Khaleef Gets Birthday Pancake @ IHOP, JBR

this is one last bit from khaleef’s birthday – we didn’t get him any birthday cake, but he got something he really likes – birthday pancakes!

 

 

IHOP just opened in the walk JBR (jumeirah beach residence, walking distance from our place) and I’ve been wanting to take the boys there since forever! my boys are pancake-freaks so I know they would absolutely enjoy the meals there.

IHOP stands for ‘international house of pancakes’, a very popular american franchise boasting delicious breakfast meals since 1958! it has then evolved into serving lunch and dinner meals as well. IHOP in dubai is the first oversea branch they have.

(..just like the cheesecake factory. magnolia bakery. hummingbird bakery – all their first branches overseas are opened in dubai!)

 

the new york cheesecake pancakes

 

we got the birthday boy this delicious treat – ‘the new york cheesecake pancakes’ which is four fluffy buttermilk pancakes loaded with creamy rich cheesecake pieces topped with cool strawberry syrup and whipped cream. I saw the words ‘pancake’ and ‘cheesecake’ in a sentence and I just flipped – I gotta have this for my boy!

the pancakes are as excellent as good pancakes should be – fluffy and soft, with slight brownish to give it character. it’s thick and and the portion is large, enough to be shared with your loved ones.

 

enjoy your birthday pancake, khaleef!

 

khaleef enjoying the birthday song from the lovely staff at IHOP jbr

 

I didn’t know that IHOP staff has this singing-birthday-song gig like in TGIF – but I simply told the staff to bring the pancakes with a candle and wish khaleef happy birthday. when the pancakes came, about 10 of the staff came to our table and sing an upbeat birthday song – and birthday boy was really surprised, and bashfully enjoying this treat.

thank you to the fun bunch of IHOP staff at jbr! you guys rock!

 

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did we get anymore pancakes for ourselves? of course! we’re at the international HOUSE of PANCAKES!

I let mr. khairul choose this next one. he picked the ‘double blueberry pancakes’. it’s four buttermilk pancakes filled with blueberries, topped with blueberry sauce and whipped cream. absolutely divine!

again, lovely fluffy pancakes with a dollop of blueberries everywhere. what I really love about it is that as we fork the pancakes up to the middle, the insides are still hot, with steam visible. fantastic!

 

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what else can you get at IHOP besides gorgeous fluffy pancakes?

there are other delicious desserts to choose from the waffle list and the crepe list. if you want savoury food, there are burgers, sandwiches, and chicken and fish dishes. I really thought that IHOP serves desserts and only light savoury snacks! they’ve got steaks as well!

 

mr khairul wanna keep it simple so he went for this beef bacon cheeseburger – thick juicy beef burger with cheese and strips of beef bacon, served with onion rings. well, it’s a cheeseburger. beef is tender, bun is soft, veggies are fresh, onion rings are crispy crunchy – it’s an alright meal.

 

I got myself this deliciously simple dish – the ‘philly cheese steak stacker’ – grilled philly-style steak and onions topped with MELTED cheese, served on long grilled bread with fries on the side. it’s just so simple and tasty. steak, sauteed onions and cheese? party in my tummy!

 

we got the mac & cheese for the boys from the kids’ menu. sadly, this was a disappointing meal. other than looking like an instant mac & cheese you can get at lulu, it’s really DRY. cammon lah, nak guna instant pun, at least have the courtesy of making sure it IS tasty and presentable. khaleef even asked for more cheese sauce…

 

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having pancakes at IHOP? you have lotsa syrups to choose from : the old-fashioned maple syrup, blueberry, strawberry or butter pecan syrup!

 

anyways, other than the microwaved-lookin mac & cheese, everything else was fantastic!

the food was delicious, the setting was very family-friendly and the staff were wonderful. if I remember correctly, the staff waiting at our table was ‘chona’ (pronounced ‘shawna’) and she was a darling. if you’re reading this, keep up the high spirits and great smile!

I like the fact that IHOP is a NOISY, festive place to hang out with a family with 3 boisterous boys! the décor was a bit boring and dull, but it’s staying true to the old 50’s feel, I guess!

there’s a waiting list to sit outside in the open, so we got a seat inside, no waiting. no matter – the booth seat that we got was perfect to block kazim from going out (haha) and we had a great view of the sea!

we’re definitely coming again – for kahfi’s birthday this december, perhaps?

 

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IHOP jbr is next to movenpick hotel, and there’s another branch at the mall of emirates too. enjoy!

Pertama Kali Cuba Burger Bakar : WOW!

dari dubai lagi aku asyik baca, tengok gamba and dengar pasal makanan ni : BURGER BAKAR.

ape yang best sangat burger bakar ni? selama ni pun burger memang la dibakar kan – digrill. jadi apa istimewanya BURGER BAKAR dari burger ramly atau burger otai yang selama ni aku dok makan? ni yang buat teringin ni!

burger bakar ni, daging burgernya dibuat sendiri – tu sebab saiznya best semacam, dan bukanlah daging burger beku yang kita beli kat supermarket tu. cara masaknya pun berlainan.

