Vintage chocolate lounge - Dubai Mall

[caption id="attachment_4267" align="alignnone" width="660"] Me lost at Vintage Chocolate Lounge[/caption]

Love chocolates? then this is the post for you ;) Vintage chocolate lounge is a lounge for chocoholics. They've got so many treats and tricks to offer you that you will be mesmerized. This lounge is a regular sight for movie viewers at Dubai Mall as their store is located just opposite to reel cinemas. Surprisingly they even serve breakfast at their chocolate lounge which I doubt anyone would know until they have a look at their new menu. Infact, my breakfast was so good here that I thought they make better breakfast than chocolates.

[caption id="attachment_4258" align="alignnone" width="470"] Vintage Chocolate Lounge - interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4261" align="alignnone" width="660"] Vintage Hot aztetc chocolate - Dhs 28 - blended with hot chilli[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4260" align="alignnone" width="660"] drinks - From right: shrek - Dhs 24 (mint chocolate ice cream shake) and Passion fruit - Dhs 30 (blend of passion fruit, orange and pineapple)[/caption]

An elegant looking lounge from the outside with a dark theme inside having illuminated designs on the walls. A perfect spot for those love birds :D We first started with their drinks. Firstly I was happy to see their quality menu with big wide pages and pictures which was useful in guiding us to make an order. For the drinks, the green shake did attract my eye for the color. The shrek shake which was a blend of mint chocolate ice cream was pretty strong in taste that the passion fruit juice felt tasteless. Maybe it's a good idea to sip the juice first then try the shake. When I drank their hot chocolate I got two reactions. The first reaction, you appreciate the quality of their chocolate and what a divine sip it was, the next one was a frustrated one which was a spicy sensation in the mouth. I then realized I've ordered a spicy hot chocolate which got me frustrated. Later I noticed, the description clearly mentions blending chilli with their hot chocolate. I think it's good if they reconfirm with their customers if they prefer to have spice in their hot chocolate cause not everyone should necessarily notice that chilli coming.

[caption id="attachment_4259" align="alignnone" width="660"] Chocolates made by Vintage Chocolate Lounge - Dhs 4 per piece[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4264" align="alignnone" width="660"] Eggs Benedict - Dhs 31[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4263" align="alignnone" width="660"] Eggs Benedict - Dhs 31[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4262" align="alignnone" width="660"] Hallomi sandwich - Dhs 26 - hallomi cheese, olives, rocket leaves, mint, zaatar and fresh olive oil dressing[/caption]

We then started with breakfast but they said my eggs benedict will take around 15 mins to prepare. So to kill time we tried some of their quality chocolates which were made in house. They had truffles, milk and dark chocolates with different fillings like almond, caramel, honey etc. I was quite impressed with their honey filled dark chocolate where you can actually taste real honey inside the dark chocolate. If I wanted to try the same one at Godiva I'd have to pay Dhs 8 so this is affordable by half the price. Then came in our breakfast which was unbelievably good. It's one of the best eggs benedict I've had. Those plain croissants on top of eggs benedict really defined a croissant. I never appreciated a plain croissant until I had this one. Crispy, light, puffed and so fresh in the mouth. It's surely one of the best I've had. Quite surprising that a chocolate lounge can be so good with their breakfast that's totally non-chocolate. Everything so perfect with it including the mushrooms which tasted so good.

[caption id="attachment_4266" align="alignnone" width="660"] Fruit tarts - Dhs 37 - 7 types of flavour strawberry, blueberry, cranberry, pecan and almond[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4269" align="alignnone" width="660"] choco - sushi - Dhs 45 - assortment of raw cocoa rolls[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4268" align="alignnone" width="660"] Cocoa Crepe - Dhs 27[/caption]

If you don't like sushi don't worry. Here's one that you'll love to try. Although I feel assortment choco sushis are a little over priced(dhs 45) but it's got some interesting combinations for you to enjoy which also includes mini cheese cake wrapped with chocolate. Dip them in the sauces accompanied especially their chocolate one and you just want to have more of it. Actually majority of the items in the sushi assortment package reminds of crepes, so felt it was an over kill when we ordered the cocoa crepe separately. Their crepe was the only one I wasn't really happy at the vintage chocolate lounge . The crepe was on the thicker side which was a turn off :( I prefer them as thin as possible. I am sure they can make some improvement here. Assorted Tarts were made well and I loved their chocolate filled tarts.

