Exploring Bangalore - Hae Kum Gang

It's literally been years since my last post and it is amazing how time flies! It feels like yesterday that I wrote my last post, the flavours and memories as fresh as if it were yesterday.
It has been an eventful few years, full of sorrow and happiness, intensely sad farewells and wonderful new beginnings. Food had taken a backseat for a while now, and life's fast twists and turns had drowned my enjoyment of food.
Since I moved to Bangalore, I have had many moments of nostalgia, a yearning for Abu Dhabi, the city I called home for most of my life, for its nuggets of food tucked away in inconspicuous corners. Today, I finally had a moment of true food inspiration, a day made so wonderful by good friends and good food that I just had to come back to my blog. I hope that in the months to come, I am able to document more such discoveries within the city I now call home, Bangalore.

Today I'm sharing my experience at Hae Kum Gang, Korean restaurant.
Now I usually go to restaurants in India with low expectations and definitely not expecting authenticity. Let's just say I don't particularly enjoy the 'masala' twist people put on everything. So I was pleasantly surprised to find an authentic Korean experience. The restaurant is on the second floor and wasn't too hard to find on Castle Street, off Brigade Road. Unlike my earlier Korean experience, there were no private rooms or floor seating, but this place had a warm charm that was hard to resist. The chairs looked Victorian and the place was so well lit, it felt like we were dining alfresco. We picked a quiet corner table, with a cool aqua-turquoise wall and a decorative fish to keep us company. The ambiance was eclectic, but somehow worked together beautifully to create a fresh, yet cosy feel.

The menu was well designed, Korean names accompanied by pictures as well as descriptions made ordering a breeze. Well, I guess the hard part was deciding what to order - everything looked so good!

We finally decided on the Cheesy Salmon Roll, Pork Dolsot-bibimbap, Bulgogi Chulpan, Haemul Jjam-Bbong and some Jasmine tea. The first thing to arrive is what I assume is a complimentary starter - some sort of cold veggie pancake which was interesting but not memorable. The rest of the food arrived in a somewhat random order, but mostly together. It's hard to pick a favourite, so I'll just go on a review by item.

The Cheesy Salmon Roll was basically sushi filled with smoked salmon, avocado, cream cheese and veggies, topped with roe and served with an interesting mayo-teriyaki type combination sauce. It was fantastic! Fresh ingredients (which is ridiculously important when you're eating salmon!) and flavours, it didn't need any of the accompaniments to compliment it. Which is a pretty good thing, as they missed the pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sides by a mile. The pickled ginger used regular Indian ginger which was too bitter, the wasabi was weak as was the soy. I would definitely order this one again though because, as I said before, it definitely does not need the accompaniments.

Dolsot-bibimbap was not the best I've ever tasted, but it did come fairly close. On presentation, half the bowl was covered with lettuce, which was a shame as this is one dish that can look stunningly beautiful in its sheer variety of colours and ingredients. I nearly missed the wonderful hot chilli paste that it is served with, as it came in what looked like a ketchup container! There is nothing that annoys me more than ruining a meal by adding ketchup to it and so that container was quickly dismissed to the side. Only after specifically requesting the waiter for the chilli paste did we find out that it was actually in our supposed ketchup bottle! Yikes! Combining the bibimbap with the chilli paste and a bit of the bulgogi, and the kimchi soup that came with it turned the bowl into an tantalizing mix of flavours that made me unable to stop till that bowl was cleaned out. 

Coming to the Bulgogi, this was one dish that was a real disappointment. Not that it wasn't tasty, but nothing compared to the bulgogi I've had in the past. For one, bulgogi has to be cooked on a bbq hot plate right at your table and it should be marinated in a really strong sauce. This bulgogi promised to be a sizzler, which I thought would be the next best thing but really didn't deliver. It came with a liquidy soup like thing at the bottom and the flavours felt watered down. We still polished it off, as it was good, but it didn't live up to its potential.

The sides were interesting - some good, some average. The Kimchi as well as the pickled radish was true to its flavour but wasn't as strong or as spicy as I'd like. I found this quite odd, considering Indians love to put a spicy 'masala' twist on everything. The stir-fried spinach was cold and bland and left forgotten on the table after an initial taste. For me, the highlight were the potatoes in the caramelized (soy?) sauce. Ahh....they were so good, the crispness of the potato melting into the sweet dark sauce. I could just eat them all day. Definitely one of my lay-back-eyes-closed-pure-food-ecstasy moments.

Hmm.... I lost myself right there for a moment in the potato memory. Right, back to the review. Next on the menu, Haemul Jjam-Bbong. A spicy seafood soup that explodes with flavour, my mouth still waters at the thought of it. But beware, this is not for the faint of heart (or tastebuds). The spice level is pretty high and I struggled a bit to keep eating. But the seafood flavour is very pronouced and comes out beautifully through the spice. We found squid, prawns and a few clams (disappointingly empty) and the noodles were lovely and thick, making the soup a very filling meal. 

