Lebanese Flower Grill, Khalidiyah - Lebanese bread and a delicious mixed grill!

Location: Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 2 665 8700
Located: Behind Electra and 26th Street
Opening hours: 7am-3am daily

Located in the Khalidiyah area of Abu Dhabi, one of town's most famous (and good value!) restaurants, the Lebanese Flower Grill. SLURRRP!


Starters ... Hmmm, not sure what these balls were called, but they were delicious, as was the little salad. Humus was complimentary, perhaps cos' the 4 of us ordered so much food! There was also some rather delicious pitta-type bread.


Britishexpats.com
Best Grill Mix:Restaurant Name: Lebanese FlowerLocation:1)Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club, near blood bank, on the same line of Maroosh and Abu Saeed.2)Abu Dhabi, Khaldiya, you can miss it, its in the back between Choitram, KM and Muhairi Centre.3)Abu Dhabi, Defense Road just after the Wahda mall signal.
Cleanness: 8/10
Eat In: Recommended, also available family sections.
Take Away: Very good service and heavy ques ups in weekends, delivery service not so bad when not busy.
My recommendations: Sandwiches from the inside, ask for Shish Tawook Grilled or Chicken with vegetables. Also Recommended Meat Tika Sandwiches on Arabic Nan or you can try the Lebanese sandwiches such as falafel with Tahini or if you want something new, Lsanat or Sujuq or Kidneys.
Summary: Lebanese flower is known for its mix grill and sandwiches, its shawerma quality is just going down every day.

Our main course .... a ONE KILO (Yes, 1 kg!) Mixed Grill. Lamb, beef, and chicken wings cooked to perfection. Delicious with the warm freshly-made bread!


TimeoutAbuDhabi.com
Eye-poppingly tasty and always buzzing, the Khalidiyah branch in particular feels like some rustic kitchen. It’s probably one of the dearer Lebanese outfits, but a shish taouk with houmous, soup and a glass of juice will still only set you back Dhs49. Meanwhile, a cheerful man wanders the restaurant dishing out huge discs of fresh, hot Lebanese bread like some benevolent king. Forget the fries, they’re always lousy, but the kebabs are succulent and delicious.

Cebu Restaurant - Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi

Location: Cebu Restaurant, Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, UAE


Heh heh ... Jeep ni Salem!


My choice ... a rather salty, but tasty Curry Chicken. I think I paid 20 AED for it, but it was enough for two meals, and the plain steamed rice cost 4 AED.

Khaleej Times Online

Salem Al Nagbi is an Emirati with a difference! The 36-year-old businessman speaks not only Tagalog fluently, but also theCebuano dialect. And he has a penchant for things which relate to the Philippines and the Filipino community.
Al Nagbi, addressed as ‘Big Brother’ by his Filipino employees and friends, has made investments in enterprises that target the Filipino community, in general, such as restaurants, a radio station, a party organiser and an events management company that has already brought famous artistes such as Gary Valenciano to the UAE.
His ‘Pinoy Atin to’ (Filipinos, This is Ours) programme at Dubai Eye is very popular, particularly the segment on Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA), where Filipinos can air their concerns to attract the attention of the Philippine officials.
One of Al Nagbi’s imports from the Philippines is a jeepney, which is parked in front of a restaurant in the Khalidiya area in Abu Dhabi.
A ride in the jeepney — an indigenous mode of public transport in the Philippines – during his visit to the Philippines in 1992 had thrilled Al Nagbi so much that he placed an order with Francisco Motors Company, a large manufacturer of jeepneys in the Philippines, and arranged for it to be shipped to Abu Dhabi in 2001.
“This is the only one (of its kind) in the Middle East,” Al Nagbi said of the jeepney. Its engine is powered by Mazda and it runs on diesel.
“There’s a Filipino mechanic in Mussafah who services it regularly,” he elaborated.
The jeepney was commissioned in 2002 for the celebration of the Philippine Independence Day. ‘Jeep ni Salem’ (Salem’s jeep), as it is named, was put on display at Hiltonia and appropriately bedecked with pictures of the Philippine presidents to commemorate the event.
After its two-month stint at Hiltonia, it was returned to its original spot at Al Nagbi’s office in Salam Street where it continued to attract attention for five years.
Three years ago, it was relocated to Khalidiyah – where it presently stands — when Al Nagbi opened his ‘Cebu Restaurant’.
Since then the jeep has been a local attraction to a restaurant bearing the name of a tourism hub in
the Philippines.
It seems to have served its purpose as curious passersby stop to enquire and pose for a quick snap with ‘Jeep ni Salem’.
“It’s not only Filipinos who take pictures, there are also other nationalities,” boasts Al Nagbi.
“Seeing the jeepney here in Abu Dhabi definitely puts a smile on any Filipino’s face. And as long as its purpose is being served, the ‘jeepney’ is here to stay,” Al Nagbi stated.

