Spice Bowl - Dubai

Spice Bowl – Fashion Parking level P1, Dubai Mall, Downtown - Dubai

Cuisine: Indian (Predominantly Kerala with a good flair for North Indian) & Asian

All reviews will be based on the Cuisine and Fare the restaurant/outlet is known for / specialised in.

This review is based on inputs from myself as well as fellow foodies who have accompanied me to this restaurant.

ALL RATING ARE IN THE SCALE OF 5. A rating of 5 mean Excellent while 1 is Poor.

The art of creative cooking can be quiet tricky at times for creativity and fusion of ingredients usually tend to go off tangent. Spice Bowl along with their Creative chef Anil has taken on the tangent to make a parallel world of unique food in the spheres of Indian / Asian cuisine.

I happen to be one of them individuals from the sphere of foodies who happen to be interested in geometry and got myself to Spice Bowl for a little tasting session!

So here I go with my linguistic sketches of Spice Bowl’s food platter!

PS: Since this was a very elaborate tasting session with numerous menu items, I had to use the good old voice recording technique in my phone to note down my reviews.

Hence this review is almost a Running Commentary Review please bear with me!

FOOD: RATING 3 OUT OF 5.

Item 1 – All Time Snacks & Starters – Teriyaki Wings: Terikayi is now one of them usual suspects in the Sauce world but being usual makes it a tough sauce to judge because the flavour varies from place to place. It seems like Spice Bowl has made it in their unique way. It was good!

Teriyaki Wings

Item 2 – All Time Snacks & Starters – Chemeen Kolakuthi: Cheemeen is the south Indian name (Malayalam name to be precise) for Prawns. Kolakuthi, well, google translate failed!

Luckily that was the only thing that failed for the Prawns was absolutely delish! The Mallu in me is impressed.

Chemeen Kolakuthi

Item 3 – All Time Snacks & Starters – TNT Prawns:

Inspiration from Legendary Fare is a wonderful emotion.

Replicating it in a New Avatar is a risky venture.

Spice Bowl TNT Shrimps does make a taste bud commotion

The black sesame seeds take you to a new taste adventure.

TNT Prawns

Item 4 – All Time Snacks & Starters – Aloo Tikki: YUM! I rest my case! Slurp!

Aloo Tikki

Item 5 – Breakfast Item – Porotta Stuffed with Kheema: Now this was very rich dish that was well buttered / oiled with ample ghee. I am not sure I can call it a starter for it was indeed more than that. Flavour wise it was good but then a Punjabi / Lucknowi cuisine lover may take have a WOW! Moment.

 Porotta Stuffed with Kheema

Item 6 – Breakfast Item – Egg Porotta: I love my breakfasts and Spice bowl has just given me yet another reason to love it more!

  

Item 7 – Main Item – Thai Chicken Curry (Red) – The Thai food scene here in Dubai is making huge waves and Spice Bowl has taken there menu for a surf in those waves. The curry is definitely a worth wave surfer. Aromatic, Flavourful and Feel but I felt the Rice on the side was dragging the taste surfing down.

Item 8 – Main Item – Dragon Chicken – My voice recording captured only the crunch of the cashews and sizzling reaction from me on the spice. To be honest I cannot give a verdict on this. Apologises, I am human after all.

Dragon Chicken

Item 9 – Main Item – Mini Oyster Steak on Noodles: I love my steak, medium rare with a side of slaw or mashed potatoes. Please put the sauce on the side.

I am not sure if the South Asian cuisine use tenderloin cuts for their dishes, if they do I am a bit disappointed on how Spice Bowl has interpreted it. The sauce was wow! But overall, this dish felt more like a fusion that could have been served separately.

Mini Oyster Steak on Noodles

Item 10 – Main Item – Nasi Goreng: Nasi Goreng to Indonesian is what Pizza is to Italians. They are proper home-breeds that need to stay within the realms of their motherland. There is no harm in bringing them out of that realm but one has to be wise. Since I was not an expert, I asked a fellow foodie of mine to do a check on the same. He visited Spice Bowl and he said it was worth the mention.

