Seafood @ Aprons & Hammers With Old UIA Mate

i love a good old fashioned fish and chips. no frills. just plain batter-fried fish & chunky fries, with extra tartar sauce. and when i know aprons & hammers is open near my place at the beach JBR, i set it as a reunion spot with an old friend from my university days. welcome to dubai, peeja!

aprons & hammers is a seafood restaurant at the beach JBR, amongst the cheesecake factory and burger place shake shack.

 

we havent seen each other since forever! she’s still the same bubbly peeja i know from back then. it was easy to fall back into conversation with her as we both so talkative! haha. another friend of ours iky and syaz joined later. peeja had known the couple since way back, and i knew them while living in dubai. small world, eh!

 

eating outside would be so awesome with the sea view, and fresh air – but we wanted a cosy space indoor.

 

funny peeja – cant decide what to eat! the were wide range of seafood dishes to choose from – fish, shrimp, clams, even soups and salad – take your pick! there’s even paella – the spanish dish comprised of fried rice and a spread of seafood all together in a big plate.

 

 

oh i cant over how cute the name of the restaurant is – aprons & hammers. aprons coz when you eat lobster you’ll get comot. and hammers coz you need them when you pound your way into that juicy, succulent crab flesh! thus, aprons & hammers! there were even wooden hammers available on each table that looked more like a judge’s gavel used in court! haha.

 

i also love the decor – so youthful and fun! with visible light bulbs against a backdrop of greeneries flowing from above, all across one of the walls. somewhat a refreshing feel.

 

bro joy, peeja’s hubby the one cool dude and their adorable son feroz. too cheeky for words! notice the drinks station at the back, built to look like a makeshift container, ready to be shipped somewhere. raw and cool!

 

love the haphazard arrangement of the planks on the wall, with no apparent pattern. this would freak out those hardcore OCDs! but i love it! i would want it on my kitchen wall or something.

 

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as usual, open our appetite with hot fresh buns. some people will look at this ‘one eye only’ hahaha but i LOVE complimentary breads! the BEST complimentary buns and bread i’ve ever eaten is at cheesecake factory. just gobble up and finish the black-colored bun – it’s SO good!

 

  

little feroz love fried calamari, so mummy peeja ordered this big plate. so take note that the portion is quite big so if you’re not too hungry or just looking for a light snack, this could be it! it’s classic crispy calamari, a big heap of tasty hand-breaded calamari with a tantalizing tartar sauce. i love fried calamari too, and these are freshly friend and SO good! not rubbery at all!

 

 

i took this good ol plate of gov’s fish & chips – fried in a classic batter, served with fried and tartar sauce. what can go wrong? fish too oily? batter too crumbly? nope. fish & chips at aprons & hammers is delicious! i personally prefer the batter rather than the bread-crumbs fish so this one is really satisfying! again, the portion is considerably huge so you can opt to share.

 

 

this is miami sunset fish fillet – dusted in crispy bread flakes; tender and crunchy on the outside. served with fries but bro joy opted for rice instead. sometimes you just cant take the rice out of someone's diet! hihi

 

 

and this glorious sight is the shrimp bucket. enough said. i don’t really like shrimps (except for tempura) but this bucket looks so tempting!

 

old friends & new friends. *hugs*

 

aprons & hammers is a rockin place to enjoy your favorite seafood with a wide selection of yummies to pick from. you can sit outside for the sea view and really take on the whole experience of munching shrimps or hammering crabs in front of the beach. otherwise, enjoy the cool decor and interior. best of all, not only is the food so delicious, but the large portion makes me so happy to come back for another seafood get together! 

aprons & hammers. the beach, JBR!

Mother’s Day @ The Counter : Build Your Own Burger!

there’s a new burger place in walking distance at the beach JBR (jumeirah beach residences), and what better day to try it out than on mother’s day? thanks so much honey cookiedough for the delicious treat. if you feel i deserve it, it’s just because i have your help in my journey through motherhood. love always!

the counter is closer to the cinema, the same row as menchie’s and eggspectation.

 

my love and life. 3 superkids to call me Mak, and a sexy sidekick by my side through it all. mwah!

