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

Cooking: When hunger strikes, I make a Spanish Omelette

I am not a good cook by any means but every now and then I am caught up in situations where I am hungry and there is no one at home. Usually I would order something from a restaurant and save the hassle of cooking but what if I don't feel like eating something from outside? That is when I cook. I don't cook complicated stuff since I would mess things up. So here is my recipe for a quick breakfast with minimal effort.

I shall be taking you through the process of making a Spanish Omelette (My style) that would ensure that next time hunger strikes you will have an answer to it. The good part about my recipe is that it includes ingredients that are easily available at every home and you will not have to go to buy any fancy stuff.

Ingredients:

1 Bell Pepper

1 Onion

1 Tomato

2 Eggs

1 Sliced Cheese

Salt

The Ingredients

Steps:

1. First things first, make sure to wash the tomato, bell pepper and onion (after peeling its first layer of skin) before using them.

2. Crack the 2 eggs in the bowl.

3. Cut the Onion, Tomato and Bell pepper into small pieces and add it to the bowl. Make sure that you don't use the complete vegetable or else the quantity will be too much to beat. Another important point to note is that when using a Bell pepper make sure to remove its seeds.

4. Cut the Sliced cheese into small pieces and add it to the bowl.

5. Add some salt to the bowl. You can also add black pepper if you want to (I avoided it).

All ingredients ready to be beaten

6. Beat the mixture in the bowl for about 30 seconds so that it mixes up well.

7. Turn on the gas on low and use a nonstick pan. Add some oil to the pan (I used Ghee, because I am a Punjabi *winks*). Make sure that the oil or ghee covers the entire base of the pan so that the omelette does not stick to it (Please don't flood it with oil).

Cooking the Omelette

8. Pour the mixture into the pan and let it cook for 20-30 seconds. Make sure that you turn it around using a spatula once you see a yellowish brown shade.

9. Cook from the other side and turn it over once again if the omelette looks undercooked.

10. Turn off the gas and transfer the omelette to your plate.

Spanish Omelette served with Garlic Mayo, Ketchup and Chili Sauce

11. Serve with Garlic Mayo, Ketchup, Chili Sauce or any other condiment you prefer.

You can probably take some slices of bread and heat them in the nonstick pan for a few seconds from both sides. Your breakfast is ready.

Spanish Omelette with a glass of Chocolate Milk

I love to have something to drink with my Omelette. I took a glass, added cold milk to it and some Hershey's Chocolate syrup to it. Stir it and chocolate milk it ready. Those who don't like Milk can have juice with it.

Skills you need to cook the recipe (If you don't possess these super powers please don't cook):

1. Knowing the difference between salt and sugar. I know sugar is good but an Omelette tastes better with salt.

2. Knowing how to turn on the gas. You should also know how to turn it off.

3. Knowing how to use a knife without cutting your fingers.

4. Knowing how to beat an egg. It is nothing like beating someone up.

Once you meet the above requirements, you can try your hand at the recipe.

Food Review: Shayan Restaurant

Trying a new cuisine for the first time can be pretty interesting and tricky at the same time. The reason for this being that one is not sure what to expect but there is a sense of excitement as well. I was going through the same emotions when I tried food at Shayan Restaurant at Al Ghurair Rayhaan and Arjaan by Rotana. I had heard a lot of Persian cuisine and was excited to try it.

Interiors of the Restaurant

As I walked into the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised by the ambience and the interiors. The furniture, the lighting and the setup was excellent. It was class with a hint of elegance. There is plenty of seating available and it won't be difficult finding a seating that suits your taste and preference.

Private seating area

I was shortly joined by other foodies before we started tasting the dishes. As we settled down at a table for four, we were welcomed with a traditional Persian drink called Doogh. Doogh is a yoghurt based salted drink which is a regular with Persian food. The drink provided a perfect start to the dinner that was to follow. 

Salad Shirazi

Within a few minutes, Salad Shirazi was placed at our table along with Kashk E Bademjan. Salad Shirazi is a traditional salad mixed with cucumbers, red onions, virgin olive oil and lime juice. The salad was simple and there is isn't much to say about it. Kashk E Bademjan is a special aged cheese curd mixed with grilled eggplant and seasoned with traditional spices.

