CLAW BBQ - Souq al Bahar, Downtown Dubai

[caption id="attachment_2299" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The tools in the wrong hands![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2311" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Complimentary ride on the bull at CLAW BBQ[/caption]

Just the right restaurant to be with friends. CLAW BBQ is an American barbecue and seafood restaurant located in Souq al Bahar. Me and friends were initially at Dubai Mall but eventually ended up inside Souq Al Bahar for dinner. CLAW BBQ actually reminds of a sports bar with a long bar in the center surrounded by wide angle screens running sports channel at every corner of CLAW BBQ. For our dinner it was Manchester United in action. Some of the CLAW diners were very much glued to the match and would scream for every chance they saw it happen LIVE.

[caption id="attachment_2298" align="aligncenter" width="705"] CLAW BBQ - Interiors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2297" align="aligncenter" width="705"] CLAW BBQ - Interiors[/caption]

The walls of CLAW BBQ were also covered with messages, sign boards, posters, number plates etc. Surely it's a restaurant to be with friends. I must agree it was great fun dining at CLAW BBQ. The servers were friendly, the atmosphere made you feel young and even more surprising to me was that they had an electronic bull to ride on! I was surprised to see that they would reserve such a big space just for their diners to enjoy some electrifying bull ride especially when rents per square feet in Souq Al Bahar is quite expensive. And ofcourse we made sure we made the most of it :)

[caption id="attachment_2292" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Blueberry Mojo - dhs 30[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2293" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Drinks - Reeses Pieces(left) - Dhs 35, Virgin Colada frozen - Dhs 30[/caption]

Blueberry Mojo: White Tea, Fresh Blueberries, Lemon Juice and Soda.
Reeces Pieces: Creamy peanut butter milk, vanilla Ice cream and chocolate Syrup.
Frozen Virgin Colada

One of the reasons I ordered the Blueberry Mojo was that I heard a lot about it in reviews but honestly to me the best drink that night was the Reeces pieces milk shake. Every sip was unbelievably tasty. Infact the fellow who said would not order a milk shake that night(since it would fill up his stomach) actually drank majority of the milkshake I ordered :( Coconut lovers would enjoy the Frozen virgin colada.

[caption id="attachment_2294" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Buffalo Jumbo shrimp - Dhs 85.00[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2295" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Buffalo hot wings - Dhs 65[/caption]

The appetizers were superb. Both were hot. The Jumbo shrimps were so good that by the time I took pictures of the hot wings, the prawns on the other side got over! The trick here is that special hot sauce on it. The white celery dipping sauce that came along with it was one of the best I've had. I am sure you'll have the same opinion about it as well.

[caption id="attachment_2296" align="aligncenter" width="705"] COBB Salad - Dhs 55[/caption]

COBBs salad - Iceberg lettuce topped with tomatoes, avocado, grilled corn, red onion, blue cheese, beef bacon, egg served with choice of dressing.

The cobbs salad was straight forward. It came packed with vegetables and you can only be happy with this salad but 55 Dhs for a salad was a turn off.

[caption id="attachment_2300" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Sizzlin Fajithas - Dhs chili lime chicken - Dhs 85[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2303" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Sizzlin Fajithas - Dhs chili lime chicken - Dhs 85[/caption]

Chili Lime Chicken Fajitha - Sauteed sweet onions and mixed bell peppers on a sizzling skillet served with lettuce, cheddar, cheese, Pico De Gallo, Gacamole and sour cream on the side with warm flour tortillas.

The chili lime chicken Fajitha was well done! It was a great sizzling chicken that I enjoyed very much. All those dippers that came along was fun but each flour tortilla was sticking to each other. So maybe that's one area that can make some improvement.

[caption id="attachment_2302" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Deluxe Seafood steamer - Dhs 255[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2306" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Deluxe Seafood steamer - Dhs 255 - Mussels, clams and shrimp in focus along with corn as side[/caption]

Deluxe seafood steamer consist of king crab, snow crab, fresh mussels, fresh clams and steamed shrimp. So in this order we more or less cover most of their seafood specialties. When the crab was ordered we were made to wear the apron and those tools were given to have some fun cracking through our dinner. Surely reminded me of a carpenter when I saw the tools that were given to us. But this was the best part of the dinner even though it was a little bit of an effort to eat some piece of meat.

