Sunday, December 16, 2012

Kebabz & Bunz

It was late. Very late - or better said early in the morning. Hungry - and the fridge empty.

This is the reason, why you are taking the rather long journey to Abu Dhabi corniche [well maybe not from overseas... but at least from the Abu Dhabi outskirts like Yas island].
There is a big petrol station with a 24h McDonalds. There is very close a 24h Spinneys supermarket.

But besides of the McDonalds - there are a few other fast food joints [Donut something, cafeteria something and... Kebabz & Bunz]. While I usually skip the others and go directly to Ronald MC [and afterwards to Spinneys], this time I thought it is a good idea to try out Kebabz & Bunz.

You have to understand one thing - Döner Kebab is not really a Turkish invention. It is rather a sandwich, which surfaced in Europe [arguably in Germany] after WWII when a lot of Turks helped rebuild Europe and especially Germany. In Turkey you get some slithered meat with some rice and salad, when you are ordering it.
As "Döners" are a pretty street food / junk food stable in Germany [I guess Germans are eating more Döner than Burgers], I can call myself a Döner-Connoisseur - hence the perfect instance to do this review [I meant this not 100% serious!].

Anyway - Döner Kebab is fantastic. Usually the cafeterias which are offering those, have a spit or two [nowadays often chicken, very often veal, sometimes lamb] - which are scorching the outside of the meat - and they have a small selection of veggies and sauces, so you can choose what you want on your Kebab sandwich. Usually there is cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, chili flakes, red spicy sauce, yoghurt sauce, garlic yoghurt sauce and few other things. This looks a bit like the counter of Subways.

I usually like it spicy and with the omission of cucumbers. The Döner is then very difficult to eat - but is this not true for every great sandwich [think an original Reuben... or a Philly steak sandwich].
And the spit is omnipresent - the meat is always cut directly in front of your eyes with a large sharp knife [almost like a sable] or, more modern with a electric knife [resembling a angle grinder].

Long story short - I ordered at Kebabz & Bunz one meal [tsatziki doner kebab] - no question asked. It took a while, but this is ok - they told me, that it is because they freshly fried the fries.
It is very inexpensive AED 20 for the meal - but there was no salad to choose from or any meat spit in sight.

The fries were not the curly fries as on the pictures of the outlet [or on their facebook page] but normal fries. But they were hot and had the perfect balance between crisp and chewiness. Still- out of the freezer - but descent enough.
The döner was in a pita bread [this is a bit wrong, because the bread reminds me more on a gyros - the usually porky, greek version - not the fluffier Turkish bread]. The chicken [the friendly staff told me, that she preferred chicken before beef, so I opted for chicken] was rather dry, not the big crispy and juicy meat slivers I am used to. There was a bit of iceberg lettuce also on - and the ordered tsatziki was spiced yoghurt sauce in a minuscule plastic pot [I needed to ask for another one as it was so small]. No fresh cucumbers [like in tsatziki]. Overall the sandwich was quite dry.

The sandwich was not bad - don't get me wrong here. It was a bit  like a take, on the shawarma - only in pita bread.
But on the other hand it has nothing to do with the luscious, awesome Döner Kebabs, which you get in Germany; when you are hungry. Or drunk. Or desperate. Or if you just feel awesome - and think that a bit more awesomeness cannot hurt!

WOW or MEH:                  Meh
Ambiance:                          4
Value for Money [1-10]:     6
Deliciousness [1-10]:          3
Staff Helpfulness [1-10]:     4
Going back:                         Doubt it
Overall Score:                     5

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Lava hot cheese squirting out of a burger? It is the Shack Stack!

Lately there were some controversies about - what is the best burger.
Fooderati colleague Geordie Armani was rather disappointed by Shake Shack - however Foodiva rather approved the quality...

For me it is Shake Shack. It is just the perfect balance between the comforting archetypal virtues  of the classic American dish and the more gourmet approach.

Well - I was excited to find a Shake Shack in the Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi a couple of weeks ago [then still under construction] - and yesterday I have discovered, that the second Shake Shack in the UAE is now open.

These days, I try to avoid over-ordering, so I opt for the peanut butter shake, one New York styled hot dog [this was not available, so I cancelled it without replacement] and the shack stack.

