Food Review: 25 Degrees North

I am a bit hesitant when it comes to trying food from a new Indian restaurant. The reason for this being that I evaluate Indian food more critically than any other cuisine (being an Indian, this is something which comes naturally). However, being a food blogger means that I have to overcome any hesitancy and try new places. Therefore, when I was invited to try the food at 25 Degrees North, I did not turn the invite down.

Located at Bay Square, an upcoming commercial area in Business Bay, 25 Degrees North is an Indian restaurant that offers a wide range of Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian options. I visited the restaurant for lunch with a friend. As we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed with pleasant smiles from the restaurant staff. The restaurant was not too busy at that hour but does pull in a lot of crowd during dinner time on weekends (yes, I went there with a group of friends again).

The ambience of the restaurant is more like a semi-fine dining restaurant. The place is spacious and there is ample seating inside the restaurant. I did love the decor of the restaurant, especially the lights used.

As we settled down at our table, we were served with a sweet chutney based dahi (yoghurt) bhalla chaat sprinkled with sev and pomegranate. The bhalla had that little bit of a crunch to it and the chaat item was a bit on the sweeter side. I like sweet chutney so I did like the chaat item.

As we were placing our order for the starters, something on the menu caught my eye. This dish was Palak Patta Chaat (Spinach leaf chaat). I have never in my life before tried any chaat item that is made of Spinach and it was something unique (couldn't give this a miss). The other starter we chose was a prawns based dish called Jhinga Mehrunnisa. My order for drinks was a Mango Lassi.

Even before the starters came out, we were served with Papads (or popadums) with 4 different chutneys or sauces (Mint Chutney, Mango Chutney, Tamarind Chutney and Pickle). This is pretty much a standard when it comes to most Indian semi-fine dining and fine dining restaurants. The chutneys were pretty good, especially the mango one. 

The starters arrived and I was amazed by the Palak patta chaat. It wouln't be wrong to say that it is one of the best chaat items I have ever tasted in my life. Spinach leaves are coated in gram flour (besan) and then batter fried. These are topped with Yoghurt, mint chutney and sweet chutney. This is then topped with some sev and pomegranate seeds. It is the perfect balance of flavours. Since the spinach leaves are fried, the leaves are crunchy. The Yoghurt and chutneys give it a bit of a tangy, sweet and a bit of spice at the same time. This is a must try.

The second starter Jhinga Mehrunnisa is served in shot glasses and is marinated in a special marination prepared by the chef. The Prawns are served with mint chutney. The dish is a bit on the spicy side and the Prawns (Jhinga) tasted fresh. The mango lassi was pretty good too. It was refreshing and the lassi was thick (not too much).

Once done with the starters, it was time to order the main course. We wanted to try both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes so we opted for Murgh Kohlapuri and Paneer Makhanwala.

Murgh Kohlapuri is a chicken based dish which consists of chicken cooked in a spicy Kohlapuri curry. Since I can't take too much spice, I asked for a non-spicy version of the dish. The chicken was well cooked and the curry was rich in flavours and tasted good, however I felt that I made a mistake by ordering a non-spicy version of it. The reason for this being that spice is the essence of the dish and by removing that, it was quite evident that the curry lacked that punch to make it an amazing dish. That being said, the dish still tasted good.

The second main course Paneer Makhanwala was our vegetarian dish. The butter based curry tasted good but I was not too excited by the Paneer itself. It was the only dish that failed to make an impact. I did communicate this to the staff and the chef came to see me in person. I was really impressed by this. The cook did understand the issue and promised me that he would do something about it going forward.

After having such a heavy but satisfying meal, I still had some room for dessert and ordered for Jalebi with Rabdi. Jalebi is a dessert that is pretty famous in India and is really sweet, since it is dipped into a sugar syrup after it is deep fried. It is usually eaten alone or is served with Rabdi which is a creamy milk based dessert. When served with Jalebi, Rabdi is usually not to sweet in order to balance the high amount of sweetness of the Jalebi. The dessert is one of my favourites and 25 Degrees North does justice to it. The presentation and the taste of the dessert is excellent and I couldn't have asked for a better ending to the meal.

Overall I was impressed by 25 degrees north and for me the highlight of the meal was the Palak Patta Chaat. This is a dish, I will not be able to forget for quite some time. The staff was friendly and willing to make improvements whereever possible to enhance the experience of the customers. 

The feel of the restaurant might be a semi-fine dining one but the prices of the dishes are really good and it is by no doubt total value for money. I would surely be visiting the restaurant in the coming months to try more dishes.