Finally, the Jasmine tea was decidedly odd. I've tasted quite a few Jasmine teas, but this was definitely not it. I could be challenged on this, but I'm pretty sure I tasted more lemon than Jasmine, and the tea was so weak I felt like I was drinking hot water with lemon after a while. The presentation was good, although I would have preferred smaller cups.

Overall, fantastic experience, great ambiance, attentive but not in-your-way waiters, clean-your-plate delicious food. I'm definitely waiting to go and try more of their extensive menu!

Oh, I thought I should post a pic of how thoroughly we polished off our food! :)

Location:  Castle Street, off Brigade Road, Bangalore

Price: ~INR 2000-2500 (for three)

Till next time folks!

Red Castle Chinese Restaurant

This year Eid in Abu Dhabi was the dullest ever, with all my friends off on holidays of their own and my family in a stay-at-home mood all week. All my attempts at making this unexpected 5-day holiday a useful one was in vain, with every shop (from paint stores to shoe repair) closed for Eid during the day. My food buddy came to the rescue on Thursday and took me out to lunch (there really is nothing to do in Abu Dhabi other than eat and shop, and the latter is not really my forte). We planned for brunch, but ended up having an early lunch at Red Castle in Madinat Zayed instead. A casual, relaxed affair, this turned out to be one of the highlights of my week. It's not the easiest place to find - we did a bit of driving around even though I had been here before, but it was worth it. The exterior looks shabby and doesn't give one the best of first impressions, but I've learned that in Abu Dhabi, the best food is sometimes found behind the most dodgy-looking doors. Once we entered, we were ushered upstairs into a very simple, clean, neat dining area. We picked a quiet corner table, yet our waitress found us in no time and was very attentive and helpful, in spite of the language barrier. The seaweed starter that comes almost instantly to the table is the best I've ever tasted - it's mildly pickled with sliced onions, carrots and green peppers and was wiped clean by the time we finished perusing our menu and ordering our meal. I had tried the stir-fried kale the last time I was here, and it was the most simple yet delicious vegetable dish I had ever had. Unfortunately, they had run out and so we asked for alternatives and the stir-fried garlic shoot with chicken was suggested.  I had no clue what garlic shoots were, and our waitress was so patient and accommodating, she actually went down to the kitchen and brought up a bundle of garlic shoots to show us! They looked fresh and green but I was a bit wary - I expected them to be something like spring onions, and although I love garlic, I wasn't sure if I wanted the spicy zing of the garlic as my first course. We decided to be adventurous and ordered it anyway - with the recommended chicken. It was a pleasant surprise - the shoots had a definite garlic flavour, but without the bite - they were sweet, like garlic-flavored beans and they were only mildly stir-fried so they were still crunchy. 

We also ordered the steamed shrimp dumplings and they were divine - with chunky pieces of real fresh shrimp - no processed junk that is so common elsewhere! With black vinegar and soy sauce as our dipping sauce, it didn't take long for the second plate of starters to disappear. The highlight of our lunch, and also one of my standard favorites at Red Castle was the Mixed Seafood sizzler, seen in the picture below. 

This is hands-down the best seafood thirst-quencher in the city. It's cooked so simply that each piece of fish, shrimp, surimi and squid is allowed to shine. There are no overwhelming spices or flavors to drown the exquisite simplicity of the seafood and the sauce and veggies that accompany the dish are mere backup singers. But it's not just the simplicity of the sauces; it's all been cooked to the right degree - there's nothing in this dish that's rubbery or over-cooked - it's all just soft, melt-in-your-mouth seafood. The best accompaniment would have to be a bowl of their steamed white rice.

Overall, everything on the menu was reasonably priced and a visit shouldn't break the bank, however, we did decide to splurge a little this time around by ordering the priciest tea on the menu. We had heard so much about Chinese tea, and just wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. Our waitress recommended the  Puer tea as the best - at AED 50  per pot it wasn't cheap! I'm no tea connoisseur, but judging purely on taste alone, I didn't really think it was worth it. It was really good tea - don't get me wrong - it was a beautiful amber colour that kept getting darker as it brewed, but unlike the standard black teas, it didn't get bitter as time went by. It was rich and light and smooth and definitely a great accompaniment to a heavy meal - at the end of the meal, I felt as light as a butterfly although I had eaten enough for two! But 50 bucks for hot water and tea leaves?! Worth it for the experience, but I doubt I'll be splurging on this one again! My good old Jasmine green tea with it's delicate aroma will suit me just fine! 

Location: Madinat Zayed, just a little further up the side road that the large Al Ibrahimi is on.

Contact: 02-6334118

Price Range: AED 100-150 (2 persons)

~~

Till next time folks!

Food and feelings

A person very important to me recently read my blog and commented on how much she enjoyed it. It gave me a strong urge to start writing again, and I re-visited the blog this afternoon. Looking at all my old posts brought back a rush of memories and emotions connected with each posting and it made me think about the amazingly strong connection between food and feelings. There are times in life when food actually becomes a feeling, an emotion, an escape even.