I was so excited, that I even forgot to ask for the removal of the tomato on the burger [yeah - I really dislike tomato slices on burgers].
Service is swift [though there is a bit assembly line feel to it], you get your buzzer and after only few minutes, you can pick up your metal tray. The interior of the restaurant is very similar to the Shake Shack in Dubai - Mall of the Emirates - only that they put some cocktail tables and stools besides of the kitchen, so you can spend your waiting time in watching the busy kitchen.

But it is not about the interior - it is all about the burger! The burger bun is soft and fresh [not sure, if this is objective - but I had the impression, that the bun was a tad crisper at the Mall of the Emirates - maybe I am fantasizing - maybe it one teething problem...

The burger is relatively high [if you take into account, that the beef patty is flat] - this is, because the cheese stuffed, crispy breaded portobello is sitting on top of the meat.
If you compress the burger, super hot lavalike cheese is squirting out. You might burn yourself - but it is just so awesome, that you can't resist to wait until it cools down a bit.
The burger is just right - juicy enough, but typical burger [not a rissole or meatball like in most posh burger joints] - it is tender there is no sign of gristle or sinew at all [unfortunately an often seen thing here in the UAE]. It just taste like fresh meat - and this is totally awesome.

The different parts [breadroll, lettuce, pickles, stuffed portobello and burger patty - not forgetting the shack shake sauce] then just join together - the sum is greater than the parts - it just taste like cheese-lava and beef infused heaven.
Unfortunately the peanut butter shake wasn't that great - while nice and tasty for the first sips, it revealed a certain egginess which wasn't nice at all. Johnny Rockets is still doing the meanest shakes...

Now to the rating:


WOW or MEH:                  Wow
Ambiance:                           7
Value for Money [1-10]:     7
Deliciousness [1-10]:           8
Staff Helpfulness [1-10]:     7
Going back:                         Definitely
Overall Score:                      8


Shake Shack is perfect for those who overall like McDonalds, however don't like the quality shortcuts which the guys with the golden arcs are doing. Lets face it - they are doing burgers and hot dogs [nothing fancy with truffles or foie gras] - however if you are understanding this, the food is really magical. Not sure about the shakes and the concretes. I would rather suggest to try there refreshing Arnold Palmer [half traditional lemonade - half iced tea]. Awesome!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Classics in Fast Food and the thin Burger Patty

After I have reviewed [the agony at] Wings 'n Things, I was just hungry to get the right fast food experience.
You know - sometimes it is not about having the best quality available, but just to experience the right [and accustomed] taste profiles.

Burgers are very special for me. When I was young [this might be 3 decades or so back - I know, that you would never guessed, that I am that old...] McDonalds fast food restaurants were not everywhere seen in Germany. There were still the styrofoam boxes, the better burger came in - and my parents kept me on very low supply of fast food, knowing that these are not the nutritions I would need to grow up strong.
Anyway - there is a typical taste, which I connect to a proper burger. Others might have different expectations. However for me the typical gourmet burgers are not real burgers for me. They might be tasty, they might be even delicious and yes, sometimes they might be of a better quality - but they don't shout burger to me.

So today on the [not so] long way from Dubai to Abu Dhabi I treated myself with a cheese burger meal and some chicken nuggets. Lets face it - the cheese of McDonalds cannot be seen anything else than horrible. Fake. Cheese. Not. Worth. To. Be. Called. Cheese.
But overall you get a nice, soft, juicy and tasty parcel which is touching your memories - in a good way. Chicken nuggets are working very similar with me. I tried a lot of different ones- but I never encountered better nuggets of McD. Please don't misunderstand me - always better are "flaky" real chicken tenders [oh yeah, BonChons - or Kim Chikin how it is nowadays called]. But the formed chicken pieces, we are knowing as nuggets, are the best in McD. Yes - hands down. Usually I don't like formed meat. It taste cardboardy and artificial - except of Donalds nuggets!
And then the sweet, smoky, thick and super tasty bbq sauce - and the tangy mustard dip...

But lets go to the dark side of the golden bows. How dare can they be, to charge more [and extra] for their artificial cheese? I never understood this. McDonalds - if you read this: Please offer a real cheese option. I am willing to pay extra. Really. Swiss or cheddar - it doesn't matter. But real, please!

Enough of it. Enough of the biggest fast food chain [or is it the second biggest?].
Back to the burger.

