Dubai’s Organic Gourmet Cafe – The Lime Tree Cafe and Kitchen

Hopping for coffee shop is our main purpose for travelling from Karama to the secluded area of Al Quoz. We’ve been looking forward for this exploration months ago until we finally hit it. Indeed, we’ve been very eager to try this famous environmentally conscious café  just very close from the Art galleries – exactly next to the Courtyard Gallery.

The place is called The Lime Tree Cafe. It is a Kiwi-owned cafe serving healthy fresh food and homemade cakes.

The location is quite interior so I advise to either drive a car or take a taxi since it would take you approximately 30 minutes or more to get to the nearest metro just by walking.

The shop is pretty big and so inviting. It has industrial concept combined with homely accent. You can instantly tell that it is an organic shop just by looking at the interiors and design.

I just love the charming atmosphere. It is like a haven for people who are looking for a relaxing quiet time to chill out while reading their complimentary magazines and newspapers.

They have an array display of their retail products such as homemade delicacies: relishes & chutneys, various crackers, biscotti,  dipping sticks and muesli which are adorably packed.

The food are displayed in a refrigerator and the order is paid by the counter. They offer breakfast and serves fresh daily menu.

Here’s what we order:

• Key Lime Cake

A double layered lime cake filled & iced with a lime zested cream cheese frosting & coated with shards of coconut

• Mushroom, Beef Bacon & Cream Cheese Club Sandwich

Drinks:

• Blended Mocha Coffee
• Americano

Such a welcoming environment and I consider it as one of my favourite cafe in Dubai! Even though Pinay Flying High doesn’t seem to fancy it. Haha  Looking forward on visiting the rest of their branches.

Lime Tree Cafe & Kitchen in Al Quoz
Al Quoz 1 – 4B Street, next to the Courtyard Gallery
Open daily from 8am to 6pm

Week 1 – Sheikh Zayed Road, Emirates Tower Station

Starting today, I will be having a featured photo to be posted every week (during Sundays).  Just for fun!  Anything I feel worthy of sharing like random shots from any where in Dubai. So here’s my first featured one for the week. Hope you like it! x

Refreshing Pearl Milk Tea in Chatime Karama

Have you heard about pearl milk tea, bubble tea or boba milk tea in Dubai? Of course you have! They are the fastest growing tea-based drink that provides healthy beverages in the past few years. It originates from Taiwan and its popularity has  spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world.

Chatime is one of the leading companies that is starting to appear in Dubai. Chatime has a unique concept that makes tea so much healthier and can be used as an alternative to coffee.

This has been one of my favourite healthy refreshments since their store opened in Karama. A small shop just beside Subway, across from Pizza Hut. Their shop have a nice velvety accent and a cozy seating area.

My personal favourite is their Pearl Milk Tea. I have become addicted to it ever since I’ve tried it. Infact, I haven’t tried any thing else on their menu yet!  However
I’m looking forward to sampling their pudding milk tea.

Pearls, is the term used for the chewy balls made of tapioca starch that makes the drink so special and unique. The pearls are dark, smooth and have a delightful flavour in each bite and the milk tea is so deliciously good with the perfect combination of tea and milk used.

They give you a promotional card on your first order and stamp the card on every next purchase until the boxes are filled – you will then get a free  drink. Amazing isn’t it?

It is actually a bit costly for a cup but that won’t stop me. It’s my way of rewarding my self for a long stressful week. Just a perfect idea to grab one -sipping while strolling around Karama.

I’m already looking forward to my next hit: “30 % sugar and less ice puhlease!”

A taste of IHOP pancakes in Mall of the Emirates

Pancakes and an unlimited coffee for breakfast- sounds lovely is’nt it? so to Mall of the Emirates we go. We agreed on spending our lazy Saturday morning breakfast at the restaurant.

IHOP, known as The International House of Pancakes, is an American based restaurant chain that specialises in breakfast foods. It’s best known for its signature pancakes, omelettes and other breakfast specialties and are also offering a menu of lunch and dinner items.

IHOP restaurant looks like the typical american diner. The staff are nice and accommodating. We arrive early noon but the place was already full packed. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for our order to arrive which is a good start.