Esfenaj Nargesi

After dealing with the salad, it was time to try a few dishes. First on was Esfenaj Nargesi (Seasoned spinach topped with sauteed onions and fried egg). I have never tried spinach and egg together and was not sure how the dish would taste however I must say that I was impressed. The spinach and egg went perfectly with each other and the dish tasted amazing. If you are one of those who don't eat meat but are okay with eggs should try this dish.

Gheymeh Bademjan

The other dish served along with Esfenaj Nargesi was Gheymeh Bademjan (lamb stew prepared with lentils, tomatoes and fried eggplant). The good part about the dish was the balance in flavours. I did like the dish but if I were to pick between the 2 dishes served, I would choose the Spinach dish over Lamb.

The main course

We had stuffed ourselves with the delicious dishes served to us as the huge main course tray arrived. It was quite a task to get through so much food but the entire main course was so good that we did not have to worry about any leftovers. The main course consisted of Joojeh Kabab Ba Ostokhan (Skewers of marinated chicken on the bone), Kubideh Ye Joojeh (Skewers of minced chicken breast, onion and saffron), Tikke Masti (Cuts of beef tenderloin marinated with yoghurt, saffron and Persian spices) and Kabab Shishlik (lamb chops, marinated in onion, black pepper, saffron and olive oil).

My plate with a mix of everything

The main course was served with 2 types of rice: plain saffron rice and yellow coloured rice with herbs. Every item on the main course was excellent. It was difficult to choose which item was better than the other. Aside from the rice, garlic and condiments were served with the main course. The garlic has a unique flavour to it and I loved it.

Makhloot

Finally dessert arrived at the table. Makhloot is similar to Faloudeh. The taste of Faloudeh is similar to Falooda. Makhloot (Persian iced noodles and Bastani Ice cream) is the perfect ending to any dinner. Due to the addition of Bastani Ice cream, the dessert is a delight for ones with a sweet tooth. However if you are not too fond of desserts that are a bit high on the sweetness scale, you can try something else.

Sharabet Albaloo

Something that impressed me as much as the food itself was Sharabet Albaloo. Sharabet Albaloo is a sour cherry cordial drink. The cold cheery flavoured drink was refreshing and knocked out any signs of tiredness of me.

Overall my experience was a good one. The decision to try Persian food ended up not to be a good but a great one. I would surely be visiting Shayan soon to try a few more dishes, what about you?

Details
Cuisine: Persian
Location: Al Ghurair Rayhaan and Arjaan by Rotana, Deira, Dubai
For further details visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/shayan-al-ghurair-arjaan-and-rayhaan-rotana-al-rigga

Food Review: Bennigan's, The Dubai Mall

I was recently invited to Bennigan's at The Dubai Mall to try the delicious food and have an amazing F1 racing experience as a part of the "All You Can Eat Beef" promotion. The promotion allows one to have as much beef as one can for AED 95. 

On my arrival, I was greeted by the staff. As I settled down at my table, my host Vergel arrived to welcome me along with Chef Khaled. I spoke to Chef Khaled about the promotion and he asked me about my beef preference. After a short conversation, the Chef bid farewell and went back to the kitchen to perform his magic of cooking.

From left to right: Olive Paste and Butter

Vergel helped me through my order and then brought over some bread, along with kettle cooked chips. The bread was served with Butter and Olive paste. The bread was fresh and soft while the Olive paste was smooth and tasted delicious. The best thing about the Olive paste was its strong flavour.

Kettle Cooked Chips with Cheese Dip

The Kettle cooked chips were served with a cheese dip. Not only were the chips tasty but they were pretty crisp. It has been some time since I have had chips that were so crisp. I had to stop myself from eating too many of them in order to keep some space for the main course.

Peach Mojito

Next on was the Peach Mojito. I have always liked Mojitos and my favourite flavours are Strawberry and Peach. Bennigan's ensured that it did not disappoint me by making an amazing Peach Mojito. It was the perfect drink to go along with my order of "All You Can Eat Beef" meal.

