Wanna Chaat?!?

CTC? ASL PLS.


No. I am not referring to that. For Millennials, before Whatsapp, Viber, Messenger or whatever chat apps you have now... we had MIRC and yahoo messenger. That sentence is how we start a chat. Although, this post is not about chat. I will tell you how my first chaat was. Yes, chaat.


Chaat is the Indian street food. I have always been curious with those crispy bubbles I see in Karama. I was wondering, is that like fish ball or kwek-kwek? I had never had the courage to order because I don't know what to say. I don't know what the names are, so how can I google them as well? Yeah, I was scared to ask/try as I have always thought Indian food as spicy. But one coldish night in Dubai, I got the courage to try Chaat. With the help of my friend and the very attentive servers of Rangoli I had my first chaat. I am so excited because finally I get to try those crispy bubbles!


So I had 2 chaats. First was Pani Puri, Pani means water and puri is those crispy bubbles. Second is Sev Puri. Sev is those small yellow crispies that looks like fish food (☮ no offence Indian friends) and the puri used for Sev Puri is flat or the burst bubble. My friend always tells the servers tikkha cum which means medium spicy. That's what I like about Indian restaurants, they are considerate of their guest. They will prepare the dish according to your level of spiciness tolerance. As a Filipino, my spicy tolerance is not as high as Indians. If I were from Bicol then I can tolerate it, but I am from Metro Manila. Sooo yeah... loser on spicy food 😋.


Pani Puri was served differently since this is my first it was served at our table and we have to prepare it ourselves (I will post my experience on Pani Puri eating it on the side streets). I like it, the sweetness and spiciness are at war you won't know if its spicy or sweet. I like it that way... complicated 😄. Sev Puri was also good. I like it better than Pani Puri. There are more flavors and textures in it. The crispiness of the sev and puri, tanginess of the onion, sweet sour taste of the tomato, and unique blend of spices of the chutney. One downside of these two chaats though, you cannot eat it on a first date. Because you have to eat the pani whole, shove it in your mouth like a big chunk of fever medicine. So expect it to be messy. All in all I like the experience and I will definitely be back.

Sev Puri (top left) Pani Puri (bottom right)

Muhammarah Hunters

A friend asked me, "Have you tried Muhammarah?" I said, "Muham what???". He told to me that its a red paste so tasty he drools when he thinks of it. Its one of those cravings he has, so I thought guys has their cravings too. I wonder if it happens monthly as well. 😆 So I got curious what this Muhamsomething is. We give it a shot and satisfy his cravings and went to hunt for Muhammarah.


Until now, I cannot pronounce it correctly but if you would like to try a nice Muhammarah go to Mama'esh. They have the best Muhammarah I've tasted. If men can get pregnant, I would suspect that my friend has a bun in the oven. We hunt for restaurants on Zomato that serves dishes with Muhammarah while on the road. He's driving and I am searching on Zomato (don't text and drive!). We found Mama'esh at Business Bay so we went straight there.
The restaurant was almost closing when we got there but they still accommodated us. We ordered 2 different types of bread both with Muhammrah and cheese. One is the flat bread which looks like an oval pizza and the other is Fatayer which looks like a boat loaded with cheese and muhammarah! The bread is stone baked which makes you more hungry while they bake it. You can smell the freshness of the stone baked bread that just that scent is enough you will devour on anything the accommodating server will put on your table. On my first bite, my first word was "Interesting!". Why? Because I don't know what is in it but it is really good! I was already thinking, oh this is not just a dip... this will be good on pasta too with fresh basil and parsley on top!


I searched for Muhammarah recipes, one day I will cook this dip and dip anything in it or smear it on any food I could imagine. As for now, I will satisfy my Muhammarah cravings at Mama'esh.

Muhammarah and Cheese Fatayer

Muhammarah and Cheese Flat Bread

Kulfi- The Pastillas Ice Cream

Craving for Pastillas and ice cream at the same time? Don't fret, introducing the Malai Kulfi!!! (applause from the crowd) To be honest, an applause is an understatement. It should be a standing ovation on the tables and chairs. That's how good this is!


Malai Kulfi is a popular frozen dairy dessert in India. It is similar to ice cream but more dense and creamier. This is also different to the Pastillas ice cream we have in the Philippines which is vanilla or cheese ice cream with Pastillas bits in it (you really need to look for those bits though). On the other hand, Malai Kulfi is an ice cream made of Pastillas. Every bite is divine that will make your pupils dilate. Your brain cannot process the pleasure from the delightful sweetness and that shock from brain freeze.


My first Malai Kulfi experience is at Kulfilicious at Grub Shack Health Care City in Oud Mehta. They have another branch in Karama which has more hipster interior, incorporating the Indian culture in it. This is highly recommended for everyone, I mean, who doesn't love ice cream? Unless you are lactose intolerant.

Malai Kulfi

.. (I would say its worth the risk 😁).