It made me think about the reason I started my blog in the first place. If anyone has watched the movie Julie and Julia, that explains it. I was at a job where I felt unappreciated, unchallenged and plain bored. I had reached breaking point when my manager told me my writing needed professional help, and when a piece of my writing that I had put my heart and soul into came back from "professional" copywriters overly simplified and full of spelling and grammatical errors. For whatever reason, my manager decided to choose the writing piece with errors over mine, leaving my self-esteem at an all-time low.

It was then that a friend of mine suggested I start a blog, my own little place where I could write and publish, with unbiased criticism. But it was more than just a blog, this blog had to be something I was passionate about, something about which I could find inspiration for anytime I wanted. And I chose food - the one thing you encounter everyday of your life. And it worked! I could walk into my mundane job everyday with a smile on my face, face unjust criticism and lack of appreciation, knowing that all I had to do was go home and write about what I love, and I would feel a sense of accomplishment.

I stopped writing in July - around the same time I quit my job (it was only a matter of time!!)

I had seven free months before my next job came along, and I used that time to explore food, enjoy slow cooking, even pursue other hobbies - stop and smell the roses if you may. What still intrigues me is that although I had all that free time, I was never inspired to write. I enjoyed food just as much - it just didn't inspire me.

Today I stopped to think, and I realize why. Food for me is a feeling. It can be joy, excitement, love, adventure, comfort, even an identity. But food feelings are strongest when you're in a slump, at a time in life when you just feel generally low, in search of something better.

Today I have a job which is challenging, fun, exciting and keeps me incredibly busy. Outside of work, family and personal commitments keep me feeling happy and fulfilled without the need for food. Hence, the writing has taken a backseat.

I miss it sometimes, the passion I felt about every meal I had eaten, this itch to come and write about it, to savor every precious memory again and put it into words.

Writer's block....how to get over it? Just write about anything.....just any thought that comes in your head. Once the creative juices get flowing, it's hard to stop them.

That's what I've attempted with this post... I hope it works :)

Till next time folks!

(And let's hope it's not another 9 months!!)

Chamas Brazilian Churrascaria Restaurant & Bar @ Intercontinental Abu Dhabi

I've heard much about the authentic Brazilian meat buffet that is Chamas, and the only thing that has been keeping me away for this long, is the lack of a meat-loving, or should I say meat-crazy dining partner. Most of the people I know simply tolerate meat, or enjoy it in small portions and that simply cannot do if you truly want to get your money's worth out of the experience.

Having said that, I ended up going with my meat-tolerant father and meat-allergic mum, and surprisingly the evening still turned out quite well!

Chamas is structured such that you have to pass by the upstairs bar (which was full when we went, being right in the middle of football season) and take a flight of stairs down to the main dining area. The walk gives you a lovely view of how things are structured, with the salad bar and the kitchen in plain view. We went early, while things were still quiet (and as a result enjoyed a lot of attention from the waiters) although the place quickly developed a bustling, chatter-filled atmosphere as the tables filled up and the live band started playing. We even heard a few random cheers from the football-watching guys at the bar upstairs.

The band was the right volume and the noise levels were comfortable, even pleasant; definitely not detracting in any way from the food and overall ambience. On the ambience note, the view of the kitchen with all the meat being grilled and barbecued in plain sight did more to make me hungry than anything else.

We started out by checking out the soup and salad bar - which piqued my mum's interest greatly. I was intrigued by the Lentil soup with Sausage - I had never heard of anything like it, but in my mind it tasted pretty good, and so I did try a little bit. It was average, the sausage didn't do much to add flavour to the soup, it was still very much lentil soup - and I've tasted better lentil soup at some of the lebanese outlets in the city.

When we returned to our table, we were greeted by some pretty interesting sides - Cheesy bread (very parmesan-y  and absolutely deeelicious), wedges, polenta (a tad too greasy) and banana fritters (which I didn't try - aren't banana fritters a dessert item?)

Ignoring the sides were easy (except for the cheesy bread which we all wanted more of!), and we were extremely glad we did ignore them (and didn't ask for more cheesy bread), for there was so much more to come!

Before I continue, I have to make a small comment about how Chamas works - it's not a regular help-yourself buffet. The soup and salad bar is, but the meats are a different story. It all works on the basis of a coaster-like disc - one side green and the other red. Green implies 'Bring it on!'. Red implies 'Stop for now!'.

I had read all about the Chamas red and green disc, what I didn't expect was the speed at which meat started piling on your plate while your green side was up! I discovered that a system of green, accept one cut of meat and quickly turn to red before the next one got there was the only way to survive and not be overwhelmed by variety.

Once the green side was up, the first thing that was brought to our table was a few typical Brazilian sides - rice black beans and breadcrumbs with bacon. The black beans and rice were pretty good, but I stayed away as I didn't want to fill up.