Nasi Goreng

Item 11 – Main Item – Hakka Noodles: Booyaka!!

 

Hakka Noodles

Item 12 – Mains – Tikka Platter

Chicken Tikka – Teek Hai lekin all boxes tick nahi hua.

Malai Tikka – A Malai Tikka is all about that cream! For me this one did not feel like a dream.

Panner Tikka – I am not a veggie but then I can have some more of these!

Haryali Tikka – Hare Ram! Hare Krishna! Arrey Wah!

 

Tikka Platter

Item 13 – Main Item – Salmon Chutney Tikka: Salmon is not at all Indian and I feel it is never to be mixed with any Indian spice nor should it be made a part of the Indian Fare. Just imagine trying to make succulent Butter Chicken in Marinara Sauce. A mix of the best in the world can cause confusion.

I am not sure if Seahorse Salmon is a species of Salmon. The most common Salmon is Asian fare is the Pink or Cherry Salmon. I may be wrong because Seahorse Salmon may be another name of the Pink Salmon.

 

Salmon Chutney Tikka

Item 14– Main Item – Keralite Beef Curry:

Beef – A Keralite’s (aka Mallu) national pride.

Curry – A Keralite’s Essential dish

Keralite Beef Curry – ബ്രോ! ഇതിലും കിടിലം ഒന്നും ഇല്ല! (Google  translate is a good option)

Spice Bowls takes the Mallu to Food Heaven

Item 15– Main Item – Dhum Biryani:

I am from Thalassery (Kerala,India), one of the legendary towns that is known for their Biryani!

Dhum Biryani is my birth right.

You can try to advocate my birth right in your kitchens but I stay rooted to my motherland!

I rest my case.

Dhum Biryani

Item 16– Desserts – FINALLY!!!!!:

I had to skip the desserts because my taste buds died of overdose but here is a quick take

Asian Lotus – Nice! Very Nice!

SB Trifle Pudding – Hmmm! My voice note only mentions the name and then it is static!

My phone battery is dead. No More Voice Recording made!

SERVICE – 3 OUT OF 5

I came in for a tasting session so it was all served well.

I did have look around on how the Waiters went around with the other customers. It looked good.

LOCATION – 3 OUT 5

Well, it is in the Dubai Mall, hence you will surely get lost.

Unlike all the other restaurants, Spice Bowl is away from the Hustle bustle of the mall.

A little tricky to find if you miss the corridor to the hotel but not as painstaking as walking from the Metro to the Mall!

PRICING: 5 means cheapest while 1 means expensive.

I RATE THIS PLACE 3.5 (Good for the Wallet)

For the serving size and quality of the food that is served, I must say the price is worth it.

Moreover, to get a good food for this price in the Dubai Mall from a dedicated dine in place is indeed a great boon.

AMBIANCE: 2.5 OUT 5

The hotel vicinity can be noisy and the feel of “I am in the Dubai Mall” is evidently absent.

DECOR AND SEATING CAPACITY – 3 OUT 5

Good Standard Décor and pretty well maintained.

OVERALL RATING: 3 OUT OF 5.

Spice Bowl is indeed a good place to dine in when in Dubai mall especially if you are craving for some good Indian / South East Asian fare which does not taste anything like the food court servings!

Spice Bowl is genuinely a multi-cuisine restaurant who is currently a Jack of all Dishes but not a King of all. They have taken the Wok and the Kadai to entice all taste buds. Their effort is valiant and commendable.

Mint Leaf of London - Dubai

Mint Leaf of London – Emirates Financial Tower, DIFC Area– Dubai

Cuisine: Indian – Contemporary Fusion

All reviews will be based on the Cuisine and Fare the restaurant/outlet is known for / specialised in.

ALL RATING ARE IN THE SCALE OF 5. A rating of 5 mean Excellent while 1 is Poor

They are famous for their set menu unlimited Brunch and they view of the Burj Khalifa while you dine. It is chic place known to host some well-known social gathering in Dubai.

