Moons and moons ago, I distinctly remember a lovely Soup on Bread Bowl which hubby and I enjoyed at Coco's Deira City Centre. Trying to remember what else we had seems to be quite an effort. It was as if it fell into the abyss of my food memory, not that memorable then. Indeed it wasn't.

 I, hubby, our two boys and their nanny arrived at Coco's barely filled restaurant at Sheikh Zayed Road on a mid Saturday. Granted it's past the usual lunch time, it still looked odd. Then again, Dubai is saturated with gajillions of dining choices that they really have to be on top of their game to convert curious diners into patrons.

Based on our experience, I don't know how many converts they have made, we definitely are not.

We sat down in one of the the booths and received a thick menu. We are pretty surprised at the number of dishes that is in it.

Thirty-eight (38) options for breakfast. One hundred thirty-seven (137) for lunch/dinner. Seventeen (17) desserts and the remaining Twenty-three (23) are for drinks. Too many to create at its best and for diners like myself, it was confusing for my appetite. Nevertheless since we are already there, we thought we might as well try to enjoy the meal. I had a feeling though that mediocrity is inevitable. It was quantity over quality and it's never a great thing. I'd rather go to a small place that offers ten outstanding dishes than infinite forgettable ones.

I told the server I want to order fajita, which he immediately shut down with, "Oh, that's very spicy". And since he made the assumption that I couldn't handle spicy, I asked him how did it fair to him when he tried it, to which he replied, "it's one step milder from Indian spice". Duh? So I asked again, "yes, I heard yah but what do you think of it?" That's me showing him how assumptions sound, me hoping that he sees where I'm heading to. Knowing that his tolerance of spice has no bearing on mine, I'd like to push the button and assume away the way he was doing it. Like talking to a smart mouth wall he replied, "I DON'T KNOW since I don't know how much spice you can take". I would have enjoyed interrogating him until he realizes how arrogant and nonsensical he sounded but we're not in court and I'm trying my best to keep my excitement up for the soup.

I just wish F&B management train their staff up to the mark and consistently remind them of what standard service is, most especially what manners are. 

I find it ridiculous sometimes that some staff take the lazy road or the subpar level expecting us to cut them a slack just because they're from the same country as where we came from. I really take offense and find it discriminatory. Why attend to customers differently based on nationality? At the end of the day, we are all paying customers. We don't want you to treat us special, we only asked fair.

Anywho, we proceeded and ordered Baked Potato and Cream of Broccoli Soups in Bread Bowls. Deep Fried Calamari. Mixed Fajita to share, one of the burgers for my hubby while our oldest boy chose Gone Fishing and Chips. The youngest decided for Champ's Chunky Chicken Strips. 

Our soups arrived and we were very happy with it. Even my kids were impressed. The presentation, the taste, it really was a soup experience, one which I would like to re-create at home. Between the two soups? Baked potato was the clear winner. Broccoli was top notch too but just a tad lower than the potato.

Happy ever after however ended after the soups arrived.

The soup came, kid's meals, starters, main course... I guess what I'm trying to say is, they served every single dish we ordered all at the same time! The whole table was filled with food. While we were "trying" our best to enjoy the soup, we had to tuck into the calamari before it gets cold. Also keeping in mind the main dishes that's quickly losing its warmth.

So irritating that hubby had to say something. Clenched jaw and trying his best not to lose it, he told the server the right way to serve food. The difference between courses and the importance of enjoying the meal hot.

Server was apologetic a little too late. Damage was already done. Our meal felt like a disaster. Appetite disappearing fast. He retreated to the kitchen's entrance where somehow every single server retreats to.

What do we think of our meal?

Bread rolls with butter on the side was okay, tasted commercial as opposed to baked fresh in-house.  Calamari was okay but I think they could have done better with the dip. There's nothing extra ordinary, we're not expecting it to be superb in the first place.

Since the server did not bother to ask how hubby wanted his burger patty done, it arrived well done of course. Seriously? If I wanted a template burger, I'll just go to MickeyD's or some other fast food chain. Assuming how a particular customer like their meat done, is total no-no. This server looked like his guide on how to attend to us was based on our nationality. Assumptions like that really irks me to no end. Lucky for him, hubby does like his burger well done, I like mine cooked medium and sometimes I even like mine medium rare. Had it been my order, it would have been a pretty interesting and entertaining discussion. 

