Cafe Blanc - Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara, AbuDhabi

[caption id="attachment_2240" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Cafe Blanc outdoor[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2251" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Cafe Blanc crew[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2225" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Complimentary biscuits for my little ones[/caption]

Finally my first post on a restaurant in AbuDhabi. I've seen this Cafe Blanc in Dubai Mall several times and finally when we were here at this beautiful Eastern Mangroves Hotel we decided to visit Cafe Blanc for lunch. The climate was just right that day and you could sit in their outdoor space and feel the nice breeze and see the fancy boats on this little island when you enjoy your heavy lunch which you will witness soon!

[caption id="attachment_2226" align="aligncenter" width="678"] House cocktail - Hanayen Dhs 28[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2227" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Cocktails - Alef layleh wa layleh - Dhs 31(left), Hanayen - Dhs 28, Orient express - Dhs 31(right)[/caption]

Alef layleh wa layleh: Fresh avocado, rose syrup, milk, jellab and dry apricot.
Hanayen: One layer of blended mango pulp with jasmine and violet syrup followed by another lavender syrup, fresh banana and apple juice, finished off with a generous hint of blue curacao.
Orient Express: Jellab and amaretto syrup along with 7up

Their drinks were thrilling. They come in a giant glass and ever so colorful and vibrant. The first one that came on our table was Hanayen. I took my first sip and I just couldn't wait to taste the rest of it. The man of the match in the cocktail section was definitely Alef Layleh Wa Layleh. Even though it was difficult to spell the name, the drink was very special. It was more like a falooda to me. So filling and yet you don't want to stop sipping.

[caption id="attachment_2228" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Hot breads[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2230" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Cold Mezze - Moutabbal debes el reman - Dhs 28 and Labneh bil zaatar - Dhs 28[/caption]

Moutabbal debes el reman: moutabbal eggplant mixed with green onion, parsley and topped with pomegranate.
Labneh bil zaatar: Delicious mix of Labneh, thyme and sundried tomato topped with olive oil.

Both these cold mezze came well dressed and I would tear that hot bread, dip them and treat myself
with all pleasure. Both of them came thick and you know this is supposed to be a must know item for a lebanese restaurant so they wouldn't go wrong here.

[caption id="attachment_2229" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Hot Mezze - Mixed mezze platter - Dhs 30[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2238" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Here Brother, have all of it ![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2232" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Large size salad - Fattouch lahmeh skewers - Dhs 56[/caption]

Mixed Mezze platter - 2 pieces of rkakat jebneh, 2 pcs of fatayer baqli and 2 pcs of sanbousik
Fattouch lahmeh skewers - Fattouch salad topped with marinated meat skewers.

I always enjoy eating these little bit of items. All that came in that Mixed mezze platter was very satisfying. My favourite was the one with spinach filling in it. Fattouch salad had the right taste and you could enjoy it to finish but I felt the meat skewers that came along could have been more tender.

[caption id="attachment_2233" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Sandwich - djej msakhan - Dhs 47[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2236" align="aligncenter" width="705"] kebbeh al fahem - Dhs 50[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2237" align="aligncenter" width="705"] kebbeh al fahem Dhs 50 - with labneh filling[/caption]

Djej msakhan: A mix of grilled and shredded chicken breast with sumac, garlic paste and pickles wrapped with toasted markouk bread served with french fries.
Kebbeh Al Fahem: 3 pcs of falvored kebbeh with debes el remmen, chilly and labneh.

Djej msakhan was a thick chicken sandwich. You eat two out of the three pieces and you are done. The chicken was shredded to the pieces of our keema sandwich. I generally like to bite my chicken pieces but this was shredded to such an extent that you just couldn't get hold of the chicken in your mouth. To me the favourite filling for the kebbeh Al Faheem was chilly or debes el remmen. I thought the labneh didn't go well with Kebbeh Al Fahem.