[caption id="attachment_4272" align="alignnone" width="660"] Pecan Fondant - Dhs 37 - chocolate dessert with pecan pieces with your choice of ice cream[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4265" align="alignnone" width="660"] chocolate cake - Dhs 17[/caption]

Their hot pecan fondant was the man of the match from desserts or atleast I'd like to say it was my favourite. It came hot and once you crack open you see that hot chocolate lava flowing out. As you eat it you feel those pecan pieces which makes this dessert exciting. They have some cakes to offer and we tried their signature chocolate cake which was very rich in chocolate and you really appreciate the quality of chocolate they use in this one. Quite heavy as well.

[caption id="attachment_4270" align="alignnone" width="660"] Jewel Box - dhs 35 - chocolate dessert containing pecans, brownie, ice cream, truffle.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4274" align="alignnone" width="470"] Me with Vintage chocolate lounge staff[/caption]

So here's a valentine special. It's their special Jewel Box. You pour hot chocolate sauce over this beautiful golden dessert, melting open the top surface unveiling brownie, wafer and a floating vanilla ice cream. How cool is that? By the way, all ice creams they serve are made in house. Ice creams were ok in taste, it wasn't great like their chocolate. Overall I am quite impressed with Vintage chocolate lounge for their high quality and authentic chocolate experience. Even more impressive was their breakfast with eggs benedict. They might be a little over priced for some of us but here's a good news. They are giving away 50% off on total bill just for today(Valentine's special). Click here to view their facebook page.

Click here to view pictures in full screen view:

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Acropolis - Le Meridien - Abu Dhabi

[caption id="attachment_4245" align="alignnone" width="470"] Entrance to Acropolis restaurant[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4237" align="alignnone" width="470"] Mix grill - Dhs 145[/caption]

Here I am inside the first Greek restaurant of Abudhabi. Infact it's not often you find greek restaurants in UAE and I was quite happy to bump into this one during my stay at Le Meridien, AbuDhabi. From starters to the maincourse, it's been a great treat of authentic greek flavour and taste. This would be my second post on a greek restaurant and with this you will now find a new category called greek cuisine on my blog ;) ...

[caption id="attachment_4229" align="alignnone" width="470"] Acropolis - Interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4238" align="alignnone" width="470"] LIVE entertainment at Acropolis[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4230" align="alignnone" width="470"] Bread and traditional greek dippers[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4234" align="alignnone" width="470"] spitiko tzatziki - Greek yoghurt with cucumber and garlic - Dhs 23[/caption]

The interiors followed a blue and white theme all around the restaurant, nice big wide chairs with matching table cloth. Suddenly, the whole combination made you feel at home :) They've got LIVE entertainment playing outside their restaurant in the evenings, so maybe it's a better idea to sit outside :). As soon as we made our order we got the typical fresh breads and dippers to begin with. To give a better company for their breads we ordered the greek yoghurt with cucumber and garlic which was so pure in taste. Felt so good in the stomach after having it.

[caption id="attachment_4233" align="alignnone" width="470"] panzari - dhs 23 - Beetroot salad with a cream of garlic and olive oil[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4232" align="alignnone" width="470"] Kolokithokeftedes - Dhs 23 - zucchini patties crispy with mint and yoghurt[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4231" align="alignnone" width="470"] Feta scharas - Dhs 23 - grilled feta cheese with tomato, green and red pepper[/caption]

Then came the interesting line up :D The hot crispy zucchini filled with mint and yoghurt was a great bite and fast moving on our table. It came and it vanished :( Best weather for fried items I'd say. Beetroot salad was pretty good. I am not always a beet root fan but that sauce on the beetroot made it juicy and delicious enough for a hardcore non-vegetarian like me to love it :D The only issue I had with grilled feta cheese was it's presentation :( why would they serve it in a foil. Could have been more enticing had they served that slab of feta cheese on a plate instead :) Nevertheless you always get to eat some of the best feta cheese in a greek restaurant.