The first meat we got was chicken hearts. Interesting, and not bad-tasting, but chicken hearts is definitely not my thing, and I waited for the better cuts. Next in line was the Brazilian beef sausage, which I have to say was incredible - spicy and absolutely bursting with flavour. The Brazilian lamb kafta, which came after was good while not being extraordinary. 

What came next though was a real eye-opener - the Angus Rib-Eye - a huge chunk of steak from which my waiter sliced a thin slice off and I used tongs to bring on my plate. This was a definite red-side moment, a good many minutes spent savouring every bite without being interrupted by more meat. I've always been the person who asks for my steak medium-well to well-done (I have issues with seeing red meat), but I had come mentally prepared for medium-rare (which is the standard at Chamas). What I couldn't possibly prepare myself for was how tender, juicy and absolutely mouthwateringly flavourful the meat would be. I have to say, I have never ever tasted rib-eye this good.

The next three cuts were Alcatra - Top Sirloin, Maminha - Trip Tip and Fraldinha - Flank Steak, all very similar to the Rib-Eye though each was varyingly less tender. Still, it was all amazingly good, and having never had this many varieties of steak at one sitting, it was a foodie's dream come true.

Somewhere during all the green and red and slicing and eating, our table had a visit from the chef (An adorable big Brazilian chef with the coolest accent - how often is it that you get to meet the head chef? I was totally excited!). He apparently noticed me furtively taking notes (how else was I supposed to remember the name of every cut of meat?!) and so kindly came over to ask me if I cared for a list of the cuts on offer that day. Of course I said YES PLEASE, thank you very much! And also took the opportunity to comment on how amazing the meat was (of course!). Hence, I now have the official names of everything I ate :)

Back to the food, the roast leg of lamb came next, and it was absolutely fantastic. Crisp on the outside, tender and moist on the inside, with none of the lamb flavour being lost - every ounce of flavour was trapped in the meat, and only released once you started chewing....at the risk of repeating myself, once again one of the best cuts of lamb I have ever had.

Somewhere by this point, mum gave up and headed off to the salad bar - there was only so much meat she could take. I went along to find a potential palate cleanser, and found much of interest there. Asparagus, artichokes, palm hearts,  beetroot, yummy devilled eggs and an exquisite potato salad were among the choices, and I was glad at least one among us was able to make the most of the salad. I had little bites of everything, and could have easily gone for seconds or thirds, but I was a girl on a mission - and my mission was the meat. So, with a small sigh of regret, I leave my salad plate alone and turn my card to green once more.

Almost immediately a waiter appears with an offer of Duck Breast marinated in orange and papaya - now this sounded interesting! I have to say I was a little disappointed. I expected the papaya to work as a tenderiser and to encounter a strong orange flavour - it's usually not hard to get a citrus flavour into food. But the duck breast was tough, and the orange flavour was almost too mild to be noticed. Or maybe I was just too spoiled by all the wonderful beef and lamb by this point...I'm not sure.

I wasn't too impressed by the chicken items on the menu - Chicken wrapped in veal bacon and the chicken drumstick were both a bit dry and not really out-of-the ordinary in any way. There were chicken wings that I couldn't be bothered trying by this point.

Another impressive item was the Steak marinated in non-alcoholic beer and garlic - the only chunky, chewy piece of steak (no thin slices here!) it was totally bursting with garlicky goodness. I only wished they had served it earlier. After trying the juicy, tender slices of rib-eye, I couldn't grow to love this one, although I might have on a different occasion. The Picanha - Rump Steak, was a similar story - cooked to perfection, flavourful yet couldn't be loved on this occasion with all the more tender cuts on offer.

There was one other item that came on a skewer but wasn't meat - and that was the grilled pineapple. This was the only item that was rubbed on its exterior with sugar rather than salt. The caramelized outside and the warm pineapple inside made for the best possible palate cleanser. No amount of salad, or rice, or even beer could do what the pineapple did - make you want to eat more meat, when you were absolutely convinced you couldn't have any more! Needless to say we ate a lot of pineapple that night!

The king of that night however, the one cut that ruled supreme was the Costela - Short Ribs. Nothing else could come close. This was the only cut of meat that wasn't barbecued and didn't arrive on your table in skewers. Instead, it arrived in delicate little leaf-shaped stone bowls, wheeled around in a massive steel chafer. When I asked about it, I was told that it was grilled for over 7 hours as part of the cooking process. The aroma, and the unique way it was served got me so mesmerised I even forgot to take a picture... The meat was nothing like anything I had ever tasted - it melted in my mouth like butter on a hot pan, with a marinade that was exquisite. I've been having cravings for it almost every day since I left Chamas - it was just that good! 

I had a small bite of the double cut lamb chops which, although they looked great, paled in comparison to the other great cuts of meat on offer. But I did manage to get a picture of it, so here it is!

A final slice of the mildly caramelised pineapple sufficed for dessert, and we left a happy, satisfied bunch.

I did manage to go to the kitchen at the end and have a chat with Chef Alex again - it's brilliant to be able to meet the mastermind behind  a wonderful meal and talk with him about it! He even got his staff to all pose for me in the kitchen while I took a picture :)

So there we have it, the Chamas experience finally, after a long expectation-filled wait, and if there's one thing I have to say, it is that if you love meat - Chamas won't disappoint!

