Rhodes Mezzanine - Dubai - 2011

As a food blogger the sometimes end up being more meals that don't make the blog as quick as we would like.  As a late comer to the food blogging world my list is long!  Hopefully one day I will get everything down in writing.  If not, there will be always another post waiting.

 

Anyway, I found myself sorting through photos over the weekend and I came across one of my last meals in Dubai before I moved back to Australia.   As a farewell dinner one of my dear friends (Miss B) (and her partner at the time) took me to Rhodes Mezzanine at Grosvenor House in Dubai and is still in the top 5 of my all time favourite meals.

 

Unfortunately, this award winning restaurant by the famous British chef Gary Rhodes closed in 2013, however he has opened a few other restuarants in the UAE and some exciting new ventures coming soon. 

 

 

We are seated at the end of the restaurant but I'm glad we are not seated in the private dining room.  seated in a glass room I would feel like I was an exhibit at the zoo or the aquarium!  I do loved the comfy, deep, plush red chairs at our table though

 

Seating arrangements and private dining room

 

We start the evening with a glass of bubbles to celebrate (comiserations of) my farewell.  Let's just say I am excited by what the next year holds for me but I am sad to be leaving some wonderful friends.

Miss B and Me

A tasting menu was the only way to go and as there are 2 options for most courses between the three of us we sample all (but one) of the dishes.

 

The meal commences with a canape platter.  From front to back of the plate we start with a cheese and caramelised pineapple stick, foie gras on gingerbread and a macerated grape and a salmon croquet monsieur.

Now this is where my memory is going to fail me somewhat as this meal was over three years ago and I was trying to be classy and not take notes...hahah!

 

However I do remember that the foie gras on the gingerbread was absolutely mind blowing.  I love the taste of fois gras and there is always a battle between my taste buds and my braining thinking about the ethics of it.  I'm always torn.

 

The bread rolls with whipped butter are delicious but I don't eat to much of it in order to not fill the belly with bread.

 

The amuse bouche is the famous white tomato soup, something I have had the privileged of sampling at the Taste of Dubai before and was looking forward to devouring again.  This flavour explosion in my mouth is amazing and the creamy velvetiness of this soup is outstanding....the concept of punch tomato flavours that are 'white' is mind boggling.... I want to learn to make it!

 

 

For our appetiser we go with the Foie Gras by way of a foie gras and smoked eel terrine with a homemade piccalilli.  It's so perfectly pretty on the plate.

 

Second course is a crab and baby spinach lasagna with crushed parsnips and hazelnut veloute.  The crab is sweet and tender hidden between two layers of soft pasta discs.  The nuttiness of the veloute is aromatic and light.

 

I opted for the steamed and tempura scallop with sweet corn cream, crisp shallots, tarragon and oyster mushrooms.  A plump scallop is hidden beneath a tempura fritter.  This dish was good but I think I preferred Miss B's crab!

 

We are still going strong....

 

For our main course there is roast fillet of beef with swiss chard and  a mini copper pot of truffle macaroni cheese.  The beef is medium rare and melts in your mouth and the mac n' cheese is ooey and gooey and the truffle is pungent and aromatic.  Truffle makes anything better!

 

I opt for the slow raost prok belly with smoked bacon hash and poached egg with hollandaise.  This reminds me of  very fancied up breakfast!!!!  Anything porky is always a winner (particulary as I don't eat it regularly since living in the UAE).

 

 

At the end of the savoury courses we are offered a cheese platter, where we can select 5 cheese from the huge array on offer from the cheese cart that they bring to the table.  Memory does fail me as I didn't list what we ended up choosing. 

 

Then it's time for dessert.  We all opt for something different.  There is Sticky toffee pudding souffle with toffee sauce and toffee ice cream.

and Iced lemon meringue with raspberries.....

 

I opted for the British Pudding plate which had bread and butter pudding, jam roly-poly and sticky toffee pudding.  I know we all had a bit of everything and it was all delicious. 

 

By now I know I'm heading for imminent food coma but the meal is not finished until the petit fours are served...An array of scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, mini rum baba and home made pistachio chocolate with almond flavour.

 

 

I'm feeling very overwhelmed with wonderful friendship, sadness of leaving, amazing generosity and maybe the all the food and wine was not helping the emotions!

 

A trip to the bathroom perked me up.  A decadent, crystal laden, bathroom to tinkle in....definitely a fine dining moment...

 

 

and then you can sit and powder your nose in the gorgeous ladies powder room

 It's a shame Rhodes Mezzanine has closed.  It was a wonderful meal shared with a wonderful dear friend.  It was a lovely farewell gift and a great way to end my time in Dubai.  The meal was truly amazingly delicious...........and I have the white tomato soup recipe!



