Mango Tree - Souq Al Bahar - Dubai Mall

[caption id="attachment_3532" align="aligncenter" width="705"] All ready to dive in[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3520" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mango Tree - Interiors[/caption]

Was at Mango Tree this weekend. A real busy restaurant. Mango Tree serves thai cuisine and they do it well and in style. Love the interiors, the lighting and their balcony which faces the dancing fountain at Dubai Mall. But you should be really lucky or book way early in advance to get a seating outside in their balcony. I anyway preferred to be inside the restaurant so I could get enough light to show you off some lovely thai cuisine.

[caption id="attachment_3521" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Complimentary starters - prawn crackers with sauces[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3523" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Coolers - Dhs 34 - From left - Bangkok Dream(Blend of apple juice, ginger ale, muddled with fresh ginger) and Roseberry None'tini (fresh strawberries curshed with lime juice, chilled red fruits tea and rose syrup)[/caption]

The seating were comfortable, love their tables and chairs which felt rock solid wood. While we waited came the traditional prawn crackers and dippers. Infact the prawn crackers were given lavishly. Kids were happy, they just saw it as another chips :). For the drinks, Roseberry None'tini was a clear winner. It came little but was an awesome drink.

[caption id="attachment_3524" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Tod Mun Pla - dhs 62 - Deep-fried spicy fish cakes in lemon grass skewers served with sweet chili sauce[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3525" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Yum Som O - Dhs 62 - Thai pomelo and prawn salad with peanuts, grated coconut, red onion, spring onion and carrot[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3529" align="aligncenter" width="705"] panang pak - Dhs 59 - Mixed vegetables cooked in panang curry sauce with pea aubergine and kaffir lime[/caption]

For the starters we tried their deep fried fish which was a king fish. It was ok, didn't really move me much. The Yum Somo salad was better and different with that thai pomelo and prawns. The thai salads come in a different form and taste. It's good to try one of these, something different from the usual salads.

[caption id="attachment_3528" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Vegetable Fried rice - Dhs 30[/caption]

The vegetable fried rice was good. Kids ate it well too. Down below is the key winner for mango tree. The char grilled marinated A grade rib eye beef and short ribs beef in green curry sauce was outstanding. The beef short ribs in that green curry sauce was super tender with that curry being thick and juicy. The peas inside the Gaeng kiew was for some reason hard as a rock unlike those succulent beef short ribs. The Grilled rib eye was another great treat along with their chili sauce. The mixed vegetables curry was more of delight of steamed vegetables than curry. The curry is thin and light in taste. If you are in here then you must definitely try their signature dish Gaeng kiew. They've mastered it well ;)

[caption id="attachment_3531" align="aligncenter" width="705"] My dinner plate[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3530" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Nua Yang - Dhs 142 (char-grilled marinated grade A rib eye beef served with isan chili sauce)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3526" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Signature Dish - Gaeng kiew wan short ribs - Dhs 125 - Beef short ribs braised in green curry sauce with thai eggplant and sweet basil[/caption]

They've got different types of plate for each course. Our plates kept changing for appetizers, main course and dessert. The atmosphere is really busy but luckily they have enough people around to look after the crowd. I was impressed that they could give attention to our table in such a busy atmosphere. They do serve alcohol and half the tables had a good looking bottle on it ;)

[caption id="attachment_3533" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Desserts - From left(Mango cheesecake - Dhs 42 and Tab tim krob nam kati - Dhs 42(water chestnut with coconut ice cream and coconut milk topped with jackfruit)[/caption]

The mango cheesecake was delicious which was smooth with a creamy texture. I also tried the water chestnut with coconut ice cream where the coconut Ice cream to me was the best part of it, there were too many chestnuts to finish at the end and ice cream got over too quickly :( It's been a satisfying experience at Mango Tree and looking forward to coming back here again :)

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Panda Express - Al Ghurair Centre - Rigga Dubai

[caption id="attachment_3519" align="aligncenter" width="705"] We with Panda at Panda Express[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3518" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The express counter at Panda Express[/caption]

Panda Express is now open in Al Ghurair Centre, Rigga road. The first Panda Express restaurant in the middle East! People who love chinese cuisine must a make a point to visit here. Love the panda theme, the friendly staff and some of their 14 mains. I was lucky to be invited for their family event which included kids face painting, games and sampling of all of their 14 mains. At Panda Express, the service is expected quick and there should be no waiting for your meal.