Location: Intercontinental, Abu Dhabi

Price Range: AED 235 per head, excluding drinks and dessert

Till next time folks!

The Great Lindt Experiment

Apologies for the huge delay in posting - recently it's been a case of too much food, not enough writing! 

So without further ado, let me plunge right into the results of the great Lindt experiment.

Before I start however, I should explain my grading system. The grades range from 1-5 as follows:

1 star             Terrible – would never want to try it again

2 stars           Average but not impressive

3 stars           Good - wouldn’t mind another taste

4 stars           Excellent - could easily become a regular feature of my diet

5 stars           Beyond words - drives me absolutely crazy, anytime anywhere!

Lindt Bars

Pistachio (2 stars)

The first chocolate we tasted as part of the experiment, it wasn’t too impressive. Overly sweet, incredibly milky and the pistachio is barely discernible unless you allow all the chocolate to melt away in your mouth before munching on the tiny bit of pistachio in the center. It claims to have an almond filling, but I couldn’t taste it. Overall, the one word that came to mind was Milkybar (the nestle one)

Wafer (1 star)

I expected the likes of Nestle Kit Kat for this one – but Nestle does wafer better than Lindt. The wafer and the chocolate both had a strong hazelnut taste that overpowered any chocolate flavor you would hope for. A bit too sweet for my taste, and the one word that came to mind was Nutella.

Double Milk (2 stars)

The name suggests what to expect, and so I was mentally prepared for an onslaught of milky sweetness. And yes, while it was sweet, milky and creamy it was also pleasantly soothing like a soft blanket, something that would make a sugar-craving child quite happy! This one is reminiscent of kinder and my childhood days before the discovery of dark chocolate.

Cresta (1 star)

Cresta claims to be milk chocolate and crunchy nougat.  By this point I was already expecting Lindt’s characteristic too-sweet milk chocolate, but what came as a surprise was the overpowering nutty taste. On confirming with the ingredient list, I discovered 7.5% almonds and 5.5% hazelnuts – my taste buds didn’t lie! The nougat is crunchy and sticks in your teeth – it reminded me of my worst ever Patchi.

Almond (2 stars)

The almond is similar to the pistachio – a whole almond in the center covered in white chocolate and wrapped in a thin milk chocolate outer coating. Lindt got this one right though – the almond isn’t overpowered by the milky, creamy chocolate and the nutty taste and texture offers a pleasant contrast to the sweet and smooth texture of the chocolate. I felt like I could taste almond essence through the chocolate, but I was wrong – the ingredient list states that odd taste was hazelnut essence. Don’t ask why.

Caramel (3 stars)

I almost overlooked this one; I discovered it in the market a few weeks after the experiment was over. For once, my procrastination bore good fruit J  The Lindt caramel is surprisingly good although a tad too sweet. Lovers of caramel beware – this is good stuff. The caramel is not sticky but velvety smooth, liquidy and reminiscent of burnt sugar – in the nicest way possible. Caramel is not my thing, but if I had to choose, this would be my choice of caramel chocolate.

Swiss Classic Range

Dark – Extra Fine (4 stars)

A breath of fresh air finally! Not milky but still sweet, not creamy but smooth, melt-in-your-mouth, rich, dark and intense – this has to be one of my favourites in the Lindt range.

Milk – Raisin Nut (1 star)

Frankly, this one was a disappointment as I actually like raisins and nuts with chocolate. Cadbury fruit and nut definitely excels on this one. The raisins were too hard, chewy and sticky and the almond skins separated from the nut, leaving you chewing unpleasant bits long after the chocolate is over.

Milk – Extra Fine (2 stars)

Not exactly what I would term as ‘extra fine’. I’ve tasted better milk chocolate. Surprisingly, this is one Lindt bar I couldn’t term ‘smooth’. It felt like it stuck to my throat on the way down, although that could have been a reaction to having had way too much chocolate by this point. As expected, it was sweet and milky but not terrible, while not being impressive either.

White- Almond Nougat (2 stars)

After tasting this one, I definitely decided I like almonds in chocolate, they do compliment each other well. The nougat sticks in your teeth and the chocolate is white (which really is just cocoa butter, and not so much real cocoa beans, which in my mind doesn’t really count as chocolate), but the almonds work as the redeeming factor and overall, I thought it exceeded my expectations.

Dark – Hazelnut (5 stars)

This one I nearly missed too – another find I made only weeks after the experiment was over. (Procrastination isn’t all that bad now is it?) This is the single bar of chocolate I’ve almost polished off completely within less than a week of its arrival. As you can probably see from the picture, I only remembered to take a picture after the bar was half over! I’ve always loved hazelnut, and loved dark chocolate, and although the hazelnut overtones in almost all lindt milk chocolate has been getting me mildly annoyed, this bar my friends was a revelation. The combination of the strongly nutty, crunchy hazelnuts with the rich, intense, smooth dark chocolate is pure bliss. And the contrasting tastes make it possible to have another one, and another one, and another one….you get the idea J Seriously addicting – it’s the perfect accompaniment to a good movie!