 

kejap lagi aku citer pasal burger ni ok!

 

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aku tau burger bakar kaw-kaw kat wangsa maju tu khabarnya ialah pelopor burger bakar ni. diorang yang mula-mula memperkenalkan konsep burger bakar di malaysia. adik bongsu aku penah pegi cuba burger bakar kaw-kaw. katanya memang sedap betul, tapi beratur punyalah lama, kalah nasi kandaq beratoq kat penang tu! hihi. adik aku beratur lebih 3 jam baru dapat order, belum kira dapat burgernye lagi.

so adik aku yg lagi sorang syimot ajak aku cuba burger bakar ABANG BURN kat ramal junction foodcourt, kajang. katanya ‘burger bakar abang burn ni’ ialah burger bakar terpantas – tak lebih 15 minit burger siap. nak challenge burger bakar kaw-kaw la ni, yang kena menunggu hampir 3 jam tu (menurut adik aku punya pengalaman sendiri).

kitorang pergi dalam minggu terakhir sebelum bermula ramadhan.

 

direction ke ramal junction foodcourt. source : facebook page burger bakar abang burn

 

ramal junction foodcourt ni kawasannya luas macam tempat parking kereta, dikelilingi gerai-gerai yang menjual pelbagai makanan yang sedap gile termasuklah ‘satay willy’ yang dah ramai sgt org suruh aku cuba. itu next ok! hihi.

sebab kawasannya besar, tempat duduk pun banyak dan kalau tak cukup, ade akak-akak yang akan bukakkan meja lipat tu supaya bole duduk. jangan risau. besar, selesa dan open-air. cuma kalau hujan tu mungkin problem sikit, sebab kawasan berbumbung cuma kat keliling gerai-gerai tu je…

 

aku la tu, kat anak panah tu! hihi. tapi tu sekadar gaya ok. lepas aku amik gamba ni, adik ipar aku din ambik-alih dan dia yg beratur di sepanjang barisan ni, untuk buat pesanan burger dan belanja sekali. yay! thanks, bro!

 

 

menu memang best!

macam biase pertama skali korang pilih le daging atau ayam. bukan setakat single – double ngan triple pun ade! nak extra daging pun boleh! aku tengok daging burger yang single pun dah tebal gile dah – aku tak bole la bayangkan org yang nak makan TRIPLE burger bakar!

secara kasarnya rata-rata pilihan ade berbentuk cheese atau cheesy. perbezaannya? burger bakar ‘cheese’ ade satu keping keju je, dan kalau burger bakar ‘cheesy’ pulak ade DUA keping keju, ditambah pulak dengan ‘cheesy sauce’.

pastu kalau amik yang ade perkataan ‘SPECIAL’, korang bole pilih nak tambah beef bacon slice, atau turkey ham. memang sedap!

bole jugak tambah ‘SUPREMO’. kalau korang pilih mana-mana burger bakar ‘supremo’, kat bahagian atas daging burger diorang taruh cendawan goreng, kat bahagian bawah pulak bawang goreng. WOW. aku yang tengah dok taip ni pun terbayang-bayang!

akhirnya – aku ambik ‘burger bakar daging abang burn cheesy special supremo’ – serius! sekali sekala, bebeh!

 

aku punya – burger bakar abang burn special supremo! burger bakar dengan kepingan keju, turkey ham (yang terkeluar macam lidah tu hihi), cendawan goreng, bawang goreng dan sos keju yang banyak

 

aku senaraikan item dalam menu tu bukan apa – masa pegi ari tu, ada jugak pelanggan yang tak bersedia – dah sampai giliran dia depan kaunter, baru terhegeh-hegeh nak tengok menu. masa tu baru nak pilih. masa tu la baru nak tanya ini apa itu apa.

maaf bahasa aku mungkin agak kasar tapi hello? dah la barisan panjang gile kat belakang, dia bole lagi rilek-rilek tengok menu baru nak pikir-pikir ape nak makan.

aku ngan adik aku awal-awal seblom beratur lagi dah pegi depan tengok menu (menu melekat kat cermin kaunter), kami pilih ape nak order, kemudian baru beratur. bila sampai giliran kami, senang dan cepat je la buat order. baru la licin peralihan barisan tu!

kepada pelanggan-burger-bakar-yang-kena-beratur-panjang – sila bersedia la nak order ape. bole jimat masa!

