshly brewed espresso topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle[/caption]

The moment we placed the order, came the usual breads and olive oil. Always enjoy having them. We tried 3 different drinks from their menu and all of them have been impressive. The Frutti Di Bosco had all kinds of berries inside it and their iced coffee was as good as those you find in any coffee house. My favourite was their Picasso which was vanilla ice cream blended with passion fruit syrup. It reminded of indian lassi but an italian version I'd say. The little pieces of passion fruit shoots through the straw and hits you in taste. The drinks gave me a good feeling at Biella.

[caption id="attachment_3632" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Caprese - Dhs 68 - Buffalo mazzarella from compania with Roma tomatoes, olives, sundried tomatoes and biella pesto[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3631" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Crocchette al Formaggio - Dhs 55 - deep fried cheese croquetes with tallegio, ricotta and mozzarella cheese served with basil mayonnaise[/caption]

For starters we tried something new in their menu which was their deep fried cheese sticks and wow it's one of the best cheese sticks I've had in a long time. A fry heavy with cheese and you just can't stop with one.  Their basil mayonnaise was just a perfect dipper for those cheese croquetes. The salad scored on it's buffalo mozarella cheese, sundried tomatoes along with homemade pesto. Eventually I begin to realize I am having a cheese feast so far, but I am loving every bit of it. By the way, if you hate tomatoes and sun dried ones then this salad might not be the one for you.

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Salmon alla griglia - Dhs 79 - grilled samon with aubergine, olives and tomatoes[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3637" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Salmon alla griglia - Dhs 79 - grilled samon with aubergine, olives and tomatoes[/caption]

Then came their main course starting with Grilled salmon which tasted fresh and just from the sea. The aubergine below was even better. The way the heavy salmon was hanging on top of that aubergine and that lemon flowing over the thick salmon just got me hungry for it.

[caption id="attachment_3635" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Ravioli Di Ricotta E spinaci - Dhs 78 - Ravioli with ricotta, spinach in cream sauce and pesto[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3633" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pappardelle osso buco - Dhs 99 - homemade pappardelle tossed with artichokes, ortobello mushroom and osso buco ragout[/caption]

Stuffed ravioli is our family favourite. The cream sauce was delicious but I felt it a little hard and cold while I was cutting it, felt like they should have cooked it for a little more time. But otherwise they got the taste right. The item from their new menu which was PAPPARDELLE OSSO BUCO was a runaway hit. Simply mind blowing! Beef lovers should definitely try this one. Everything was just perfect in this dish.

[caption id="attachment_3639" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Torta Cioccolato - Dhs 47 - chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and espresso sauce[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3638" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Baked vanilla ricotta cheesecake - Dhs 42[/caption]

The dessert Torta Cioccolato was out of the world. The chocolate was rich and that combination with ice cream took it to a different level. Actually the vanilla ice cream felt short of that gigantic rich chocolate cake. The baked ricotta cheesecake was a genuine cheesecake and so original that you better be a cheese lover to enjoy it. But the cheesecake felt a little too less compared to the chocolate cake. Overall it's been an impressive journey at Biella. By the way, food does take some time to reach you after you place the order. You need to be a little patient from that perspective :)

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Olive Garden - Sheikh Zayed Road - Dubai

[caption id="attachment_3495" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Our dining table at Olive Garden[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3509" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Olive Garden - Interiors[/caption]

There is this new Italian restaurant that just opened on sheikh zayed road by the name Olive Garden. My friend who went to the US recently told me about their good food so I thought I must go and have a try. This one's located just opposite to Time Square on sheikh Zayed road. It's a little difficult to notice if you don't keep your eyes open on the right side once you reach close to Time Square centre. They have a branch in AbuDhabi as well. We were in here for lunch and the interiors were cozy enough to make you feel at home.

[caption id="attachment_3483" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Drinks - (left - Frozen Tiramisu - Dhs 22) and right (Strawberry Fresco - Dhs 20)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3490" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Bellini - Dhs 20 - made with indulgent signature frozen blend of bellini and fresh peach fruits[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3482" align="aligncenter" width="705"] complimentary starters at Olive Garden[/caption]

We first picked our drinks

1. Strawberry Fresco - A sweet fruity cocktail made from strawberries, served with fresh strawberries and topped with soda


2. Peach Bellini - Frozen blend of Bellini and fresh fruits.


3. Frozen Tiramisu - A combination of espresso, vanilla and almond syrups, cocoa powder and ice cream.

Whatever drinks you order, don't miss the strawberry Fresco. It is a mind blowing refresher. Quite impressive that the other drinks just went into shadow including the Frozen Tiramisu. While we waited for our drinks came their complimentary bread sticks and two different dippers. Their fresh bread sticks and the dippers made a great match which gave us a good start :)

[caption id="attachment_3484" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Soups - Dhs 18 - Minestrone(infront) and chicken Gnocchi soup[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3487" align="aligncenter" width="705"] house salad - complimentary with any maincourse[/caption]

The one nice thing about their lunch was you get to choose a complimentary soup or salad along with your order of a maincourse and that too it's unlimited refill! Their classic Italian soup called minestrone was top notch which was a combination of vegetables, beans and pasta in a light tomato broth. Their house salad looked simple but definitely a salad that anyone will enjoy.

[caption id="attachment_3485" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Lasagna Fritta - Dhs 38 - Parmesan breaded lasagna pieces, fried and served over alfredo sauce topped with parmesan cheese and marinara sauce[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3489" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Lasagna Fritta - Dhs 38[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3486" align="aligncenter" width="705"] shrimp scampi fritta - Dhs 39 - lightly breaded and fried shrimp, tossed with a garlic and butter sauce or a spicy cherry pepper sauce[/caption]

Their shrimps came small in size and was light on taste. But the man of the match to me in this department was the Lasagna fritta which came like towers lined up on a plate. It was cheesy and crunchy.

[caption id="attachment_3491" align="aligncenter" width="705"] chicken scampi - Dhs 59 - chicken breast tenderloins sauteed with bell peppers, roasted garlic and onions in a garlic cream sauce over angel hair pasta[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3493" align="aligncenter" width="705"] ravioli di portobello - Dhs 59 - portobello mushroom filled ravioli in a creamy smoked cheese and sun dried tomato sauce[/caption]

The chicken scampi had a good portion size and was satisfying. The pasta along with chicken scampi had a nice flavour to it but their chicken was less tender. The stuffed ravioli didn't reach up to my expectation. I thought they could improve the sauce used on top of the portobello mushroom filled ravioli. Next visit I should definitely try their pizza, they looked yummy.

[caption id="attachment_3494" align="aligncenter" width="705"] wildberry cheesecake - Dhs 27[/caption]

Their warm apple crostata(sliced apples, rich vanilla cream and caramelized almond biscotti crumble baked with a shortbread cookie crust) looked interesting but I was overstuffed to have something that heavy so I picked the wildberry cheesecake. The wildberry cheesecake was fab. The cake was supersoft and delicious with all those berries and slices of cream cheese in between the soft vanilla cake. It's a dessert you can have, even if you are not a cheesecake fan ;)

[caption id="attachment_3496" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me along with chefs and staff of Olive Garden[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3498" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Goodbye chocolates at Olive Garden[/caption]

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