Qube Cafe Resto - Mohd. Bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown

[caption id="attachment_2428" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Entrance to Qube Cafe Restro[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2414" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Qube Cafe Resto Team[/caption]

The last time I came this road was to House of Curry. This time it's Qube Resto & cafe. The restaurant had an iconic look from the outside surrounded by huge glass. The outdoor seatings were filled by diners who were having a sheesha. Infact 90% of the outdoor tables were filled by sheesha enthusiasts. We opted to sit inside the cafe which was much cooler than the afternoon which is getting warmer day by day. The seatings were different and comfortable. They try to make you feel at home. Every part of the restaurant had large LCDs which had sports channels running. Sit outside or inside you have a good view of the television always.

[caption id="attachment_2409" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Qube Resto & Cafe - interiors - feel at home[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2418" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Qube Resto & Cafe - interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2419" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Qube Resto & Cafe - interiors[/caption]

There is a big plus to those who sat out at Qube Cafe Resto which is they got to enjoy the great views of the Downtown buildings. You could stare at Burj Khalifa and have your complete meal. Today the crowd at Qube Cafe were mainly arabs and most of them enjoying their sheesha while they sip a drink and some hot appetizers. I thought they served only Lebanese cuisine but their menu had a bit more than that, serving international cuisine. They had a very relaxed environment and try to make you feel at home. Somehow I was initially trying to link this with Cafe Blanc, not sure why.

[caption id="attachment_2408" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Drinks - Wared, mango frappe, moonlight[/caption]

Wared drink(That's rose in color) is a must try. If you are here you better not miss this drink. Very authentic and rejuvenating. For me after trying wared both other drinks Mango frappe and Moonlight cold coffee tasted ordinary.

[caption id="attachment_2411" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mexican Chicken Salad - Dhs 40[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2412" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Quinao Tabbouleh - Dhs 32[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2413" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mexican Chicken Salad - Dhs 40[/caption]

Quninao Tabbouleh - Traditional tabbouleh replacing bulgur with quinoa. This is not a regular tabbouleh you see everywhere. I picked this salad from their special menu which was tailored for those trying to live a healthier life. In the healthy menu page they highlight one item like say oats or in this case quinoa and then tell you the health benefits of it. In the case of Quinoa it is a protein rich food with almost twice in fiber than most other grains. Loaded with vitamins and minerals. Then you are shown options of dishes made around those items. Quinoa tabbouleh carried 3gms of Fat, 80 calories, 11gm of carbs and 3gm of proteins.

Mexican Chicken Salad - Mesclun, cherry tomato, chilly suffed olives, sweet corn, avocado, green pepper, cheddar cheese, tortillas bread and grilled chicken, served with honey lemon chilli dressing. There's quite a bit of ingredients to make you happy when eating the mexican chicken salad. More than chicken it's the nachos and cheddar cheese that get you moving. Those chilli stuffed olives were also my target in this salad.

[caption id="attachment_2420" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Warak Enab - Dhs 26[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2416" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Grilled Nabulsi Cheese - Dhs 30[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2415" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Fatayer Bakle - Dhs 28[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2422" align="aligncenter" width="705"] My plate of appetizers - inner fillings[/caption]

Fatayer Bakle was my little ones favourite. It was mainly spinach and pine nuts. Warak enab was my wife's favourite. Each piece of the grilled nabulsi cheese was so big in size that your hunger for goat cheese should get over from here.

[caption id="attachment_2423" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mixed Grilled Platter - Dhs 62[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2424" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Salmon and Spinach Pillow - Dhs 98[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2421" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Labneh bil Toum - Dhs 24[/caption]

Besides their regular menu. They do have a menu tailored to those who are calorie conscious. Telling how much of calories, fats, carbs and proteins you are going to gain.

Mixed Grill Platter: A combination of chicken taouk, meat and kebab served with grilled vegetables, a dip of hommos, garlic dip and french fries.

Salmon and Spinach Pillow: Grilled Salmon pillowed on oven baked marrow and spinach served with teriyaki sauce. This dish had calories 280, fat 13gm, carbs 26gm, proteins 17gm.

All the meats on the mixed grilled platter were fantastic. Well cooked, soft and had a nice flavour to it. To be honest when I tasted the chicken in their salad I was a little hesitant but they have very well impressed me here. Salmon was descent and was quite filling. The only disappointing factor was there were no HOT breads available.

