Location: One set of buildings Corniche side of Electra Street between Airport Road and Muroor Street, closer to Airport Road.
Telephone: 02-6310036 / 02-6333097 / 02-6734227
As anyone who has visited or lived in Abu Dhabi can tell you, there is a very large South Asian population here. Everywhere you go, there appears to be at least 10 different Indian / Pakistani restaurants from every region of the sub-continent, with food that both looks absolutely amazing and appears to be very inexpensive. Just off Electra St. there is one such array of restaurants, and one day when a biryani craving hit us we decided to go there, settling ona Ritaj Hyderabadi because we could see a giant pot of biryani cooking on the store. So how was it? Honestly, fairly disappointing. The chicken was not as moist or flavorful as Arab Udupi, and the rice seemed a little hard. We also got a chicken curry, which was nowhere as good as Mughal Restaurant. Was the food cheap? Absolutely. Were the portions huge? Definitely. But you definitely could do better (and we have done better) on taste, so we probably won't be going back. Oh well.
08 November 2010
06 November 2010
Al Sayad Marine Restaurants and Grills
Location: Go to the Mina Fish Market, go past the gate, make the immediate left, make a right at the end of the pier, and it will be about 5 doors down (blue doors, no sign, next to a refreshments place.) This is NOT the place with the same name inside the fish market itself.
Telephone: 02-6733711 / 02-6733838
When my wife and I first visited Abu Dhabi last January, one of the first places we went to visit was the Mina Fish Market because a) we love seafood, b) fresh and affordable seafood is hard to get in NYC, and c) we really love seafood. We had heard that there was good and cheap seafood at the Mina Fish Market, so away we went. We someone managed to not find the restaurant stalls in the fish market itself (which we actually haven't eaten yet), but by driving up and down the pier managed to find a delightful little seafood "shack" which we have visited several times sense (most recently with the in-laws, who also know their seafood).
The decor? Tables, plastic tablecloth (sometimes), and a TV blaring Syrian TV or Fox Series. Exactly what one wants. The service? Friendly. Cleanliness? We've been there many times and haven't gotten sick yet. The menu? Whatever fish and shellfish they still have, though if you really want something different they will run to Al Mina and get it. You tell them the weight you want, and it is yours. They also have an amazing platter of mixed rice (six different preparations) as well as the usual pita bread and salad (if you want). The preparation? You can get your food fried or grilled, and we always go with the charcoal grilling with hot sauce. Smoky and spicy, but doesn't overwhelm the fish/seafood nor dry it. Plus, the smell wafts into the dining room as it cooks which is great. If you like prawns and they have them, order them. They are served heads on, which I love, and they are sweet, juicy tiger prawns the likes of which are almost impossible to find in the states. The prices? Eminently reasonable. It varies day-by-day and per item (of course), but the two of us have gotten very full on prawns and rice for only 60-70 AED. Definitely one of our favorite restaurants in Abu Dhabi. It's far from fancy, but the food is oh so good and reasonably priced too. Well worth the trip out there.
Telephone: 02-6733711 / 02-6733838
When my wife and I first visited Abu Dhabi last January, one of the first places we went to visit was the Mina Fish Market because a) we love seafood, b) fresh and affordable seafood is hard to get in NYC, and c) we really love seafood. We had heard that there was good and cheap seafood at the Mina Fish Market, so away we went. We someone managed to not find the restaurant stalls in the fish market itself (which we actually haven't eaten yet), but by driving up and down the pier managed to find a delightful little seafood "shack" which we have visited several times sense (most recently with the in-laws, who also know their seafood).
The decor? Tables, plastic tablecloth (sometimes), and a TV blaring Syrian TV or Fox Series. Exactly what one wants. The service? Friendly. Cleanliness? We've been there many times and haven't gotten sick yet. The menu? Whatever fish and shellfish they still have, though if you really want something different they will run to Al Mina and get it. You tell them the weight you want, and it is yours. They also have an amazing platter of mixed rice (six different preparations) as well as the usual pita bread and salad (if you want). The preparation? You can get your food fried or grilled, and we always go with the charcoal grilling with hot sauce. Smoky and spicy, but doesn't overwhelm the fish/seafood nor dry it. Plus, the smell wafts into the dining room as it cooks which is great. If you like prawns and they have them, order them. They are served heads on, which I love, and they are sweet, juicy tiger prawns the likes of which are almost impossible to find in the states. The prices? Eminently reasonable. It varies day-by-day and per item (of course), but the two of us have gotten very full on prawns and rice for only 60-70 AED. Definitely one of our favorite restaurants in Abu Dhabi. It's far from fancy, but the food is oh so good and reasonably priced too. Well worth the trip out there.
19 September 2010
Le Beaujolais
Location: Ground floor of the Novotel Hotel on Hamdan Street near Liwa Center
Telephone: 02-6333555
After a week of eating Indian or Middle Eastern, we wanted something "different." And different here means "European." After hearing from three separate groups of people that the best affordable European restaurant in Abu Dhabi was Le Beaujolais, it didn't take us long to decide where to go for dinner. Le Beaujolais is a cute little restaurant, with a decor reminiscent of a French bistro. The bread, warm, crusty on the outside and soft of the inside, raised the expectations even higher. So how was the food?