Burger verdict? Hubby said it was like any other burger, there's nothing special to it. There's nothing that separates them from other fast food chains. The chips that came with it were like every other too, from a huge packet, ready to be fried. Definitely not hand cut. His meal was ho-hum.

Moving on to my curious Fajita. Lackluster to say the least. The Mexican rice was uber spicy which overpowered everything else. Chicken strips were dry, so, honestly, this dish did not do it for me, at all. Not the beef strips which were also forgettable, not the onions or capsicums that came with it, nothing in the dish will ever make me order it again. Definitely, spicier than Indian food, I think they miss the mark on this dish altogether. Fajita is sooooo hard to do wrong... but they managed. Maybe it's time to revise their recipe? If the server felt the urge to jump in and warn customers, it only means he knows it's not a tasty dish to fork your dirhams over. Only problem is, he didn't really communicate well.

My kids enjoyed their meal which was puzzling. I tasted both their meals and it tasted like the ones that came out of a box. I think they will say the same thing had I fed them "Smiley Meals"... meaning, no difference in taste, just difference in price. Disappointing.

Will we ever come back to Coco's again? Maybe not. I think I'll just look for another place to get my soup in bread bowl fix. I'm not willing to pay for forgettable meals and endure disappointing service.

Don't take my word for it though... explore. Consistency has always been an issue in most F&B outlets, so there's a chance that our dining experience could be different from yours. If you do happen to dine at Coco's and find a dish that redeems them or had a better service than what we received, drop me a line via comments!

If Coco's team read this? I think it's time you overhaul your menu and have some focus. Under promise but over deliver. It certainly has better results than the other way around.

www.cocosme.ae seems to be under construction. Right now it's a static one pager.

Branches: 
Deira City Center - 042953777
Khalid Al Attar Tower, SZR - 043326333
Jumeirah Beach Residence - 044243740

Telephone: +9714 3080000
Radisson Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Last year I joined so many competitions and won quite a handful of freebies. Yeah, whatever! I'm a sucker for competitions.

One of the many generous gifts I got was an overnight stay at Radisson Royal Hotel Dubai (formerly JAL Hotel Dubai) and a lunch for two at Indo Thai Restaurant.

The overnight stay experience was of course fanta-bulous. We had breakfast in bed, went for a little tour of the hotel, didn't really go swimming because of the weather, plus, pool wasn't appealing as it's next to an unfinished building, construction workers going woot woot? no thank you very much. Swimming pool aside, we had a great time.

The dining experience was equally memorable. It's a shame that when we went for lunch, it was just us and another couple who were there. The server said, they're pretty pack in the evening, hmmm. It's a real shame that the hotel location is along the strip of hotels and of equally amazing restaurants. Diners have gazillions to choose from if you ask me.

Let's just say, it's human nature to choose convenience next to the quality and taste of food. The hotel is not located in a straighforward area of the hotel strip. You have to weave your way around to access it, so yeah, when we went there, even with the promotions happening, it's a bit desserted, however exquisite the food was.

The worst thing is... these diners don't know what they're missing!

The restaurant setting is modern asian which I love. We can see orchid's, bamboos and just warmth Asian hospitality in its décor.

For appetizers we ordered Vietnamese Beef Salad and Chicken Pandan Leaves. Delectable is the word. The salad has fresh mint, vermicelli noodles and julienne veggies cooked to perfection. It also came with skewered beef which has a good flavour of dark soya sauce and lemon grass. Chicken was marinated and wrapped in pandan leaves, maybe steamed, maybe baked, I didn't care much for the method of cooking because however it was cooked, it was moorish. We loved every bit of it!

For the main course, J went for the obvious, Red Curry Beef Cheek while I went for the chef-y sounding dish, Cod Fish & Pak Choy Cambodian Pot-Au-Feu. Sometimes being adventurous pays for a fantastic discovery, sometimes, it's better to be safe. This time around, J won. His Beef was to-die for! The meat was so tender, it practically pulls away and it melts in your mouth while the curry sauce gives it a bit of kick. It was served with steamed rice which for us is just a cherry on top. I wouldn't mind eating all of it by myself. J is obviously more generous than I am, so he shared his dish with me.