 

 

5 sebab aku suka burger bakar abang burn ni :

1) daging burger tu sedap marinadenya, cukup rasa dan yang paling penting cukup masak dan takde merah-merah kat bahagian tengah burger

2) ade cendawan goreng kat dalam burger tu. aku sangat kagum sebab pertama kali makan burger ade cendawan goreng tepung kat burger. aku sangat suka segala macam cendawan

3) sos keju yang melimpah ruah. tak kedekut. bagus. moga bertambah-tambah rezeki korang

4) pekerja yang beruniform kemas tapi santai. juga mesra-pelanggan

5) burger sedap tapi tak payah beratur sampai 3 jam!

cuma yang tak best sebab burger bakar abang burn ni tak bubuh seciput sayur-sayuran pun. kasi la salad ke, coleslaw ke. timun pun takde. sebab aku suka salad. aku suka coleslaw! tapi timun takde takpe. aku tak le minat sangat timun dalam burger.

lagi satu, silalah bekalkan TISU yang melampau sikit ok. sebab setiap saat asyik nak mengelap je. lepas 4-5 bite, aku dah tak kira dah. comot pun comot lah! hihi. enjoy!

 

geram aku tengok burger daging gemuk-gemuk ni! nyummy!

 

rahsia burger bakar abang burn ni dapat disiapkan cepat ialah tenaga pekerja yang ramai. so keadaan dapo lebih efisyen kot.

 

gamba lain-lain yang kat atas tu aku punya, tapi gamba best ni aku amik dari facebook page burger bakar abang burn. lihatlah burger-burger daging yang dibakar dan terus dilepekkan kepingan keju di atas permukaan yang masih panas tu. WOAH. keju cair yang akan sentiasa menghantui aku!

 

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adik ipar aku din & my sis syimot

 

terima kasih kat adik ipar aku din ngan adik aku syimot sebab dengan penuh semangat bawakkan aku ngan adik bongsu azot ke ramal junction foodcourt ni utk cuba burger bakar abang burn. siap belanja lagi. siap nak suruh pegi awal lagi takut burger habis. best!

tip #1 dari adik ipar aku din : kalau nak makan burger bakar ni jangan bungkus bawak balik nanti soggy gile dan semua benda dah senget-benget dan terkeluar-klua. lebih perfect kalau makan kat situ jugak panas-panas dan semua bahan-bahan tersusun indah. hihi.

 

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berikut adalah jadual gerai burger bakar abang burn sepanjang bulan puasa. aku amik gamba ni dari facebook page burger bakar abang burn. menariknya di sini gerai ditutup pada pukul 8.30pm – pekerja berhenti sementara untuk menunaikan solat terawikh berjemaah, dan setelah selesai baru operasi bersambung kembali sampai ke waktu pagi buta untuk yang nak bersahur.

moga rezeki bertambah-tambah di bulan mulia ini kerana mendahulukan solat sunat terawikh untuk pekerja-pekerjanya. baguslah!

ok, bila pulak nak berbuka burger bakar ni?

The Monster @ Burger Fuel, JBR

boasted as ‘new zealand’s original gourmet burger’, we decided to give it a try on a nice weekend night at the walk, JBR (jumeirah beach residences). since the closing of hardee’s in amwaj next to KFC, JBR really needs a good ol burger place to balance the scale – there are too many pizza place in JBR!

 

 

this branch of burger fuel is situated in bahar building of JBR, right next to a cafe opposite hilton jumeirah. be on a lookout for purple signage and neon lights!

 

the weather was so fine, we preferred dining outside in the cool dubai air.

 

the restaurant is spacious inside, with minimal usage of colors so it kinda looks like a bare loft – which is cool, and urban. the washroom is upstairs, with more seats too. however, the weather is so fine now that it’s winter in dubai, so we decided to eat outside.

 

 

like chilli’s and TGIF, the kids get coloring papers featuring the typical burger and fries character with a cute face and a box of coloring pencils. sure kept the boys busy while we waited for food to arrive.

 

 

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this is a burger place. so you’ll get an assortment of beef burger and chicken burger in their menu. there’s also a list of veggie burgers for the vegans. for sides, there’s this pumpkin thingy called ‘motobites’ which is really a cute name, and this chicken-based finger food called ‘chicken fenders’.

 

we ordered ‘chicken fenders’ for the boys. according to the menu, it’s ‘char-grilled chicken tenderloins seasoned with garlic and rosemary sea-salt’. my, my what a description! and all i want is just chicken nugget! haha. it looks so fancy too!

 

this is the ‘chicken fenders’ – the seasoning taste good, but i just don’t prefer white meat, so i didn’t like the texture that much. bahagian dada, tak best! in my opinion, it’s very pricey for just 4 small pieces of chicken bits. they should at least throw in complimentary fries, or cola!