Excellence

If there’s one thing I must say about the Lindt Excellence range, it is that I absolutely love the packaging! Made of stiff cardboard so that you can easily reseal them and stop all that amazing flavour from bring stolen by the air J

85% Cocoa (1 star)

All I have to say is that I love dark chocolate, but not this much. The aroma when you open the pack is exquisite, but my taste buds still haven’t developed a taste for chocolate as bitter as this one. It reminds me of my last espresso made of coffee beans that had been roasted a tad too much. The ingredient list was interesting though – it was the only bar that had crude sugar and fat reduced cocoa – possibly the healthiest chocolate bar out there?

70% Cocoa (3 stars)

Much better than the 85%, the 70% has all the goodness of pure, rich, intense dark chocolate with a beautiful vanilla undertone but with an added sweetness that makes it enjoyable to the layman. While eating it though, the one thought that was running through my head was that 65% may just be the perfect dark chocolate…

Intense Orange (4 stars)

Just opening the pack releases a most intoxicating whiff of fresh oranges and dark chocolate. The almond slivers are mildly distracting, while not adding much to the taste. But the dried orange bits, with the dark chocolate make for a truly exquisite flavour, aroma and taste that few other combinations can beat. This was my top choice till I discovered the Swiss Thins version (see below).

Mint Intense (4 stars)

Mint chocolate, though incredibly popular, has never been a personal favourite. So I have to say I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this particular bar. My guess is that it provided a very welcome relief after all the milky sweetness of the other chocolates we tried on the day. Fresh, crisp and sweet to the right degree, this was a truly a revelation, a wake-up call, a palate cleanser. A sip of water right after tasted oh so refreshing and made this chocolate bar stand out tall and proud among all the rest.

Intense Orange Swiss Thins (5 stars)

The same intoxicating whiff of fresh oranges and dark chocolate await you when you open this box, but the orange is stronger, more concentrated, more intense. There are no distracting almond bits which is the only thing that I don’t like about the original ‘intense orange’ bar. I can’t seem to make up my mind as to whether I like the chewy dried orange bits or the strong orange essence that goes right through the chocolate more. What I do love is the smooth, melt-in-your mouth, fresh orange contrasting deep, strong bitter chocolate that you can just leave on your tongue to melt without worrying about chewing…ahh now that’s pure chocolate bliss!

Extra Creamy (1 star)

The name does this one justice. It’s extra creamy all right, leaving an almost greasy aftertaste. The word that comes to mind is buttery… Not something I would choose to eat voluntarily.

Chilli (3 stars)

This one is more intriguing than anything else. Not your everyday chocolate – it’s more like something you would have when you’re in a risk-taking mood, when you want to do something really crazy and exciting (I know I know…I might be the only person on the face of the planet who would think of eating chilli chocolate as a daredevil stunt) It’s dark and smooth, like any of the dark chocolate in the excellence range, and you don’t taste the difference till it goes down your throat…and then slowly you feel the fiery heat, the burn creeping down your throat and it’s eerily weird and creepily cool all at the same time. I give this one a higher rating simply because it’s fun!

Madagascar 65% Cocoa (5 stars)

Boy was I happy when I saw this bar on the shelf! I had predicted (link to 70% bar) that 65% would be the right dark, and I was right. This is the perfect dark chocolate my friends, very few can compare to this one. Dark and rich yet velvety and smooth, with strong vanilla undertones – this is an amazing chocolate bar. Lindt, after all that milky sweet chocolate you have fed me recently – this one redeems you J

With the Excellence range coming to an end, we couldn’t help but think of one flavour that Lindt has neglected – Cinnamon. I wonder how a cinnamon dark chocolate bar would taste…mmm….

Lindor

Hazelnut (1 star)

I’ve always had great respect for the Lindor range – the contrasting textures of the ultra-smooth interior and the firmer exterior has made for many sit-back-with-your-eyes-closed moments. I did have high expectations for the hazelnut Lindor, but it was a terrible terrible disappointment - milky, creamy, sugary sweet with hazelnut bits that are not expected in a Lindor and a weird weird aftertaste. The ingredient list shed some light on this – The top four ingredients were sugar, vegetable fats, cocoa butter and whole milk powder. Blech…

White (3 stars)

You tend to expect sweet milkiness from white chocolate, and this is definitely what the White Lindor is. But it’s also incredibly smooth and soft and surprisingly good! No complaints here – it’s the best that white chocolate can be.

Milk (2 stars)

Better than the hazelnut, yet still incredibly soft and creamy.  No hazelnut overtones as is so common in Lindt milk chocolate, which was a relief and thus made it stand out as different. But Lindor is for luxury – creamy, soothing luxury and if you’re not in for a truly fattening chocolate – this one isn’t for you.