As for my chef-y sounding dish? it was,,, non-committed eeeeh. It says in the menu that it's pan-fried cod fish served in beef consommé scented with lemongrass and garnished with pak-choy. It didn't impress me. I didn't feel any character from the dish. The consommé smells better than it taste. It was salty and I can't really taste much of the beef essense there... more like buillon-y type. The fish lost it's flavour because the consommé overpowered it. In short, I won't be ordering you again my fishy friend.

Dessert? It once again redeemed itself. J ordered Banana Passion Caramel Custard, banana and passion fruit in a caramel custard with fresh pomelo... once again, safe. It was yum. As for me and my food quest, I ordered something I have eaten separately but never together in Coconut, Sago and Lychee Cake. Let's just say, thank goodness I took the risk. Even J was a little envious.

It was a steamed cake, made of sago pearl, lychee and coconut flavour sort of cream custard served with pandan leaf ice cream. Every spoonful was exciting and I wish it never ended. That's how yummy-licious it was.

This meal happened almost a year ago and I can still taste the dishes in my mouth. Believe me, that's a good thing. Hope to dine back with our kids in tow!
 

I have mixed emotions about this restaurant because there were dishes they got sooooo right and dishes they got sooooo wrong.

The prices are of course as you expect in a five star hotel so that's not a surprise, what is surprising is the level of preparation in some of the dishes and the apparent inconsistencies in the food.

I love Beef Carpaccio and there are only two places that I die to eat at whenever financially plausible, Ritz Carlton's Splendido Restaurant and a more affordable version of Radisson SAS's La Moda Restaurant.

Sicilia's Beef Carpaccio came as a disappointment.

Carpaccio is such a delicate dish and it should appear just that, delicate and exquisite. It should be paper thin to the point that after it's plated, one shouldn't be able to lift it up without tearing. It clings to your fork and reaches your lips with enough sensation that will tickle your tastebuds. I expected it to have thin shavings of good quality Parmegiano Regiano and probably a little salad, rocca perhaps with a bit of vinnaigrette dressing. You then grind a bit of sea salt and pepper or not, depending on your mood.

Sicilia's was nowhere close. It came a little bit thick for my liking. I don't know if I can re-plate it ten times without tearing but it was thick. It also came with parmesan cheese but I'm not sure it's Regiano. I might be mistaken or novice but that cheese was crumbling, taste a little bit old, don't know if it's still in good shape when they put it on my plate. Thought maybe they used a different cheese so I kindly asked for extra shavings of Parmegiano Regiano. It's a restaurant in a five star hotel, I expect them to have Regiano. It was the same crumbly cheese. 

I also didn't taste any balsamic vinegar so I thought that was odd because the vinegar though simple completes the dish. The worst part is, it came with 4 weird potato chips on top instead of a good green salad on the side. Definitely not going to order it again.

Come my main course which the maitre'd suggested and assured that I will love was another flop. It came on its own with no starch partner, no bread, no mash potato, no vegetable, no french fries, no accompaniment but a solo arrival that remained splot on my plate. It was some kind of veal concoction which for me felt like it came from the sea. SALTY! So I forced to eat 2 bites and gave up. They offered a replacement and I refused. I've had enough flops for the night.

My sister and nanny ordered fetuccine with some sort of fried artichoke. It sounds yummy and my sister loved the artichoke but felt the rest wasn't spectacular. And although the same order, my nanny somehow barely got veggies in her pasta wherein my sister got gazillions.

An Executive Chef has to consistently serve good quality food regardless of the pressure or shortcomings in his kitchen, that pasta is soooo not consistent. Even if it's the line cook who made the mistake, the sous chef and the chef shouldn't have let that get out.

Now enough bashing. Let's go to the lovely parts of the meal.

Their focaccia as an appetizer was delish. It's light and it melts in your mouth. It had a side spread which is lovely but now I can't remember. I promise the spread was perfect for the focaccia. I believe they were olives (ala pesto)... boohoo I can't remember.

My son's margharita pizza was nothing close to a fast food pizza. It's properly made, rustic crusts and all, it really was wonderful. While waiting for our main course to arrive, we actually attacked the pizza because it was so good.

My other son, ordered a simple pasta in cream sauce as a kid's pasta and let's just say the adults fought to have one more piece of that poor boy's pasta. In the end we have to order another one because it's just not enough. Simple, light and creamy... just absolutely delish.

Hubby ordered I think a beef tenderloin/steak. It was small but a piece of heaven. Just enough to make your mouth water and once I had a bite, I had no doubt in my mind that it's one heck of a dish. Had I have enough space in my tummy, I would have replaced the disappointing veal with that peace of meat but after pizza, pasta and a reserve area for dessert, it was wise to refuse.