The menu has all of the standards - coq au vin, shepherd's pie, etc. I got the braised lamb chunk (57 AED), while my wife got the prix fix special which included mushroom soup, glass of wine, salmon stuffed shrimp and fish, and fruit salad (75 AED). The braised lamb chunk was a very big piece of lamb, but unfortunately not very braised. The meat was not fall off with a fork tender as braised meat should be, and not particularly flavorful. Edible? Absolutely, but - except for the portion size (I took half of it home for leftovers) - disappointing. Not bad deal for the price, but could have been much tastier. Similar store for the prix fix - great portion sizes, but wished the food was better. The mushroom soup was actually good - thick, creamy, pronounced mushroom flavor. The salmon was a little overcooked and dry, very disappointing given how much good fish we see in the markets here. The fruit salad was very good, I even liked the kiwi fruit and I normally hate kiwi fruit. But the disappointments in the main dishes couldn't save it. Maybe we got the wrong items (if so, please tell us what to get next time), but the food was only okay. We'll probably try again due to lack of options, but not a "must go" for us unless we want the decor - and then we'd probably go to Shakespeare and Co. in the Central Market.
Note: 10% tip plus 6% tourism fee is added to all bills. Not a problem, but something to keep in mind
Telephone: 02-6333555
After a week of eating Indian or Middle Eastern, we wanted something "different." And different here means "European." After hearing from three separate groups of people that the best affordable European restaurant in Abu Dhabi was Le Beaujolais, it didn't take us long to decide where to go for dinner. Le Beaujolais is a cute little restaurant, with a decor reminiscent of a French bistro. The bread, warm, crusty on the outside and soft of the inside, raised the expectations even higher. So how was the food?
The menu has all of the standards - coq au vin, shepherd's pie, etc. I got the braised lamb chunk (57 AED), while my wife got the prix fix special which included mushroom soup, glass of wine, salmon stuffed shrimp and fish, and fruit salad (75 AED). The braised lamb chunk was a very big piece of lamb, but unfortunately not very braised. The meat was not fall off with a fork tender as braised meat should be, and not particularly flavorful. Edible? Absolutely, but - except for the portion size (I took half of it home for leftovers) - disappointing. Not bad deal for the price, but could have been much tastier. Similar store for the prix fix - great portion sizes, but wished the food was better. The mushroom soup was actually good - thick, creamy, pronounced mushroom flavor. The salmon was a little overcooked and dry, very disappointing given how much good fish we see in the markets here. The fruit salad was very good, I even liked the kiwi fruit and I normally hate kiwi fruit. But the disappointments in the main dishes couldn't save it. Maybe we got the wrong items (if so, please tell us what to get next time), but the food was only okay. We'll probably try again due to lack of options, but not a "must go" for us unless we want the decor - and then we'd probably go to Shakespeare and Co. in the Central Market.
Note: 10% tip plus 6% tourism fee is added to all bills. Not a problem, but something to keep in mind
18 September 2010
Al Ababeel Refreshments
Location: Next to the NMC Ambulatory Center
Telephone: 02-6343578
What can I say, I'm American. I like fast food. I especially like trying "regional" fast food - not McDonald's, or Burger King - but local variations thereof. Hence, I am intrigued but all the different refreshment / fast food restaurants establishments here. One day, when we wanted a quick lunch, went to the closest one to where we live. The menu is much longer than the typical fast food place in the US - with various combinations of seafood, chicken (grilled and fried), and meat sandwiches / wraps, etc. We tried the khaleej burger (which came with fries for only 8 AED) and shrimps nashif plate (20 AED). The shrimps nashif plate consisted of essentially popcorn-sized shrimp (not breaded) in a spicy red sauce. Not a huge plate, but tasty and filling. The khaleej burger was a good-sized juicy piece of boneless chicken cutlet topped with a piece of lettuce, mayo, a few french fries and ketchup. Smaller than a McChicken to be sure, but filling. Again, it was tasty - not the most amazing sandwich I've ever had, but a good, solid lunch.
The most impressive section of the menu actually is the juices. The have juices for everything - watermelon, pomegranite, avocado, mango, etc. We got a small avocado juice (5 AED) and pomegranite (5 AED) juice. The pomegranite juice was actually disappointing to me - it was freshly squeezed, but too watered down for my taste. I enjoyed the avocado better, which was a nice thick shake.
All in all, is Al Ababeel an amazing place to eat? No. But want a quick, fairly tasty and filling lunch? You could do much, much worse.
Telephone: 02-6343578
What can I say, I'm American. I like fast food. I especially like trying "regional" fast food - not McDonald's, or Burger King - but local variations thereof. Hence, I am intrigued but all the different refreshment / fast food restaurants establishments here. One day, when we wanted a quick lunch, went to the closest one to where we live. The menu is much longer than the typical fast food place in the US - with various combinations of seafood, chicken (grilled and fried), and meat sandwiches / wraps, etc. We tried the khaleej burger (which came with fries for only 8 AED) and shrimps nashif plate (20 AED). The shrimps nashif plate consisted of essentially popcorn-sized shrimp (not breaded) in a spicy red sauce. Not a huge plate, but tasty and filling. The khaleej burger was a good-sized juicy piece of boneless chicken cutlet topped with a piece of lettuce, mayo, a few french fries and ketchup. Smaller than a McChicken to be sure, but filling. Again, it was tasty - not the most amazing sandwich I've ever had, but a good, solid lunch.
The most impressive section of the menu actually is the juices. The have juices for everything - watermelon, pomegranite, avocado, mango, etc. We got a small avocado juice (5 AED) and pomegranite (5 AED) juice. The pomegranite juice was actually disappointing to me - it was freshly squeezed, but too watered down for my taste. I enjoyed the avocado better, which was a nice thick shake.
All in all, is Al Ababeel an amazing place to eat? No. But want a quick, fairly tasty and filling lunch? You could do much, much worse.
