The Beach did something super cool in the middle of September. Just as the weather started getting better, they arranged a What’s Cooking At The Beach Tour, in which they took bloggers on a culinary journey through some of the best restaurants on The Beach; each boasting a different cuisine ranging from Morrocan, through Mexican, Italian, French and Emirati; and bloggers got to truly taste not only the flavors but also the culture of each restaurant.
My mysterious invitation to the second wave of the What’s Cooking At The Beach tour arrived with an Indian spice box- which, by the way, was a really great touch. Although I had no idea what venues I’d be heading to(except for the meeting point); I knew this invitation promises an exciting evening filled with lots of delicious food, good company, and great fun!
On the 16th of September, I excitedly scuttered over to the preassigned meeting spot. I was warmly greeted by Matilda and Rishi, who work for the APCO, PR company that arranged this event. And then I finally received the program for the much anticipated night!
Our first stop was Almaz by Momo. A Middle-Easterm delight; this place is every Morocco lover’s dream. The dimly/romantically lit place was packed with guests who kept disappearing under clouds of Shisha smoke as they enjoyed the live entertainment. If you want to enjoy the Arabian life, this is the place to be.
Once all the bloggers arrived, our evening started with a masterclass on how to make the perfect pot of Moroccan Tea; followed by a variety of pastries and handmade Moroccan sweets that spoilt us for choice! And it didn’t just end there, they even packed some up for us to take back home. Naturally, I then gleefully skipped on to our next stop; Poco Loco.
Perfectly timed, it was Mexico’s National day the same day, and we got to celebrate it in the perfect place! Poco Loco essentially boasts Latin American cuisine, and our visit there began with a very up close and personal peek into how Poco Loco’s (INSANELY DELICIOUS) tacos are made: from scratch, but of course. These tacos would later be loaded with extremely juicy and flavorful beef; and bear testament to the difference it makes when fresh, quality components are used and the food is prepared with love. The Peruvian Adobo Fish that followed, was beautifully infused with the fragrance of the oakwood it’s smoked in.
After devouring the delicious tacos and fish, we then proceeded to wear sombreros, fake mustaches, and break open one of their many piñatas, and then picked the candy off the floor like excited children; brushed ourselves off; pretended that never happened and proceeded to our third stop: the classy Italian,Sapori De Bice.
Here, Chef Luca Zanchetti held an interactive masterclass on Gnocchi making. He welcomed the bloggers to roll up their sleeves and start kneading and rolling some for themselves- and we did. We not only got to enjoy some perfectly cooked Gnocchi, but also a gluten-free version of it – which, by the way, was pretty darn good for no gluten.
We then proceeded to every girl’s dream-come-true: Laduree. We were all expecting to binge eat macarons there, but the Chef had other plans for us. He demonstrated how their Chicken Vol au vent is made, and then each of us got to devour one of our own. These buttery basin, lined with a mushroom tapenade and then piled high with a creamy chicken and Morel mushroom sauce was just as luxurious and indulgent as I can imagine a puff pastry dish to possibly get.
We also got our own chef’s hats, and mine now proudly sits in my bookshelf.
Our last stop for the night was the impressive Seven Sands restaurant. Here we were welcomed with delicacies that are exotic to some but native to the Emirates. These ranged from Shark Sambousahs, through fragrant lamb meatballs, to their signature Kunafitna. It didn’t end there though, they had prepared a huge spread for us, with dishes like Jisheed, Aish Al Lahm, Thereed, Fouga, Maleh Korse, Kibeh Al Bizaar, and SO much more. My favorite thing there was their date pudding, simply because it’s something I’ve tried in A LOT of places, and these guys truly served up the best version of it that I’ve ever had, by far.
By the end of the night, all of us were so stuffed we could barely move. I didn’t think it was possible for me to love The Beach anymore than I already did, but then this happened. Now, whenever my husband and I are thinking of where to eat, my mind can’t help but think of the plethora of options at The Beach first.