Come dessert time, a lovely tiramisu which MUST be perfected by any Italian Restaurant. Sicilia nailed it and though it tasted very much like La Moda's without the wafer garnish, it's perfect. Why fix it if it's not broken, eh?

I'll still be coming back to Sicilia, definitely order pizza, kid's pasta, tiramisu and that heavenly piece of steak ... partnered with a robust wine... I'll be a happy gal.

Ordering Pasta from Santino's is so entertaining. You get to choose which pasta you want, which sauce you feel like having and what other ingredients you want in it.

I chose spaghetti with meat sauce and chicken balls. And because I'm in the mood to eat, I added bell pepper, broccolli, black olives, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes. I have no plans to short change myself when it comes to food.

All my selection were placed in a smoking little hot pan, tossed effortlessly by the gentleman in-charged and is simmered to perfection. A little dash of parmesan cheese and it's ready for my taking!

As if a plateful of pasta is not enough, the server added breadsticks with herbs, garlic dip on the side, potato wedges and ice cold soda... all for the price of AED 36!

As always, I have to first taste my main target, to avoid competing stars. I hurriedly tucked in to my pasta and savoured each flavour. Pasta's firm, veggies weren't overcooked, the chicken compliments the meat sauce... it was perfect. I just wished I waited for the whole dish to cool down a bit... yup... burned my tongue a bit.

Burned tongue or not, I was finally convinced that I can then turn my attention to the side lines. I took a piece of bread stick and dipped it in garlic sauce. Herby-buttery bread with garlic sauce.... yum-mmy! It almost stole my pasta's thunder,,, and that's not an exaggeration.

I then took few bites of potato wedges and thought, "this isn't bad at all". It worked well with everything in my tray. Shame I wasn't able to eat it all up, pasta and bread were filling.

It only took 5 minutes for everything to be ready and I gobbled them all up in probably 15 minutes. It only means one thing. It's my kind of fast food combo,,, under price yet over delivered... it's bursting with flavours and I'm definitely going to be back.

*sadly, Santino's in Ibn Battuta Mall closed down in 2012. Hope to bump into it in other malls coz I wouldn't mind having their pasta again,,, spicy next time.

Chili's in Sh. Zayed Branch has a pretty good service. Let's just say you won't be pulling someone's hair to get attention, and by someone I mean, a server to take your order.

Food comes to your table as soon as it's ready. It also helped that it's not as crowded as the other branches. And yes the fact that it was an hour before closing when we arrived. It's all about strategy, baby!

So, we went there to find out which tastes better, the Mushroom-Swiss or the Bacon Burger. 

Both arrived with thick french fries, crisp on the outside yet soft and crumbly on the inside. It's still junk food but as I always say, "I know it'll kill me but at least I'll die happy!" So the chips were a good start. Even better if it has melted cheese on top of it... yes, bacon bits won't hurt either! Oh well, mayonnaise and catsup will do more trick too!

Going back to the challenge... we asked for the burgers to be cut in half, so we can both enjoy it. The gloriousness of medium-to-well done patty was shown by our server and oooh-la-la, it looks juicy-licious, not bloody at all, just perfect! 

I bit on the Mushroom-Swiss and immediately tasted the rich sauteed mushroom, swiss cheese and fresh veggies. The patty tasted just as how I've imagined it'll be, delish! It was so good that my burger bar was way up high when I tasted the Bacon Burger. I fell flat on my face. I was expecting more from it. Much to my disappointment, it wasn't as good. The bacon was on the hard side and the cheddar cheese didn't help. It did have all the fresh veggies but it just didn't cut it. Deep inside me, (don't know about my friend) I wished I didn't give her my half of the Mushroom-Swiss :P

In the end, we both had a small portion of Bacon Burger uneaten. It wasn't as appetizing as we hoped it will be so we didn't bother to finish it.

For AED 35, this burger is a gift to the hungry. It is a decent size, a bit heavy on the tummy but who freaking cares! It is sooooo worth it!

Tip 1: You must eat this hungry. You'll thank me for it.
Tip 2: If you want to enjoy this burger, don't order any appetizers...  
Tip 3: Eat your french fries after you've already enjoyed a bite or two of your burger.

Enjoy!