[caption id="attachment_4236" align="alignnone" width="470"] Mix Grill - dhs 145[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4235" align="alignnone" width="470"] Mousaka - Dhs 75 - Eggplant prepared in the area with mince meat, bechamel sauce and gratinated with cheese[/caption]

When you read about Greek dishes you hear a lot about Mousakka, so we made sure we try this one. I highly recommend to try Mousaka at Acropolis, it was one of the best greek mains I've had. Mixed grill looked Arabic from a distance but actually was different in taste and content. Besides the usual lamb chops, chicken which is found under a set of pita breads, you also find sausages as a part of their mixed grill. Don't expect this to taste arabic, it's a whole new taste coming from the Greek side. A change is always nice :)

[caption id="attachment_4240" align="alignnone" width="470"] Loukoumades - Dhs 40 - sweet fritters with honey and nuts[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4239" align="alignnone" width="470"] Karidopita - Dhs 40 - walnut pie served with mastic ice cream[/caption]

I was impressed with Acropolis until I reached their dessert department. Dessert is one area Acropolis need to make improvement. The desserts looked enticing but didn't reach up to my expectation in taste. I know they can do better as my experience with greek desserts have been amazing at EAT GREEK restaurant which was featured on my blog last month. At Acropolis, you definitely eat some genuine greek dishes which you can recommend but not their desserts for now. Click here to visit their official website. Click pictures below to view them in full screen view.

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ABSOLUTE BARBECUES - Dubai Media City - Buffet

[caption id="attachment_4199" align="alignnone" width="470"] AB's at night time[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4178" align="alignnone" width="470"] Veg and non veg starters at AB's[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4184" align="alignnone" width="470"] My company at AB's[/caption]

Here I am at one of the most talked about restaurant recently. I've heard about this new restaurant many times and after reading an article in weekend magazine last week on Absolute Barbecues I thought it was high time I make a move to this place. Absolute Barbecues have just opened their first franchise in Dubai. They are doing well in India with their stores located in Hyderbard, Chennai and Bangalore. They truly believe in the spirits of barbecue and gives a unique dine in experience in Dubai.

[caption id="attachment_4173" align="alignnone" width="470"] AB's interior[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4192" align="alignnone" width="470"] AB's interior[/caption]

A buffet comprising of Unlimited veg and non-veg grills, a salad bar, a long bench of main course with a variety of desserts and most importantly priced reasonably, makes this an interesting proposition. Pricing would be as below:

• Lunch buffet: Sunday to Thursday - 55Dhs


• Lunch buffet: Friday to Saturday - 75Dhs


• Dinner buffet: Sunday to Wednesday - 80Dhs


• Dinner buffet: Thursday to Saturday - 70Dhs

The seating are comfortable and a spacious restaurant. For me the only disappointment is their location where it's in the middle of no where. It's on sheikh zayed road but not easily accessible and visible. I drive always through that road and I never realized there was Absolute Barbecues on my right just after I pass GEMS Wellington school. Many of you who still haven't started using Google maps might find it a little difficult to locate them initially. Some say it's at Media city, to me it's like at the outskirts of Dubai Media City. Parking is available below the building for AB's customers so that's taken care.

[caption id="attachment_4174" align="alignnone" width="470"] The barbeque at our table[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4193" align="alignnone" width="470"] Spice up your grill[/caption]

The center of every table you can find a BBQ grill mesh . If not in use it's normally covered by a wooden plank and this normally happens when you go for the desserts. On every table you can find extra oil to spray onto your grills if you want your grills extra spicy or more flavoured. If you are an Indian it's good idea to tell them you want it spicy else it's a little bland in taste without spice.

[caption id="attachment_4180" align="alignnone" width="470"] Drinks - Dhs 15 - From left: Mango pulp( mango pulp infused with vanilla ice cream , coconut and blended with mint), Banana bonkers(Banana puree combined with Grape juice and lemon sherbet and stirred with crushed ice), Indian tadka(Green apple spiked with celery and black salt , chat masala , coriander leaves and topped with Cola)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4181" align="alignnone" width="470"] Pineapple special with cinnamon and honey topping[/caption]

From the drinks my favourite was the Indian tadka which felt like an internal cleanser. The last time I had this drink was from 25 degrees North. The shakes such as the mango pulp and banana bonkers where more indian in standard. In Dubai, you get some of the best shakes so I believe they have some working to do here. The shakes can get better. They had this special item called BBQ churrasco which is a big chuck of pineapple coated with cinnamon and honey which is shaved onto everyone's plate whenever needed. In fact if you go to their official website they even tell you how to make it.