Extra Dark (5 stars)

Ahhhh the extra dark Lindor – finally a Lindor where the Cocoa comes before the sugar on the ingredient list – truly a breath of fresh air after all the other Lindors. Smooth, rich and intense – it was soothingly luxurious while still being dark and mysterious. This is my Lindor – the one that makes for a sit-back-with-your-eyes-closed moment.

Petits Desserts

Milk – Mousse au Chocolat (1 star)

The picture on the cover looks so incredibly enticing, I had been anticipating this most gorgeously soft and fluffy mousse-like textured chocolate. Sigh…another disappointment. It was too hazelnutty. Why do you have to make all your milk chocolates taste like hazelnuts Lindt? Why? Why? Why?

Tiramisu (2 stars)

The aroma of coffee and liqueur greets you as you open the box, and the taste doesn’t disappoint. Definitely tastes strongly of coffee and liqueur, although the ingredient list claims there isn’t any liqueur. The creaminess is definitely reminiscent of tiramisu, while the so-called ‘crunchy biscuit’ tastes like granulated sugar – the only weird part. On the whole, not a bad chocolate in itself, although if you come expecting tiramisu, you will be disappointed – there is no way anyone can capture the luxury of tiramisu in a chocolate bar! Sort of like how you have chicken-flavoured chips…doesn’t quite cut it.

Dark – Mousse au Chocolat (4 stars)

Ahhh finally, a Petits Desserts that did not disappoint – true to the beautiful pictorisation on the cover, this really did feel like you were eating dark chocolate mousse – smooth, soft, fluffy and light. Pure temptation, it felt like you were wrapping yourself in a soft, warm blanket.

Finally, at the end of the long arduous process of tasting every single Lindt available in the local market (and I’m sure this isn’t an exhaustive list) I have had a revelation! I always considered Lindt to be my favourite chocolatier, but now I realise it’s not Lindt that I love, it’s dark chocolate. And Lindt seems to be one of the few dark chocolate brands in the market, which is why by default it has gained my loyalty. I should probably explore more – I’m sure there are better chocolatiers out there. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d be glad to hear them!

And with that my dear readers we bid farewell to the wonderful world of chocolates and move back to solid food once more!

Till next time folks!

Edit: I know I promised I would write a 'series' of posts on the experiment, but it seemed logical to write out one long post especially since I made everyone wait this long!

The Great Lindt Experiment

My chocolate poll revealed Lindt to be the number one chocolate choice (something I was incredibly pleased with - Lindt being my own personal favourite chocolatier). As a result, I embarked on a comprehensive research and review of the Lindt offerings available in the local market.

Any ideas I had about this project going to be great fun/ a piece of cake (or chocolate as the case may be!) / the most pleasant project I could ever embark on were soon proved to be total hogwash. It was a tough tough ride my friends, and don't any one of you start to envy me. All my hopes of organising a single serious evening chocolate tasting session were dashed to the ground, the foremost reason being, and I should really be typing in caps, there is only so much chocolate one can take at any given time!

It might have been a deep-seated aversion to sweet things, a bare tolerance to almost dislike of milky, creamy things, I honestly don't know. I'm sure my chocolate-loving readers (and I know I have many of these) are going to want to hang me for blasphemy today, but even looking at those half-eaten chocolate bars now lying on my dining table, brings up queasy feelings of disgust. Too much chocolate people, too much chocolate.

My chocolate-eating partner-in-crime unfortunately fared no better. We had to split the chocolate sampling into 3 sessions, each one leading us to dread the next even more.

Don't get me wrong, this in no way bears on Lindt's ability as a chocolatier, but simply on my, possibly odd tastebuds. All said and done, I did learn a lot from the experience, gained a lot of respect for professional chocolate tasters and I had a revelation - which shall be revealed to you, in the final post of this series.

So anyway this post is sort of like a teaser, for in my next few posts I will be sharing the results of the Great Lindt Experiment.

So, hang in there folks! :)

Al Ibrahimi Dinner Buffet

I've heard much of the Al Ibrahimi all-you-can-eat dinner option, and I pass the restaurant almost daily on my way home from work (or anywhere else for that matter).

Having had a light breakfast and no lunch, I figured yesterday was a particularly good day to try a buffet. (I started writing this post the day after the expedition.....it's not exactly yesterday anymore...more like sometime last week!)

So off I went with my trusty dining companion walking in a typical balmy summer evening to Al Ibrahimi. We arrived exactly at 7, which coincidentally was when the buffet starts. The service was pretty good, the staff only too willing to show us around the buffet and explain every dish before we decided the fare looked tempting enough to stay. The tables were simple and fairly clean, although a few stray food spots on the tablecloth told us that they hadn't been changed after the last meal.

We decided to start with a salad but didn't find much in terms of variety. There was fattoush and tabouleh, both arabic salads, which I decided to avoid as I thought arabic food would be best done in an arabic restaurant. I shouldn't have put so much thought into it, for by the end of the meal I had sampled everything, and gotten myself immensely confused anyway!