Damascus, Street Eats and Singing Underwear - eating my way through Syria - Part 1

It saddens me to see what is happening in Syria at the moment.  My heart goes out to a nation that is living amid a war, unthinkable acts against the people, a government regime that is destroying the country and faith in humanity!  I won't even try to talk politics or try to justify it, yes it needs to stop, but whose job is that?  Who should get involved?  What outcome could that possibly lead to?

 

So while this is going on I want to share my happy, amazing, wonderful trip that I took to Syria back in 2009, when the streets were safe(r) and freedom was a little easier.  I never really excepted to much from Syria.  I was more eager to discover Jordan, but like a few countries with low expectations when I visited have actually been the best! I did discover was a country that was amazingly friendly, full of culture, history, wonderful landscapes and fantastic food! (and I preferred it over Jordan)

 

It was winter in Dubai (okay still a balmy 25+ degrees) but winter nonetheless.  I had just hosted an Orphan's Christmas Brunch in Dubai, overindulging on good food and sparkles (as one does in Dubai).  Bleary eyed and slightly worst for wear we fly to Syria (I still make promises to myself I will stop flying hungover). 

 

Bulky, woolly warm coats and beanies in hand (buying them in Dubai was not easy), we arrived in Damascus to cold, blustery weather with a hint of snow in the air.  After a long hot summer, cool weather was welcomed (and a novelty).  Even though geographically, Syria is only a hop, skip and a jump away from Dubai, the weather couldn't be more different. 

 

The weather does not stop us hitting the streets of one of the oldest and longest continually inhabited city in the world.  I was immediately drawn into this old, walled city.  The hustle and bustle of  Al-Hamidiyah Souq does not disappoint.  Lane ways of clothes shops, spices, sweets, household items and singing underwear (yes you heard me correctly and more on that later). 

 

We came upon our first sweet shop, full to the brim with neatly packed towers of baklava, znood es-sett (pastry cigars filled with cheese),  halva (a sesame paste with fruit and nuts) and kenafeh (lace pastry with white cheese, nuts and oozing with syrup) to name only a few.  But its all nuts, fruit, sweet sticky syrup laden pastry heaven.  You can purchase by the piece, by the bag and even by the kilo!

 

towers of sticky, sweet heaven

 

 

nuts about pastries

 

 

fattoush

My eyes light up like a kid in a candy store, literally.  It's a lolly shop, but having a savoury tooth I was actually more interested in the chips, which turned out to be pasta!  Not sure why this combination of sales was chosen but it certainly makes you stop and browse!

lollies and pasta shop

A spice shop selling frying pans full of 'wax'.  I think something may have gotten lost in translation as the male shopkeeper tried to explain using body gestures that it was for waxing - but I think it may have solidified fat and used more for cooking purposes than spreading over ones body! (but then again singing underwear and all who knows!)

 

 

a giant coffee pot - I couldn't fit this into my bag!

mint and lemon juice

The middle east use lots of dried flowers in their cuisine, particularly in sweets.  The most famous would be rose and orange blossom.  Everywhere you look you can bottle bottles of heady scented rose water and orange blossom water.

dried rose buds, petals and other flowers

 

There is a line 3 people deep at this little stall and we need sustenance.  They were selling kibbeh (which is typically bulgar wheat, lamb mince, pine nuts,onions and spices and shaped into torpedos and fried).  You can also have it slab baked.  However these little balls looked very different. The casing was actually made from wheat (similar to bread).  Inside they were steaming hot flavourful mince and pine nuts.  Perfect finger food in cold weather while wandering the markets.

kibbeh

 This is a typical lane way in the old market.  Spices galore

   

Al-Hamidiyah Souq

 

I was very tempted to purchase Arabic scrabble and Monopoly but didn't.  If you are learning Arabic scrabble is the best way to practice!

fancy a game of scrabble or monopoly in Arabic

 

And as for that singing underwear?

 

 

 

singing underwear - be discreet , it's kept under the counter or in the back!

 

Syria has an exotic little secret - singing underwear.  There is a whole lane way dedicated to the sexy, lacy, satin, frilly undergarment and sales are booming.  Inside the intimates are little hidden electronic devices playing different tunes, some vibrate, some have fairy lights and flash and some have remote controls to fall off the body at the push of a button.  It's doesn't stop at knickers either bra and knicker sets and sheer lacy babydolls too.  Definitely something to spice of the honeymoon and bedroom.

 

...............and fyi I did buy a pair of singing knickers that vibrate! (and still sitting in my drawer never worn!)