17 September 2010
Abu Waqas
Location: Two rows of buildings in front of the Abu Dhabi Dental Clinic
Telephone: 02-6318332
I come from a family of bread-eaters. Seriously. At a fairly small family gathering a few years ago (15 people) we ate an Italian restaurant out of bread over dinner. While New York is a great place to get bread of all types, one area it is weak in is Middle Eastern bread - pita, in all of its regional variations, is often stale and limpless. One would hope one can find better here. So, when wandering around, you can imagine the excitement when I walked past (but more importantly, smelled) Abu Waqas bakery. The make one and only one kind of bread - a round bread about 12 inches in diameter, fairly thin but soft and fluffy, with holes, made out of a whole wheat dough. They cook it to order in an amazing looking clay pit oven, and it only takes a couple of minutes. It tastes very good, and it actually keeps at least a day (it didn't last longer than that). And best of all, it was 1 AED. Will be going back.
Telephone: 02-6318332
I come from a family of bread-eaters. Seriously. At a fairly small family gathering a few years ago (15 people) we ate an Italian restaurant out of bread over dinner. While New York is a great place to get bread of all types, one area it is weak in is Middle Eastern bread - pita, in all of its regional variations, is often stale and limpless. One would hope one can find better here. So, when wandering around, you can imagine the excitement when I walked past (but more importantly, smelled) Abu Waqas bakery. The make one and only one kind of bread - a round bread about 12 inches in diameter, fairly thin but soft and fluffy, with holes, made out of a whole wheat dough. They cook it to order in an amazing looking clay pit oven, and it only takes a couple of minutes. It tastes very good, and it actually keeps at least a day (it didn't last longer than that). And best of all, it was 1 AED. Will be going back.
10 September 2010
Sushi and Ice Cream, Dubai Mall
I love sushi. There is a Burmese saying that when one sees raw fish one throws away grilled fish. No part of Burmese cuisine involves eating raw fish, so I was never quite sure where this saying came from but it sums up my feelings on sushi. As for conveyor belt sushi, if combining sushi and instant gratification is not genius, I don't know what is. So, when we found out that there was a conveyor belt sushi restaurant called "Yo! Sushi" in the Dubai Mall, we had to go.
We took the bus to Dubai, which was cheap and comfortable, and hopped on a cab to the Dubai Mall. Little did we know that even more culinary happiness awaited us. As we entered the mall, we could not resist the bright neon siren call of sugar in Candylicious, so we walked in. And there it was, staring at us! Emack and Bolio's! Given that it is a small ice cream chain which started in Boston and is only in a few cities even in the US, we never expected to find it in Dubai. It was like running into an old friend from China in Pennsylvania. It brought back memories of happy afternoons when we would walk over to the Emacs and Bolio's on Houston St. and come out with cups, cones, or quarts of ice cream with hot fudge. Since it was the middle of the afternoon during Ramadan, the tubs were chastely lidded. Will they have grasshopper pie? I couldn't wait for sunset.
We got to Yo! Sushi about 10 mins after they opened and the restaurant was already two thirds full. We sat down and started grabbing the color coded plates. They ranged between 11 Dirhams (vegetarians rolls. Really, what's the point?) and 22 Dirhams. Each plate had 2 pieces of nigiri (e.g. salmon for 13 Dhs or tuna for 15 Dhs), 3 pieces of rolls (salmon and avocado for 15 Dhs or soft-shell crab for 20 Dhs), or 5 pieces of sashimi (salmon for 15 Dhs or tuna for 18 Dhs). The fish was fresh and flavorful and the rolls were well constructed. We tried various forms of salmon, tuna, eel, and soft-shell crab sushi and sashimi. The salmon was better (and cheaper) than the tuna. The only cooked thing we tried was miso black cod which was 22 Dhs for 3 small pieces, which was not worth the money compared to the sushi. I should have heeded ancient Burmese wisdom. (If you want miso black cod, go to Wasabi in the Al Diar Mina hotel in Abu Dhabi.) The stack of plates grew and in the end, we spent more than we had intended to but we left full and happy.
We walked around the Mall for a little bit and headed back down to Emack and Bolio's. They were open and ... had grasshopper pie (creme de menthe ice cream with chocolate flakes and oreo cookie pieces), my favorite. One scoop was 10 Dhs which is similar to NY prices. If you are in Dubai Mall, we recommend grasshopper pie, cosmic crunch, and serious chocolate addiction. If you are a peanut butter fan (I'm decidedly not), the peanut butter cup flavor is supposed to be good. Unfortunately, the hot fudge was still on its way from the US but to make us for my disappointment, the person behind the counter gave me a free scoop of grasshopper pie. There couldn't have been a better ending to the day.
We'll be back to the Dubai Mall and, hopefully, hot fudge will have arrived by then. The next adventure will be to search for the shop that sells H&H bagels.
We took the bus to Dubai, which was cheap and comfortable, and hopped on a cab to the Dubai Mall. Little did we know that even more culinary happiness awaited us. As we entered the mall, we could not resist the bright neon siren call of sugar in Candylicious, so we walked in. And there it was, staring at us! Emack and Bolio's! Given that it is a small ice cream chain which started in Boston and is only in a few cities even in the US, we never expected to find it in Dubai. It was like running into an old friend from China in Pennsylvania. It brought back memories of happy afternoons when we would walk over to the Emacs and Bolio's on Houston St. and come out with cups, cones, or quarts of ice cream with hot fudge. Since it was the middle of the afternoon during Ramadan, the tubs were chastely lidded. Will they have grasshopper pie? I couldn't wait for sunset.
