Omar Al Khayam

Had driven to the Friday market to buy some carpets as gifts for friends back home. Terrifically hungry, not to mention deeply offended :-) cos I figured I had just been royally "had" by the carpet guys the last time I was there, my driver kept hunting for "decent places" to stop and eat!

After a number of misses and no McDonalds or Burger King en route, we finally had to gently break it to him, that we actually would prefer to eat at a local place. God knows, haven't really come across too many or any distinctive "local" restaurants in Dubai. He promptly stops at a place rather optimistically named"Omar Khayyam"  - optimistic cos I didn't once see any signs of that favourite drink of the gods! Strictly non-alcoholic.

Three hungry woman - we marched into the restaurant and happily took the first comfortable seats available. There was this lovely platform with traditional arab lattice work which I was very tempted to occupy. However, sinec it was partially occupied with two Arabs enjoying their afternoon sheesha, the waiter violently shook his head.

In fact, he seemed a tad reluctant to let us sit where we finally did, alternately shaking his head, and muttering something which we couldn't understand. After repeated calls, we finally managed to get the attention of a staff, who reluctantly handed us the menu.

As I have learnt in all my travels across the Levant, if you are a vegetarian, your best and only bet are the hot and cold mezze! Anything else, is a bonus, unless you are not fastidious and can make do with the gravy from the chicken / mutton dishes.

The two of us vegetarians oredered some humous, tabouleh and fattoush, which was served with the most delicious, fresh from the oven bread, that I have had in a long time. Reminded of the freshly baked baladi bread that I used to have at the Naquib Mahfouz Cafe in the bustling Khan-el-khalili in Cairo!

Mother-in-law ordered a mutton curry with biryani rice which tasted delicious but was HUGE!

We were tempted to order the "makarony" with cheese :-) but alas that also came with mutton mince!

It was while we were waiting for our food, we realised why the guy had been so reluctant to seat / feed us. We had happily settled down in the male section of the restaurant, the female section being cordoned off at the back. But hey, it was brighter and more cheerful in this section, and they probably put it down to the idosyncracies of expat women!

The food was delicious, the ambience very basic and very highway roadside restaurant like, but the food was absolutely delicious. The humous and the bread was one of the best that I have had in a long time or maybe we were just plain hungry. Whatever it maybe, we packed some humous for my 10 year old who loves it, and decided that the next time we decide to go to the Friday market, this is where lunch is going to be!

Mannaland

A friend who has been in Dubai for a few years now, promised to take us to some of the off-the-beaten-path eateries in and around Dubai - the small hole in the wall, or a restaurant in a house. Nothing ostentatious but the promise of great wholesome and delicious food.

That's how last Friday saw us driving to Mannland, a inconspicuous Korean restaurant located next to Capitol Hotel on Al Mina Road.

I must admit, while I was quite keen to try the food, I was equally sure that I would get precious little to eat. Korean and vegetarian? Isn't that an oxymoron?

My friend lives in Diyafah, very close to the restaurant and eats here quite often, which made the ordering that much simpler & the service even more personal. They have a floor seating option, whee a raised platform has a low table. You sit cross legged on the platform and eat off the table. Wile it looked exciting my mother in law and me with our knee problems declined. Instead we sat in a small area on one side that was cordoned off from the rest of the restaurant.

We started with the kimchi - there were some 6-7 bowls with the most amazing combinations. I loved the peanuts fried with bean sauce and anchovies - of course I had to pick out the anchovies, but the peanuts made it worth the trouble. They serve this with a pungent and spicy chilly sauce which adds a lovely zing to the taste.

This was followed by Haemul pajeon - a seafood spring onion pancake. Now R is not a seafood / fish fan but even he devoured this. I had a bit and it was delicious! A must order if you ever go there.

For the main course, we ordered Bulgogi - a Korean friend later told me that next to kimchi, bulgogi is the national dish of Korea! Bulgogi is essentially spicy, tender marinated strips of beef that are cooked over open flame. Mannaland serves them with spicy sauce and lettuce leaves. You are supposed to roll the bulgogi along with the sauce in the lettuce leaf and go for it! Strangely enough, even my 10 yr old made and happily chewed through 3-4 lettuce rolls!

For the only vegetarian, they did fried tofu slices, and, a Bibimbap , which is essentially a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A fried egg toed the mix. The hostess mixed all the ingredients thoroughly just before serving at the table.It was steaming hot and tasted delicious!

And oh, we kept having some Korean tea between each course - it works as a palate cleanser for the next course.

We loved the whole experience and will be back for more!

Cuisine:            Korean
Location:          Al Mina, next to Capitol Hotel
Cost:                 Very reasonable, accepts credit cards
Contact:           04-3451300                    

P.S. Was looking up kimchi recipes and this is what I found!

These are traditional vats in which kimchi is fermented!! Wow!!

P.P.S. One of son's classmate's mom is Korean and she mentioned another Korean eatery called Hyu which is supposed to be home cooked good Korean food. Have bookmarked the link below for choice, the next time I decide to go eat Korean.

Time Out Korean restaurants reckoner

When and how did I learn to cook?

As I do the final glaze for my latticed tart for dessert after dinner tonight, I am struck at how far I have come as a cook.

Really sometimes, I surprise myself ! As I admire the pretty decent pie on the table, I am reminded of an earlier post that I had made on my now neglected food blog.

Growing up with boys around you and having family friends who mainly had boys for children, kind of leaves you unprepared for existence as a woman! And more than that I think it leaves your parents unprepared for how to deal with a girl who behaves and acts like a boy! :-)

Luckily I had very indulgent parents. My memories of my childhood are coloured with bike rides, cricket matches, football practices and swimming… an amused mother who would sometimes admonish me about not having any womanly grace and an indulgent dad who encouraged and sided with me no matter what! My only concession to my sex was wearing skirts / frocks / dresses that my mom lovingly bought and I regularly tore! I suspect that some of it has still stayed with me and to this day, while I am a far cry from the tomboy I was, I am way way off anything feminine!

With all this baggage I got married, luckily to the man who I loved, and, who mercifully fell in love with me.. otherwise the torture his poor stomach has had to go through in the first few years of marriage, the marriage would have had slim chances of surviving! Anyone who is married to a foodie, and, that too a foodie whose mother is a fabulous cook, will understand why! Though I suspect it helped a bit, that he taught me how to cook!

I remember the first meal I ever cooked – a dal and some rice. I just knew that my mom used lentils, cumin, tumeric, salt and water to make dal, so I just threw them into the pot and hoped, miraculously it would all come together. Needless to say it did not, but R was sweet enough or newly married enough  to gulp a few spoons down!!

My journey from there to this pie has been long, ardrous but thorougly enjoyable! From a person who couldn’t make out spinach from any other leafy vegetables, I can, today wax eloquent about a ballotine of chicken, butter squash mezzlune, pansoti, a chocolate mousse cake et al.. and through all of this R has braved stomach aches, cramps, burned and charred dishes, food that tasted like newspaper or ditchwater and has bravely dared where no man in my life has been before – down my culinary path!