Tourist Club Area or TCA of Abu Dhabi

I went for a walkabout at the Tourist Club Area (TCA) of Abu Dhabi one evening ... here's the view of peak-hour traffic when people leave work. I always smile when I look at the Audi-rings or Olympic rings at the signage of the Co-Operative Society Mall Tourist Club Area :-)


Another mall just alongside ... Abu Dhabi Mall!

And this is a popular drinking-hole, the Le Meridien ...

Add: 2nd st, Al meena , Tourist Club Area, Abu Dhabi 46066, United Arab Emirates.

Mercedes E500 Coupe - Latest W212 E-class in Abu Dhabi!

Even amongst all the gorgeous cars in the city, this latest W212 Mercedes Benz E500AMG stood out! I spotted this at Khalidiyah. Nice profile, great looking front, and a super evolution of the E-class "big small eyes" (as the chinese describe it!) nose :-)

Updated! Thanks to YJ for noting that it is in fact a ... Coupe!



Production 2009–Present
Assembly Sindelfingen, Germany
Predecessor Mercedes-Benz W211
Layout Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engine 5.4L V8
Transmission 7-speed automatic

Wikipedia history ... The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. The E initially stood for Einspritzung, (German for fuel injection); a new feature in volume production vehicles at the time that the E-Class first appeared, with the E as a suffix to the engine nomenclature (e.g. 220E) in the 1950s. It was not until the launch of the facelifted W124 that the E was used as a prefix (i.e. E220) and the model referred to officially as the E-Class (or E-Klasse).

Wikicars.org ... Codenamed W212, the next-generation E-Class will arrive for the 2010 model year, with the estate version (codenamed S212) expected for 2011. It was also decided upon to rest the CLK-Class name in favour of selling it as an E-class coupe.

Nalukettu is a Keralite indian restaurant, Marina Club - Abu Dhabi

S and myself went to Nalukettu once again over the weekend, only to find out that the Keralite Indian all you can eat buffet was only served on Thursday nights. No bother, we ordered ala-carte anyway. The meal below, including two pitches of beer came up to 100 AED (RM$100) per head.

Add: Nalukettu - Marina Club, near Abu Dhabi Mall, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: +971 2 6444 395


Some starters ... 22 AED for a plate of spicy chicken. Slurrp :-) perfect with beer!


And for our mains, we chose the Cauliflower stir fry (Slightly deep fried with a coating of sauce, really good!) and a Chilly chicken stir fry ala Chinese (Decent ... but well spicey!).


Chapati, roti (3 AED each) and Pilau rice ... I liked the rice (It was about 12-16 AED, for a huge portion, enough perhaps for three!). And the bread was so similar to Roti Canai :-)




ps - The main reason we come here, the reasonably priceed beer! 54 AED for a pitcher of Fosters, or 18 AED per pint if you prefer to order it by the glass.

Fuddruckers ... What!?

I had to rub my eyes, and do a second take, when I saw the name of this burger joint!



Add: 1st Flr, Marina Mall , P.O.Box 32846, Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 2 681 8160

From the corporate website...
Back in 1980, a simple Texan began a singular quest. He searched high and low seeking the best that a hamburger could be. He hungered for perfection in an imperfect world. All he found were warmed-over compromises between bland slices of bread. The burger culture had sullied an American institution.
Then in the still of a sultry summer night, a voice spoke to him, “Let them build it and they will come.” While he wasn’t exactly sure what the message meant—and there were no follow-up communications—the Texan did the only thing he knew to do.
Finding mediocrity unacceptable, he took a wrong and made it right. He took the frozen and made it fresh. He built his own burger and his own burger place right in the heart of San Antonio, Texas. And then because the man had a sense of humor, he named this place Fuddruckers.

Marina Mall and Ikea, Abu Dhabi

Another mall in Abu Dhabi ... My first visit to the Marina Mall.


