I have a habit of buying Cobone deals every beginning of the month. I only buy once or twice a month and so I really choose the great ones.

Jambase deal is one of those. It was amazeballs.

We've been to Jambase few times before and it always deliver. The few times we visited the place, most ly for drinks. It's always been too late to have a meal but as always, ever decent crowd. Decent I mean, you don't hear someone getting hit on or ladies trying to earn a living by ... you know what I'm talking about. I don't mean by any chance boring. Oh, this place is soooo far from boring. Crowd's lovely, lively and pretty.

Who am I kidding? Of course my intention is to stuff my face with good food. The ambience and crowd is a bonus. So let me tell you how it all went down.

Booking was super easy. Called the number provided and booked moi and my date (my ever loving and handsome husband) a table. They informed me that we can choose which table we want to seat at once we arrive. I was also informed that the band starts at 8PM and so best to arrive around the same time to get a good seat and enjoy a meal.

Didn't understand what they meant with enjoy a meal. Of course I'll enjoy the meal... do I look like I won't enjoy any meal?!

Jambase date night came and we arrived 8-ish. We were seated at a wonderful spot where we can see the dance floor but we're out of the way from most diners and party peeps. It was empty but one couple close to us, also having a wonderful meal.

We thought, oh, aren't we excited for this dinner... but then felt better that we're not the first couple in :)

Bread basket arrived with chimichurri sauce for dipping. A gentleman attending to us explained the breads available and the ingredients of the dip. Interesting. We dove in and enjoyed a nibble or two but didn't want to eat the whole thing since we know we have big meals ahead of us.

We looked at the menu and they were all very tempting. Cobone wasn't kidding when they said we are saving more than 50%. We saved probably more than that with the feast we ordered. Hubby was very pleased. We are big meat lovers... yes I'm skinny as hell, like as if my husband's not feeding me... but
seriously I can eat a whole cow.

So the dishes that I chose from  the uber too many to pass dishes shown were:
Appetizer: Beef  Carpaccio
Main Course: Medium Rare Rib-eye Steak with mushroom pepper sauce
Dessert: Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream

Husband chose:
Soup: Crab soup (I think that's what it is... I was too busy dreaming about my choices)
Main Course: Medium Well T-bone Steak
Dessert: Cheesecakes... yes with an s because they were 3 mini ones... sad I wasn't able to partake in those heavenly concoction because for some weird reason, my tummy decided to take a break.

We had Cabernet Merlot with our meal since we love reds and for some reason it was also discounted. It could easily be a marketing and sales ploy but we really couldn't care less... we planned to enjoy the night and so we did.

I only like 3 places for Carpaccio in this place so far. I've been here more than a decade. One is La Moda by Radisson Blu which lucky for me has a branch in Dubai Media City, the other one is Splendido of Ritz Carlton and Vice Versa, a hidden treasure in Sheikh Zayed. The rest were a sad excuse for a Carpaccio

Let's just say, Jambase's one is competing with Splendido. It was rare. Paper thin. Cajun crusted. Fresh Roccas in the middle. Freshly shaved good quality Parmegiano Regiano. It was foodgasm. My passion for Carpaccio is beyond words, I'm afraid. I can literally cry when I find a great tasting carpaccio. Jambase's one was soooo good, it was an orchestra singing "hallelujah!"

Hubby's soup seemed ho-hum to him, he said it was interesting, unusual, I tasted a bit of it, hoping not to spoil my appetizer and I say it tasted like cream crab. Not sure why it seems it didn't meet his expectation, tasted pretty good to me.

Then the main course arrived. We were given a choice to take 150 grams or 300 grams of steak... but of course we took the 300 grams. Who cares if I was wearing a bodycon dress. I prolly look pregnant when I stood up to dance but I was too happy to care.

I ordered mine medium rare and hubby chose medium well. What can I say, I am not the least squeamish when it comes to my almost rare meats.

As you can see... we didn't like it much. :)

The desserts came and we were full to the brim but I'll be darn not to enjoy it's glory. I am a self declared glutton. Warning... it's hell hot. I burned my tongue trying to savour the sauce that is just sooo delicious, makes me want to bake another apple pie. In my head, it's okay if it's piping hot since I have vanilla ice cream on the spoon.... wrong! Was it worth it... oh yes!

Hubby's only comment was... wish they fill the other half of the plate with something... so it doesn't look so empty...well glutton marries a glutton.

We dance the night away. The band was great and the crowd were amazing. Food was super excellent and as if that's not enough, management cordoned our area, we definitely felt super mega VIP. We're able to leave our table and belongings knowing it'll be there when we come back.

Oh and by the way, finally understood what they meant "so you can enjoy your meal". The first set of the band, they played jazz along with our dinner, everthing was mellow and hubby and I was able to chat and joke about stuff (which we love to do). Later part of the evening, partygoers arrive and yes, the whole place was buzzing, we'll have to scream to talk. So come at 8 and have a proper beautiful meal.

Our date night was definitely a success!

Aaaaah! Shake Shack. I consider it fast food but the quality of food and the price makes it more of a gourmet burger joint.

It's like this... If I, hubby, our two kids and nanny ate at McDonalds, we will definitely spend not more than AED 75. If we dine in at Shake Shack, just hubby and I will cost double of what we'll spend at MickeyD's for the whole fam. Is it worth it? BUT OF COURSE!

There are certain dishes which I know I can top and would be bothered to pay the second time once I already know the taste. Shake Shack concoction? No way in the world will I ever replicate and so it will never bug me to pay again and again.