There were a lot of deep fried items like pappadums and pakodas in the center, surrounded by many different dressings - just not enough salads to put them on! Two types of raitha (spiced yoghurt), hummous and some freshly cut cucumbers and other salad-y veggies were also present. The salads are more of a side-dish than a starter, so I just filled a plate with pickles and pappadums, filled a bowl with some raitha and brought them to the table to accompany me for the rest of the meal.

The salads failing as a starter, I thought perhaps we could try soup for a starter. They had two flavours, Chicken Corn and Hot N Sour. Both were very average - I've tasted better. The chicken corn soup was marginally better than the hot and sour (which should have been called spring onion soup for all the sliced spring onions that were in it!)

Course two was a sampling of the grills on offer.

Meagre - was the word that came to mind, although whatever was there was good. Two chicken grills and two fish (although one fish item was fried) was all that was on offer. I would have much preferred some meat grills as part of the variety.

The garlic tandoori fish was the highlight, mildly spiced, very garlicky and grilled to perfection.

My dining partner that evening enjoyed the fresh sesame naan that was quite unique. I've never personally seen it being made or served in Abu Dhabi, although it did bring back pleasant memories of the time we ate these wonderfully thick, soft, buttery and sesame-topped bread freshly made at the Global Vilage in Dubai...mmmm....

Course three - Paya Curry. This was a highlight for me, although this is one dish that is a developed taste and not everyone can enjoy it at first go.

Paya is basically lamb/goat's feet cooked on a slow fire for hours. It's usually eaten as a soup and is a traditional breakfast dish in Pakistan and even parts of India. If the idea of eating trotters is unappealing, the soup itself tastes incredible and is a must-try. I would go as far as to say that this should be Ibrahimi's signature dish. Spicy, yet soothing somehow with a very unique flavour that even I'm at a loss for words for how to describe! Note: This dish must be eaten hot!

Course four - the rice dishes. There were two - the mutton biriyani and the chicken pulao. The mutton biriyani was spicy and the cuts of meat were clean and cooked incredibly well, although the rice did seem a tad overcooked. The chicken pulao on the other hand, was brilliant. Very mild and subtle in its taste, it provided a lovely break from the rest of the spicy food and the basmati rice grains were long and flavourful as good basmati should be. This easily took the place of my favourite of the evening, in close competition with the paya curry.

Whatever you do, DO NOT make the mistake of trying out the "chinese" offerings. This was my course five, and although everything looked really good on display, it all tasted decidedly odd. The rice seemed undercooked, they used canned mushrooms for the stir-fried veggies, the sweet and sour prawns tasted stale and overall the experience was not pleasant. The only items that were edible were the vegetable fried noodles (though a tad oily they were not terrible) and the beef chilli. Take my advice, go to a chinese restaurant if you desperately crave chinese! At Al Ibrahimi, stick to the native Pakistani dishes and you should be alright.

Speaking of native dish, one that disappointed badly was the harees. This should technically be quite similar to 'Haleem' (See Shan post), but it was nothing like it. The traditional 'wheat' seemed to be replaced by oats, and it felt like we were eating meat-flavoured oats....Seriously, if that sounds weird, believe me it was. One half of a teaspoon was all I could manage, and even that seemed too much! Blech.....

DON'T try it unless you want to be put off Haleem/Harees for life!

The chefs made fresh batturas (deep fried round bread) to be eaten with channa (chickpeas curry) and although they looked really tempting hot out of the pan, it was too much to manage. I thought being able to see the kitchen was a nice touch though...

With all the spice and oil, we really needed something more than water to wash it all down, but to our dismay, there was nothing on the menu but fizzy drinks, milkshakes (?!?!) and fruit juices/smoothies! Odd accompaniments to a heavy meal I would think. The staff were only too happy to oblige however when we asked for an ice tea - although not on the menu. Wayy too much ice, but otherwise drinkable, lemon wedge and all!

Finally, the desserts. This was the best of the lot, with a immense variety, and we were slightly disappointed that we were too full to really enjoy it. The one thing they did lack was labelling, and so I'm not sure exactly what I ate. Avoid the cakes/brownies/mousse (they had chocolate(like artificially flavoured chocolate - something out of a box perhaps?) and coffee(too runny)). Stick to the warm desserts, like the bread-pudding-like-thingie or the kheer-like-thingie or the sweet-vermicelli-like-thingie (I did say there were no labels!) :P I quite enjoyed the green and orange jello though, not due to any special taste, but simply because it reminded me of my childhood, and the quivering green jello brought back lovely memories of watching the first Jurassic Park in the movie theatre. (Remember that scene with the kids eating the green jello, and it starts quivering in time to Mr. Dino's footsteps? :D)

Fun times were had by all, even though the food wasn't exquisite. Seeing the adorable little vertically-challenged doorman on our way out was the icing on the cake, and as we walked back slowly in the breezy night air with tummies silently protesting over too much food, we decided if there's ever a next time, let's go a la carte...

Till next time folks!