Labneh bil Toum was thick and rich. I'd say it's one of the top labneh I've had and they give you a lot of it :)

 

[caption id="attachment_2425" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Special issmaliyeh - Dhs 32[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2426" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Ghazel El Ashta wil 3assal - Dhs 30[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2427" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Halewe Fondant - Dhs 32[/caption]

Their desserts are a mesmerizer. We tried 3 of them and all of them tasted very special. Special Issmaliyeh is one of their most famous dessert. You see them advertised all over social media so I ensured to try it. The frozen cream slab that's sandwiched between the golden skin was an icecream to me and together with crunchy skin it was fab. What they told me is that make the cream in house and then they freeze it. But the taste of it was pretty close to the icecream that came along with Halewe fondant.

Halewa fondant was one of the very kind dessert you would like to most often. You just don't feel like you are eating too much of sweet. Like if it was a chocolate fondant you would see that hot chocolate flowing out and everytime you eat a spoon you eat with guilt. Halewa fondant was with a twist where instead of chocolate it was some other else which was sweet but less sweet. And so the icecream that comes along with it makes it a great match. and how can i forget those bananas with special toppings that was made the ride on this dessert even more thrilling.

Ghazel El Ashta wil 3assal had it's bottom made of cornflakes. For me to the top half of it was my favourite which was the classic white cotton candy sitting on that thick lebanese cream(ashta).

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SUSHI ART - The walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence

[caption id="attachment_2380" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with SUSHI ART crew[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2376" align="aligncenter" width="678"] SUSHI ART - Interiors[/caption]

One of my first post to a Japanese cuisine. If you are a part time sushi eater like me then this is one sushi restaurant you need to visit. After being at Sushi Art I now have a different perspective. This one's located at Jumeirah Beach Residence at the walk just opposite to the Sand Castles made by an Australian artist. It's amazing how someone can create something like that with sand. The sand artist has done it so well that some people don't even believe that it's all sand. Just as i was impressed with sand art, I was impressed the same way by Sushi Art. I guess it was a good day for me.

[caption id="attachment_2400" align="aligncenter" width="705"] One of the Sand Castles at The walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2375" align="aligncenter" width="705"] SUSHI ART - Interiors[/caption]

Sushi Art is one of the closest restaurant from the beach with beautiful wooden interior designs. I love their pretty looking lights and different seating options. You can sit out but be in their shade and eat feeling the breeze and fresh air or you could opt to sit on any of their custom dine-in setup. We sat in their cozy cabin which was surrounded by wooden decor.

[caption id="attachment_2378" align="aligncenter" width="678"] SUSHI ART - private cabin[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2379" align="aligncenter" width="705"] SUSHI ART - DINE IN[/caption]

I didn't know much about this restaurant until I got briefed about it once I was in the restaurant. It seems every year they choose one chef to architect their menu and this year it is Joel Robuchon. Joel Robuchon is quite famous and is mentioned on wiki page! he has won several awards and one of them as "Chef of the century" award. It's quite an honor to have an opportunity to eat some made by the world's best voted chef.

[caption id="attachment_2359" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Spicy Miso Soup - Dhs 10[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2357" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Seaweed salad - Dhs 28[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2356" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Edamame - Dhs 16[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2355" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Baby Spinach Salad - Dhs 20[/caption]

Now that's some of our starters you are looking at. The hot spicy MISO soup had a nice flavour to it and it was the right order to start with in the cold evening. You would find Tofu pieces inside it as well. The soup was reasonably priced too. The salads were different here and not the usual list of vegetables that you find in a salad menu. My favourite was the seaweed salad. Easy to eat and something you could enjoy. The Edameme was actually a headache for me. Every time I put a piece in my mouth I had to spit out the skin. I am not sure if people eat the entire thing or there is a different way to eat it. These are supposed to be very healthy salads by the way. So I was happy eating something different and better. It's the dressing on the spinach that gives the taste to the baby spinach salad but otherwise it was too much of leaf only for me.

