IHOP (Dubai)

So it appears that aside from The Cheesecake Factory, Dubai has brought in many other brands here, particularly American ones! One of the other brands that got us excited is IHOP!

 

Can be found in both Emirates Mall and The Dubai Mall but today I am visiting the Emirates Mall.

 

IHOP is a the abbreviation for International House of Pancakes. And needless to say, their speciality is pancakes and of coz, we had to order pancakes!

 

This is the half portion. The full portion would obviously look a lot better in pictures but there was no way we could finish it. The pancakes were great! Fluffy and soft! 

Also had the mains of an avocado chicken and cheese...

 

The chicken is breast meat but it's super duper bouncy and tender! Very yummy! The mashed potatoes are the type that I like, with potato bits inside, damn freaking good! 

Drink is a milk shake...

 

Also so darn good!

A must for revisit! 

Marks & Spencer Granola & Yoghurt (Dubai)

Not found in Sg Marks but found this in Dubai's one. It's so damn good, they weren't kidding when they said its extremely delicious!

 

 

Yoghurt melts with granola and raisin! 

Sweet and crunchy, super good!

Karak Tea from The Dubai Mall (Dubai)

As you walk out of the exit facing Marks and Spencer of the Dubai Mall, u will smell this tea scent. It's a very fragrant milk tea being sold at what seems like a mini mart....

 

It's called Karak chai, sold for aed 4, around $1.60 sgd.

It is so good!!

 

Located at level 5, a very very fragrant milk tea! They probably added some spices inside but it's spicy, just very fragrant milk tea that makes you keep wanting more!

Hong Chang Frog Porridge & BBQ fish

Met up with Wendy for dinner and headed to that braddell frog leg porridge place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their frog leg porridge is really very good. The frog leg in jiang cong is so fragrant and the legs are big. 

The sting ray is also thick.

Most importantly they are also very cheap! Great recommendation by Bel and Bree! 

Some of the veg dishes are only $5 a plate.

Oh must try the butter sotong, so good! 

The Cheesecake Factory (Dubai)

Dubai is such a wonderful place! its very different from our initial perception.

Importantly, the shops are open till so late! Cheesecake factory opens till midnight and service is impeccable!

Went over for supper!

Loaded baked potato tots

 

this is pretty good! the inside is with bacon and cheese!

Mac and cheese balls.....

this is so good! the cheese and macaroni is all loaded inside the deep fried ball... 

we probably went a bit too far on the cheese tonight, went for a 4 cheese pasta.... 

for starters, i don't like penne. the 4 cheese was still not cheesy enough. In that the cheese taste isn't the strong tasting kind of cheese, felt more like the cheddar kind.

for dessert, tonight we chose the amores and it is sooooo good! the marshmallow was truly melted and the cake is moose like cheesecake.... 

 

 

awesome! 

Almakan (Dubai)

After a long day of meetings today, my local partners brought me out for dinner!

We were at this place called the Souk Madinath near Jumeirah. The place is beautiful!

 

We did drinks at Starbucks prior to dinner and it was Starbucks with a view! 

Dinner was at a restaurant next door where they brought me for Arabic food! 

 

 

Al fresco coz the weather was just too good! Like a chilling 19-20 degrees?

We were first served some crackers...

 

And they even ordered shisha for me!

 

Lol! Don't know if I did it right but the grape taste was good!

The restaurant even provided Arabic cloaks if you are feeling cold....

the cloaks totally converted our outfits to be so apt with the restaurant theme!

They ordered a eggplant dip to share.... 

 

this was sooooo good! great dip! the egg plant is smashed till like humus and the pomengrante center added a crunch. so good!

Vine leaves wrapped rice...

rather interesting dish! its a bit sour, probably due to some vinegar seasoning. the rice in the middle is soft, i quite like it!

Arabic salad... 

 

it was quite a spread!

 

a warm soup for the cold weather...

lentil soup!

chicken with some wrap like thingy... 

