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“the lion is most handsome when looking for food” ( RUMI)
paraphrase…someone or something is most appealing or attractive when they are pursuing their raison d’etre (their reason of being)
Hey Guys, Ramadan Kareem everyone,
This year I was invited by Omar Ali from @gastronomiqueDXB for a trip like no other, a trip to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
What made this trip unique was that Omar GastronomiqueDXB curated the restaurants to synchronise with the trip thus making a trully amazing and wonderfull trip.
The trip started from Pakistan moving to Saudi Arabia , spacifically Madinah, Mecca and Jeddah for Umrah, then Abu Dhabi and Dubai and finishing in Qatar.
This review will list the most memorable dish from each curated restaurant.
So without further ado lets get started
Butt Karahi…Lahore Pakistan PKR 3000 ( £8.54) 9 out of 10
Our Trip started from Butt Karahi in the walled city of Lahore, They claim to have invented the Karahi. The restaurant started from a single cart in McLoud Road Lahore, in 1923 and has never closed for a single day since then, the funny thing is now there are seven Butt Karahis on the same road, they are all independently owned by the descendants of Boota Butt who first started Butt Karahi in 1923.
As there is no concept of intellectual property or franchising in Pakistan, any member of the Butt clan who worked in Butt Karahi would go on to start his own chapter of Butt Karahi.
We visited the Genesis Butt Karahi, as verified by the molvee of the mosque next door.
The Karahi was a revelation, the lamb is cooked only using butter and spices, and the lamb is so tender it falls off the bone.
Veg Samosa..Soond walla Samosa PKR 200 each (57p) 8 out of 10
Not all the places we ate in were fine dining, these samosas were made by a humble street cart close to our Fruit Orchards in Punjab, the samosas were fresh on the spot and believe me they hit the spot, delicately spiced potato filling in a crispy filo case…so simple yet absolutely delicious.
Spicy Chicken Mandi…Mandi World…Jeddah,Saudi Arabia SAR 85 ( £18) 8.9out of 10
My love of food started from the simple concept of chicken and rice, this combination exisits the world over, biryani in the sub continant, Singapore Chicken and rice, Italian Pollo Risotto, Gumbo in the American deep south and Mandi in southern Arabia.
The Mandi from Mandi world Jeddah was simple, fragrent and oh so delicious
Our next leg of the trip was to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, I visited Madinah and Mecca however it was the most busiest time of the year outside the Hajj so we enjoyed some Saudi street vendors
I tried the Ajwa Ice Cream in Madinah, The Ice Cream is made from Ajwa dates which were the favourite dates of the Prophet Mohammed(pbuh), and camel milk, it was served in a soft serve style, the Ajwa Ice Cream has a very subtle tasting notes of toffee, molasses, coffee and brown butter… absolutely delicious after Isha in Madinah.
Lamb Chops…Crossing Restaurant, H Hotel, Dubai AED 50 (£10) 9 out of 10
Next up we reached the Dubai leg of our Grand Tour, and we were invited by three of the most prominent food influencers in the UAE.
Hani AlMaliki aka @bedouinfoodie , Reza Namazi @ravenousxerxes and Jamal Al husseini @phinickyeater , the lunch was personally curated by the Michelin Star Chef Jitin Joshi @chefjitinjoshi.
This was truly a spectacular treat, the conversation was enlightening and eating with knowledgeable peers was truly amazing and humbling.
Furthermore, Chef Joshi’s passion speaks volumes through his food, the highlight of a truly memorable meal was the double rib lamb cutlets the marination was subtle yet complex, and the lamb was tender with a wonderful nutty fat from the loin.
I am overdoing with the Superlative adjectives but how else can one describe something so good?
BBQ Platter…Big T BBQ AED 250 (£53) 8 out of 10
Next Iftar Omar took me to an authentic Texas BBQ in the middle of Dubai…go figure, It was designed like a Texas Redneck BBQ right down to the Taxas size portions.