Here’s what we order:

• Breakfast Sampler

two eggs, bacon strips, beef ham, veal sausage links, and golden hash browns and buttermilk pancakes

• Original french toast

six fluffy triangle-shaped slices topped with whipped butter and powdered sugar

• and an unlimited coffee pot

I can say it really is an American chain knowing their common trademark of having food mixed with sweet and savoury taste.

The buttermilk pancakes were soft and fluffy just like their french toast. I like the french toast more. They have varieties of fruit-flavoured syrup but I seemed to like none of them. It has a weird taste which I find it not a good combination for the pancakes. I’d rather stick to the original one. It’s a good way that they are serving unlimited coffee as it is not common in Dubai – we really enjoyed it. We suddenly thought that it’s a very good idea that cafe’s in Dubai should start serving unlimited coffee. That’ll be awesome.

For the feedback, we find it quite a bit pricey for the portion. The sausages were too tiny while hash brown is dominating the whole meal.

It’s not a good impression for a first comer like us but we are still considering on going back in the future or maybe try the rest of their menu. Well, to sum it all, it was fun and a good try out.

Location: Mall of the Emirates, Barsha, Dubai
Tel: 04 385 0891
Travel: Sheikh Zayed Road
Times: Open daily 8am-midnight

A Passion for Photography in Dubai

Taking photos in everyday life is one of my biggest creative passions. My interest in pictures began ever since my memory can recall. Even before popular modern image techniques such as Instagram were invented I have been a photo lover.

I am fascinated with the vintage style and the grainy effect from photos that are processed using a film. I enjoy the nostalgia of looking at old pictures of my family back home, which we store in an ancient black suitcase which brings back so many memories.
Living in today’s world gives us real convenience in capturing the most memorable moments of our lives, that’s what make us so lucky compared to those before. I am thankful that modern technology allows us to take and upload a beautiful picture, edit it in Instagram and upload it to the internet using just a mobile phone. Before I use my computer in uploading photos for my friends in the Philippines to see. Whether they agree if it is beautiful or not it doesn’t matter as long as I have shared my small creative piece.

It is truly incredible having a small device at our fingertips that allows us to capture moments instantly with a simple reach into our pockets, just an aim and a click. It’s a great way to capture everyday life because it’s always with you.

I am also inspired by the ideas and examples we can find of other people online. Example, there is one man who took a picture of his face every day for a year and posted a video showing all the shots together. Many people have started doing this also and it is a different way to look at life. However, there are also pitfalls – people rarely print out their photos now, instead they chose to store their photos on Social Networking websites and blogs.

Before I came to Dubai I spent most of the time working on my blog showcasing different attractions and tours around my hometown, Cebu. I considered it a passion and it really felt good knowing that you are helping out tourists discovering the place I grew up in. Unfortunately, a friend who I was paying to run my website failed to pay the hosting fees and my site was blocked. Too bad!

Moving to Dubai has given me so many opportunities to take great photos – from food, to skyscrapers and so much more. When I am not working, I like to treat my spare time as a vacation – making the most of my time here so when I return home I will have plenty to look back on. Whether it’s a scrumptious meal in an Italian restaurant, having my favourite Indian food which is Dosa, dipping in all the beautiful beaches around the country, a trip to the tallest towers or a visit to ancient places found in UAE. Maybe in 20 years time I can use a beautiful shot of Dubai Creek to teach my grandchildren the value of framing a beautiful picture and making it as a collection.

Mostly I will take photos using my mobile phone and the Instagram app because it’s fun and I am very thankful for its convenience. My trusty old Canon D1000 is the choice for long rides and get-aways.

There are countless expressions and moments each day in your life that you might not remember if you don’t capture them. Who knows, just a random snapshot will turn out to be one of your most cherished memories and sometimes the smallest things can mean so much more later on. Life is too short to miss the perfect moments in your life and technology has gone too far so there are no excuses, so grab your camera phone and start capturing some of the unique things around you!

“A Picture of many colors proclaims images of many thoughts” – Donna A Favors

Dobbie – Living The Pug Life in Dubai

I would like to introduce our latest member of the family. His name is Dobbie. He is six years old and is a rescue pug. We adopted him from K9 Friends last September 2012, it is a non-profit making, voluntary run organisation located in Jebel Ali, Dubai.

We were told by the shelter staff that he has been abandoned by his previous owners and found by the Municipality wandering around the street.