 

 

i was given a straightforward form to fill in – no frills, just a long list and little boxes to tick in. what kind of toppings i would like? what kind of bun i would want my burger on? preferred sauce? and most baffling of all – which cheese? cheese i’ve never even heard of like sharp provolone, smoked gouda, or tillamook cheddar whaaaaat?! to the usual ones like mozzarella, swiss cheese or blue cheese. just pick one CHEESE!

 

tekun mengisi borang macam nak apply keja. huhu. and we were dining outside with the view of a small part of JBR.

 

 

kids get a placemat with activities. always a saviour.

 

the form that i need to fill was even presented on a clip board! btw, burger on an english muffin? and 24 different sauces? wow! and peanut sauce?

 

 

cute little pencils available at the table to fill in the form

 

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and after contemplating so long, THIS was the result! my juicy 1/3 beef burger with tillamook cheddar, organic mixed greens, segedabak avocado, and basil pesto sauce on the side. i must say that while the concept of building your own burger is very attractive, and all the ingredients are fairly fresh – i was not too wow-ed by the taste of the burger patty. it was just plain. tasty, yeah sure but no wow factor. for me, it tasted like any frozen beef burger i can buy from geant. pity.

 

  

apart from the built-your-own-burger bit, they also have burgers in their menu that has already been assembled! mr khairul opted for a simple one – beef burger on brioche style bun, with crispy onion strings, lettuce blend, sautéed mushroom, provolene cheese, ripened red tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes vinaigrette. he too found the taste of his burger ‘regular’. it’s simply – OK.

 

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at the end of our experience at the counter JBR, we feel that it’s all anti-climax. well, yes the staff were courteous and helpful. yes the concept is so inviting when you know you can build your own burger; picking only the stuff that YOU like. and oh yes the burger looks juicy with fresh ingredients – but after a bite, it’s JUST ok. it’s a good burger, but there are others much better! in terms of tasty burger patty, burger fuel is still my number one pick. to me burger fuel has the best tasting burger patty! click here to read about my first taste of burger fuel!

but for a burger-freak, a regular burger is still a yummy experience for my tummy, so thanks again honey cookiedough for this mother’s day dine out. i literally couldn’t have done it (and the kids) without you! nyeh nyeh.

Frozen Yoghurt Menchie’s With Beach View

there are a few awesome ice-cream shops around JBR (jumeirah beach residences) but none of them a complete frozen yoghurt place, until ‘menchie’s opened just around the corner at ‘the beach’ JBR near the cinema.

 

the theme color of the whole place is so attractive and really inviting. sweet pink and fresh green!

 

if you’re used to make-your-own-cup of frozen yoghurt (my favorite is tutti fruti, click here for my review) then you don’t need further instructions! i love that they have a lot of choices from plain yoghurt, the classic chocolate to all sorts of fruity flavors.

 

 

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and of course, you’re presented with an eye-popping toppings of sorts – all kinds of nuts, chocs and marshmallows and gummi bears. you take your pick! just remember, like at tutti frutti, you PAY for what you TAKE, after the weigh-in.

 

 

 

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and oh my – syrup for the taking! take all you want! the idea of peanut butter was a bit iffy to me. does it go with frozen yoghurt?

 

my youngest boy kazim enjoying his big cup of menchie’s frozen yoghurt. VERDICT : with cute color combo, excellent location and wide choice in flavors and toppings – to me, menchie’s frozen yoghurt itself was NOT good. why? there are icy bits. plain and simple. the frozen yoghurt was not silky smooth. it’s got frozen bits and just unpleasant in the mouth. sorry menchie’s, but i will stick to tutti frutti or pinkberry. click here to read about my comparison between yogen fruz and pinkberry. i compare on prices and choices of toppings but both fro-yo is of excellent quality. delicious!

unlike in menchie’s!

 

did i tell you about the excellent location? i mean, just look at that view! more than words!

 

  

me enjoying my mediocre frozen yoghurt with my boy kazim. i hope it was just a glitch that day for menchie’s frozen yoghurt to be THAT unpleasant. because it’s just walking distance from my place, and with the awesome location, i might just drop by to give it another chance.