Here's a good news. I did win a voucher at the end of the event which is a complimentary lunch/dinner for two which includes mains, appetizers and drinks. As always I am giving away this to my valuable readers, so participate below to win!

[caption id="attachment_3513" align="aligncenter" width="705"] face painting in progress[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3515" align="aligncenter" width="705"] From left: Batman, spiderman and butterfly woman[/caption]

Kids enjoyed it. They had a great time by face painting, drawing, playing games and eating. Ofcourse the panda was around and they were busy pulling, hugging etc. Luckily, this one is not located in their food court but is a shop of it's own at the entrance of the old Al Ghurair. They've got some cool names for their mains. Not necessary that you need to like all of them. Out of their 14 mains, my top 3 favourites would be:

1. SURF N TURF - premium juicy angus steak with tender, marinated shrimp. wok-tossed together with red bell peppers, crush string beans and crisp potatoes.


2. BLACK PEARL SHRIMP - seared shrimp tossed with black beans, fresh asparagus and mushrooms


3. FIRE CRACKER CHICKEN BREAST - Tender marinated chicken breast, crisp red and yellow bell peppers and succulent onions in a spicy firecracker sauce.

[caption id="attachment_3516" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Kids don't want to be disturbed[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3514" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Some of their 14 mains[/caption]

They have different types of plates that you could order:

• Panda Plate 1 - Dhs 29 - 1 main with your choice of rice, noodles or vegetables


• Panda Plate 2 - Dhs 39 - 2 mains with your choice of rice, noodles or vegetables


• Panda Plate 3 - Dhs 44 - 3 mains with your choice of rice, noodles or vegetables


• Kids meal - Dhs 19 - 1 Junior main, small drink and cookie.

Unfortunately I didn't sample any of their appetizers, rice or noodles. So I am not sure how good it is. However I did try the specialty bottled beverage(Dhs 15) which was a savia aloe pineapple drink which was very nice and it does come in different flavours.

Now To win food vouchers for two at Panda Express simply submit your answers below and the winner will be announced by sunday night. Now imagine you were the Chef of Panda Express and was asked to create a 15th main, what would it be? Give me the name of your main as well as the ingredients that it will contain. You don't really have to be a chef to write this one, it's a fun competition so don't worry about it. I just look for that outstanding answer, if you know what I mean ;) I've already named a few  on top but if you want more you can refer to their menu online: http://pandaexpress.com/menu

[contact-form][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Mobile' type='text' required='1'/][contact-field label='The name and ingredients of the 15th main' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]

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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Magnolia Bakery - Jumeirah Beach residence - The Walk

[caption id="attachment_3457" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Specialty cup cakes - Dhs 15 per piece[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3469" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Me along with Daniel(Staff at Magnolia Bakery)[/caption]

Yum it's a been a sheer delight to visit the newly opened Magnolia Bakery at THE WALK, JBR. It's one of those unlocked hours where you don't count calories but the pleasure is to enjoy the bite one after the other. It's their third store in Dubai and this bakery comes all the way from USA to treat us their signature cup cakes, puddings and more.

[caption id="attachment_3455" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Variety cup cakes showcased at Magnolia bakery[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3454" align="aligncenter" width="705"] counter at Magnolia bakery[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3453" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Collectors items - Aprons, cookbook, tshirt, sprinkle jars etc[/caption]

This store is located in a tricky corner where it's not easily noticed. Should find this one behind MotherCare. The moment I got in and saw their different types of cupcakes stretched on their counter(different colors, flavours, toppings, cakes) you have such a tough time to decide which ones to pick. So here's a few of those speciality cup cakes we picked.