Disclosure:

I was invited to try the food at 25 Degrees North, therefore I have not provided any ratings for the restaurant. All opinions expressed are solely based on my experience and are not influenced by the restaurant or its management in any way.

Details:

Restaurant: 25 Degrees North

Location: BB07 Bay Square, Business Bay (The restaurant has other branches too. Search zomato for the restaurant listings)

Contact No.: +971 4 3607474 

Website: http://www.25degreesnorth.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/25degreesnorth

Instagram: https://instagram.com/25degreesnorth/

Food Review: Lounge Café Italiano

Bringing Italy to Dubai would be nearly impossible but bringing Italian food to Dubai is something that can be done and Lounge Café Italiano has done just that. Located at Dubai Media City, Lounge Café Italiano is home to the much loved Italian cuisine.

During my visit to Lounge Café Italiano, I got the chance to try a number of mouthwatering dishes along with some delicious desserts. The menu of Italiano offers plenty of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Along with the food options, one has the luxury of enjoying football games or maybe catch a tennis match on the projector screen located at the corner of the café. There are other screens around the lounge café too.

The projector screen

Ranging from regular tables and chairs to extremely comfortable sofas, there are plenty of seating options available at the lounge café. The lounge café is huge in size and is perfect for a meal for two or a big group of friends alike. Looking for a relaxed dinner, I preferred dining in while seated on the comfortable sofa.

My dining seat

Plenty of seating

Starting with drinks, I opted for Gustoso. Gustoso is a drink with ingredients such as Almond milk and Avocado mixed with Peanut butter and white Chocolate sauce. The drink is refreshing and a bit on the thicker side. It tastes pretty good and is highly recommended.

Gustoso

Moving on to the starters, this consisted of two dishes. One being Baby Spinach, Avocado and Roast Pepper Salad with Pine nuts and Balsamic Dressing and the other was Sesame and Honey Coated Tuna Loin with Orange Salad. 

The Baby Spinach and Avocado salad was amazing. The freshness of the Avocado along with Pine nuts not only makes up a brilliant salad but it is healthy at the same time. The Balsamic Dressing has vinegar as the main ingredient it adds flavour to the salad. 

The Tuna Loin coated in Sesame is as good as its name. The salad tastes good and is another healthy option with the inclusion of Sesame and Orange. I liked the use of different tasting ingredients together. The different tastes come together to form a good salad.

Baby Spinach, Avocado and Roast Pepper Salad with Pine nuts and Balsamic Dressing (left) and Sesame and Honey Coated Tuna Loin with Orange Salad (right)

After dealing with the starters, it was time to move on to the main course. The main course consisted of three dishes; Saffron Risotto with Gold leaf, Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage butter sauce and Tuna with Eggplant and Cherry Tomato.

Risotto is a rice based dish cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. The broth can be either vegetarian (made out of vegetables) or non-vegetarian (made out of fish or meat). It is a common way of cooking rice in Italy. The Saffron Risotto was well cooked and tasted good.

The second main course item Ravioli is another traditional Italian dish which consists of two layers of thin egg pasta dough. The two layers have a filling similar to a dumpling. The Spinach and Ricotta along with Sage butter sauce maintained a good balance and the dish was pretty impressive.

Tuna was served with Eggplant and Cherry Tomato. While the Tuna was decent, the Eggplant was brilliantly done and the Cherry Tomatoes were fresh. I am not a big fan of Eggplant but the way it was cooked ensured that I did not leave any traces of it on my plate. 

From left to right: Saffron Risotto with Gold leaf, Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage butter sauce, Tuna with Eggplant and Cherry Tomato

My tummy was nearly full after all those dishes but I had some space left for dessert. My order for dessert was Chocolate melting cake with stewed Strawberries and Vanilla Ice cream. The Chocolate melting cake was brilliant. The cake was filled with melted Chocolate that oozes out once you take a bite of it. The Vanilla ice cream was yummy and the stewed Strawberries tasted good as well.

This dessert is something you don't want to miss. Do try it out and you can thank me later.

Chocolate melting cake with stewed Strawberries and Vanilla Ice cream

My overall experience at Lounge Café Italiano was good. The ambience, the food, the service, everything was upto the mark. If you are looking for Italian food or want to catch a game of football while having some good food, Lounge Café Italiano is the place to be.

Disclosure: I was invited to Lounge Cafe Italiano, therefore I have not provided any ratings for the restaurant. All opinions expressed are solely on my experience and are not influenced by the restaurant in any way.