[caption id="attachment_2362" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Marinated Tartare - Dhs 80[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2361" align="aligncenter" width="705"] New style Salmon Tartare - Dhs 80[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2360" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Salmon Tartare - Dhs 65[/caption]

New style Salmon Tartare - Finely Chopped Salmon, Capers, Parsley, Onion, Robuchon sauce - 180g.
Marinated Tartare - Salmon, Tuna, Cucumber, Leek, Mint, Coriander, Marinade - 180g.
Salmon Tartare - Salmon Avocado with Japanese Mayonnaise, Salmon Roe - 180g.

New Style Tartare was my favourite in the lot which is a creation by chef Joel Robuchon. You can see orange salmon eggs placed on top of both salmon tartare. They say it's good source of omega 3. They give you their spicy and sweet soy sauce which I thought played an important role in adding that extra taste to entice you further. These sauces are given in a nice packing for a take away. Below you can see the take away size otherwise in house they place their signature bottle on your table.

[caption id="attachment_2358" align="aligncenter" width="705"] soy sauce - Dhs 30[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2363" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Spice and Ginger[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2364" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Automatic chopsticks[/caption]

Before those platters came in I was given this ginger you see above. Since the platter comes with too many little items it will be difficult for you to gauge the actual taste of a second item after you have one. So you have this garlic each time you want to reset your taste ;) A handy info. Thanks to those automatic chopsticks they provide you it's been easy using them else I always give up and go with the fork. Next time I'll make a point to ask every Sushi restaurant if they can provide any of these automatic chopsticks. Actually we were given the professional ones first(with no rubber bands) but they gave an automatic one to my son, I then hinted the waitress I too am an amateur with chopsticks :p You really need to use chopsticks to enjoy sushis is what I understood after using them that night.

[caption id="attachment_2369" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mixed platter - Spicy tuna - Dhs 30, Spicy Avocado Tempura - Dhs 32, Crab avocado - Dhs 38, Mango Tango roll - Dhs 32[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2366" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The Joel Robuchon Box - Dhs 154[/caption]

Joel Robuchon Box - Dhs 154 which contains:

• 6 Crispy Lobster Roll - lobster, banana, cucumber, yuzu mango sauce, soy leaf


• 6 Hawaian roll - shrimp, basil, avocado, salmon, kiwi, yuzu mango sauce


• 6 Spicy ebi roll - shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, purple potato chips, yuzu sauce, kosho -


• 2 seared scallop - seared scallop, miso saikyo sauce

If you are in here for lunch let me tell you one thing clearly. Don't forget to order this signature Joêl Robuchon platter for Dhs 154. All that on this plate is gold. The Spicy Ebi roll was the most in demand on our table. Surely when you eat his creations the taste is one level up.

[caption id="attachment_2367" align="aligncenter" width="705"] HAND ROLL - Spicy Salmon - Dhs 26 and Spicy Tuna - Dhs 30[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2368" align="aligncenter" width="705"] SUSHI - Lox and cream cheese Dhs 16 and Salmon - Dhs 8[/caption]

The hand rolls we ordered which were spicy salmon and tuna were a little too much for me in portion. I prefer to eat them in little portions like how they came in a platter. This was more like a shawarma wrap with thick content of salmon and sushi inside it. The Lox and cream cheese was nice with cheese playing the main role.

[caption id="attachment_2365" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Wagyu beef tataki miso sauce with Truffle - Dhs 140[/caption]

Wagyu beef tataki miso sauce with Truffle - Finely sliced seared wagyu beef, ginger, chive

Tonight we've tasted too many varieties but if you ask me to pick just one item again then it has to be their wagyu beef which was served to us cooked and well done. It was one of the best tasting wagyu beef I've had. Really good and we literally couldn't stop taking one piece after the other.

[caption id="attachment_2373" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mochi (2 pieces) - Dhs 30 - icecream wrapped in coconut milk paste[/caption]

Mochi ice creams very different. They come wrapped in a thick coconut paste. You then tear open them to unleash the icecream in it. It come in pairs of two. Ice cream Flavors come in mango, coconut, chocolate and strawberry). The favourite for me was the mango Mochi.

[caption id="attachment_2374" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Tropezienne - Dhs 24 for 2 pieces[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2372" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Chocolate Fondant - Dhs 30 - served warm[/caption]

The chocolate fondant came served warm and once cracked open you get the hot lava chocolate flowing out of this cake. As expected once you start, you just can't stop having it until it's over.