[caption id="attachment_2231" align="aligncenter" width="705"] My tools at Cafe Blanc[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2234" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Masheweh combo platter - Dhs 190 - Kafta skewers, meat and taouk[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Masheweh combo platter - Dhs 190 - Kafta skewers, meat and taouk[/caption]

Masheweh Combo platter : A platter of 9 mixed grill skewers of: 3 meat, 3 taouk, 3 kafta skewers served with garlic paste, hommos and biwaz bread.

When this platter came on the table there was a sudden silence and everyone's just curiously looking at it. The juicy Taouk was the best in the lot for me. The hommos and garlic paste that came along with it was super fine.

[caption id="attachment_2243" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Trio pudding - Dhs 34 - rice pudding, meghleh and mouhallabieh[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2244" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Me with Trio pudding - Dhs 34[/caption]

Trio pudding consists of rice pudding, mouhallabieh and meghleh.

I personally am a pudding fine. I definitely enjoyed the rice pudding and my wife was after the mouhallabieh pudding. The chocolate looking one was not on par as the white puddings or maybe I felt it less sweet than the other two.

[caption id="attachment_2242" align="aligncenter" width="705"] knefe - Dhs 36[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2241" align="aligncenter" width="705"] wein el esmalieh - Dhs 35 - cafe blanc twist on the esmalieh dessert[/caption]

I with no doubt enjoyed the Wein El Esmalieh. You pour that sweet syrup on top, get your spoon cracking through those golden pastry hitting the fresh arabic cream and the rest is history. With these kind of delicious desserts it's difficult for me to reduce weight but if this is the case then every gram is worth the gain to me ;)

[caption id="attachment_2239" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Complimentary hot cafe blanc refresher after meal[/caption]

I was quite surprised to receive this complimentary hot drink at the end of our meal. It is supposed to improve our digestion process. Normally it comes as a clear drink which is you see on the left but you can add some rose water(right side) to it for Dhs 2. I enjoyed the one with the rose water in it.

Cafe Blanc facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CafeBlancAbuDhabi

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77 Veggie Boutique - Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

[caption id="attachment_2200" align="aligncenter" width="705"] 77 Veggie Boutique interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2206" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with my vegetarian guest Mr. Tejas Shah at 77 Veggie Boutique[/caption]

Enough is Enough. I've been eating a lot of mutton, chicken, beef and all the other innocent animals :p . It's high time I add some vegetables to my diet. Hence I visit this veggie only restaurant located next to my office in Jumeirah Lake Towers, Tiffany tower. It's a little difficult to notice this restaurant if you've never been here before but the Tiffany tower is very much visible.

[caption id="attachment_2201" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Drinks - Avocado Flair - Dhs 32, Alfresco - Dhs 34[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2210" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Roma Tonic - Dhs 27[/caption]

For the drinks we had:

Alfresco: Mixture of Parsley, green apple, celery, cucumber and ginger with a touch of pure honey. Calories:204

Avocado Flair: Avocado with use of low fat milk to balance your fatty acids. Calories:175

Roma's Tonic: A refreshing blend of Aqua water, fresh orange juice and mint. Calories: 182

Through out their menu you would find the amount of calories you were about to consume. So if you were a health freak then you obviously count and eat. Since my mathematics is pretty bad I just didn't bother to count calories and eat :D . After all more than wealth that's one thing I collect more than most of you :p

My original drink was Alfresco. I thought I shouldn't try their heavy smoothies cause it would get me too full and yes the Alfresco was just right drink for me. Light and refreshing. The Avocado wasn't actually giving much flair until she added more honey to it and then it was all glowing to me :D We ordered the Roma's Tonic just because we saw the owners name on it. But honestly when i read the ingredients it didn't look very convincing but my guest thought we should give it a try and believe me Roma's Tonic is the one drink to order. It was a pretty drink with a beautiful taste. I give 5 stars to Roma's Tonic.