He looked very excited and overwhelmed as we met him for the first time. He was jumping at us,  panting with his cute muzzled wrinkly face. We fell in love with him instantly and thought that this pug deserves a home to live.

He was quite thin for a pug and his skin have spots and weathered. He is under treatment and the vets provided us his tablets. After a couple of minutes signing some documents we took him home.

It didn’t take long for us to adjust as we brought him. At first he was anxious that he frequently pee on the house and wreck our bin, we are aware that it’s normal since dogs are territorial. Until then, we managed to do his toilet routine walking him twice a day or more during weekends.

We just love his happy-go-lucky attitude – simply giving us priceless joy. I find it so amusing whenever he rub his flat face on my side. Just seeing him very happy and excited as I enter the door from work is such a heart melting experience. We are so blessed to find him and for sure we know that he is just as happy as we are now knowing he have a place he can call home.

Coffee Coated Buns in PappaRoti – Dubai Mall

What a perfect way to reward your self from a stressful week for a Mochachino blended coffee and a Coffee Coated Buns in PappaRoti – Dubai Mall.

Ever since I came to Dubai this has been my top favourite coffee shop – PappaRoti.

They served only one food item in their menu which is the coffee-coated buns. It tastes just the right of sweetness with melted butter on the interior. God it tastes heaven! This goes well perfectly with their wide array of coffee brews and tea blends.

I just can’t avoid the delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the mouth-watering smell of buns every time I pass by the shop. We usually visit the Dubai Mall Branch because it has a bigger area.

I highly recommend this one! You should try it xoxo

Shogun Japanese, Korean and Thai Cuisine – Deira Dubai

Finally, we had our Valentine’s Day dinner in one of the famous Asian restaurant in Dubai. We had been hearing good feed backs and recommendations from friends on how good the food and service are. Shogun restaurant offers Japanese, Korean and Thai cuisines so this is a a very good variety for those who are looking for mixed Asian tastes.

We booked a table for two at 6PM and arrived on time however to my surprise the place is full packed that it leaves us waiting for 20 minutes more. It only shows that the place is seemingly popular and that gives us a good impression. More and more customers came but are informed that restaurant is full and aren’t able to accommodate more. The lady in the reception is nice as she followed up our table for the staff to clean and we patiently waited because we are quite intrigued and excited with the surprise we are about to experience.

The place is fairly big that it can accommodate less than 70 persons or more. Inspired by asian accents having wood interiors makes you feel you have just visited Japan or Korea.

The order taker is an older man which is maybe on his early 40’s greeted us and walked us over to our table. He looked more of a Japanese feature.

He gave us six different delicious appetizer. It has bean sprout, radish, egg pancake and more delectable Korean kimchi. I have been a fan of Korean food ever since my Korean boss back in Cebu introduce it to me.

I ordered beef bulgogi which is absolutely mouthwatering. The beef is so lean and soft with a bit of sesame seed. Before you order it they will ask you either you wanted them to cook it for you or have it cooked by yourself on the table. I requested for them to be done because we are just absolutely famished.

Ricky ordered his favourite Japanese food – Sashimi. All praises to his sashimi, according to him it tastes like heaven, melts and bursts in his mouth that it makes his feet kicking out like a child. Unfortunately I am not a fan of raw food however judging by his expression we both are glad to what we have ordered.

As you can see in the picture the portion is quite big for us so we aren’t able to finish it. Leaving the restaurant very full and contented we gave the guy a generous tip that it makes his smile bigger.

We will definitely be going back to try the rest of Shogun’s menu. Hope you enjoy my brief review. Comments and feedbacks are greatly appreciated.

 

 

 Contact Info:

+9714 228 5568

Address:Al Ghurair City, Al Rigga Road

Area:Deira

Location: Location Map

Cuisine: Asian | Japanese | Korean | Thai

From The Emirate of Sharjah to Dubai

My second day in UAE is fun and a memorable one.

Sharjah isn’t too bad. I find it very clean and peaceful .It has a vast area with big road highways . Buildings standing tall – most are residential areas mixed with offices. Shops are located on every bulilding and all the signs are written in English and Arabic. People living in Sharjah are in mixed nationality including Fililpinos. This gives me a sense of security and comfort knowing I can ask my compatriots for assistance.