[caption id="attachment_2371" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Cheesecake - Dhs 25[/caption]

Cheesecake is served plain without any sauce but since I requested for some sauce on it they managed to arrange me a mango sauce. Cheese cake was good too but nothing different like some of their other items.

[caption id="attachment_2370" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Guests at SUSHI ART[/caption]

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Espressamente illy - Al Ghurair Centre, Deira Dubai

[caption id="attachment_2339" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Enjoying sable biscuits at Espressamente illy - Dhs 20 per piece[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2342" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Espressamente illy - interiors[/caption]

Once again here I am at one of my favourite Cafe's in Dubai. This one's located at the new Al Ghurair City. I've been to the same cafe at Dubai Festival City but this cafe had a little more to offer. At a first glance you know this one's much bigger than the one at DFC but had lesser illy collections(coffee machines, plates, mugs, cup set etc) for you to see/buy which was a major attraction at illy DFC

[caption id="attachment_2341" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Espressamente illy - interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2327" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Espressamente Illy - Dine out[/caption]

You could opt to dine in or sit out and enjoy the mall attractions while you sip your italian coffee. The lucky part for illy at Al Ghurair is that their outlet is located right at the heart of malls attraction area. So their outdoor seats are in demand during peak hours of the mall.

[caption id="attachment_2329" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Frappe al caffe - Dhs 19 and Half and half winter - Dhs 20[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2328" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Nuvola - Dhs 20[/caption]

Ofcourse the most exciting and difficult part in their menu is when you decide on your ONE coffee. Too many good coffees advertised on their menu with each coffee dedicated on each page with detailed picture, description and each coffee trying to beat the other one, atleast on paper :p

Frappe al caffe - Double shot of illy espresso blended with liquid sugar and ice for a creamy. smooth cafe.

Half and Half winter - A bottom layer of hot chocolate with slightly illy espresso softened in the mixer. A thick cup of delight.

Nuvola - illycrema and hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream

I am more of a tea freak than a coffee lover to be honest. For someone like me other ingredients in the coffee matters. So in this case it was quite obvious the Nuvola was my preferred drink. The frappe al Cafee was too much of a strong coffee and half & half winter which came served hot was more coffee than chocolate to me. In short the Nuvola is a must try if your someone who enjoy drinks like frappuccino. The nice part here is you don't feel or taste ice like in a traditional frappuccino. It's one of those good quality cold drinks you enjoy at a cafe. The last time it was Affogato which rocked at our table. This time it is Nuvola.

[caption id="attachment_2336" align="aligncenter" width="705"] sable biscuits - Dhs 20[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2335" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Bombolone alla crema - Dhs 20[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2337" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Bombolone alla crema - Dhs 20[/caption]

They do have some items that come directly from Italy. Like their biscuits or signature Tiramisu.
Some of those biscuits you see are Circles of baked vanilla sable dough sandwiched with apricot jam. These kinds of biscuits are famous in France. My favourite was the chocolate biscuit. The Bombolone is the italian version of doughnuts. You get it in different flavours like vanilla or chocolate. I picked the chocolate one and the cream tasted more like a Nutella in it.

[caption id="attachment_2333" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Ciabatta bread with chicken - Dhs 29[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2332" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Ravioli with tomato sauce and Mozzarella - Dhs 45[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2331" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Ravioli with tomato sauce and Mozzarella - Dhs 45[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2330" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Svitati with 4 cheeses sauce - Dhs 45[/caption]

This is where the difference comes in between DFC and Al Ghurair. You get to eat a little more than pastries and croissants. They've got a maincourse menu which I didn't notice the last time I visited the DFC branch. Some of the new items we tried were Ravioli with tomato sauce and Mozzarella which tasted great. The Svitati looked a little blank when I compare it with Ravioli but once we added all those pepper, salt etc...the cheese sauce in it turned out to do it's magic. Pastas tasted good but just make sure to add all that extra salt, pepper, cheese to your liking.. to make it more attractive.

[caption id="attachment_2334" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Tiramisu - Dhs 32[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2338" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Royal chocolate cake - Dhs 25[/caption]

Tiarmisu at illy is again made and imported from Italy and this time it's looking and tasting different. It's much softer and creamier than the last one we had which is a good thing. The chocolate pastry was my favourite by the way. So rich in taste and any chocolate lover should definitely try this one from here.

[caption id="attachment_2340" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with shop manager Mr. Sadiq khan[/caption]

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