Category Archives: Food

Al-Qasba – Sharjah’s Hidden Gem

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From a distance far away, I could see the giant Eye of the Emirates wheel turning. Behind the Eye of the Emirates wheel, I could see the Al Qasba buildings glittering in the dark. There was a water canal splitting the Al Qasba buildings in two parts. As I approached the Al Qasba area on my bicycle, I passed through floodlight lit small soccer field where young kids where enthusiastically playing soccer. This soccer field was one of several attractions all nestled around the Al Qasba area of Sharjah.

IMG_1980Al Qasba is a short drive from Dubai and is located between Al Khan lagoon and Buhaira Corniche area of Sharjah. Al Qasba is a great place to have some family fun and hangout with friends. Obviously, the star attraction of Al Qasba is the Eye of the Emirates wheel, but there are lot of other rides where not just kids but also adults can have a blast. Do you want to see the water dance? Then come to Al Qasba musical fountains and enjoy these spectacular shows. Besides, one can simply come to Al Qasba to enjoy wonderful atmosphere and great architecture.

IMG_1983There are couple of options as far as boat rides are concerned. One option is to hop on board on the traditional “abra” boat for tour around Al Khan lagoon and Al Qasba. The other option is to rent water karts. Yes these are indeed eco friendly water karts which are not only silent when operating but also produce zero emissions. Did I mention, they also glow in the dark!

IMG_1977Al Qasba is full of nice restaurants and coffee shops where everyone can have good quality time with the family and friends. These restaurants serve mouth watering food along the Al Qasba walk overlooking the water canal and Eye of the Emirates wheel. For seafood lovers’ there is Fish Corner that serve fresh seafood dishes daily in a nice casual atmosphere. If you feel like eating italian then there is Stefano’s where they serve classic home style italian dishes. Nando’s is another crowd favorite that serves up Portuguese flame roasted chicken.  Other restaurants include Shababeek, a Lebanese eatery as well as Grand Abu Shakra, that serve authentic Egyptian cuisine just to name a few.

IMG_1974Al Qasba offers something for everyone. The Qasba water canal connects Al Khan lagoon to Buhaira Corniche. One can experience some breathtaking views of Buhaira Corniche and greater Sharjah by simply walking along the Qasba water canal to the other side. So next time, head on out to Al Qasba with both family and friends to have a fantastic time.

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My Love Affair With Shawarmas…

Food, , ,

IMG_5524Any one who has spent time in the Middle East certainly knows and has eaten shawarma at least once. While roaming the streets of Dubai, especially Deira, Bur Dubai and Satwa, one can’t help but notice these restaurants displaying various meats in shape of gigantic cones, simmering against hot vertical grill. Yes, these restaurants and Mom and Pop cafes are serving up chicken, lamb and beef shawarmas. For those of you who are newbies to the shawarma scene, here is the blue print err.. the breakdown of shawarma: tender slices of meat, chicken, mutton or beef, perfectly grilled wrapped in oval or rectangular shaped bread with a piece of crisp pickle and dash of garlic paste. Man, I can almost eat 3 of these while writing about them now! The  average price of these shawarma wraps are around 5 Dirhams.

There are a lot of places that serve up great tasting shawarmas, both in Dubai and Sharjah. Let’s see in Dubai good tasting shawarmas IMG_5525are served at Al Mullah and Automatic Restaurants just to name a few. Sharjah has quite a few places that serve up some excellent shawarmas as well. In addition, Dar al Sharoor near clock tower in Sharjah, Jabal Lebnan, Chicken House and Laffah serve some top notch shawarmas. The quality of shawarmas just keep getting better and better here in UAE. Each shawarma joint is trying to out do the other with their taste and servings. I got to say that after living in UAE for 8 years and trying several places including big shawarma restaurants as well as small Mom and Pop joints, I think I have found the best tasting shawarmas here and these places that serve up this king of Middle Eastern fast food are located in Sharjah.

I got to admit, both Chicken house (on Jamal Abdul Nasser Street) and Laffah (on Al-Taawun Road) serve up some pretty darn good shawarmas. Obviously, the taste is the driving force behind the sales of their shawarmas, but the quality ingredients they use, is also a big factor. I simply love the thin bread that both of these shawarma joints use while the rest use slightly thicker pita bread. Then there is chicken, grilled to IMG_5526perfection with small portion of garlic mayonoise as well as crispy slice of pickle, all put in thin bread,  slightly toasted and served. These shawarmas are simply awesome. You got try them to believe !