FOOD: OVERALL RATING 3.5 OUT OF 5.

I happened to hit the brunch during the festive season (Xmas) and the menu had a few tweaks to keep up with the season.

Course 1 – Starters (3.5 / 5) – Good Idea but Chaat is still better from the street vendor!

They consisted of two types of Indian Street food called “Chaat”

·        Papadi Sev Chat: This is actually a Gram flour crisp that is tossed in the Indian chaat masala and mixed with an Indian vermicelli. The taste was good and the serving size was good but that doesn’t matter for you can keep ordering them until you had your Chaat fill!

  Course 1 – Starters

·        Masala Channa Chat: This is better of the two chaats they gave. The spiced white chickpeas with diced onions and tomato topped off with a good dollop of tamarind chutney. This was good and felt it as a palate cleanser for your mouth to enjoy the rest of the menu

Course 2 – Vegetable Kebabs / Grills (4/5)

Being a loyal non-veg follower, I was tempted to give this course a skip but then the foodie in me said “come on! Brocolli is good!”

·        Tandoori Brocolli: Now this is indeed a fusion of Indian Gastronomy. Tandoor is so very Indian and Brocolli is so not very Indian, I am sure half of India still does not know what to do with a Brocolli!

Having said that, Mint Leaf seems to have done justice to this fusion it was good. It is worth the try.

·        Subz Quinoa Seekh: My brain process Seekh as always a Mutton Seekh and Quinoa as an “Ek Dum Ajnabee” (“A complete stranger) in Indian Culinary. The Mint leaf version gave me a better impression of them and even order a send helping of the same!

Course 2 – Vegetable Kebabs / Grills 

Course 3 – Non – Vegetarian (Chicken & Mutton) Kebabs /Grills (4/5):

·        Murgh Ka Sule: The menu says it is a corn fed chicken spiced with Kashmiri Chilli and burnt onion. I think the chicken had good dose of chilli as well in the diet. A treat to the mouth after some low spice profile items that preceded this.

·        Chicken Lahori Boti: Lahori boti is born to Pakistani fare and trying to “fusion it” into an Indian style is like asking making a Coca Cola using a Pepsi concentrate! I rest my case

·        Lamb Seekh Kebab: I think the Chef who set the menu knew that the real Seekh had to make an appearance since the alter ego Seekh had popped up in a Quinoa costume. The real Seekh does not disappoint at all, in fact, let me call them and ask if they can send me a few via home delivery.

Course 3 – Non – Vegetarian (Chicken & Mutton) Kebabs /Grills

Course 4 – Seafood Kebabs /Grills (4/5):

·        Achaari Hamour: Hamour is white fish that is considered the king in Middle Eastern culinary. Hence, when bring the king to the fusion party, the deal has to be spot on!

Mint Leaf knew that and they did it spot on!

·        Mustard and Herb Marinate Salmon: Salmon is a very delicate piece of meat that can be obliterated in high heat. The Tandoor oven is a high heat chamber. Mustard is a very tricky ingredient that can punch you out. This dish will make your eyes pop. Flaky, Delicate, Tangy and it is a tandoor item! Wow!

·        Sigri Prawns: Prawns grilled with a Sundried tomato marinate. Alas! This killed the seafood fare. I am huge prawns fan and I felt let down but then I guess this was the “cooling/ bland” item to balance the palate from the rather spice/flavoured items of Hamour and Salmon.

Course 4 – Seafood Kebabs /Grills

Course 5 – Main Course (finally it is here) – (3/5) – After all the starters and their high pitch show, the main course came in and went out on a flat note

·        Mushroom Do Piaza: Mushroom is relatively a new entry into the Indian vegetarian fare and it seems to have settled well in taking its own version of many well known Indian curries. The Do Piaza does justice to that and it is the pick of the lot.

·        Subzi Kali Mirch: It is nothing but a drier version of veg kurma that is spiced with pepper. I would have loved to see a Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) version of this for this mixed vegetable fare was way below par for a Mint Leaf menu standard.

