Time to review another relatively new franchise that has made a splash in Abu Dhabi. My first impression of Jones the Grocer: they serve food on wooden boards! (referring to Tempo's cover shot some months back). I think that aspect of their presentation was what first attracted me to the place. I like businesses that make an effort to stand out. Back when I was a student, I could only admire such places from afar as any unique gesture would usually signal prices that would put a serious dent in my budget. But I guess those four years of deprivation paid off somewhat. Anyway, I was keen to try out their good-to-go gourmet m eals (popular spot for work lunches, and our CEO is a regular customer) and headed to their Khalidiyah branch soon after it opened.
My first impression of the interiors - sterile. That might be a strange thing to say for a place serving food, but the plain tables, open kitchen with steel finishing and black shelves lined along the walls made me feel like I was in a hospital canteen. I guess they went for the functional, modern feel, which did eventually grow on me. Word of advice: avoid intense or intimate conversation because there's a pretty good chance that the people sitting behind you can overhear everything. There's not much space between adjacent tables, and that was the only thing that bugged me. But keeping the concept of the place in mind, I guess I shouldn't expect any different. You'll have shoppers behind you stocking up on grocery supplies while you're eating, so it is not your regular diner.
Now on to the food. On my first visit, I went for the Wagyu Beef Pie and lemonade, and finished my extended meal with some hot chocolate and chocolate muffin. My friends had gone for the Macaroni and Cheese with Salmon, and Jones Chicken Burger. This was actually a few months back when I was not in the habit of carrying my camera around with me, so my BlackBerry captured shots are as fuzzy as my memory of that meal. I do remember enjoying the food, but the details escape me.
My first set of uninspiring photos.
On my more recent visit a few days ago, I opted for their renowned Wagyu Be
ef Burger (AED 62), and my, what a burger it was! Maybe it had to do with me being famished as it was a late lunch at 4 PM, but I don't think I've ever had a better burger. It was just the right size, juicy, with the right selection and amount of condiments. I didn't even mind the mayonnaise that I usually shun if given the option! The accompanying fries came with a slight taste of the olive oil that they were fried/baked in and the herbed ketchup was also received well. In short, if you ever want to introduce burgers to someone for the very first time (and I have no idea who that's going to be in today's time and age), this is IT.
After a short break, my dining partner and I went for the ADW recommended Apple Crumble Pie/Tart (AED 14). I thought the cinnamon flavor was too strong and in hindsight, I should've asked them to warm it up. Nothing I'd have a second time or particularly recommend. The coffee (AED 10) and tea (AED 15) that we ordered were pretty standard, but it was a pretty memorable meal either way thanks to the star of the show, the Wagyu Beef Burger.
My first impression of the interiors - sterile. That might be a strange thing to say for a place serving food, but the plain tables, open kitchen with steel finishing and black shelves lined along the walls made me feel like I was in a hospital canteen. I guess they went for the functional, modern feel, which did eventually grow on me. Word of advice: avoid intense or intimate conversation because there's a pretty good chance that the people sitting behind you can overhear everything. There's not much space between adjacent tables, and that was the only thing that bugged me. But keeping the concept of the place in mind, I guess I shouldn't expect any different. You'll have shoppers behind you stocking up on grocery supplies while you're eating, so it is not your regular diner.
Now on to the food. On my first visit, I went for the Wagyu Beef Pie and lemonade, and finished my extended meal with some hot chocolate and chocolate muffin. My friends had gone for the Macaroni and Cheese with Salmon, and Jones Chicken Burger. This was actually a few months back when I was not in the habit of carrying my camera around with me, so my BlackBerry captured shots are as fuzzy as my memory of that meal. I do remember enjoying the food, but the details escape me.
My first set of uninspiring photos.
On my more recent visit a few days ago, I opted for their renowned Wagyu Be
ef Burger (AED 62), and my, what a burger it was! Maybe it had to do with me being famished as it was a late lunch at 4 PM, but I don't think I've ever had a better burger. It was just the right size, juicy, with the right selection and amount of condiments. I didn't even mind the mayonnaise that I usually shun if given the option! The accompanying fries came with a slight taste of the olive oil that they were fried/baked in and the herbed ketchup was also received well. In short, if you ever want to introduce burgers to someone for the very first time (and I have no idea who that's going to be in today's time and age), this is IT.After a short break, my dining partner and I went for the ADW recommended Apple Crumble Pie/Tart (AED 14). I thought the cinnamon flavor was too strong and in hindsight, I should've asked them to warm it up. Nothing I'd have a second time or particularly recommend. The coffee (AED 10) and tea (AED 15) that we ordered were pretty standard, but it was a pretty memorable meal either way thanks to the star of the show, the Wagyu Beef Burger.
Chili's famous Molten Chocolate Cake is something we always plan to have but never have the room for after the main course! My friends and I have dubbed it 'heaven on a plate' because it's exactly that. I love how this dessert combines cold, vanilla ice cream with steaming hot, moist chocolate cake. We usually have to plan ahead in order to incorporate this into our meal.
I personally think Fudruckers pales in comparison to Chili's. I don't usually eat there, but when I do, I go for the Chilli Cheese Fries (pictured) or the California Roll. Although the Chilli Cheese Fries doesn't look too appetising in this picture, it tastes pretty good, and the cold ranch sauce accompanying it complements the very mildly spicy fries well. I have this as a main course although it is listed as an appetizer. The bacon (halal version made from beef) in the picture actually came with my friend's burger, but since she doesn't like it, I thought I'd give it a go. Their bacon is another item which is inferior to Chili's. You can actually see and taste the fat in this, while the Chili's version has less fat and more meat.