We got to Yo! Sushi about 10 mins after they opened and the restaurant was already two thirds full. We sat down and started grabbing the color coded plates. They ranged between 11 Dirhams (vegetarians rolls. Really, what's the point?) and 22 Dirhams. Each plate had 2 pieces of nigiri (e.g. salmon for 13 Dhs or tuna for 15 Dhs), 3 pieces of rolls (salmon and avocado for 15 Dhs or soft-shell crab for 20 Dhs), or 5 pieces of sashimi (salmon for 15 Dhs or tuna for 18 Dhs). The fish was fresh and flavorful and the rolls were well constructed. We tried various forms of salmon, tuna, eel, and soft-shell crab sushi and sashimi. The salmon was better (and cheaper) than the tuna. The only cooked thing we tried was miso black cod which was 22 Dhs for 3 small pieces, which was not worth the money compared to the sushi. I should have heeded ancient Burmese wisdom. (If you want miso black cod, go to Wasabi in the Al Diar Mina hotel in Abu Dhabi.) The stack of plates grew and in the end, we spent more than we had intended to but we left full and happy.
We walked around the Mall for a little bit and headed back down to Emack and Bolio's. They were open and ... had grasshopper pie (creme de menthe ice cream with chocolate flakes and oreo cookie pieces), my favorite. One scoop was 10 Dhs which is similar to NY prices. If you are in Dubai Mall, we recommend grasshopper pie, cosmic crunch, and serious chocolate addiction. If you are a peanut butter fan (I'm decidedly not), the peanut butter cup flavor is supposed to be good. Unfortunately, the hot fudge was still on its way from the US but to make us for my disappointment, the person behind the counter gave me a free scoop of grasshopper pie. There couldn't have been a better ending to the day.
We'll be back to the Dubai Mall and, hopefully, hot fudge will have arrived by then. The next adventure will be to search for the shop that sells H&H bagels.
Eid Mubarak
I apologize for the lack of restaurant reviews lately but, to those of you who know the identities of the faceless google accounts behind this site, know that we have been exceedingly busy of late. While one might think that would mean we've been eating out a lot, it actually means a lot of eating leftovers from meals already reviewed on this site and cooking quick meals (I am extremely partial to tandoori chicken luncheon meat and Indomie ramen. The former I discovered here, the later has been a favorite of mine for over 10 years and I'm thrilled it is ubiquitous at grocery stores in Abu Dhabi). With hopefully the beginning of some normality in our schedules, look for restaurant reviews shortly. And if you have any recommendations, please leave them below.
Eid Mubarak!
Eid Mubarak!
02 September 2010
Mughal Restaurant
Location: In the second set of buildings behind the HSBC building on Airport Road, on the corner of one the apartment blocks.
Telephone: 02-6342143
If there is one cuisine which should be better here in Abu Dhabi than in New York City (my frame of reference), it should be South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Tamil, etc.). Especially cheap South Asian. Maybe I should have gone to Jackson Heights or the Indian section of Flushing more, but the "cheap" Indian restaurants near where we used to live were okay, but not great. Given the high percentage of South Asian workers here, cheap good Indian restaurants should be plentiful - and one day while wandering around the super-block where we live, we found one. Tucked into the corner of a small apartment block, the menu of Mughal Restaurant is very simple: Mutton Curry. Chicken Curry. Fish Curry. That's it. For accompaniments they have chapathi, paratha, and rice roti. No rice, just those three breads. And no printed menu either. There were three of us, and together we ordered two chicken curries and one mutton curry as well as two chapathis and one paratha and three small waters. Since we were still confused by the lack of rice the server provided us with a rice roti as well.
Both curries looked like simple fares - just meat and "gravy" (curry sauce), no veggies or other filler. The chicken curries came with the dark meat quarter of a small chicken (no steroid chickens like in the US), but not too small at all. The mutton curry came with several pieces of tender meat still on the bone, which made for fun and delicious pickings. The gravy was amazing - thick and creamy, spicy - but not too hot, with a complex set of spices and aromas. Very tasty, though a bit heavy (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). I liked the paratha better than the chapathi, but both were good. I'm not a big fan of rice rotis, I don't like spongy breads except for Ethiopian injera, but it was good - especially the fresh out of the oven piece we got halfway through our meal.
What about the portions? Well, when they came out all three looked a little on the small size, but they were really filling. Especially the mutton curry, since they gave me an extra portion of gravy since I finished my first portion before the others. And then they brought more bread. And since the first rice roti they brought us was a little old (still good, and we didn't say anything), they brought us another one fresh out of the even. Now, during this time I'm thinking "Oy, this is going to add to the bill" - especially since we had no idea what the prices were when we ordered due to lack of menu. After all the extras, we were stuffed. So when the bill came I was shocked. The total? 30 AED. Not 30 AED per person. 30 AED. 10 AED each. That's it. 30 AED for a very filling, tasty meal - and we were very hungry when we came in. I think I found my new, dirt cheap very tasty Indian curry fix. And, for a cafeteria / worker restaurant, surprisingly clean. None of us went to the bathroom, but the tables and walls did not have the layers of grease often associated with such places. And even if it did, I'd still go back for the curry. Yum.
Telephone: 02-6342143
If there is one cuisine which should be better here in Abu Dhabi than in New York City (my frame of reference), it should be South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Tamil, etc.). Especially cheap South Asian. Maybe I should have gone to Jackson Heights or the Indian section of Flushing more, but the "cheap" Indian restaurants near where we used to live were okay, but not great. Given the high percentage of South Asian workers here, cheap good Indian restaurants should be plentiful - and one day while wandering around the super-block where we live, we found one. Tucked into the corner of a small apartment block, the menu of Mughal Restaurant is very simple: Mutton Curry. Chicken Curry. Fish Curry. That's it. For accompaniments they have chapathi, paratha, and rice roti. No rice, just those three breads. And no printed menu either. There were three of us, and together we ordered two chicken curries and one mutton curry as well as two chapathis and one paratha and three small waters. Since we were still confused by the lack of rice the server provided us with a rice roti as well.