Fact is, that very few other companies, which are clearly upscale [yes Wendy's, Burger King etc all make also burgers, which are similar] do the "right" burger. The patties become too big. The bread becomes too bready. And the vegetables too veggie.
The triumvirate I know, which are clearly better than Mac - but still hitting the same soft spots in my gourmand feelings is:

  • Shake Shack
  • Fat Burger
  • Johnny Rockets

And in exactly this order!

I read quite a lot of reviews, where reviewers criticized Shake Shack. Because the buns are too soft; because the patties are too thin. But this is exactly, why it is so close to my heart. I love you Shake Shack. No - lets not make kiddies - otherwise I had to eat them all...

Fat Burger features also soft buns and amazing tender beef. Sometimes the beef patty falls apart. But this is ok. We are under friends.

Johnny Rockets - I like the 2 above more than you, but you still have a very soft spot in my heart - especially if I combine one of your nice burgers with your awesome, luscious and forbidden peanut butter shakes.

Well... I am hungry again...

Wings 'n Things

When I have seen the not yet open fast food restaurant Wings 'n Things in the Mushriff mall in Abu Dhabi, I thought it will be a very good idea to go there.
Who doesn't love messy, hot and delicious chicken wings - and who could make this dish better, than an outlet which dedicates its name to it?

Well, it came other than expected.

So yesterday I visited the mall again and found Wings 'n Things open. The restaurant which features only a couple of tables and the bar counter makes an attractive and clean impression. Everything is white, blue and red - time will tell, if this design wil stand the test of time and will look as clean and attractive in a couple of months or years.

The first point which surprises is, that they not only feature on poultry pinions - they have different burgers, wraps, sandwiches, just other stuff. This might be strange - but as I was anyway excited about their main focus, I thought I was safe about any abominations of dishes, which were not their specialty.

So I "tried" to order some hot wings and chicken strips. "Tried" because the menu was a bit confusing - with pictures, yes, but I've confused the kids menu with the normal items and ordered a kids meal - including chicken strips, fries and a soft drink [which they didn't let me order - so they just opted for the more expensive strips only]. The staff was not really helpful to solve my confusion...

When I received the strips and wings but not the fries and drink I was already disappointed.
However when I started to eat the strips I was horrified. Cheap and miserable formed meat was on my tray. The deep frozen ones, you can buy in the supermarket. 4 pieces for 20 Dhs is a really expensive - given, that it is industrial garbage. The ranch dressing was also not very good [the portion was ok - but given, that it tasted really bad, this was not helping].
I was more optimistic for the wings. But I was again disappointed! Despite the fact, that it was mentioned on the menu, that the wings are not breaded, they were floured - crispy yes, but didn't had the blistered sexiness as your well made buffalo wings. Also they didn't tasted very well - maybe cheap hot sauce? The wings themselves were rather big - but not overall fleshy - awkwardly moist inside [a guess they were slightly undercooked].

And by the way - blue cheese dip was not available - c'mon - in a place which is called Wings 'n Things??

Overall the only pleasant thing on my tray were each two big sticks of celery and carrot.
Pleasant, but not good enough for AED 50 [for 2 menu items].

WOW or MEH:                  Meh
Ambiance:                           7
Value for Money [1-10]:     2
Deliciousness [1-10]:           2
Staff Helpfulness [1-10]:     3
Going back:                         No
Overall Score:                      2

Verdict: Wings 'n Things  is a concept with a huge potential of deliciousness. Whoever tried good made Buffalo wings knows about the finger licking qualities.
However they are falling short on quality and an inadequate pricing policy. Other than the overall look and feel of the outlet, it seems not in any instance better as your usual cheap cafeteria.
Don't go! Even the chicken nuggets of MacDonalds [in the same food court in the mall] or the chicken pieces of the also quality struggling KFC are much better.

Welcome

Welcome to D hate bad food!

Since quite some time, I do have my blog www.opinionated-alchemist.com - but there I am reviewing and discussing all topics, which might occur around the bar and beverage service.

I am a "foodie" and I really like good food - and also hate bad food.

As recently as yesterday, I had a very bad meal in Abu Dhabi at Wings n' Things - and had subsequently the idea for this blog.
Not only bad things will be posted here - but also great meals and even some recipes.

I do hope, that you will have some fun in reading this - please take it all with a grain of salt.
And I would appreciate all kind of feedback and comments - like news, there is nothing such as a bad comment!

Enjoy!

Dominik MJ