All You Can Eat Beef meal

As my order for "All You Can Eat Beef" was placed on my table, I knew that this meal would be a test my appetite. The meal portion is large and therefore filling. I ordered my beef with a mushroom sauce (you can order a sauce of your choice from a given list), while French fries and grilled vegetables are served as sides with the order.

The beef was well cooked, tasty and the meat had that bit of juice in it. The Mushroom sauce was amazing due to the fact that it had mushroom pieces in it. It was not one of those ordinary sauces that only have a mushroom flavour to it. I truly loved the sauce. The combination of the sauce and the beef was impressive. Grilled vegetables were fresh and tasted good. Similarly, the French fries were pretty good.

Molten Cake

Even though I was pretty much full after my meal, I could not let go of a chance to taste a dessert. Vergel recommended the Molten cake. Being a chocoholic, I agreed to him and waited for my order. The Molten cake was the best part of my meal. The ice cream, the chocolate, the cream topping on the ice-cream, the caramel and the chocolate syrup together resulted in a happy me.

F1 Simulation Game for a F1 experience

One would be happy with this experience but this was not all. As mentioned earlier, the "All You Can Eat Beef" promotion comes along with a F1 experience called "Beat the Bull Challenge". To be a part of the F1 experience, you need to be above 21 years old.

The promotion allows you to enjoy a F1 simulation game. This is something new, as I have never seen a restaurant come up with such an innovative idea.

One needs to just sit down in front simulator designed to have a feel of a F1 car, starting from that steering wheel to those high speeds and changing of gears using your hands. The first lap is a practice lap so that get the basics of how to drive the car. It is during this lap that a staff member guides you throw the process of driving the car. After this you can enjoy the next lap while you try to beat the time of 2 minutes and 10 seconds (I managed 2 minutes and 12 seconds).

Overall my experience was a good one. The "All You Can Eat Beef" promotion is definitely worth a try. Everything starting from the service to the food and the F1 experience with the simulator was just about right. As I was about to leave, I was invited over for a click with the friendly staff. I am pretty sure that after this experience, I shall be visiting Bennigan's again real soon.

Details:
Restaurant   Bennigan's
Cuisine         American
Website        http://www.bennigans.ae/
Facebook     https://www.facebook.com/BennigansUae
Twitter         https://twitter.com/BennigansUAE

Food Review: Yalla Momos

I have been a fan of momos eversince I tried them in Delhi. It was about time that I figured out a place in Dubai that served some mouth watering flavours. After a long wait, one of my friends suggested Yalla Momos and that was it; I had to try it.

It is always good to eat with a couple of friends since it gives you the option to try a couple of items on the menu. As we were pretty hungry, we placed our order right up. We started with the Spinach & Cottage Cheese momos, Chicken momos, Shrimp momos, Vegetable momos and Cheese Mushroom momos (all steamed).

Vegetable Momos

The Cheese mushroom momos were soft, steamed to perfection and yummy at the same time. The other vegetarian options, that is, Spinach & Cottage Cheese momos and Vegetable momos were good too. However, I would rate the Cheese Mushroom ones over the other two.

Another thing that needs a mention here is that Momos are healthy and don't take much time in cooking. This means that you won't have to wait long to get a bite of your favourite Momos.

Shrimp Momos

Moving on to the non-vegetarian options, I would like to point out that while the Shrimp momos are a bit different, however the Chicken momos steal the show. One's we started gulping these delicious momos, we couldn't stop.

The red chili tomato sauce served with the momos adds that extra flavour to it. The sauce is not too spicy but goes perfectly with the soft steaming Momos. As you dip the Momos in the sauce and put them in your mouth, the flavour of the filling and the flavour of the sauce come together to give you that taste which is just Momolicious.

Chicken Momos

With 6 Momos served per plate, the meal looks sufficient but remember Momos are light and tasty. It is rather difficult to just have a few plates and be satisfied.

As we couldn't resist, we ordered a few more plates of momos. This time our order included the Nutri momos and Cottage Cheese Momos, along with the Chicken ones. Two more good flavours, that are truly worth a try.