[caption id="attachment_2202" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Molly made much bunch bakes - Dhs 35[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2203" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Molly made much bunch bakes - Dhs 35[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2204" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Lentil Soup - Dhs 22[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2205" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Light Tofu Salad with veggies - Dhs 32[/caption]

From their healthy appetizers section we had the

Molly Made much Bunch Bakes: Delicately sauteed cabbage, carrots balls designed in manchurian style in tangy sauce trickling your taste buds with the touch of spring onions. Calories:126

Lentil Soup: Boil and cooked red lentils and yellow peas combining in spices, tomatoes garnished with curry leaves and coriander. Calories:191

Light Tofu Salad with veggies: Roasted vegetables with baked tofu on green beans readily served with herb and mint. Calories:175

The lentil soup was standard as expected. The breads that come along with their soup is a little different and interesting. Molly made munch had that tangy sauce which gave me a problem to give it a high mark but otherwise you know your eating a nice ball of baked vegetables ;) This light Tofu salad was my favourite out of my whole dinner. Vegetables were juicy like never before.

[caption id="attachment_2207" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Red Bistro Sizzler - Dhs 52[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2208" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Tejas Shah going for the Red Bistro Sizzler - Dhs 52[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2209" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Red Nice noodles - Dhs 34[/caption]

Red Bistro Sizzler: Fresh veggies flaunted with mushrooms, broccoli, french beans, cabbage garnished with spring onions and cutlets. Calories:580

Healthy Red Nice noodles with veggie chilli sauce: Low fat rice noodles sauteed in veggie chili based sauce. Calories:425

Wow I was never expecting a sizzler in a vegetarian restaurant. It was sizzling but after eating tofu salad I felt it was a repeat show of more vegetables. The addition to the red bistro was the veggie cutlet sitting on top of the sizzling vegetables. The low fat rice noodles was well made and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[caption id="attachment_2212" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Brownie - Dhs 20[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2211" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Low fat cheese cake - Dhs 29[/caption]

Normally desserts that are made calorie conscious are less in taste than the originals. But believe me this Low fat chocolate cheese cake tasted better than the original chocolate cheese cake. They are also free from butter, eggs etc. It was really good and on my next visit I surely will have this piece of cheese cake once again. It did have a different texture but it was jolly good. I took one home too and everyone was of the same opinion. Brownie was impressive as well. Though it wouldn't beat the taste of their chocolate cheese cake but I enjoyed the brownie too. It was not a boring brownie for sure.

[caption id="attachment_2213" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Spiced Chai with Herbs - Dhs 18 along with wholewheat cookie[/caption]

You know after heavy days work. I am now here having this wonderful dinner and now I need to drive back home all the way to Deira from JLT. My eyes are closing and I thought it was not a bad idea to have a milk tea. By the way I am a die hard fan of strong milk tea if you haven't realized as yet. Thankfully their masala chai was good enough to keep me awake for the drive back home. The cookie that came along with it was wholewheat but this one didn't have the flare of the dessert. Not necessary everyone should enjoy it.

[caption id="attachment_2214" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with 77 Veggie Boutique staff[/caption]

Overall our time at this veggie boutique was worth a visit. You can read more about them on their website: http://www.77veggie.com/

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Taste of Fame - Jumeirah Sunset Mall - Jumeirah beach road, Dubai

[caption id="attachment_2164" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Entrance to Taste of Fame[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2175" align="aligncenter" width="705"] At the red carpet waving to my fans along with Saurabh(famous Indian Villain)[/caption]

The Oscars just got over. I was in the perfect restaurant watching the Oscars at the Taste of Fame restaurant. The theme for the night was 'The OSCARS After Party'. At the entrance of Taste of Fame is the famous red carpet with king size trophies waiting to greet you and for the Oscars night special there were paparazzi around you busy taking snaps. I guess it was an Oscar night special arrangement but surely it did give me a wonderful experience of being a star.