 

and mutton kebab...

i typically don't take mutton but theirs is so good!

great place with a very lovely view!

 

The Cheesecake Factory (Dubai)

So the first thing that everyone whom I spoke to about coming to Dubai, told me was that " they have Cheesecake Factory there! " 

Oh my! Haha

So it was like a must visit and the perk was that they are open till late. Arrived in Dubai around 8pm and was told they open till midnight - awesome!

 

I was at the one at at Jumeirah Beach Residences (JBR they call it).

It was hard to contain my excitement. Tried it years back in USA and it was crazy awesome!

The selection here...

 

I remember loving the one with fresh strawberries and that was the first ordered!

 

Wow!

 

It is still as good, soft and yummy. There wasn't that oomph when I first had it but good enough. Think that has got to do with the other stuff I have tried over the years Vs trying it in USA for the first time previously. 

 

Also tried the red velvet cheese cake. Also really good. Soft cheesecake with cream cheese frosting. 

Will be back tomorrow to try the savoury stuff!

Hong Chang Frog Porridge & BBQ fish

Met up with Wendy for dinner and headed to that braddell frog leg porridge place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their frog leg porridge is really very good. The frog leg in jiang cong is so fragrant and the legs are big. 

The sting ray is also thick.

Most importantly they are also very cheap! Great recommendation by Bel and Bree! 

Some of the veg dishes are only $5 a plate.

Oh must try the butter sotong, so good! 

Greyhound

It's funny really. Crabby was in Bangkok over the past few days and she landed up at Another Hound Cafe (which in my personal opinion is no good) and seeing it on instagram, I told her to move, move over from the Siam paragon one to the right one at Siam centre. Alas, she didn't manage to and that was strike one for her.

The very next day (yesterday), she found the correct Greyhound cafe (at chitlom) but Duno if it's the branch or she ordered the wrong items, she was not pleased with the items. Strike two.

I insisted the items at greyhound was good so she decided for our meeting today, greyhound at paragon singapore would be it! Sadly, while it's the right concept of greyhound, still a strike three of sorts.

Always been a big fan of greyhound in Thailand for its food and very reasonable pricing. Variety is great and so is taste. It's a must visit for every trip! So when greyhound opened in Paragon, it's also a must visit! But the prices are not awesome - hoping that if the food still is, can kam jit bak (close one eye) on the pricing. 

But well, some hits and misses. 

 

 

Chicken wings. Decent, a little salty but not bad..

 

Tom yam soup...

 

Decent as well but no punch.

Complicated noodle...

 

This was good. Like in Bangkok. 

Scallop fettuccine in pesto sauce....

 

This is still as good as in Thailand but price point is much higher.

Tonnes of crabmeat fried rice that should be renamed to just crabmeat fried rice. Where got tonnes?

 

Taste wise it is ok but definitely not as tasty as the Thailand version.

To add on, they didn't bring over the Crab meat pasta in pink cream sauce. That is oh so good and also another must order in Thailand.

In fact few days prior, Kerry whom I introduced the greyhound to in Thailand also visited greyhound sg. She also tried to enquire about why they didn't bring in this dish and she got a very good response from the manager who kindly said they will review or even joked about placing a special order for her. We know it's a joke but it's pleasant the tone and the way they handled it. Kudos to that manager, building a good relationship and making customers to want to revisit.

When I tried to ask with the manager on duty  today, the reply I got was that I don't know my Greyhound menu well. That am I sure it's a greyhound menu item? That during his 2 weeks or 2 months internship at greyhound he never ever saw this item. Sarcasm at its best.

I'm sorry but mr Caron Ong, operations manager of greyhound Sg, I think I know my greyhound menu well enuff considering that dish is a must order every time I visit greyhound be it Thailand or KL. And I tried it at greyhound Siam centre and greyhound emquartier. So I really don't know which one u did your internship at.

But I also realised there was no point debating with him else he will find 101 more questions to question me like when was my last visit, did I rem wrongly? Etc etc