Actually, Big T BBQ is a labour of love for the owner Fadel Faour, he fell in love with the 1000-gallon smoker whilst studying at Longhorn University and could not wait to recreate the experience in Dubai.
The BBQ consists of seasoned smoked meats—specifically beef brisket, beef ribs, pastrami and Texas German Beef sausage.
OMG, the Texas German Beef link Sausage was a manna from heaven, the sausage was seasoned spectacularly, along with the smokey taste of the Ghaf tree gave a delicious umami earthy taste… loved it!!
kebab Hamoudi…Bait Maryam Dubai AED 85 (£16) 8 out of 10
Walking into Bait Maryam is like walking into the kitchen of your Jordanian Aunt, Sallam Dakak is a self teach two Michelin Star chef cooking her mum Maryam rustic delicacies, but don’t mistake rustic as peasant food, the food is simple yet fantastic, all the more elevated by the fresh ingredients available in Dubai.
The Kebab Hamoudi is an ode to Maryam’s grandson, the lamb kebab is sheathed in romali roti and rested on a bed of Maryams amazing spicy Tomato shorba and smoked Aubergine Babaganough. the pine nuts give a buttery nuance to cut the richness.
Mix Kebab… khoori Iranian dubai Aed 85 (£18.33) 9 out of 10
If a picture could speak 1000 words… well this speaks a while 1001 stories… Khoori is honest to goodness, salt of the earth Iranian kabab jaga…no pretensions, no faff just salt of the earth kebabs and fresh pebble bread.
It was love at first bite.
Sujook…Al Beiruti Dubai AED 59 (12.73) 8.5 out of 10Lebenon is a melting pot of amazing culinary influences, a case in point is the humble Sujook, Lebanese Sausage in Al Beiruti Dubai, the sausage is initially spoked and then tossed in burnt butter, pomegranate molasses and pine nuts, the sweet tangy sensation cuts through the spiced umami richness of the sausage.
Ceaser Salad…AED 82 (£17.70 Jones the Grocer Abu Dhabi 7 out 0r 10
Sometimes you need to give your system a wee time out…for those occasions, a Caesar Salad hits the spot…tossed with beef bacon a Caesar salad is an underrated timeless classic
Kebab Guldusta…Ashas Doha QR120 (£27) 7.5 out of 100
Ashas is a restaurant chain founded by the Bollywood playback singer, Asha Bhosle who is the sister of Lata “The Nightingale” Mangeshkar.
She is CDO (Chief Decor Officer) and CCO (Chief Cusine Officer), and she contributes to the menu.
She is a great fan of the Moghul school of cooking hence why healthy grilled and tandoori dishes are prominant.
The Kebab Guldusta is made up of malai tikka, murgh tikka and seekh kebab, all were marinated on point and grilled. simple yet delicious.
Tiramisu Biscuit…Koncrete Coffee Dubai AED 30 (£6.45) 7.5 out of 10
As a coffee aficionado, Omar also curated some of the best artisan coffee roasters in Dubai, firstly there is Koncrete Coffee, Coffee is imported from the BArn in Berlin, but it is also a social enterprise founded by progressive young emirates and art gallery.
Espresso Lab, Dubai Design District AED 35 (£7.50) 9 out of 10
The simple pleasure of great coffee and a cigar and amiable company after a great meal is exactly what we enjoyed at Espresso Lab in the Dubai Design District.
Espresso Lab is a coffee roaster founded by a visionary and passionate Emirati, Ibrahim Al Mallouhi, the extent of his passion is evident as he has trailblazed the concept
“seed to cup” where he has bought plantations in Columbia, Ethiopia and Sumatra so he can make sure the coffee supply line is unbroken from the seed to the cup.
In Conclusion
Omar did an amazing job in curating such amazing restaurants, his knowledge of the Dubai restaurant business is unparalleled.
Omar curated artisan eateries rather than falling for the Dubai bling usual suspects.
The trip was not only a revelation in a culinary sense but spiritually and emotionally too.
I met some truly inspirational individuals whose passion shone through yet there was a notable absence of the foodie arrogance.