Both curries looked like simple fares - just meat and "gravy" (curry sauce), no veggies or other filler. The chicken curries came with the dark meat quarter of a small chicken (no steroid chickens like in the US), but not too small at all. The mutton curry came with several pieces of tender meat still on the bone, which made for fun and delicious pickings. The gravy was amazing - thick and creamy, spicy - but not too hot, with a complex set of spices and aromas. Very tasty, though a bit heavy (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). I liked the paratha better than the chapathi, but both were good. I'm not a big fan of rice rotis, I don't like spongy breads except for Ethiopian injera, but it was good - especially the fresh out of the oven piece we got halfway through our meal.
What about the portions? Well, when they came out all three looked a little on the small size, but they were really filling. Especially the mutton curry, since they gave me an extra portion of gravy since I finished my first portion before the others. And then they brought more bread. And since the first rice roti they brought us was a little old (still good, and we didn't say anything), they brought us another one fresh out of the even. Now, during this time I'm thinking "Oy, this is going to add to the bill" - especially since we had no idea what the prices were when we ordered due to lack of menu. After all the extras, we were stuffed. So when the bill came I was shocked. The total? 30 AED. Not 30 AED per person. 30 AED. 10 AED each. That's it. 30 AED for a very filling, tasty meal - and we were very hungry when we came in. I think I found my new, dirt cheap very tasty Indian curry fix. And, for a cafeteria / worker restaurant, surprisingly clean. None of us went to the bathroom, but the tables and walls did not have the layers of grease often associated with such places. And even if it did, I'd still go back for the curry. Yum.
29 August 2010
Asian Garden
Location: On Elektra Street near Bani Yas / 6th Street, next to the El Dorado Theater
Telephone: 02-6763350
In the US, Thai food has in many respects become the new Chinese: prevalent but unfortunately heavily weakened for Western tastes. Real, genuine Thai food - e.g. Sripraprai in Queens, NYC - is flavorful and spicy, a wonderful experience. While Thai is obviously much harder to find in Abu Dhabi than in NYC, we hoped that the few restaurants here would be of much higher quality than the average Thai restaurant in the States. The first contender we tried is Asian Garden, a clean and small restaurant (about 10 tables) near the back entrance to the Eldorado Theatre on Elektra street (across the street from the Honda showroom) which advertises Thai, Filipino, and Chinese food. The first sign it was good - all the customers were Asian. The second sign - a nice, long menu. But that means nothing if the food wasn't good.
We ordered three main dishes: shrimp pad see ew (spelled "patseo" on the menu, Item #188, 20 AED), thai green curry with chicken (Item #96, 25), and Daing Bangus - a Filipino-style dry fried milk fish because it looked so tasty (Item #48, 25 AED), with an extra side of rice (5 AED) and a large water (another 5 AED). The daing bangus was tasty, though parts of the fish were a little dry and it was (not surprisingly) quite bony. The Shrimp "Patseo" was extremely tasty, with a good amount of egg, sweet soy sauce, and spice that separates real pad see ew from pretenders. The green curry was extremely good as well, a nice smooth spicy coconut milk based curry with a generous amount of chicken and eggplant. It was spicy, but not overly so - very good. All three dishes were a healthy portion - we took half of the curry home as leftovers.
In summary, we had some very good Thai food at Asian Garden for a very reasonable price (80 AED for everything). They have a pretty long menu, and we definitely will be going back to sample more of it. It's so nice to have found real, good Thai in Abu Dhabi.
Telephone: 02-6763350
In the US, Thai food has in many respects become the new Chinese: prevalent but unfortunately heavily weakened for Western tastes. Real, genuine Thai food - e.g. Sripraprai in Queens, NYC - is flavorful and spicy, a wonderful experience. While Thai is obviously much harder to find in Abu Dhabi than in NYC, we hoped that the few restaurants here would be of much higher quality than the average Thai restaurant in the States. The first contender we tried is Asian Garden, a clean and small restaurant (about 10 tables) near the back entrance to the Eldorado Theatre on Elektra street (across the street from the Honda showroom) which advertises Thai, Filipino, and Chinese food. The first sign it was good - all the customers were Asian. The second sign - a nice, long menu. But that means nothing if the food wasn't good.
We ordered three main dishes: shrimp pad see ew (spelled "patseo" on the menu, Item #188, 20 AED), thai green curry with chicken (Item #96, 25), and Daing Bangus - a Filipino-style dry fried milk fish because it looked so tasty (Item #48, 25 AED), with an extra side of rice (5 AED) and a large water (another 5 AED). The daing bangus was tasty, though parts of the fish were a little dry and it was (not surprisingly) quite bony. The Shrimp "Patseo" was extremely tasty, with a good amount of egg, sweet soy sauce, and spice that separates real pad see ew from pretenders. The green curry was extremely good as well, a nice smooth spicy coconut milk based curry with a generous amount of chicken and eggplant. It was spicy, but not overly so - very good. All three dishes were a healthy portion - we took half of the curry home as leftovers.
In summary, we had some very good Thai food at Asian Garden for a very reasonable price (80 AED for everything). They have a pretty long menu, and we definitely will be going back to sample more of it. It's so nice to have found real, good Thai in Abu Dhabi.