 

the ‘BF monster’ burger is ‘1/3 new zealand ground beef, melted cheddar, sliced beetroot, beef bacon, salad and relish’. also in the burger is – get this – mango and avocado! OMG. mango? in a burger? seriously! i’ve eaten burger with pineapple when i went to the universal studios singapore, but this is really the weirdest combo in a burger ever!

mango? what!

an typical of mr. khairul, he would go to the weirdest dish in the menu. so this was his choice. he absolutely LOVED it! i tried a bite, and there was this explosion of taste in my mouth – so many things going on. but the tender juicy beef patty certainly overwhelms everything else. a delicious treat.

 

 

i ordered this one – the ‘cn cheese’ burger is essentially ‘1/3 pound new zealand ground beef, with melted cheddar, grated parmesan, salad and relish.’ when i read the menu, this burger got me at MELTED CHEDDAR and GRATED PARMESAN.

the bun is soft and fresh, the texture of the beef patty is just right – juicy and tender. it’s just a simple cheeseburger with a fancy name! it’s delicious, but i agree with mr. khairul, if you wanted plain ol cheeseburger, you can get one from mcdonald’s or burger king. since you’re at burger fuel, why not try all their other kiwi burgers with ingredients that are uniquely theirs.

next time, eh?

 

 

as you’ve noticed at burger fuel, burgers are served in paper bags (with the name of the burger) to your table, and you can request that they cut your big fat burger in half. also, they include this DOOFER – this paper thingy when folded and fastened together –

 

…it becomes a holder for your burger when you put it down! this is the first time i see such a thing – interesting! the friendly and helpful staff helped us to fold it. thanks for not judging us first-timers haha.

 

we get these dips for the chicken fenders and the fries. we can choose from these two – fresh lemon *aioli or natural yoghurt relish dip.

*aioli is is a traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, and (typically) egg

 

i LOVE their fries. these ‘spud fries’ are big and fat, just the way i like it. HOWEVER, burger fuel doesn’t have any set meals, so we had to order drinks and fries on the side. pricey, pricey!

 

we ordered mineral water, and this heavenly chocolate malt shake. it comes in this tall paper cup and taste so rich and cooling. i can’t even remember the last time i had a milkshake, so this was really a lovely treat. slurp!

the next time we drop by, i’d probably just get one chocolate malt shake, and try one of them motobites!

 

 

personally, burger fuel is one pricey burger place, but it’s still worth the dirham, unlike fatburger. what we pay, we get. check out this blog for more awesome pictures and a review of burger fuel.

TGIF Dubai Mall : Nice View of Dancing Fountain

there are 2 places i know where you can dine in view of the world’s tallest building burj khalifa, while you enjoy the light, music and water ‘show’ of the ‘dancing fountain’ :

1. the row of restaurants on the LG floor of dubai mall, the dancing fountain side (one of the restaurants i tried was ‘wafi gourmet’, with my in-laws. click here for my review)
2. souk al-bahar, an arabesque shopping mall with waterside cafes (one of the cafes i tried was ‘shakespeare cafe’, with my sisters syida and azi. click here to read our experience there)

 

for those not in the know, the ‘dancing fountain’ opposite the world’s largest mall, dubai mall is no regular fountain. it has the highest shooting fountain in the world, with a play on awesome music and the brightest lights than can be seen from miles.

the shooting water moves with the music, hence the name ‘dancing fountain’.

 

me. hihi. behind me is the base of the tallest building in the world

 

well, we just found a great spot to see all these wonderful landmarks, while eating delicious yummies at *affordable* price.

i say ‘affordable’ because though you can see the fountain from the line of posh restaurants at the LG floor right in front of the fountain (wafi gourmet, fusion restaurants – to name a few) and at the souk al-bahar (also another upscale spot with posh cafes) – this place that we found is just your average american diner, with ‘cheaper’ cheeseburgers and sodas!

TGIF!

 

 

teh. behind my sister-in-law is ‘souk al-bahar’, with a bridge connecting dubai mall

 

 

burj khalifa. too tall for my lense!

 

the peach building is dubai mall, with the fountain in front and the burj khalifa on the side. setting sebijik macam suria klcc, fountain and our twin towers kan?

 

 

the ‘calm’ fountain before the show starts, and in the next picture, the shooting fountain that dances with the music and light. fantastic show!

 

the dancing fountain starts at 6pm, with consecutive shows every 30 minutes. so if you really want to sit, eat and enjoy – come around 5pm (because it’ll be full by 5.30) and book a seat on the balcony to get a good view!

eat slowly and wait till 6pm when the show starts. sit for 3-4 more shows, and then be considerate to leave the table for other people, okay! hihi.

 

kazim enjoying the ‘dancing fountain’

 

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oh, why were we at TGIF? it’s a treat for mr. khairul’s birthday from his younger brother angah. thanks bro! i had cheeseburger. nyum. but i think chilis make better cheeseburgers, and the best is surely from fuddruckers!

TGIF dubai mall is on the 2nd level, waterfront atrium. it’s above dean & deluca cafe.