[caption id="attachment_3456" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Specialty cup cakes - Dhs 15 per piece[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3459" align="aligncenter" width="705"] inner beauty of the red velvet specialty cup cake with cream cheese icing - Dhs 15[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3461" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Speciality cup cake - chocolate cup cake with meringue buttercream - Dhs 15[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3460" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Speciality cupcake - Pumpkin Pecan - Dhs 15 - maple cream cheese icing topped with toasted pecans[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3464" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Fruit crisp - Dhs 12 - homemade blueberry with a crumb topping[/caption]

All of them were really nice and had it's unique combinations and taste. The red velvet cup cake easily finished but I'd say my favourite was their chocolate cup cake with meringue buttercream. Out of their cakes I enjoyed their dark chocolate cake as it was really rich in chocolate. The maple cream cheese icing was my favourite icing ;). Their classic cup cake is Dhs 13 and speciality cup cake is Dhs 15.

[caption id="attachment_3468" align="aligncenter" width="705"] special gift wrapped boxes to make an impression[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3449" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Maglonia Bakery take away customized cup cakes, banana pudding (Dhs 15-smallest size) and cookies(Dhs 5)[/caption]

You can present their beautiful cupcake in a lovely packing by putting it in their favor box(Dhs 4 additional), and now that single piece looks even more special in that elegant favor box which can say a 1000 words to that someone special ;) They can also customize the cake for you for dhs 4 by adding an image on the cupcake like how you see above (how they've done my blog name on it). The box you see above with 2 cupcakes in it is complimentary(you don't have to pay anything extra for the plain white box packing), it's only if you want the favor designer boxes that comes with a ribbon.

[caption id="attachment_3467" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Banana pudding - 340 gms - Dhs 25[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3451" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Banana pudding - Dhs 15 - smallest size[/caption]

The banana pudding is my favourite at Magnolia Bakery. If you are visiting in here then you better not miss this one. Too good that you just can't stop poking it. They also have them in different sized packing for Dhs 15, 25 and 35. The Banana cream pie below had a similar taste to the banana pudding but the server was telling me that inner content is not the same as banana pudding although I couldn't really taste anything different in particular.

[caption id="attachment_3466" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Banana Cream Pie - Dhs 35 - Nilla wafer crust layered with fresh bananas and vanilla pudding, topped with fresh whipped cream[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3463" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Turkey and brie sandwich - Dhs 45 - Smoked turkey, brie, crisp green apples and lettuce on french bread drizzled with our homemade honey-mustard dressing[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3462" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Creamy salmon - Dhs 65 - tagliatelle with smoked salmon in a herbed cream sauce. Smothered in grated parmesan cheese[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3458" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Homemade lemonade - Dhs 15[/caption]

They do have a dinner and lunch menu which I doubt if anyone notices. Probably they need to put some bigger posters of their meals as the sugar dominate this bakery in a big way. We did try their pasta and sandwiches and I was very impressed with their Turkey and Brie sandwich. Fresh bread, green apples and that special cheese in it makes this sandwich  WOW. The portion size was impressive and it would be difficult for one person to complete it. Their homemade lemonade was just lime and water so no real magnolia magic in here.

[caption id="attachment_3470" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Pecan bar - Dhs 15[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3465" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Mini cheese cake Blueberry - Dhs 30[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3452" align="aligncenter" width="705"] cookies - Dhs 5[/caption]

They have different types of cheese cake and we went after the regular blueberry cheesecake. The berries on top surely rock and the cheese cake tastes more natural but not my type though. I wish I tried some of their other cheesecakes like the chocolate or red velvet cheesecake :( Their cookies were soft and the chocolate chunk cookie is my pick here. Over all I am happy with the quality they have to offer. I am just not sure if I can afford them all the time :( . Click pictures below to view them in full screen view. Click here to see their full menu on their website.

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