Iftar the Thai way with Shang Thai

With the casual dining Thai Restaurants on a drastic slippery slope, the hubby and myself decided to try out the latest and the much recommended Shang Thai, located along Sheik Zayed Road. 

The restaurant was spacious, cozy and the service was warm and welcoming from beginning to end.  Tired of ordering from the menu, we decided to try out the Iftar Set Menu already in place for AED 75/- per person. I knew that the experience would be nothing less than overwhelming the minute the complimentary basket of Prawn Crackers were served with three different varieties of dips were served. 

The journey began with crisp a glass of Sweet Laban and Dates  along with refreshing beverages that looked like this....

I settled for a Thai Mojito and hubby settled for a Lychee Mint Tea, both ideal to wash down and settle the bellies already in shock with the spicy chillie paste and dips which accompanies the Prawn Crackers. 

Then followed a spicy hot and sour Tom Yam Soup flavoured with Lremon Grass and Kaffir Lime leaves and chicken. 

We were told it was a 4 course meal, hence I least expected a platter of appetizers which was a combination of 'Poh Pia Phak' crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls, 'Gai Satay' Grilled Chicken Satay, 'Ka-Nom Pang Na Goong' crispy fried marinated minced prawns on Toast and a bowl of Mixed Papaya Salad served with Peanut Sauce & Sweet Chilie Sauce. 

We were up to our throat, but couldn't wait to dig in to the main course. So far, every bite has been a delectable epicurean experience with perfect timing between every course and friendly staff at our beck and call. There was a choice of Fish, Beef and Chicken Dishes to choose for the main course which we settled for the Fish and Chicken option.The fish and chicken were crispy fried with Garlic Sauce and tossed with Thai herbs accompanied by Jasmine Rice and crispy Spinach.

A portion of crispy friend Tempura of Vanilla Ice Cream graced the grand finale and we walked out feeling giddy with the fusion of flavours and satisfaction after many moons of partially satisfied, mostly unsatisfied dining experiences the past month.   

Iftar Offer on Traveller Card : 
Complimentary Iftar Set Menu when 3 Iftar Set Menues are purchased
Cuisine         : Thai
Location       : Al Matloob Bldg, Al Safa 1, Jumeira (along Sheik Zayed Road)
Contact No. : 04 3805408
Website        : www.shang-thai.com

*Team Traveller UAE 

Al Malouf - A Meal by the Dubai Mall Waterfront

Out Door Seating Area

Few words to describe this no-nonsense venue; good food, good shisha, perfect location by the waterfront and amazing service. 

Party of 3 :
Shish Tawook AED 48

Baba Ganoush AED 25

Tabouleh AED 26

Jawaneih Dajaj AED 27

Cappuccino AED 18
Double Espresso AED 22
Strawberry Juice AED 22
Mix Sheesha AED 55

Large Water AED 18

Bill AED 261

Discount on Traveller Card (AED 65.25)

Total Bill AED 195.75

Offer on Traveller Membership Card : 

Discount of 25% on total bill

Cuisine         : North African

Location       : Souk Al Bahar, Downtown Dubai
Contact No. : 04 4574063  

*Team Traveller UAE 

Relaunch of Century Village

Century Village a cluster of 10 cozy indoor and outdoor food outlets offering a variety of different cuisines under one huge garden like compound in the Aviation Club neighboring The Irish Village. 

My partner heard about free licensed beverages being served during the re launch on the night of Halloween while dining at one of the restaurants at Century Village and decided he wanted to be there so off we scampered to Century Village right after work yesterday.

There were two hubs put up to pick up a range of licensed beverage of your choice and sit at any one of these restaurants and merry the night away. 

We picked up our beverages and headed over to Da Gama, located right in the middle where we had a clear view of the band and the rest of the happenings. 

We decided on nibbling on finger food that go for the full fledged mains. The Chili Garlic Seafood Basket was fresh, succulent and included Mussel, Prawn, Calamari and all things nice, crispy fried in a mildly sweet and spicy batter. 

The Wagyu Mini Burgers topped with vintage cheddar & tomato relish weren't the best I've tasted, but was decent enough, although it failed to stay moist for more than an hour. The Saffron and Yogurt infused Chicken Skewers were soft enough to melt in the mouth and filled with flavour. 

The waiter who collected the cheque asked if I would like to leave a tip, which I usually do if there is no service charged included. Out of sheer fatigue I left an over all tip of AED 50/- including the additional charges included in the bill, which I feel is a rip off. 

Da Gama has never failed to extend a wonderful dining experience and the revamp was a much needed one. 

The cover band is the best thing Century Village has adopted. They know their music and does a brilliant job at keeping the crowd hooked by playing the all time favourites of the 80, 90 & and the 2000s. As far as my memory goes, they can be seen at Century Village every Tuesday and Saturday. 

Party of 2:
Grape Sheesha AED 50
Wagyu Mini Burger AED 45
Chili Garlic Seafood Basket AED 32
Chicken Skewers AED 26

Municipality Fees AED 15.30
Service Charges AED 15.30
Total Bill AED 183.60

Cuisine         : International Cusine 

Location       : Century Village
Contact No.  : 04 2823636
Website        : www.worldcuisinenetwork.com

*Team Traveller UAE

Grab a Charley's Until Your Car Gets Pampered

Two hungry belly's and a very dirty card made it's way to Epco Lube in Qusais, one of the few places offering a manual car wash around the area. Left the drive for a scrub and hopped in to Charley's to take advantage of the offer on Traveller.

I ordered a BBQ Cheddar Steak Sub which included Steak, Grilled Onions, Sauce, Cheddar. I wish I had eliminated the grilled onions as it gave a curry like flavour to the sandwich.