27 August 2010
Cho Gao (Indonesian)
Location: Crowne Plaza (Hamdan St)
One of the finest resto-lounges in Abu Dhabi, this newish Indonesian restaurant has a hint of a Buddah Bar feel to it. The dark earth-tone paint and woodwork inside, low slung tables and chairs, and the chill-out asian flavored house music in the background give Cho Gao a very nice vibe.
Daily happy hour from 4-7 pm with half-price drinks draws in a fun-loving after work crowd, most of whom stay on to sample the wonderful array of foods on offer. The steamed veg dim sum is to die for, but I'd recommend asking for a small dish of ground garlic in soya sauce for dipping. Most dishes are in the normal hotel range of 30-50 Dhs, and they have a very wide selection of bizarre cocktails.
Well worth a visit, particularly if you make use of the happy hour in advance of eating.
Jafari (Pakistani)
Location: Just behind Etisalat (Electra/Airport Rd), in front of Vision Downtown
To eat in, the Jafari Restaurant is a cultural journey on its own. Frequented mainly by taxi drivers and (on the weekend) the hoards of overworked and underpaid laborers who congregate in downtown Abu Dhabi, this is a well known establishment which serves very simple, very cheap subcontinent dishes.
On weekends you will almost certainly be sharing your table with an assortment of strangers. Water and glasses are shared among table-mates. For those not accustomed to the sub-continental 'greasy spoon' style of eating, the whole experience will come as a surprise (perhaps not pleasantly for some). That said, my kids absolutely love going there and look forward to the weekend trip for the chicken biriyani... more so than trips to most 'conventional' eateries in the area.
Jafari Restaurant is worn in and worn down, and cleanliness is not high on the list of priorities for the management, but the food is authentic, cheap, and served in heaping portions. There is no menu - ordering mainly involves pointing at someone else's food, or going for standard dishes. Grilled fish/chicken/mutton/etc are on display above the tandoori ovens by the door if you like grilled meats. Most dishes are less than 10 Dhs.
Note: During Eid, they offer a very wide (and cheap) selection of arabic/subcontinent sweets, sold by the kilo.
Arab Udupi (Indian)
Nestled just behind the Novatel on Hamdan Street, this is one of the city's gems of cheap Indian eats. They have a wide selection of veg and non-veg dishes ranging from mild to nuclear meltdown, and can custom-spice most of their dishes to your preference.
The ambiance of the place is nothing short of ghastly (the paint is orange), but it's a great spot to drop in after a night out on the town. The upstairs area is for bachelors, so I'd recommend the basement 'family' area where re-runs of Indian Idol and Bollywood films play on the big-screen in the background. Service is efficient and friendly, although you may have to go through one or two waiters to get someone who can clearly explain what the contents of the different dishes are and/or make good recommendations.
Most main course meat dishes hover around 20 Dhs and veg dishes around 15 Dhs. Delivery is free (usually 30 mins), PHONE 02-6720685. Note: They get insanely busy after 8 pm, so order beforehand for delivery.
Recommended dishes for the newbie: buttered chicken (or the veg alternative paneer makhanwala, both on the mild side), with their tandoori paneer (dry) to accompany. Naan NOT rice! ;-)
Wasabi
Location: Al Diar Mina Hotel (Corniche and Al Salam, next to the Corniche Hospital)
Telephone: 02-6778415
Sometimes, you just have to have sushi. And a quick Google search of "sushi abu dhabi", Wasabi popped up as the best sushi restaurant in Abu Dhabi. So, away we went. Located on the ground floor of the Al Diar Mina Hotel, it is a little tricky to get to due construction on the Al Salam St. tunnel. It is a small restaurant, and we sat a cute little table for two in a booth with a sliding door. The menu is quite extensive - in addition to sushi and sashimi it has Japanese curries, BBQ (yakitori), rice triangles (onigiri), cutlets (katsu), omelettes (okonomiyaki). However it is pricey. We split the piece Mix Sushi (12 pieces for 93 AED!) and the Miso Black Cod (83 AED). The Black Cod comes with a bowl of rice on the side, a good miso soup, and a small salad with a nice soy sauce vinaigrette dressing. It was a nice big piece of black code, and the miso sauce wasn't too salty as it often is, and was almost worth the price. Not so for the sushi. Don't get me wrong,
the sushi was very good and fresh - but it was not the best I've ever had (for those familiar with Greenwich Village NY, the quality was not as good as Marumi but close). The 12 pieces were a good size, but not 93 AED worth.
Verdict - good food, but not worth the price. Next time we are craving sushi, we'll try the sushi from the Carrefour at Marina Mall.
Telephone: 02-6778415
Sometimes, you just have to have sushi. And a quick Google search of "sushi abu dhabi", Wasabi popped up as the best sushi restaurant in Abu Dhabi. So, away we went. Located on the ground floor of the Al Diar Mina Hotel, it is a little tricky to get to due construction on the Al Salam St. tunnel. It is a small restaurant, and we sat a cute little table for two in a booth with a sliding door. The menu is quite extensive - in addition to sushi and sashimi it has Japanese curries, BBQ (yakitori), rice triangles (onigiri), cutlets (katsu), omelettes (okonomiyaki). However it is pricey. We split the piece Mix Sushi (12 pieces for 93 AED!) and the Miso Black Cod (83 AED). The Black Cod comes with a bowl of rice on the side, a good miso soup, and a small salad with a nice soy sauce vinaigrette dressing. It was a nice big piece of black code, and the miso sauce wasn't too salty as it often is, and was almost worth the price. Not so for the sushi. Don't get me wrong,
the sushi was very good and fresh - but it was not the best I've ever had (for those familiar with Greenwich Village NY, the quality was not as good as Marumi but close). The 12 pieces were a good size, but not 93 AED worth.