·        Dal Makhni : It was really nice but for some the tomato paste flavour could become very evident in their taste buds

·        Punjabi Chicken Masala: An India visit is never complete without a “bhangra”. The chicken was okay but the gravy in which the chicken was served had the Bale! Bale! Factor

·        Lamb Bhoona : It is always said that the original is always the true form while the new versions will always be a new version. The Lamb Bhoona served to us was indeed a version that could match the original for the meat used was Australian lamb. Upon asking the floor manager on the usage of Australian lamb instead of Indian, he said that the aroma of Indian lamb was being a concern. I had my doubts in that story but then when you have a customer base that more from the Western Hemisphere, I guess the Australian lamb is the way to go.

·        Turkey Biryani : It is advised that Eid and Xmas should not fall in the same time period. No, I do not mean it in a socio-political way, I meant it in a “don’t kill the foodie” in me way. First and foremost, Turkey is not Biryani material, I mean come on! Can you imagine Sylvester Stallone in an Iron Man suit!

And to top it all, the Biryani was not a Dhum Biryani! It was more of a masala mixed saffron rice.

Course 5 – Main Course

Course 6 – Desserts – (3.5 / 5)

·        Chocolate Brownie: It was not warm as in Brownie warm but it tasted good and I had a good helping of it.

·        Passion Fruit Cheesecake: The Passion of Cheesecakes is still alive!

·        Ras Malai: They serve it like a piece of cake without the milk (malai). It had a rather rubbery texture.

·        Warm Xmas Pudding: It was nice but then there are somethings that only mothers can make the best.

·        Mince Pie: I felt it was more of a preprocessed pie that was reheated upon order.

Course 6 – Desserts

SERVICE – 4.5 OUT OF 5

The service was on the dot. I guess the service makes one forget about the shortcomings of the meal. They served my 2 year old son an exclusive treat that consisted of Butter Chicken, Butter Nan and Saffron rice!

2 year old's an exclusive menu - Butter Chicken, Butter Nan and Saffron rice!

LOCATION – 5 OUT 5

No issues at all. It is in the Emirate Financial Tower in DIFC Area Dubai. Near to the Ritz Carlon. Easy to find and they have a Free Valet parking for 4 hours, which is ample time for the brunch timings is exactly 4 hours.

PRICING: 5 means very cheap while 1 means Bring on the Bank!

I RATE THIS PLACE 2 (The Wallet can get a beating)

The price of a Non Alcoholic Brunch is 195 AED per head with unlimited Soft drinks, fresh Juice and Mocktails. There are some high restaurants that cater a wider range of menu for almost the same price but then the Burj Khalifa view seems to have also being factored in the price.

AMBIANCE: 3 OUT 5

It is chic and elegant but the band noise was a little too loud for my liking. A weekend Brunch is usually a family or friend gathering that is punctuated by talks and laughs.

Moreover, I was informed during my reservation request that children under age of 5 does not have a baby chair and that the guardians/parent are to ensure that they (the children) do not make any inconvenience to the fellow guest. The only inconvenience was that my son was a little taken back by the din of the band and ranter of the fellow Alcoholic Brunch guests!

DECOR AND SEATING CAPACITY – 4 OUT 5

Nice place. Good Seating arrangements and for any Dubai lover the Burj Khalifa can be considered a part of the décor.

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5.

You would want to give it a 4 rating but then the when doing a Contemporary fusion on one particular Cuisine and that too a vast one like Indian an utmost care is a necessity.

Mint Leaf of London seem to have “diversified” the Indian cuisine by infusing Western influences into it but alas! they forgot that there are many a state and diversity of tastes, flavours and ingredients in Indian fare that make up Indian Cuisine as a whole.

