Eating Around the World - Without Leaving Abu Dhabi

I've always thought of harissa as a spicy, red pepper paste. So I was surprised to come across a "premium harissa pistachio" this Ramadan in the supermarket sweets section. It was certainly sweet as was the walnut mamoul we bought with it.   I just read that Syrian pistachio harissa is one of the most famous sweets in the Arab region. It's typically made with semolina, sugar, milk and coconut and is similar to basbousa . Not a big fan of mamoul.  A little too dry for my taste.

Finally got to see the long-awaited Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island. Ate at Fouquet's restaurant at the Louvre Abu Dhabi next door.  I think it used to be Pierre Gagnaire's. The menu was definitely different from when we first ate there.  It was more French then.  It was Gagnaire's after all. We ordered nasi goreng and tikki , which is a fried patty made with boiled or mashed potatoes, cumin, coriander, ginger, and chili powder.  It was served with the bright green coriander-mint sauce that we've grown to love. Spicy hash browns!

Urban Wok is an Asian fast food place in Galleria Mall.  We often eat there after doctors' appointments at Cleveland Clinic.   Malaysia laksa has always been a favorite.  Crispy chicken with fried lemongrass strips and peanuts is also good. I've often wondered how they fry the lemongrass.  It's hard enough to slice it up roughly, let alone make really thin julienne strips. I'm guessing they just pound the lemongrass stalks and they break apart into thin strips .

Bought one dal kachori at Lulu. Dal Kachori From Wikipedia: " Kachoris are deep fried breads made with ground dal sauteed along with spices and filled into a cover of maida and baking powder. This is the most popular road side snack that you'll find across north India, specially parts of Rajasthan." Maida is white wheat flour.  So it's basically fried bread.  Or sauteed as Wikipedia says, which somehow doesn't sound quite right.  It came with two sauces in small plastic cups.  One coriander and the other I'm guessing was tamarind. I think the leftover sauces will go well with the tortang talong  I also bought instead of the usual ketchup.

It's Ramadan.  Lots of sweets everywhere.  Arabic.  Indian.  Bangla. Bought some ghuraiba in Lulu supermarket. According to ChatGPT: "Ghuraiba, also spelled as Ghorayebah or Ghraiba, is a traditional shortbread cookie that is popular in many Middle Eastern and North African countries. The name "ghuraiba" comes from the Arabic word "ghuraba," which means "strangers," and it is believed that the cookies were named this because they were often made and offered to travelers as a sign of hospitality. Ghuraiba cookies are usually made with simple ingredients such as flour, butter or ghee, powdered sugar, and sometimes ground nuts such as almonds or pistachios. The dough is typically shaped into small balls or discs, then flattened slightly before baking. Ghuraiba cookies are known for their delicate texture and melt-in-your-mouth consistency." Ghuraiba cookies are often served with tea or coffee and are a popular treat during Ramadan and other spec

 Marita bought rajgira laddoo in this Indian sweet shop on Hamdan Street. From ChatGPT: "Rajgira laddoo is a traditional sweet snack made in India during Hindu fasting festivals such as Navratri or Janmashtami. It is made from popped rajgira seeds (amaranth), jaggery, and ghee." Finally got to taste amaranth. I thought it would be hollow, but it turned out to be a solid ball of packed amaranth seeds.

Thought it was a fancy unknown cheese like " akkawi " or " halloumi ".  Turns out Domty is the name of an Egyptian company. Might go well with pasta.

I've never posted about cocktails and rarely about pastries.  And this post is not from Abu Dhabi.   Passion fruit cake at Luxe Grand Baie Mauritius was exceptional.  I think it was spiked with a little local rum. Tiny pieces of nuts made for interesting texture contrasts.   Their welcome cocktail was made with local sugar juice, local white rum, vanilla, cinnamon, pineapple and passion fruit.  Also outstanding.   The Executive Pastry Chef, Marie Meunier, is a genius. She used to work at George V and Plaza Athenee in Paris.  In the video below, she talks about bigarade , a Mauritian fruit that she uses in one of her pastry creations and largely ignored by the natives.  She has 25 pastry chefs working for her 😮

Pappu Paya restaurant actually specializes in trotters.   We weren't quite in the mood for animal feet.  So we ordered garlic butter naan, Afghani chicken and Chicken Rana.  It's now our fave Indian. Also tried their jaljeera , a somewhat salty drink made with cumin.  Now Marita's favorite. They have a large screen TV that show Bollywood movies.  Indian waiters are always surprised that we know the actors and actresses.