Da Shi Dai, Roti Canai & Chicken Corn Soup

been keeping these makan pictures for quite some time. always get jealous everytime syida came up with her delicious postings on food and the nice makan places she's been to. so i guess now i'm hoping to make her jealous (doubt it - stakat roti canai tak payah le hihi) with these. i'll round up my makan experience for your reading pleasure. or for your tummy. and appetite.

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roti canai
if you try to get roti canai in dubai, or paratha, as they call it, you won't find any for breakfast. in dubai, they only start serving roti canai at noon. yes, i've been hurt many times looking for roti canai in the morning! all you can get are other breads - tose (called 'dosa' here), nan, capati, puri and all sorts that i can't recall.

however, one fine weekend mr. khairul brought me to an indian restaurant called 'green city' - where they serve roti canai in the morning. that day i had my first roti canai in months! just a piece of roti canai like any other found in malaysia - very soft with crisp, brown patches, served with a plate of thick chicken curry.

order a glass of teh tarik to accompany the hot meal and you're good to go! i don't drink teh tarik so i can't compare, but mr. khairul claimed it's the best one in dubai he's tasted so far...

rilek je mamat tu makan

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chicken corn soup
mr. khairul knows i'm very picky about my food, and unlike he is, i'm not an adventurous eater. he, he would pick the weirdest sounding name off the menu, and order that one. however, always the optimistic guy - he is never tired of making me try all sorts of food, especially when he thinks i'd like it. this time around, he introduced me to a soup dish, simple yet satisfying.

the chicken corn soup. "i tau, you mesti suka!"

it is what it is. exactly true to its name, the content of the soup is simple - chicken. and corn. it has got a fusion of sweet and savoury which blend well in the thick gooey-egg-y-soup. mr. khairul dumps pepper, cut-up chillis and ketchup in his soup, but i sipped mine in its original form. smashing.


popadam masala
macam pizza tak? we also tried this popadam masala - a normal round popadam - but with toppings. cut-up onions and tomatoes, and sprinkled with paprika. i don't fancy onions, so i broke a small part, swept away the onions, (i'm a picky eater, remember) leaving the tomato and paprika. well, it's different. i'll try it again. without the onion, of course.

i can't remember the name of the quaint little place that we got this from but i'll tell you when i can remember...but i do know it's near sheikh zayed road!

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da shi dai
living in dubai marina has its merits - lots! and one of it is food. i miss the lebanon shawarma stall in bur dubai that i like so much but here there are a number of fancy restaurants that i would love to dine in too!

one wet evening, (a rare rainy night) we ventured out to da shi dai, a chinese restaurant off 'the walk', opposite the aparments, not the beach. it's right next to the noodle house, if you're looking for it. upon entering we were greeted with a fish-bone-like walkway - as if we're entering the stomach of a whale.


a fancy restaurant it is - with cool, zen design even in its ceiling. and let's not get me started on the mineral water. they shouldn't have charge so much for plain water! but never fret - the mineral water is the only overpriced item on the menu, ok. the dishes were pretty ok considering the place and the location.

anyways, both mr. khairul and i won't mind much if the food were worth it. and this one is. the menu has the typical chinese dishes but the dish we finally ordered were common ones. lemon chicken and bak choy with oyster sauce - kat mana-mana pun boleh dapat - but the bak choy is fresh from picking and the chicken crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. with a lemony zest!

besides, we're there for the ambiance too!

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mandy in malaysia
so they finally had a taste of my addiction for mandy. recently syima and family brought abah and my sisters to makan mandy after having to endure my constant blabber about mandy over chat sessions, facebook and my blog. mandy, mandy, mandy. lagi-lagi mandy! so they went! how was it?

there are actually other places with mandy but a more fancier mandy makan place, which means the same plate costs more. this particular spot is al-rawsya in ampang. so you guys back home who's wondering what mandy tastes like can go ahead and try it out. the setting seems relaxed with interesting cave-like walls. abah said the place is quite spacious so bring the whole family! (promo pulak!)

however, abah has this to say - "...yang kat dubai lagi sedap.." ha ha.

so you guys might wanna consider coming straight to dubai instead, and get the real thing?

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man, i'm hungry already!