Sleek Sushi Art by French Chef Joël Robuchon

most beautifulestest (that’s how amazed i am!) sushi i've ever seen (and i dont even like sushi). full stop.

apparently this particular sushi platter that we had is a creation of french chef joël robuchon, which contributes to the ‘art’ factor! chef joël robuchon is one of france’s most famous and skilled michelin chefs, with fine dining restaurants across the world, cook books and multiple awards. (‘michelin stars’ are the ranking system of fine dining restaurants).

this classy japanese restaurant is at ‘the beach’ JBR. the interior is really simple but sleek, and you can sit inside in the comfort of air cond or (it’s no sea-view) you can still enjoy the salty sea air outside. going to a chain with a michelin chef as its main head certainly begs a LOT of expectations :

 

this is called the ‘joël robuchon box’ – comprised of three different vibrantly creative sushi. (it’s important to note that we had this in may last year. however, at the time of writing, chinese new year is a few days away which explains their ‘main box’ having completely different sets of sushi with names like ‘fire roll’ and ‘dragon roll’, in line with the chinese new year theme. please ask if they still have these!)

 

spring roll crispy lobster – lobster, banana, cucumber, yuzu and mango sauce, wrapped in soy paper. did you read right? yeap. it includes banana. again, weird for me but so groundbreaking for mr khairul!

 

this is one wacky creation called ‘hawaiian roll’ with shrimp, basil, avocado, salmon, kiwi and yuzu mango sauce. mr. khairul who loves to try as-weird-as-it-can-get type of food, obviously fancied this one. me – i love mango, i like kiwi but on a sushi? naah. for those adventurous ones, like mr. khairul, the unchartered territory of fruit plus sushi is mind-blowing. but for a simple ol me, the taste does not add up. not a fan.

 

this platter of 3 types of sushi also comes with 2 scallop nigiri (blowtorched) with saikyo miso sauce. now i kinda enjoy eating this one. it’s tasty!

 

saving the best for last, (for me) the 'spicy ebi roll' with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, purple potato chips, yuzu sauce and kosho. now this is truly a burst of flavor and texture! i love shrimp tempura on its own to begin with, and that is why i love this sushi. shrimp and tuna go so well together and that crispy purple potato chips and tempura contributes to the different texture. i would order THIS one on its own.

 

edamame bean of course. with a pinch of salt to elevate the taste.

 

for a place so classy, owned by a michelin chef, the miso soup is surprisingly NOT ridiculously expensive. i’ve been to a japanese restaurant where the simple miso soup is aed18! at sushiart, it’s only aed10.

 

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i love the minimalist decor. simple, probably too plain for some – but then again the arty colorful sushi should be the star of the table!

 

    

      

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we didnt finish the sushi – with 2-3 pieces left, and this was how they packed our leftover sushi. so cute! macam door gift kenduri kawen. and on the left is the small pack of wasabi and the most adorable soy sauce bottle.

 

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the joël robuchon box is pricey but totally worth it for a true sushi fan. it’s like the godiva of sushi – not because it’s more expensive, but because it’s more vibrant! not only put together by a master french chef, but each is so incredibly creative, well-thought in taste, color and texture. truly a party of sushi gone wild.

Jumeirah Beach : After 5 Years

my first ever posting of us visiting jumeirah beach was like, 5 years ago. in december 2008. it’s already february at the time of writing, and we’re still enjoying the beauty and cleanliness of jumeirah beach; proudly being one of its closest dwellers.

click here to read about our first trip to jumeirah beach, me just a few days away from giving birth to our 2nd son kahfi. and now he’s already 5! time sure flies when you’re having fun!

 

life and love, as I know it. my 4 boys : kazim, khaleef, khairul & kahfi

 

the water was WAAAAY too cold for a dip and swim, so they just build forts. hihi,

 

birds flying home for the evening. with the burj al-arab in the background. one of the most beautiful pictures I’ve captured of dubai. sebab tu kena watermark. haha.

 

wee~ the water is icy cold!

 

khaleef investigating tyre tracks

 

my youngest. already as tall as his bro kahfi!

 

yummy : pengat durian and bread, nutella for the boys and some bananas.

 

the cream-colored buildings are jumeirah beach residences and some hotels along the beach

 

always a new discovery once you step out : here’s the boys curious looking at a wandering starfish.

 

 

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I love this shot too! "there is a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. don't miss so many of them." ~jo walton, writer