[caption id="attachment_2304" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Men at work at CLAW BBQ[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2305" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Crab meat exposed[/caption]

There crabs tasted nice and I am not surprised. After all they need to keep their logo happy. I think you should order a crab if you are here and the experience you go through to eating a crab will be your talk about this restaurant.

[caption id="attachment_2313" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Wagyu Ribeye 250gm - Dhs 260[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2301" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Wagyu Ribeye 250gm - Dhs 260[/caption]

The Wagyu Ribeye was one of the most expensive steak I've tried. Wagyu means these cows are specially fed and treated to get the best out of their body. So you know it would have high percentage of Omega, less of unsaturated fat etc. I thought the Ribeye would come thick but it was quite thin. I guess all that goodness was compressed in it. But it was an easy to eat steak.

[caption id="attachment_2308" align="aligncenter" width="705"] NewYork Cheesecake - Dhs 40[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2309" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Brownie - Dhs 40[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2310" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pecan Pie - Dhs 40[/caption]

The NewYork cheesecake was the prettiest out of the desserts we ordered. I loved the crust of the cheesecake. The hot brownie along with the cold vanilla ice cream made the brownie even more hot. It was the first time I had the pecan pie and I think I'll now begin to explore more pecan pies if i get a chance. But I left the bottom of the pecan pie since it was not going very well with my fork but I definitely enjoyed the top floor of the pecan pie which was mainly the pecan load.

[caption id="attachment_2307" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Our dinner table at CLAW BBQ[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2312" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me with Claw BBQ staff[/caption]

It's defintely worth visiting this restaurant with friends. The only problem I had with their menu was the bill. The pricing is a little bit on the higher side. I am sure the restaurant is quite packed otherwise cause it had all those whistles to make your meal an entertaining one.

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Fish Market in Radisson Blu, Deira Creek celebrating 25th Anniversary

[caption id="attachment_2272" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Red snapper ready![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2271" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The 25th anniversary speech [/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2269" align="aligncenter" width="678"] The little entertainment on their 25th anniversary[/caption]

Fish market in Deira Creek one of the oldest sea food restaurants in Dubai was celebrating their 25th anniversary day before. I was luckily invited so I got a chance to be there. I though i'd share some of those moments with you in pictures. The Fish market has won atleast 10 awards in their 25 years which I thought was pretty impressive. Unfortunately I can't share any review about my experience dining with them since it was just delicacies passed around for this event. There is a 50 Dirham voucher from Boulevard Gourmet which you can win at the end of this post. You should be able to get atleast 2 pastries, 1 sandwich and 1 chocolate chip cookie with this voucher. So scroll down further if you want to give it a try ;)

[caption id="attachment_2266" align="aligncenter" width="705"] stuffed sago ball[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2265" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Fresh spring roll vietnamese being prepared[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_2264" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Vegetable maki[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2263" align="aligncenter" width="705"] vegetable maki[/caption]

There were some LIVE stations where you can see them preparing items such as the fresh spring roll vietnamese, stuffed sago balls or even their fried banana wrap. The sago balls, vegetarian maki, fried spring rolls, spicy prawns were fast moving.

[caption id="attachment_2262" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Cup Cake[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2261" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Thai banana coconut custard[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2268" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Fried banana wrap with chocolate and butterscotch[/caption]

I was more often next to the dessert station and the most memorable ones were the fried banana wrap, thai banana coconut and there was one more cake made of coconut.

And here's the competition for you to win 50 Dhs voucher at Boulevard Gourmet, Radisson Blu. At Fish Market you get almost any fish you want. Sometimes it's really confusing which one I should order. You need to tell me When I visit the Fish Market next time which Fish should I try and why?. Write me some interesting answers and the 50 Dhs voucher could be yours. Competition ends in a week.

[contact-form][contact-field label='Full Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Mobile' type='text'/][contact-field label='Which Fish to order and why?' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]

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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