Details:

Restaurant: Lounge Café Italiano

Location: Arenco Tower, Ground Floor, Dubai Media City, Next to AUD.

Contact No.: +971 4 4533318 / 800 ITALIANO

Website: www.loungecafeitaliano.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoungeCafeItaliano

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CafeItalianoUAE

Instagram: http://instagram.com/cafeitalianouae

Food Review: Rainbow Steak House

When I received an invite to Rainbow Steak House, I immediately accepted it and started researching about the restaurant on the internet. I was pleased to know that the restaurant was a part of Rainbow Hospitality that managed a number of restaurants across the country and were also a well-known name in catering services. After visiting their website - http://www.rainbowhospitalityuae.com/ I was looking forward to what the restaurant had to offer.

As I entered the restaurant, a welcome sign under a lovely setting of blue light was visible. The restaurant staff welcomed me and I made my way to my table. The restaurant has two types of sitting arrangements; one being the open area with the regular dining tables while the second one being cabins which seats approximately 4-6 individuals. Each cabin has a separate door which can be closed if privacy is what you want.

Welcome to the restaurant

As I settled down at the table, I ordered for a drink. I was in the mood to try something different and ended up ordering for a cocktail juice. Served in a stylish glass, the fresh cocktail juice looked amazing. The taste of the juice was good too.

Fresh Cocktail Juice

I had a choice between the A La carte menu and the buffet; I opted for the buffet so that I could try more dishes and give my verdict on the same. Before I walk you through my experience, let me allow informing you that the buffet includes Chinese, Arabic, Indian and Continental dishes, ensuring that it caters to the needs of everyone.

Starting with salads, I was amazed by the variety of salads in the buffet. A few of the salads in the buffet were Prawns Salad, Tabouleh, Russian Salad, Greek Salad, Apple Salad, Crab with corn, Coleslaw, Fattoush, Corn with Cabbage. I counted atleast 25 plus varieties of salads. 

A large variety of salads to choose from

I filled my plate with a little bit of salads from every cuisine type but at the same time ensured that I did not take too much since I still had the main course and desserts (my favourite part of any buffet) to go through.

I liked all the salads I tried. Each and every salad was fresh and tasted good. I enjoyed the variety of salads and did not take long to gulp down the entire plate.

My plate full of salads

Once done with the salads, it was time to head to the live cooking station. The live cooking station offers one the option to choose grilled fish, shrimps in different varieties. One can choose from regular grilled to Arabic to Spicy.

Live cooking station

In the need to try something spicy I opted for the spicy option of fish and shrimps. I was glad that I did go for the spicy option since the spices used provided a good flavour to the fish and shrimps. I loved the shrimps while the fish was decent enough. 

Spicy Grilled Fish and Shrimps

Fish and Shrimps were not the only items I tried in grill. I also got the opportunity to try grilled chicken, kebabs and some beef too. Served in a chafing dish and covered with a Romaali Roti, the grilled chicken and beef were cooked to perfection. The meat was tender, juicy and tasted good.

Grilled Chicken and Beef

After having all these wonderful dishes, it was time to head back to the buffet in order to try some items from the main course. The main course included varieties of Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Rice, Noodles and Fish etc.

Since I had eaten quite a lot, I went for little servings of rice and yellow dal (lentil), Egg noodles, fried rice and some turkey. Just like the other dishes I had tried earlier, all dishes in the main course tasted good. I did however feel that the Turkey could have been better, no complaints though.

Main Course

I love desserts and I really mean it. Even after being somewhat full from all the dishes I had tried, I had enough space in my tummy for the desserts. With atleast 15-20 desserts staring at me willing to be eaten, I went for 6 of them.

I totally loved the desserts, they were amazing. My pick of the lot was Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa - Indian Dessert). I felt the Eclair was excellent too. After eating all the desserts, I started craving for more but I stopped myself to go for any more servings. After thanking the manager for the invite, I headed back home happy and satisfied.

Yummy Desserts

My visit at Rainbow Steak House was a very good one. I liked the variety of dishes the restaurant had to offer as a part of the buffet. Be it salads, main course or desserts, everything tasted good and it did look like the cook had put in a lot of effort in each and every dish.

Based in Hamriya (Dubai), I would say Rainbow Steak House is one of the better restaurants if you want to drop in for a big buffet meal.

Disclosure:
I was invited to try the food at Rainbow Steak House, therefore I have not provided any ratings for the restaurant. All opinions expressed are solely based on my experience and are not influenced by the restaurant or its management in any way.