Yalla Momos gets a thumbs up from my side and given the price charged per plate, I would say it can't get better than this. If you do get time whilst enjoying the yummy momos, try reading the funny stuff on the wall, like "6 reasons Momo is better than Love" and have a good laugh.

Bill (for 4):

3 Plates Vegetarian Momos                         AED 30

3 Plates Chicken Momos                             AED 33

1 Plate Shrimp Momos                                AED 14

1 Plate Nutri Momos                                    AED 11

1 Plate Cottage Cheese Momos                   AED 11

1 Plate Cheese Mushroom Momos               AED 11

1 Plate Spinach & Cottage Cheese Momos   AED 10

5 Thumbs Up                                              AED 15

2 Bottles of Water - Small                            AED 4

Total                                                          AED 139  

Details:

Food Joint    Yalla Momos

For location and contact details please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/yalla-momos-al-karama 

Follow Yalla Momos on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yallamomos 

Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YallaMomosUAE

Food Review: Max Burger

If I asked you about burger joints in Dubai, I would get answers like Mcdonald's, Burger King, Hardees etc. I guess its time to add another name to that list - Max burger. The relatively new burger joint in town is a well known brand name in its home country Sweden and neighbouring nations (Norway and Denmark).

Serving burgers since 1968

Max claims to have Sweden's tastiest burgers since 1968. This was a good enough reason for me to try it. My order was the Grand Deluxe Spicy Chicken Meal.

Grand Deluxe Spicy Chicken Burger

As I was pretty hungry, without wasting time I started with the burger. The patty used in the burger was crispy and tasted good. I wouldn't rate it as spicy, even though the name says so. Ample amount of fresh lettuce, mayonnaise, tomato and a soft bun ensured a quality burger. 

French Fries with Sea Salt

Moving on to the Fries, the fries were crisp and better than many burger joints I have been to. The salt used with the fries at Max burger is Sea salt. The main difference between sea salt and table salt is that depending on the water source, the salt has minerals and elements in it. These minerals add flavour to the salt.

Max Original Dip

Now what is special about Max burger? The answer is their dips. Max burger offers 8 different types of dips from Max Original Dip and Mayonnaise to Sweet Mustard and Green & Garlic. I got the chance to try the Max Original Dip. The dip was good and it was the highlight of the meal for me. I would surely go back to Max to try a few more varieties of their dips.

A Soft Drink to go along

Overall my meal was a satisfying one. A good burger, decent fries and a good soft drink to go along ensured that I did not ask for anything more. Even though Max has entered the UAE market a bit late, I suppose they should do fine given what they have to offer.

Bill (for 1):

1 Grand Deluxe Spicy Chicken Meal    AED 24

Details:

Restaurant/Food Outlet   Max Burger

For location, contact details and the menu, please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/max-burger-al-quoz 

Food Review: Nandos

When it comes to grilled chicken, Nandos tops my list of restaurants. Me and a friend of mine are just crazy for it. As my love for Nandos grew, I shared it with my family too. Good for me that my family appreciated it and fell in love with it as well.

As the weekend bells started ringing, it was another family dinner at Nandos. The branch I selected was the one at Burj Downtown. I prefer this branch over others due to the rush factor (SZR branch is packed and the rest too far for me) plus the view of Burj Khalifa along with the water fountain.

We settled down within minutes to place our order. Our order was 2 half-chicken plus meals and 1 Chicken Espetada.

The Peri-Peri Sauce Collection

Nando's flavour choices

Not to forget, the highlight of Nandos is its sauces. You shall be asked to choose your flavour before you order. Starting from Extra Hot Peri-Peri (being the spiciest) to Lemon & Herb (the mildest one). Since I can’t do with spicy, we went with Lemon & Herb.

Fire Roasted Veggies

Each half-chicken plus meals gives you an option of 2 side dishes, while you can choose 1 side order for an Espetada.

Our side orders included Fire roasted veggies with Chicken Espetada, 2 coleslaws and 1 Assorted chips (equals 2 side orders). We had to order one extra drink since our meals gave us only 2 drinks (soft drinks are bottomless). 