Bollywood Masala Restaurant - Old Salata, Museum Road, Doha (Qatar)

All Ratings will be from 1 to 5. 1 being poor and 5 being excellent

Bollywood Masala - Indian Restaurant

The name does sound a little to "filmy" but then i must say they have done a great job on making a meal out of the Indian film industry (bollywood). A good Indian Restaurant catering a good North Indian (Mainly the Lucknow/Delhi) fare. All fares are named after an Bollywood Film. Diners can have a good view of the cooking stations as the chefs/cooks dish up your order.

Meal Review

Starters
They are a must! 
Golmaal Golmaal : This is a platter of skewers (an assortment of bbq) - chicken, mutton, veg and seafood. Comes in 3 different sizes (small, Medium and Large). Small will cater a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children between 4-12). 

Mind you, i still say go for the Medium platter. The price between small and medium is quiet small with regards to the difference in quantity. You get atleast 2 skeweres of 2 different types chicken, mutton, veg and seafood bbq. That is about 16 skewers. Mind you they all give you a basket of freshly made Indian Breads. 

Starters Rating : 4/5. Chicken is good, The Mutton is quiet well done while the seafood is let to be pondered upon.

PS: If you are dining alone or on a date dinner, i suggest you go for a single BBQ dish. I would suggest Bhunne Lasan ke Murg Tikka (Chicken) or Gulati Kebab or the meat eater while a Mushroom Tikka for the Veggie among us!

Soups and Salad

They are the usual fare as with the other restaurnats. If you are in for a classy salad, i suggest you hit the restaurants in West Bay. As for Soups, they are again a normal fare but i suggest you to take up the Manchow Soup.

Main Course
One piece of advice. We are in Bollywood so please no Chinese! No Wok! Okay!

Top Picks of Main Course
Chicken Dishes
Chicken Lavaabdar - Rating 3.5/5
Murg Kadai - Rating 3.5/5

Mutton Dishes
Gosht Kadai (Mutton) Rating 4.5/5
Kashmir ki Kali - Rogan Gosht 4.5/5

Vegetable Dishes
Baingan Bhartha (aubergine Dish in cream) - Rating 3/5
Any Paneer dish Rating 3-3.5/5

Seafood - No special comments. The South Indian and Goans are the best in this. Period. I rest my case.

Biryani : Good but not what I would call the best in the town. I always preferred Hyderbadi Biryani, though i must say this place has a unique dish or two in the Biryani section. Have a go at the Paneer Tikka Biryani!

The Mutton dishes are just brilliant. It is not the so called speciality restaurant dishes more of the homely touch dishes. Chicken is a good fare but not brilliant. Vegetables, well North India (Lucknow to be precise) is Red Meat country you know!. The Mutton takes up the 3.5 starts out of 5 while the chicken follows suit. As for the breads, try the Garlic Naan and the Roti that is made of gram flour.

Desserts and Beverages

Not much to savour here. The menu is very much limited though the Lassi is good. Rating 2/5

OVERALL RATING : 3.5 /5 

PROS : Good Main Course, Fair Pricing, Unique Menu
CONS: Dessert,Parking, Seating Capacity

Food : 4/5. All in all a good fare with Mutton being the best. The Chicken is good and the vegetables good especially if you are an adherent MEAT EATER and does not realise that is a world of vegetable culinary in this world, you wont regret the veggie choice. As for a veggie lover he/she wont mind having a go at the dishes.

Service : 4/5

Price : 3/5 (1 is Very Cheap and 5 is Very Expensive). Moderately priced and when compared to the other restaurants which specialise in North Indian delicacies, Bollywood Masala is one of kind affordable place.

Location: 3/4 It is quiet nicely located but then giveing direction can be a little confusing. Parking is a hassle! In case of preplanned dinner/ Reservations get there about 15 minutes early, may have to look for parking!

Seating Arrangement/Capacity: 3/5 It is quiet limited. I would say it is more of a HITW (Hole In The Wall) with respect to seating. In case of a weekend Dinner. Please make sure you do a booking atleast 1 day in advance, trust me it is worth it or else the pavement may become your waiting area!

Ambience: 3.5/5 - Gets noisy when crowded other than that is quiet nice.

Value for Money: 4/5