A bit of this and that

A bit of this thing I avoid, and a bit of that which coaxes me out of bed every morning and helps me survive my 5:30 PM classes.

Chicken has not been among my favourite food items for as long as I can remember, and this fact has shocked some of my friends who are self-confessed chicken addicts and try to integrate it into as mean meals as possible. I appreciate the health benefits of opting for chicken as opposed to red meat, but I've come across very few chicken preparations that do not smell or taste foul at some point. But like everything in life, there are always exceptions, and these days I've also been more adventerous when it comes to what I eat for the sake of not clogging up this blog with too many reviews of the high-in-cholesterol-albeit-tastier meat that is beef.

Chicken Malai Kebab @ Zaika

A while ago, my friends and I had dinner at the Khaldiyah Mall food court where one of us ordered the Chicken Malai Kebab from Zaika. Since we usually sample each other's food, I had the chance to taste quite a few pieces and surprisingly, I liked it! The texture was smooth and creamy (Malai kebab afterall) and the kebab had subtle spicy undertones. Best of all, the chicken didn't smell or taste like poultry. My friend was in the mood for something hotter, so it didn't go down too well with her. The kebabs were accompanied by two naans and raita. I've heard glowing comments on their Dum Biryani from one of my friends, so I plan to sample that some other day.
Price: AED 32 with a drink
Available at: Khaldiyah Mall Food Court
Worth the money? I thought the price was too high for a plate of kebabs that only came with naan and raita. On top of that, this was food court fare, not something from a proper restaurant, so even thought it tasted pretty good, I remember raising an eyebrow when the lady at the counter read out the bill.

Shish Tawook @ Dolce Cafe

I know the menu of each food outlet in my university cafeteria like the back of my hand, and I can't say I look forward to eating there unless I had to rush out of my home at 8 in the morning after stuffing two slices of brown bread down my throat and know that I wouldn't be leaving the place before 8:30 at night (because that's when my classes usually end - not because I stick around out of choice!). From the start of this semester, almost all the outlets increased their prices considerably while the quality of their meals continued to slip down a steep slope. Anyway, there's always that rare gem which is tasty, filling and true value for money, and one of those is feaured above. Sheesh Tawook (pictured) and Sheesh Kebab from Dolce Cafe are what I opt for when I have long days. The tawook (chicken) sandwich comes with fries, hummus, fresh khubz straight from the oven (still warm and fluffy when served) and a drink from the fountain. I'm usually full after having the sandwich and fries, which I like to dip into their freshly-prepared and great-tasting hummus. The chicken pieces have a slight tinge of garlic which make them taste divine to me.
Price: AED 15
Available at: Dolce Cafe, ADU - Abu Dhabi Campus
Worth the money? Only thing worth its price tag in the entire cafeteria, along with its red-meat counterpart, Sheesh Kebab.

Coffee @ Dallmayr Kaffee

My love affair with coffee started when I was about 7. While other kids had Ovaltine or cocoa with their milk, all I wanted was coffee. A heaped tea-spoon of coffee dissolved in a mug of milk was my breakfast staple during my school days. That changed to a heaped tea-spoon of coffee in a mug of water when the former started to make me feel a little queasy. It's the one thing that injects me with instant energy and gives me the boost that I so need in the mornings and sometimes even late afternoons. There's nothing more inviting than the smell of freshly-ground coffee, but I've often discovered that the drink doesn't taste as good as it smells. I've had coffee from Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and all those places that are renowned for their coffee...but I found them to be quite disappointing. It's funny how one of the tastiest coffees I've had so far is from a vending machine. It not only smells good, but tastes great too. There's a long selection of caffeinated drinks on the machine, but I always go for the tried, tested and loved 'Long, white coffee with sugar' (pictured). Next time you see a Dallmayr vending machine, do give it a try.
Price: AED 2
Available at: I get mine from the vending machines at ADU.
Worth the money? Do you even need to ask :)