Marina Mall is a shopping mall located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It houses over 400 stores, including a hypermarket and cineplex.



There's a 9 screen cinema / cineplex ... and, no shortage of posh shops here!
Rolex, Omega, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, YSL, CD, Gucci, Todds, Coach, Diesel, Boss, Armani, Bvlgari, Tiffany & Co. Austin Reed Burberry Carrefour Chanel Etam Ferrari Store IKEA Elle Mercedes-Benz Showroom Paris Gallery Perfumes, Watches, Bags, Sunglasses and other Luxury accessories Plug-Ins Sanrio Versace Woolworths Yves Saint-Laurent Zara

Opening hours, and all details above from Wikipedia ...

Stores operate 7 days a week from 10 am to 10 pm with exception of weekend allowing additional 1 shopping hour till 11 pm.

There's even an Ikea alongside, which I have yet to visit!

India Palace, Salam Street near Adnoc - Abu Dhabi

A colleague brought us to this posh indian restaurant one evening ... It was a good meal!

Add: Salam Street (Opposite ADNOC FOD HQ) in Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 2 644 8777 (They also do delivery)
Opening hours: 12pm - 3pm, 7pm - 11:30pm





The Briyani Chicken was really good, the Aloo Gobi was perhaps the best I have ever had (As good if not better then those I have eaten in Mumbai, India in 2005) ... the roti's were good too :-). We also had some really good Dhal, and various starters whose names escape me!

Yin Yang - Mongolian BBQ, Marina Mall at Abu Dhabi

Food here in the Middle East can best be described as limited, european-like, and very pricey. Here's a simple lunch at the fancy Marina Mall, in Abu Dhabi.

Add: PO Box 41006, Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 681 8151


I chose the Chicken and Beef BBQ combo, served with a choice of vegetable fried rice or noodles. Price ... A frightening 30 AED or RM$30. Ouch! A small 7-Up is an equally painful 4 AED. Taste-wise it was rather average, but hard to be choosy in these parts ... sigh!

Nalukettu serves a Keralite indian buffet, Marina Club - Abu Dhabi

Add: Nalukettu - Marina Club, near Abu Dhabi Mall, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: +971 2 6444 395

The Fri-Sat weekend is here :-) The night started off with some Heines and Fosters at NRG Sports Bar in the Le Meridien ... About 22-24 AED (Think 1:1 for conversion to ringgit, and you won't be far wrong) per pint here, not bad!


A colleague had recommended Nalukettu, which specialises in Keralite Indian food. I was surprised how packed it was, and that it was serving an all-you-can-eat buffet. For 49 AED (RM$49), you could eat as much apams, rice, noodles, fish/beef/lamb/chicken dishes and curries and stews, as you want! Not bad :-) Food was firey hot, very tasty and good in general.


We had pints of Fosters as well, which were reasonably priced at 18 AED, whilst the exotic India beer called Haywards 500 (Strong at 7% alcohol content) was 22 AED per bottle.



ps. We will definitely be returning here for another lads' night out!

Sevila Asian Buffet - Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi

Add: Al Raha Corniche - PO Box 38616, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Located: This hotel is located in a premier position on the Al Raha Corniche which is 10 km from Abu Dhabi Airport and 25 km from Abu Dhabi City Centre and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and only just over an hour from Dubai’s Jumeirah district.




In what is described as "Abu Dhabi’s first luxury boutique hotel", with "only" 134 rooms (and over 300 staff!), we had dinner at the Wednesday night at Sevila. 179 AED (or about RM$180), and an extra 16 percent tax, this was not a cheap meal!

Food was unspectacular, but very nicely varied - We enjoyed japanese tidbits, chinese timsum, malaysian, vietnamese, thai tom yum goong, as well as indian subcontinent dishes including papadoms!

I still found room to squeeze in some fruits ... including MANGOSTEENS after the meal!

Washed down with a refreshing Heine :-)

Black Pearl Piano Bar, Al Raha Beach Hotel - Abu Dhabi

Warsteiner lager and a view of the Arabian sea ... Refreshing!

Location and description: Set in beautiful landscaped gardens and located in Abu Dhabi's premier Al Raha corniche area. Al Raha Beach Hotel offers magnificent views of the Arabian Gulf, just a short drive from the city and Abu Dhabi International Airport.