Hubby and I had the pleasure of eating the best steak and wine in our lifetime. Steaks that are melt in your mouth, literally it's like foodgasm on every bite. Shack Stack of Shake Shack (say that again like five times!)... was almost as many foodgasm as the steaks we had.

We've been to this joint twice or thrice I think. The first time was out of curiosity. I enjoyed the food but was a bit taken aback by the price... so maybe that affected my overall tastes.

So I suggest you go to Shake Shack knowing you'll be paying AED 50 a burger and that if you add chips and soda, you're looking at AED 100 a head. Have that in your head so you know you're ready to pay. The next advise is... don't go there half full... go there starving! So that every bite is an explosion of flavours.

Yes you can see the more affordable Cheeseburgers or hotdogs and stuff.... Don't. Order. That. Order Shack Stack. It is a combination of Shroom Burger and Cheeseburger. Also, don't order the french fries with cheese. Order the plain one so your burger has no competition... if you ask me I love the unadulterated french fries... you can taste the quality of potatoes they used. Once you've tasted the creme de la creme, the pièce de résistance of Shack Stack,,, then on your next visit... order the others and judge for yourself how much it compares to the king of kings Shack Stack.

Shake Shack is on the upper level of Mall of the Emirates, next to the food court. Take away is alright but for the first timers... eat there! The place is not upmarket. It has tables and benches but somehow food transports you to another place.

Enjoy!

For a Full Menu and other infos... click this link http://www.shakeshack.com/location/dubai/

My dad has a habit of travelling all the way from Abu Dhabi to treat us and grandkids to meals and movies. The last one he asked me where I want to have lunch and it didn't take me long... I said Japengo.

"Why?" You might ask and there's no complicated answer. It's simple. Japengo is one of the few great restaurants around that one can rely on to deliver a promise of variety, value for money and surprisingly... yummy-liciousness. Very rare would you find those three combo in one place. Very rare would I have a sentence that has all those three together if I say so myself.

Japengo is a place where if you venture out to a new resto and it miserably failed, you'll say, "I wish we went to Japengo instead". Lucky for us, we live just next to a mall that has Japengo in it. We can dine in or order in, either way, we know what we love from Japengo and it's almost everything in their menu.

I ordered Insalata Caprese, just because I love caprese in general. I always say that this salad is hard to screw up. Japengo, however, elevated it to the next level. It's not just a salad for me, it's a main course. There is no star of the dish because each component competes for the limelight. The thick yet creamy bufallo mozarella, firm slices of tomato, rocca leaves, pesto and balsamic vinegar reduction. It's freshness to perfection.

The photo doesn't capture how bright my plate looked like. Sadly we didn't have a camera and we had to make do with the mobile camera. Just imagine Italia... it's the brightest green and the brightest red in contrast to the white mozarella stained by the pesto and balsamic vinegar.... what a delicious painting... I tell you.

My sister ordered a salad of rocket leaves and fresh tomatoes drizzled with generous amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and finished off with a topping of shaved parmegiano reggiano. Italians, they really are something. Unadulterated food presented in all its simplicity is an art, to make the flavours gel together... just genius! Rocket and caprese salad is also delicious at pizza toppings... I'm telling ya... genius!

Salad, it's not easy to fail... but the way Japengo interpreted this dish is just a wowzer. Amazing marriage of flavours.

I think my parents were the first ones to open my palette to scallops. If memory serves me correctly, it was in Abu Dhabi Mall in one of the restaurants in the food court... they have closed now I think. Ever since, I have always considered scallops as a treat. It's a pricey silly small thing but it's all worth every penny. 

It's a delicate little bugger. You can't serve it raw, it'll be eeeew and you can't serve it overdone... it'll be chewy. Japengo does it just perfectly cooked!

My sister and dad ordered grilled scallops and I know I shouldn't fret,,, I have  not just one but two plates I can dig into when I finish my caprese. And so I did! It's a balance between the tender scallops and crunchy vegetables married by the drizzled butter sauce. It's that kind of dish you want to just greedily put all in your mouth but you know that you only have very few pieces of star component and so you have to just savor each bite. It's divine!

Alex loves pasta and he's go-to dish whenever we go to Japengo is no other than Penne in Alfredo Sauce. It has chicken and mushroom in cream sauce. I will normally have a hard time telling him to finish his food but this one... I can just enjoy my food and I know when I look up, it'll all be gone. It did disappear quickly... equals happy mommy!

Tori Katsu Karee is one of my faves as well... but sadly I can only eat so much. My nanny, Ate Jasmin ordered it. This chicken is juicy, tender and just tasty. It's golden fried chicken topped with Japanese curry sauce served with Japanese steamed rice.

I replicated this dish from time to time at home and yes I cheat... I use the packet Japanse curry mixture... I does taste good but still not as yum as Japengo's ... I'm getting there though... practice makes perfect :)

My dad ordered Grilled Tuna Steak. I got my passion for food from him, though he's not as adventurous as I am. As he grows older, he's more mellow with his choices... maybe trying to eat healthy... possibly. I tasted his dish though.. it's nyummy... if it's lean eating... I didn't taste it. :P

It's served with baby potatoes, grilled vegetables and tomato salsa.

My youngest, Jason loves food as much as I do. He loves this dish so much that sometimes he doesn't order the usual pasta. This tempura has a super light butter, crispy and super tasty!

This branch is located at China Court Ibn Battuta Mall, 043669910. For menu and other information http://www.atninfo.com/menu.php?groupno=170733