Verdict - good food, but not worth the price. Next time we are craving sushi, we'll try the sushi from the Carrefour at Marina Mall.
26 August 2010
Beijing Restaurant
Location: One row behind the Madinat Zayed Gold Center next to the Shoe Mart
Telephone: 02-6210708
My wife and I like Chinese food. Not "Chamerican" food - General So-and-so chicken, random fruit (lemon, orange, etc.) beef. Real Chinese food - whether it is soup dumplings from Shanghai or numb-inducing spicy shrimp from Sichuan or cumin dusted lamb burger from Xian. Probably the two NYC neighborhoods I culinarily enjoy the most are Chinatown in Manhattan and Flushing in Queens. So, when we heard there was good Chinese food behind the Madinat Zayed, we were intrigued. Some walking around yielded three restaurants of interest, with Beijing Restaurant earning the first place we tried since when we walked by it was full of Chinese people - always a good sign.
So, how was the food? Beijing Restaurant has an extensive menu, over 100 items, the vast majority sounding fairly authentic. We got two main courses: the Braised Lamb in Clay Pot (#86 on the restaurant menu and #88 on the Take-out menu - 48 AED) and Sizzling Prawn with Chili, Garlic, and Fish Sauce (#99 on both - 48 AED on both), and one vegetable: Wok-Fried Kangkung (Watercress, #138 on both - 18 AED). The portions were very reasonable, we were quite full and brought back some leftovers. Both main dishes were very tasty - the prawns were sweet, not overcooked, and in the thick gravy you could distinctly taste chili, garlic, and fish sauce. The braised lamb pieces were bony, so you essentially had to eat them with your hands, but the meat was tasty and came off fairly easily. The sauce was delicious, soy sauce based with large pieces of garlic and ginger with a good amount of heat. The wok-friend kangkung was very refreshing - crunchy, with a slight bitterness and strong garlic flavor, a nice counterpoint to the spiceness of the other two dishes. Finally, clean interior and bathroom.
All in all, a very satisfying meal. Not the cheapest place around, but very tasty and well worth it. Definitely interested in going back to try more items on their menu.
Telephone: 02-6210708
My wife and I like Chinese food. Not "Chamerican" food - General So-and-so chicken, random fruit (lemon, orange, etc.) beef. Real Chinese food - whether it is soup dumplings from Shanghai or numb-inducing spicy shrimp from Sichuan or cumin dusted lamb burger from Xian. Probably the two NYC neighborhoods I culinarily enjoy the most are Chinatown in Manhattan and Flushing in Queens. So, when we heard there was good Chinese food behind the Madinat Zayed, we were intrigued. Some walking around yielded three restaurants of interest, with Beijing Restaurant earning the first place we tried since when we walked by it was full of Chinese people - always a good sign.
So, how was the food? Beijing Restaurant has an extensive menu, over 100 items, the vast majority sounding fairly authentic. We got two main courses: the Braised Lamb in Clay Pot (#86 on the restaurant menu and #88 on the Take-out menu - 48 AED) and Sizzling Prawn with Chili, Garlic, and Fish Sauce (#99 on both - 48 AED on both), and one vegetable: Wok-Fried Kangkung (Watercress, #138 on both - 18 AED). The portions were very reasonable, we were quite full and brought back some leftovers. Both main dishes were very tasty - the prawns were sweet, not overcooked, and in the thick gravy you could distinctly taste chili, garlic, and fish sauce. The braised lamb pieces were bony, so you essentially had to eat them with your hands, but the meat was tasty and came off fairly easily. The sauce was delicious, soy sauce based with large pieces of garlic and ginger with a good amount of heat. The wok-friend kangkung was very refreshing - crunchy, with a slight bitterness and strong garlic flavor, a nice counterpoint to the spiceness of the other two dishes. Finally, clean interior and bathroom.
All in all, a very satisfying meal. Not the cheapest place around, but very tasty and well worth it. Definitely interested in going back to try more items on their menu.
25 August 2010
Madinat Zayed Fruit and Vegetable Market
Location: Behind the Gold Center next to the Madinat Zayed Shopping Center
While much smaller than the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Al Mina, it had a similar selection (though fewer vendors) and is a lot more convenient for us. It might not be the cleanest by Western standards, but an impressive array of fresh fruits and vegetables, considerably cheaper and tastier than what we've seen so far from the local supermarkets and grocery stores. The big Carrefour in Marina Mall and the Lulu Hypermarket in Al Wahda mall have a similar selection at reasonably similar prices (I didn't do a close comparison) but lack the ambiance of a true fruit market.
Yesterday we got an extremely sweet watermelon for 2.50 AED / kg, some tangerines which were a little sour, and some great Wasana (sp?) dates at the store in the back corner for 30 AED / kg (they have cheaper dates there of course, but that variety is very sweet). As we try more items, I'll post reviews and prices, but let me know what you think.
PS. The fish market had unfortunately closed by the time we got there (21:30), but we are looking forward to trying that soon.
While much smaller than the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Al Mina, it had a similar selection (though fewer vendors) and is a lot more convenient for us. It might not be the cleanest by Western standards, but an impressive array of fresh fruits and vegetables, considerably cheaper and tastier than what we've seen so far from the local supermarkets and grocery stores. The big Carrefour in Marina Mall and the Lulu Hypermarket in Al Wahda mall have a similar selection at reasonably similar prices (I didn't do a close comparison) but lack the ambiance of a true fruit market.
