Jai – Clemenceau

When I think of Jai, I think “good food but will we find a place to eat?” Well, this time the thought of eating their food again outweighed the fact of the seating issue. Don’t get me wrong, Jai is small in a cozy sort of way. I like that they have a common table next to their open kitchen, and a cute seating arrangement on the pavement outside; they give the place its charm. Although, if it is cold outside or it is raining, unfortunately not many seats remain—I witnessed the hassle of the folding and packing of a table firsthand. It would be nice if they could relocate to a bigger area, maybe not too big so that Jai retains its charm, but just enough for more people to enjoy the melange of flavors they have to offer. Luckily, we found a place at the common table indoors. I love peanut sauce, and they have one of the best in the country, so of course we had to order both the Chicken Satay and the Beef Satay as appetizers. The tender chicken and meat were smothered with the delicious peanut sauce, and we couldn’t help but eat every bit of it. As mains, we ordered the Butter Chicken and the Dhal Makhani. They are both comforting platters that come with a side of rice. The Dhal Makhani was rich and felt kind of smoky to me in a way, but the closer one to my heart was that very tasty Butter Chicken. We had the Poppadoms as a side too, and they truly are addictive; they are light and crispy in a delicate way. When we were done, we were kindly offered Ginger Beignets on the house; it seems to be their way of appreciating their customers. The dessert was good, but it has an eccentric taste that you have to like to enjoy. Then, it was time to pay. When you order the bill, you get a handwritten one, which you can also say is part of Jai’s charm. Yet, liking the personal touch to our receipt was followed by a cash only request. It so happened that we were out of cash, so my husband had to walk under the rain to an ATM machine at a nearby hospital. To be honest, it is not a far walk, but it still was a bit impractical I think. However, this is all forgotten when you consider the friendly service and welcoming people at this “hidden gem”. To sum up my lunch experiences at Jai: whenever I feel like satisfying my craving for peanut sauce, this eatery is definitely one that comes to mind.

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Pai Thai – Dubai

We were looking for a restaurant with Thai cuisine, and since I wanted to try a new place (although the last time I came to Dubai I had really good Thai food), we chose to go to Pai Thai for dinner. The location is romantic, as it is next to the water, and apparently you can get there by boat. We decided to walk instead; the winding path leading there is dimly lit and there are trees on either side. The service started out really well as a man showed us to our table, and explained that there was a special menu and a more lit ambiance due to the celebration of the Festival of Lights. We were handed our menus, and being a fan of organization (especially when the names of the dishes are in a foreign language), I opted to list the items we wanted to order on my phone. After the effort of writing down the names in Thai and trying to pronounce them to our waitress, she found it amusing and told us that she does not know them in Thai either. I would expect the waitress to know the menu by heart, including all the names of the dishes. Also, the attitude of a waitress affects the servicing, even if she is efficient in placing the dishes on our table (although a bit less efficient in removing them). Anyway, let’s get to the food. We ordered the (I will not bother to name them in Thai) Green Papaya Salad, the Crispy Marinated Chicken Wrapped in Pandan Leaf, and the Grilled Marinated Chicken Sate as appetizers. The Green Papaya Salad was flavorful and the Chicken Sate was tender and literally melted in your mouth, and I loved the peanut sauce. However, I disliked the Crispy Marinated Chicken in the Pandan Leaf; it was more soggy than crispy. For our main courses, we then had the Braised Massaman Beef Curry, a Pad Thai with Prawns, and a bowl of Thai Coconut Rice. The Beef Curry’s sauce was really tasty, but I did not like the beef’s texture within it. As for the Pad Thai, I have had much better elsewhere. We ended the meal with one of the desserts listed under the Traditional section, as opposed to the Modern one. We had the Sweet Sticky Rice with Ripe Mango; it was fine. In general, the food was average, and I was not blown away. Dining in an intimate setting with water surrounding you is basically what Pai Thai has going for it. Although, another Thai restaurant that comes to mind has that but with better food.

Bits and Pieces – Spain

Behold the second compilation…

 

Eyescream and Friends – Barcelona: This cute shop made its debut in Barcelona and it is now expanding to other parts of the world. They have a variety of flavors and a diverse amount of toppings you can choose from. I would not walk far distances to find it again, but if it happens to be nearby I would have another taste.

 

Granja M. Viader – Barcelona: This place is special because stepping into it is as if you are wandering into the page of a history book. It has existed since 1870 and the eatery has been passed down through the same family for 5 generations! I love how the painted tiles on the floor have even become pale in some places and how old-fashioned the whole feel of the cafe is. Also, do not miss out on tasting the famous Cacaolat drink they created in 1933. I have already been there twice; if I go to Barcelona for a third time, I will definitely try their dense hot chocolate.

 

La Flauta – Barcelona: In my last trip to Barcelona, this was my first encounter with tapas. I tried several other places after that, but this remained my favorite among the ones I went to. From their patatas bravas to their multi-textured chocolate dessert; it was all delicious. I would want to go there again, and to visit the whole area in Barcelona where La Flauta is located in as well.

 

Thai Barcelona Royal Cuisine Restaurant – Barcelona: This restaurant had a pleasant ambiance, great service, and flavorful food. For a person who likes Thai cuisine, it will do the trick.

 

Thiptara – Dubai

If you are looking for tasty Thai cuisine, Thiptara is a good choice. I originally like the flavor profile of Thai food, and this restaurant did not disappoint. Spending most of my childhood in Nigeria, paw paw (as I call it), or what is more commonly known as papaya, is a familiar fruit that is usually eaten when ripe. I had never tasted it in a Thai salad before but I thought that the unripe green papaya was an interesting ingredient. I am a pad thai fan so I had to order it along side the other fish dishes. It was a good pad thai; everything seemed fresh and vibrant. We then ordered a variety of Thai desserts of which I liked all except the one that had a jelly-like texture in the mouth. I nearly forgot to mention the setting. With a view literally at the lake of the majestic fountains famous in Dubai, Thiptara is ideal for the romantic at heart.