Half-Chicken with Coleslaw

Half-Chicken tasted delicious like always. I liked the mild flavour of the chicken and the serving size makes me happy. The chicken tastes better with a Peri-Peri sauce (I like the Mild spicy one). The Coleslaw was yummy, loved it to bits.

Chicken Espetada

Chicken Espetada looked really appealing but tasted just about alright. Felt that the chicken should have been cooked a bit more. The fire roasted veggies to go along with Espetada tasted good. I liked the mushrooms and the bell pepper/Capsicum.

Assorted Chips

Assorted chips were yummy; I love the crispiness of the chips. No wonder Assorted chips are my favourite side order.

Heartbeat Candy

That was it, our tummies were full and we were satisfied. As we ordered for the check, we were served with some Heartbeat candy; this added smiles to our faces. We enjoyed the beautiful fountain view atleast twice during the course of our dinner. Do try Nandos once and then decide for yourself.

Bill (for 3):

2 Half Chicken Meal Plus                       AED 51 for 1 (second free with Entertainer voucher)

1 Chicken Espetada                              AED 56

1 Sprite                                                AED 6

Total                                                   AED 113 (after discount)

Details:

Restaurant         Nandos

Cuisine              Portuguese

For location, contact details and the menu, please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/nandos-burj-khalifa

Disclamer: All offers are as of the date the blog owner dined in at the restaurant. Any changes made to the offers are not the responsibility of the blog owner. Please check the offers with the restaurant before dine-in or take away.

Food Review: Sino Chai

Being on Twitter helps you to come across restaurants that you might have otherwise missed. I have been to Dubai Healthcare City a number of times but have never come across Sino Chai. Was it my negligence to check out my surroundings or was it something else? Whatever it may be, thanks to Twitter, I came to know the whereabouts of Sino Chai.

Sino Chai is a Taiwanese Restaurant but what differentiates it from other restaurants is that, it is also a Tea Boutique, Natural & Organic Minimart and a tea accessory store. Once you walk in the restaurant, you will be able to see two totally distinct areas. One, being the restaurant bit of it where you can eat and savor the delicious food and the second being the area surrounded by Tea tins, boxes and tea sets.

The TeaHouse Area

The Restaurant Area

As I settled down at the table, I was welcomed with two menus. I was expecting one thick food menu and a smaller one for drinks. However, I was in for a bit of surprise here. The drinks menu was rather a ‘Tea menu’ and it was not a small one by any means. With these many options, one is bound to be confused, so was I. At the end, I decided to take some help from the restaurant staff.

The Tea Menu

My order for the tea was a Cold version of the Oriental Tea. Since I was dining in alone and didn’t have enough space in my tummy, I decided to skip starters and settled with a single main course. The main course was an easy pick for me. I chose to have fried noodles with seafood and mixed vegetables.

Cold Oriental Tea

Before the main course came in, the Oriental tea was sitting pretty on my table. Not being a tea lover, judging the taste was a bit of a task for me. The tea tasted different, it was in terms of flavour. The more sips I took, the more the tea grew into me. Bottom line, I liked it.

Fried noodle with seafood and mixed vegetables

It was only a few more minutes of wait before the main course arrived. The dish looked delicious and tasted delicious. The mixed vegetables were fresh, the noodles were handmade and soft, the seafood was cooked to perfection. All in all, the fried noodle with sea food and mixed vegetables was too good.

Teapot Collection

After the good experience, I was given a comment card to fill in, which I did fill without any hesitation. Once I had settled the bill, I took a small tour of the restaurant taking some photos. I fell in love with the setting of the tea area. My reaction was “Wow, what a collection”.

The Comment Card

Based on what I ate, I would suggest Sino chai to anyone who likes noodles, tea or seafood. It is a must visit for all food lovers.

Bill (for 1):

1 Fried Noodle with Seafood and mixed vegetables        AED 48

1 Cold Oriental Tea                                                     AED 22

Total                                                                         AED 70

Details:

Restaurant          Sino Chai

Cuisine               Taiwanese

Website              http://www.sinochai.com/

For location and contact details please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/sino-chai-teahouse-restaurant-oud-metha

Follow Sino Chai on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SinoChai

Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SinoChaiDubai