[caption id="attachment_2166" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Will Smith with Dwayne Johnson in the background[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2167" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Will Smith and me sharing a joke[/caption]

Inside this restaurant they had wax models of famous celebrities. It reminded of the famous place Madame Tussauds. You could find these wax models on different corners of the restaurant. There were more hollywood actors than any other. But this restaurant just doesn't promote hollywood, it is a celebrity themed restaurant. I was told very soon they might have a wax figure of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum :)

[caption id="attachment_2173" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Interiors of Taste of Fame[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2174" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Juice Bar in Taste of fame[/caption]

The interiors of Taste of Fame is really nice. The Lightings are very special. They have Elton John playing piano at the center of the restaurant. You will find wide screen LCD on all sides of the restaurant. So no matter where you sit you should get a television to watch. Tonight it was all oscars playing.

[caption id="attachment_2185" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Daniel Craig[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2187" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Saurabh Ail with Amitabh Bachan[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2186" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Hulk just arrived for dinner[/caption]

At Taste of Fame you generally find Italian and Asian cuisine. I was here to try their Oscar set menu which was priced at Dhs 249. Since it was a set menu once you start they would just continue to bring one after the other as I finish each plate given. At the end of the day their food has been very satisfying.

[caption id="attachment_2176" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Mocktails - Dhs 40 - Ipanema and Virgin on the beach[/caption]

Virgin on the beach - Cranberry juice, Orange juice, Peach Juice and Grenadine
Ipanema - Lime, Brown sugar, Passion fruit juice, Ginger Ale

The mocktails are always refreshing with each restaurant have it's own mixes. I was very much impressed with their mocktail called Ipanema. Even though my order was the 'virgin on the beach' I just couldn't resist going back to Ipanema. Its a must try if you are at Taste of Fame.

[caption id="attachment_2177" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Buckwheat blinis with ossetra caviar, creme fraiche. smoke salmon pizza, Hamachi "yellow tail" Tiradito, Scampi with truffle vinaigrette[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2178" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Watermelon, Feta and Pine nuts salad[/caption]

It was a little of everything on their plate for starters/appetizers. They make good food for sure. Whatever came in was really nice. There wasn't anything on the plate that we could complain about. Every bite was golden :D

[caption id="attachment_2180" align="aligncenter" width="705"] At our dinner table[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2179" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Black Angus Tenderloin 'Diane'[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2165" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Balcony view at Taste of Fame[/caption]

The steak was juicy and tender. The sauce that was on top of the steak made the steak even more good looking and tasty. By the way you can also eat out in fresh air in their balcony facing the sea. But the sea is a little too far to enjoy the view but it's there.

[caption id="attachment_2182" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Blueberry cheesecake and lemon meringue[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2181" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Macaroons[/caption]

The desserts were 50 50 in taste. There were good looking macaroons which didn't taste great. This one item they need some improvement. I mean if you've eaten the macaroon at La Mainson Du Chocolate you know what I am talking about. But desserts like their cheese cake was lovely in taste. The below chocolate item was also good. It came with a chocolate mousse filling in it.

[caption id="attachment_2183" align="aligncenter" width="705"] chocolate dessert[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2188" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Can you give me the formula that gets me to the Forbes rich list[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2168" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Birthday cake - Despicable me - minions[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2172" align="aligncenter" width="705"] famous ios game - subway surfer cake[/caption]

They make fantastic looking birthday cakes. I am not sure how well they taste but surely they design well. You can get any kind of design for your birthday celebration. I've taken few shots for you to see. That game subway surfer is my son's favourite game on the ipad. I think it's high time i get him this cake for his birthday. The cakes would cost around Dhs 400 - Dhs 500 depending on the weight of the cake.

[caption id="attachment_2171" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Edible oscar trophies[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_2169" align="aligncenter" width="705"] cakes - chanel bag, Nikon slr camera and pillow[/caption]

To see their menu and more details of the restaurant you can visit their website: http://www.thetasteoffame.com/

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