[caption id="attachment_4177" align="alignnone" width="470"] Non - veg grills just arrived at our table[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4175" align="alignnone" width="470"] Veg Grills at AB's[/caption]

Then came the highlight of the day which were their veg and non veg starters. They bring the entire suite of veg or non veg grills together and place them on your BBQ grill found on your table. And if you want to add some extra spice and flavour to your grill, simply lift that oil spray(smoked paparika, spicy chilly)  found on your table and shoot them onto your grill smoking those grills. It's actually fun, you are barbecuing! The taste of these grills reminded of our BBQ at parks :D I could easily enjoy both veg and non veg grills. The grills were brought quickly to our table. Luckily there wasn't much waiting for the grills. The service was also quick and responsive. Most of the servers came directly from one of the AB's Indian franchise. They spoke better hindi than english.

[caption id="attachment_4176" align="alignnone" width="470"] veg grills at AB's[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4189" align="alignnone" width="470"] Veg plate at AB's[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4179" align="alignnone" width="470"] Veg and non veg grills at AB's[/caption]

Some of their weekend starters

VEG

• char grilled mushroom


• BBQ grilled and Furit Chaat


• Crispy Corn


• American Cheese Potato


• Churrasco Pineappleveg

NON-VEG

• Chicken Shish Tawook


• American Mustard Fish


• Pesto Prawns


• Mutton Gilafi Seekh


• Lamb Chops and Pepper Sauce

The best part was that these grills were unlimited. The lamb chops, paneer tikka, mutton seekh, pesto prawns were some of my favourites here. By the way this is just the first set of starters. Now scroll below to find out their second set of interesting starters....

[caption id="attachment_4182" align="alignnone" width="470"] At the wish grill counter where you choose your main, sauce and spice[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4188" align="alignnone" width="470"] Starters 2 getting ready along with your choice of sauce and spices[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4185" align="alignnone" width="470"] wish grill served - quail, prawn and duck[/caption]

•  Wish Grill(non-veg): Turkey, Duck, Octopus, Quail, Squid and Prawn


• Wish Grill(veg): Brocooli, Zucchini, baby corn, mushroom

Just when I thought it was a great start with their starters, they introduced me to another set of starters called the wish grill. It's little more than just grill which is you choose your meat/veg, sauces and spices. They mix it all and cook them fresh and the starters just got better. The fact that it was mixed with special sauces got the taste better. Wish grill turned out to be even better than the first set of starters which were just grills.

[caption id="attachment_4190" align="alignnone" width="470"] My salad plate at AB's[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4186" align="alignnone" width="470"] AB's weekend buffet - Dhs 80[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4187" align="alignnone" width="470"] Salad table at AB's buffet[/caption]

By the time I was done with their 2 type of unlimited starters I just couldn't think about a maincourse now. But their salads looked interesting so grabbed a few of it. They had 2 different soups(chicken and veg), Biriyani, Curries and different types of Rotis. I wonder how many would be able to eat their maincourse after a heavy start.



[caption id="attachment_4198" align="alignnone" width="470"] My plate of desserts at AB's[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4196" align="alignnone" width="470"] Dessert - Gulab Jamuns at AB's[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4195" align="alignnone" width="470"] Ice cream getting ready - the cold stone way[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4194" align="alignnone" width="470"] Dessert - rabri[/caption]

They had plenty of desserts. I mainly enjoyed just two of them which was their cake and stone cold themed ice cream basically ice creams that get smashed with your chosen toppings(nuts, brownies, candy etc). Most of their desserts were a little extra sweet than needed. I think they need to just pick a few and focus on it's quality. It's been a fun ride at AB's. But at the end you leave Absolute Barbecues absolutely happy eating loads of BBQ grills. Click here to visit their facebook page.

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