I humbly thank everyone who made my trip memorable
Halal Rating
All the restaurants visited were alcohol-free and Halal
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for reviews.
Hey, Foodwala boys and girls… I hope you are all safe and well
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook, TIK TOK, and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
Furthermore, if you know of a restaurant I should review please let me know.
“That person is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
I was walking down Great Western Road and passing the numerous bakeries and coffee shops and I stopped to ponder, when was the first time you actually eat for pleasure?
We always eat since we were fed by our mums but when did you actually independently make the decision that you were going to eat not because your mum had made it or to satiate hunger?
As I walked past Hillhead Primary School I got my answer, I remember when it must have been the summer of 1981 just before the summer holidays, I was with my friends Shaffiq and Amin, we were inseparable back then.
We were walking past the 727 chippie and the aroma of hot oil and vinegar stopped us in our tracks, we peered in the steamed-up windows and saw mounds of golden fried fish and chips, they looked so delicious, we are captivated, awestruck even.
We plucked the courage to go in, and the huge Italian gentlemen behind the counter loomed ominously over the counter and asked us what we wanted, we audibly gulped and pointed in unison at the golden fried fish.
The Italian Fish and Chipwalla bellowed
“That will be £1.50” and he laughed manically
we pooled our money and gingerly put the coins on the counter…the Italian giant counted the coins
“This ees only 30p?” he loomed menacingly
We were lost for words, we were rooted to the spot and cringing with fright.
Obviously when your 8 years old everything looks big and scary, so actually the Kind Italian gentlemen picked up 3 soft rolls and slathered some butter on each and put hot fluffy chips and liberally sprinkled salt and vinegar and handed one each to us and bade us farewell.
We stood outside the shop and tucked into our chip rolls…OMG, it was a revelation. I had never eaten something so delicious in my life, At that moment my love for food was born, I am a veteran
of many campaigns yet my love for food endures.
Marigold Cafe
This week I was with Doctor Foodwala and we decided to visit the newly opened Marigold Cafe on Park Road, I remember back In the day it was the Bar Bola.
The Marigold Cafe serves Chic contemporary Indian Tapas.
We kicked off the proceedings with the trio of MFC (Marigold Fried Chicken), juicy thighs in a spicy Korean-style batter, it actually worked quite well, if it was breast meat it would not have been so juicy and tender.
The Pulled Lamb Samosa was actually pulled lamb, as opposed to mince, so this was a revelation. the spice was balanced with a crispy batter.
The Prawn Biryani Bons Bons were a play in arancini balls, this actually worked well, moist and spiced but I felt lacked the actual taste of prawn.
Dall Makhani £7.50… 6out 10
Next up was the Dall Makhani and the Bombay Hassleback Aloo.
The Dall Makhani, was of the Black Urid Lentils slow cooked with heavy cream, giving a nutty creamy texture, again well prepared, maybe a little under-seasoned.
The Hasskeback Aloo was half-baked
Jingha Machali £10.50… 8out10
The King Prawns were cut in a butterfly style and sauteed in spiced butter and topped with samphire pakora, delicious and well made, the King Prawns were cooked just right, not rubbery with can happen if cooked too long.
In Conclusion
The Marigold Cafe is definitely a playful take on the Indian Street Food Tapas, the Chef knew his craft well enough to think outside the box and enjoy fusing different elements together, This style should definitely be commended.
The Service was friendly and to the point, unobtrusive yet close.
The Star of the Meal?
The King Prawns and the MFC was the star of the mean, just for the simplicity of its execution, yet the thought in its preparation.
The miss of the Meal?
It would be unfair to name a miss but if pushed I would throw the Dhaal Makhani under the bus purely from the slightly underseasoned.
Honourable Mention
Marigold Cafe is simply put good, on par with Chaaku, and on par even with Dishoom, Marigold executed the ingredients and elements better, It did its thing in an honest and delicious manner
Halal Rating
The Lamb and Chicken are halal, however, there is a Pork dish on the menu but was assured there was no cross-contamination.
Alcohol is served on the Premises
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for reviews.