Yesterday we got an extremely sweet watermelon for 2.50 AED / kg, some tangerines which were a little sour, and some great Wasana (sp?) dates at the store in the back corner for 30 AED / kg (they have cheaper dates there of course, but that variety is very sweet). As we try more items, I'll post reviews and prices, but let me know what you think.
PS. The fish market had unfortunately closed by the time we got there (21:30), but we are looking forward to trying that soon.
Spice Market?
Any one know of a good, inexpensive place to get fresh whole spices (e.g. cinammon sticks, cardamon, etc.)? I've seen some at the local supermarkets (Abu Dhabi Coop, Al Safah, etc.) but was wondering if there is any place which is better - please leave suggestions below. Thanks.
24 August 2010
Tandoori Inn
Location: Marina Mall Food Court
Yes, it is mall Indian food. But having recently moved to Abu Dhabi from the US, it is ten times more flavorful than any mall Indian food you can find there. Their current buffet special of 35 DHS for small salad + 2 curries + rice + naan + small dessert + small soda provides for a filling meal. I especially liked the mutton rogan josh, with a nice spiceness and heat as well as pronounced goat flavor. Tasty, and certainly more appealing then yet-another-Sbarro's.
Yes, it is mall Indian food. But having recently moved to Abu Dhabi from the US, it is ten times more flavorful than any mall Indian food you can find there. Their current buffet special of 35 DHS for small salad + 2 curries + rice + naan + small dessert + small soda provides for a filling meal. I especially liked the mutton rogan josh, with a nice spiceness and heat as well as pronounced goat flavor. Tasty, and certainly more appealing then yet-another-Sbarro's.
23 August 2010
Shakespeare & Co.
Location: Central Souq
A nice, new little cafe in the Central Souq, Shakespeare & Co. has a very ornate Victorian decoration, with lots of plush large chair to relax in. While it has a full food menu to chose from, what drove us there were the delightful frozen desserts, cakes, and pastries in their display cases - most excitingly lemon sorbet in a lemon, and tangerine sorbet in a tangerine (12 DHS each). Both were extremely tasty - the lemon sorbet very sour and refreshing, while the tangerine sorbet tasted like the concentrate juice of a sweet tangerine (NOT like concentrated orange juice in a can, which I don't like). Very clean cafe, with extremely attentive service. While admittedly little pricey (the Central Souq looks like it will be a high-end shopping mall when finished), the sorbets were a decent size and a very refreshing and tasty experience.
A nice, new little cafe in the Central Souq, Shakespeare & Co. has a very ornate Victorian decoration, with lots of plush large chair to relax in. While it has a full food menu to chose from, what drove us there were the delightful frozen desserts, cakes, and pastries in their display cases - most excitingly lemon sorbet in a lemon, and tangerine sorbet in a tangerine (12 DHS each). Both were extremely tasty - the lemon sorbet very sour and refreshing, while the tangerine sorbet tasted like the concentrate juice of a sweet tangerine (NOT like concentrated orange juice in a can, which I don't like). Very clean cafe, with extremely attentive service. While admittedly little pricey (the Central Souq looks like it will be a high-end shopping mall when finished), the sorbets were a decent size and a very refreshing and tasty experience.
22 August 2010
Tarbouche
Location: Across Hamdan Street from the Home Centre at the Liwa Centre
Telephone: 6260700 / 6260701
I know, Middle Eastern fare (kebabs, falafel, shwarma) is almost a dime a dozen here, but passing by a large window which features large spits of chicken and lamb rotating on a skewer is very difficult when hungry and thirsty from walking in the humid and hot sun. This is a small two story restaurant, with a take-out counter on the bottom floor and seating on the top floor. The standard bowl of pickled items (cucumbers, chili peppers, carrots) were tasty and nicely sour, and the provided pita was fresh and very thin. We split the Hummus w/ Shawarma plate (25 DHS) and the Kabab Kofta (22 DHS). Both we quite large, and could easily feed 1.5 hungry people. The hummus was tasty, without any spice dominating the others, and both the chicken and lamb shawarma were quite moist though not heavily spiced. The Kabab Kofta plate has five long rolls of grilled ground lamb, and came with grilled tomatoes, grilled small onions, and a side plate of greens, raw lemon, and raw tomato. The Kababs were also moist, with nice char marks, though I would have preferred them a little more heavily spiced, and the condiments were nice as well. Service was fast and friendly, the A/C was very refreshing after walking in the heat, and the restaurant was fairly clean. All in all, a satisfying meal, and a lot of food for a very reasonable price.
Telephone: 6260700 / 6260701
I know, Middle Eastern fare (kebabs, falafel, shwarma) is almost a dime a dozen here, but passing by a large window which features large spits of chicken and lamb rotating on a skewer is very difficult when hungry and thirsty from walking in the humid and hot sun. This is a small two story restaurant, with a take-out counter on the bottom floor and seating on the top floor. The standard bowl of pickled items (cucumbers, chili peppers, carrots) were tasty and nicely sour, and the provided pita was fresh and very thin. We split the Hummus w/ Shawarma plate (25 DHS) and the Kabab Kofta (22 DHS). Both we quite large, and could easily feed 1.5 hungry people. The hummus was tasty, without any spice dominating the others, and both the chicken and lamb shawarma were quite moist though not heavily spiced. The Kabab Kofta plate has five long rolls of grilled ground lamb, and came with grilled tomatoes, grilled small onions, and a side plate of greens, raw lemon, and raw tomato. The Kababs were also moist, with nice char marks, though I would have preferred them a little more heavily spiced, and the condiments were nice as well. Service was fast and friendly, the A/C was very refreshing after walking in the heat, and the restaurant was fairly clean. All in all, a satisfying meal, and a lot of food for a very reasonable price.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)