My partner ordered Philly Chicken Sub with Steak, Grilled Onions, Green Peppers, Mushroom, Mozzarella, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

The bread and other ingredients were fresh, crunchy and this was definitely the best Charley's Sub I've tasted in the UAE.  Their infamous chunky fries with the thick cheddar dip is worth the few calories that comes with it.

Party of 2:
BBQ Cheddar Steak Combo AED 25

Philly Chicken with Steak Combo AED 26

Extra (Spicy) AED 2

Bill AED 53

Discount on Traveller Card (AED 16) for 2 fry and 2 drinks

Total Bill AED 37

Offer on Traveller Membership Card : 

Receive a complimentary regular fries and drink when a regular sandwich is purchased.

Cuisine         : Fast Food

Location       : Epco Lube, Qusais (Opposite Al Bustan Centre)
Contact No. :  04 2510022 / 800-67337

*Team Traveller UAE 

Share and Win a Meal for 2 at Olive Gourmet with Traveller

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Olive Gourmet - Burjuman Centre

Scrumptious and healthy lunch from Olive Gourmet. The Zaatar & Labneh Manaeesh was served fresh from the oven with a generous amount of stuffing. The bread was soft and every bite was a delightful explosion of creamy cheesiness.

The Baba Ghanouj was a perfect 10 and the Falafels were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside bursting with flavour just the way it should be, unlike the usual hard and bland ones served in most places.  

The 'Plat De Jour' or the dish of the day, which was not from the menu and was not entirely what we  were expecting, how ever was a delicious combination of lamb, potato and peas cooked in to a creamy curry served with long grained ghee rice. For some reason the signage portrayed at the entrance made us expect a platter of grilled lamb & chops. 

The restaurant is located right next to Burjuman metro station with outside seating and is an ideal spot to watch the world go by. 

Party of 3 :
Zaatar & Cheese Manaeesh AED 10

Baba Ghanouj AED 14

Falafel AED 18

Plat De Jour AED 24

Large Water AED 10

Bill AED 76

Discount on Traveller Card (AED 18)

Total Bill AED 58

Offer on Traveller Membership Card : 

Buy a Main Course and receive a complimentary Main Course of equal or lesser value.

Cuisine         : Lebanese

Location       : Burjuman Centre, Bur Dubai
Contact No. :  04 355 8013  

*Team Traveller UAE 

Silver Falcon Spur - Festival Centre, Skywalk

A quick bite before heading off to watch 'Battleship'. Starved and with only 40 minutes in hand we knew we made a good choice the minute we entered the restaurant. Greeted by a bubbly host we were quickly shown to our seats, the menus were extended just as quick and the food was severed in under 20 minutes. The food was as mentioned on the no nonsense menu with no additional surprises.

The stripped up steak in my BBQ Steak Salad was juicy and flavourful, served on a bed of fresh salad leaves, red onions, tomato, peppers, cucumber served with French vinaigrette & blue cheese.

My partner enjoyed his 200g Sirloin Steak grilled to perfection, served with baked potatoes and fried onion crisps. We felt the two hot veggies of the day as side dishes would have been a better option instead (next time).

Satisfying MEAL...period !!

Party of 2:
BBQ Steak Salad AED 38
Sirloin Steak AED 78
Water AED 8
Total Bill AED 124

Cuisine         : Steakhouse

Location       : Festival Centre, Skywalk Level
Contact No. : 04 2328866
Website        : www.spur.ae

*Team Traveller UAE

Leil Nhar - Festival Centre, Marina Pavilion

Amazing Food . Good Service . Balmy Water Front . Best Shisha Ever . Live Music . 

Even the basic Pizza just topped up with plain cheese tastes divine here. You also find some of the best French Fries in generous servings.  

Party of 3:
Leil Nhar Shisha AED 58
Lemon & Mint Shisha AED 58

Orange & Mint Shisha AED 58

Strawberry Milkshake AED 22

Chicken Tenders AED 25

Quatro Staggion Pizza AED 38

Caramel Macchiato AED 15 x 2

Total Bill AED 289

Loving the live music organised by the Dubai Festival City management on Fridays (Arabic) & Saturdays (English). Kudos to 'Take Three' who performed, the selection of music was just perfect. Unfortunately the live performances are not scheduled during the summer and will only commence once again sometime in September. 

Cuisine         :  Mediterranean, Italian   

Location       : Festival Centre, Marina Pavilion 

Contact No. : 04 2328666 

Website       : www.leilnhar.com

*Team Traveller UAE 

Tea Junction Cafe & Lounge - Oud Metha

A cozy cafe hidden behind Movenpick Hotel Oud Metha, which is by far the homeliest lounge to chill down around Dubai with a contemporary architectural style, high ceilings and colourful windows.      

My favourite being Cutting Chai, which is a specialty tea with a tinge of dry ginger all the way from the road vendors of Mumbai, my partner tried the Zaffrani Chai served in an earthen cup where the blend of tea which includes cardomon, sugar and saffron is simmered until reduced to half.

The Junction Chicken Sandwich which we gobbled down was made to perfection with chicken breast halves with low fat mayonnaise, plum tomato and mixed baby greens. The customer service also compliments the mouthwatering array of goodies they have to offer.

Definitely a place I will frequent more than a few times a week for a tea or coffee fix.

Party of 2:
Honey Lime Chicken Sandwich AED 20

Cutting Chai AED 4

Zaffrani Chai AED 8

Total Bill AED 32

Cuisine         :  Indian, Italian 
Location       : Oud Metha
Contact No. : 04 3576677 
Website        : www.teajunction.ae

*Team Traveller UAE