It’s amazing to know that Filipino uses “kabayan” to address a compatriot, like a term used ages ago as an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker). Well it will be so weird to use that when you’re in Philippines. I remembered taking a metro and someone asked: “Kabayan?” I was surprised at the expression and term. Maybe because I am a Cebuano – not used to Tagalog dialect.

My cousin Richan who is residing in Dubai convinced me to stay with her for a while as I search for a job. She explained that Sharjah is like a province type of place and the culture practice is based in Saudi Arabia. Without any hesitation my brother agreed on my decision to work in Dubai. He is very supportive in all my decisions and I’m thankful for that.
As we headed to Dubai, my cousin noticed that we are passing unfamiliar way however I dont have any idea that we took the opposite side of the road. Considering my cousin who just received her new license so we anticipate the experience but I enjoyed it. We drove for nearly two hours and somehow managed to finally see some progress we suddenly got bumped by another car and was caught up with a minor accident.

So what’s the next step? Again we waited for another hour in addition to our misadventure. I felt exasperated that time that I badly needed a toilet and trust me it was not fun at all getting stuck up in the middle of the road seeing cars passed through us and staring at us.

A traffic officer responded an hour later. My cousin explaining her heart out to what had happened. An Indian guy bumped our side as we pass the round about near Al Quoz to where we are dropping Michael (Richan’s brother). After a long investigation the Indian guy was given a penalty and was issued to pay for the damage.

Bright sky scrapers welcomed me as we drove to Dubai Marina.

We finally overcome all the obstacles. “Its better than late than never” is our motto on that day.

A Filipino Expat Moving First Time to Dubai – UAE

You probably have wondered and think about the idea of moving to Dubai. Let me share my experience on how I made it through in setting foot in the glamorous emirate which is Dubai. Just a heads up – some confuse Dubai as a country however it is not a country. It is one of the seven emirates that make up the country which is United Arab Emirates.
Seven months ago , I made a very important decision which I know would greatly change my life. The plan was to work in Dubai – leaving the comfort zone that I have grown up with. With the support of my dear brother I was able to received my Visit visa quickly as expected which took a month to process.

The idea is to come to Dubai under a Visit visa and to find a job while using a months duration. You can also choose for more than a month and may need to pay for extra. Most cases, some will just extend another month and pay for it.

The thought of moving overwhelmed me and as I draw closer to my departure date I felt anxious and nervous. Reality hit me the moment I received my itinerary, for me there is no backing out. In no time I will be leaving my family and friends not seeing them for 2 years or so whatever the future holds.

I was quite prepared for the decision I made. I wanted to achieve the experience of being alone and independent in a foreign land. The thrill and excitement of living is ahead of me. I wasn’t sure on how my life works once I arrive but I aways think: “I will cross the bridge when I get there”.

I felt my heart sank as I stepped in the airport terminal in Cebu and bid farewell to my mom, sister, aunt, and the rest of my family. I cant stand to watch their faces that it made me cry as I was sitting in the boarding area.

I took the connecting flight from Cebu to Hongkong and Hongkong to Dubai. Total time duration from Cebu to Dubai took roughly eleven hours.

I am boarded in a Cathay Pacific airline, the plane is huge and is so insanely cold that I can barely sleep. Fighting the urge to get some sleep I ended up watching a film. I entertained my self by constantly checking the small LCD screen for the distance, altitude, estimated time of arrival and the location we are in.
Flight attendants are nice and approachable and have kept supplying us food. Unfortunately, none of the meal served is appealing for my palate. The only thing I managed to have was the hard baguette and butter.

Finally, I arrived safe and sound through a long and stressful journey. I looked down to the surface to mark my first step in UAE. The airport is so wide and spacious but Hongkong is the far most biggest that I’ve seen.

All passengers bound to Dubai are required to queue for eye scan and to have our passport checked and visa. These are mandatory in entering Dubai as it records individual identity.

My brother Manuel (Kuya Jun-Jun) waited for me outside the arrival area. I am so pleased to see him again. It was like 3 years that we’ve been apart and at last I get to finally reunite with him and his wife, Kathleen. It was still dark outide – around 4am as we headed out for a taxi to Sharjah, (a 30 minute drive from the airport) an emirate of UAE which is more conservative than Dubai. Then I thought this will be a bit boring to live by.