Details:

Restaurant: Rainbow Steak House

Location: Al Khaleej Road, Hamriya, Dubai

Contact No.: +971 4 2398301

Website: http://www.rainbowhospitalityuae.com/Rainbow-Steak-House-Dubai.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RainbowSteakH

Instagram: http://instagram.com/rainbowsteakhouse

Food Review: Radhe O Radhe

My vegetarian friends keep complaining about how I miss out on reviewing "Pure Vegetarian" restaurants. It was about time that I answered their complaints; so I didn't think twice before accepting an invite from Radhe O Radhe. Located in the food capital of Dubai, i.e. Karama, Radhe O Radhe is a vegetarian restaurant that has its roots in Punjab.

The restaurant has a relaxed feel to it. The interiors are decent with enough space to fit in a few families. The music is not too loud and perfect to chat while you wait for your food.

Starting with drinks, I opted for the Mango Lassi. The Mango Lassi was thick and tasted good. The flavour of mango was eminent. I loved how the Lassi was served in a clay tumbler rather than a glass.

Mango Lassi

It is necessary to try "Chaat" (if available) at an Indian Restaurant as it includes Indian Snacks that bring together a blend of various flavours and sauces. I went for my personal favourite Pani Puri (known as Gol Guppa in Delhi). The puris used in Pani Puri are made in-house and are perfect. With the flavoured waters spicing up things, the Pani Puri can be rated in the top 5 that I have tried in Dubai so far.

Pani Puri

After having a few Pani Puris, I was ready to give the starters a shot. I left it to the restaurant staff to get me whichever starters they thought would be the best. The choice was easy for them and they got be Mushroom Kundan Taara and Soya Tikka Tandoori.

I have always tried Mushrooms and Paneer separately as starters or perhaps as main course however Mushroom Kundan Taara was a mix. Two Mushrooms stuck together with a stuffing of Paneer was hard to resist. The flavours were good and the taste pleasing enough to tingle my taste buds.

Mushroom Kundan Taara

The other starter Soya Tikka Tandoori was amazing. If there is one thing in vegetarian food that I can have on a daily basis, it is Soya. The beauty about Soya is that it can be used in multiple ways in different dishes and the taste would be different in each dish.

Soya Tikka Tandoori is juicy Soya with a balance of spice and flavours. It was probably the best dish I tried at Radhe O Radhe.

Soya Tikka Tandoori

Next on was main course and I was excited to see what would be served to me. The main course consisted of Soya Tikka Rara, Dal Makhani, Paneer Dhania Adraki, Pudina paratha and Missi Roti. Not to forget that I was also served Soya Tikka Biryani.

Both Pudina paratha and Missi Roti have a good taste but it depends on personal choice on which one is better; for me it was Missi Roti. Dal Makhani was fine and I felt that it could have been better while Paneer Dhania Adraki was decent too. The pick of the lot was Soya Tikka Rara. Cooked to perfection, Soya Tikka Rara was simply delicious.

My plate full with the Main Course

Even though I was pretty much full, I had to try the Soya Tikka Biryani as it looked amazing (picture below). Served with Raita, the biryani was pretty good. The rice was rich and the Soya Tikka just took it to another level altogether.

Soya Tikka Biryani

Going through the variety of dishes one at a time was fun. Yes, I was full within minutes but the flavours and the taste kept me going.

Of course, I did not leave before trying the dessert. My pick for dessert was Kheer. I was informed that the Kheer from Radhe O Radhe is the best-selling dessert and I wasn't surprised why. I was glad that I did leave some space in my tummy for the delicious dessert.

Kheer

My overall experience at Radhe O Radhe was amazing. I loved all the Soya dishes and would recommend them. The Kheer, Mushroom Kundan Taara and Pani Puri are worth trying too. The service is good and the staff friendly. I have already visited the restaurant again with a couple of friends and they loved the food. I shall be visiting them yet again real soon.

A few things that I learnt about Radhe O Radhe and would love to share are: The restaurant opened in July 2010 and specializes in North Indian food but does serve Gujarati and South Indian food too (Satvik Thaalis are available). The restaurant is known for its corporate lunch pack which is pre-portioned and serves 8 different items for AED 14. Radhe O Radhe has a branch in JAFZA too.

*The prices are as of the review date and are subject to change based on decisions made by the restaurant's management.

Details
Location: Opposite Day to Day supermarket near the General Post Office (GPO), Karama
Contact: 00971 4 4409300 ext. 379
Cuisine: Indian
For further details please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/radhe-o-radhe-al-karama