Most of you can relate with those days where your taste buds crave a certain cuisine/type of food (I was craving for vegetarian) so it was just one of those pure veg dinner nights. Zomato came to my rescue & I then selected a pure veg restaurant 'Saarangaa bhojan shala' located in Al raffa area. 

Upon entrance just by the door, you are bound to see the delicious Indian sweets just waiting to be devoured. This restaurant apart from pure non-vegetarian also serves authentic sattvic diet & Jain food.

Serving south indian cuisine, the restaurant had its cuisine's essence greatly reflected in its restaurant. The interior had displayed pictures of all the food they served throughout the walls of the restaurant. Their serving staff was good & cooperative despite the language barrier and made sure that the culture reflects in their serving style, which made them even more authentic.

Another great thing about the restaurant was it didn't feel claustrophobic. It was very spacious and with strict covid 19 protocols being followed it looked furthermore spacious & safe. 

What I ordered?

• Fried Chilli Vegetable
• Ghee Roast Masala Dosa
• Kesari Sheera & Puri

Fried Chilli Vegetable

I would consider this as a snack, or more like chilli pakora (veg fritter) which is really not spicy. Perfect to munch on whilst you wait for your main course. Don't be fooled by the title (wink).

Ghee Roast Masala Dosa

Extremely delicious crispy flavorful & mouth-melting. Like the name suggests you could literally smell & taste desi ghee. Served with 4 kinds of chutney, everything had complimented well from their chutney to sambar & their ghee roasted dosa. 

Inside of Masala Dosa

However, I am just not satisfied with the quantity ratio of the potato bhaji inside the dosa. With a dosa this big, the potato bhaji doesn't deserve to be just 100gms! (although Highly recommended)

Puri

Kesari Sheera

Kesari Sheera with Puri

It isn't on their menu but it was a mix-match from my & and trust me you won't regret it. Firstly it wasn't super sweet like how you would expect it to be & someone like me who doesn't love too much sweet, puri's had balanced that sweetness out just perfectly. In short, it wasn't too sweet nor too bland. (Highly recommend it & thank me later).

Experience with this restaurant was just traditionally authentic. The highlight would be the kesari sheera with puri. As per the price quotient, whilst serving good quality food it's neither too cheap nor expensive, which would make holes in your pocket for one-time dining. Being a pure veg restaurant it doesn't disappoint you as it offers a wide range of options to choose from in their menu as well as quick service & average waiting time from placing an order to receiving it. Although the only thing that pinched me slightly was their quantity to price ratio; if that could be improved in my opinion that would be phenomenal. 

Time to pop the question: Would I recommend this restaurant to my fellow foodies?

Yes, Yes I would.

Rating: 7 out of 10

XOXO

~Mehek Shaikh

What if I told you, I know a secret to healthy, lustrous, long & shiny hair. Sounds like some lines I picked up from a TV commercial for a new hair product but I am sure you will be amazed by the results & moreover the ingredients of this hair product which are readily available on your kitchen counters.

*Drum Rolls* ..... it's Hair Oil!.

In this blog, you can expect to read, the individual benefits of each ingredient that will then be combined into a hair elixir, my personal experience with it, its feasibility & storage and lastly, a comparison between the old era vs modern era.

Growing up in a desi household, there was never a day when my mother did not send me to school without oiling my hair. Growing up, I believed it was just me who felt 'weird' but this was a story of every child who has/had a caring parent. From Being called an "oil shop" & with many such lude comments, I threw every possible tantrum to convince my mother to not put oil, but she wouldn't budge. 

It is only when I matured, I understood good habits at a young age do take you a long way in life and got complimented a lot on my hair & I truly owed all of that to my mom.

To understand how this Hair Oil could help you & do wonders, it's imperative to break down the benefits of each oil used. 

Coconut oil

Castor oil

Vitamin e oil 

Black Seed (optional)

Olive oil

Mustard oil

• Richness in natural fats makes it a good conditioner for hair. It coats & seals each hair strand making it shinier & smoother preventing dryness frizz & split ends.
• anti-bacterial & anti-fungal properties help prevent or reduce scalp conditions like dandruff or acne/pimples.

Almond oil 

• Hydrates dull & dry hair.
• Smoothes hair texture.
• Strengthens hair
• Fight inflammatory scalp conditions

• Promotes hair growth: When applied directly to the scalp, almond oil bulks up hair and reactivates dormant hair follicles. "Almond oil contains a substantial amount of the vitamin B7 or biotin," Gonzalez explains. "Biotin can help thicken and grow thinning hair, as it assists in follicle regrowth and keratin production."

All these oils have so many potent properties & infuse them together; I guarantee you it would give you flip worthy hair.

All my life I have been in a constant battle of living life in the traditional way or the modern way, with my mother & grandmother narrating how they lived a pure life, free from toxicity & I would usually sit imagining & only wishing if I could just time travel to witness & live that life. So natural that nowadays one can only highly price a fragment of it, by labelling it "ORGANIC". I may not go back in time but surely I can adapt & implement some of their lifestyles so I could proudly pass it to the next generation.

Back in the day, women used to heavily oil their hair every day & would never experience hair falls like we do now; their hair would be butt reaching long, darker, thicker & slowed grey hair.

As opposed to the modern way of applying oil for 20 mins & washing it away with chemical concoctions ie shampoos & conditioners; to first strip your hair of good oils only to claim to provide nutrients to the hair. 

Moving on to the magic potion.

Recipe for one time use hair oil but for larger quantities, maintain the same ratio just increases the volume. This oil can be stored for a longer time in a glass jar/bottle.

2tsp Coconut Hair Oil

2tsp Olive Oil

2-3tsp Mustard Oil

1tsp Castor Oil

2 Vitamin E capsules 

1tsp Almond Oil

1tsp Black Seed (optional)

Directions to apply:

Massage your scalp with this oil for good 30 mins. Heavily oil your hair for 24 hrs (highly recommended) but the minimum would be 6hrs in order to really soak in all the benefits of the oils. The more the better. Duly note this isn't your typical 20 min hair oil.

Overall this oil is so nourishing that even if you are, not an avid oil applier, once a week should suffice to compensate for the impending hair damage you do for the next week.

(Disclaimer) Be mindful that this hair oil may give off a strong smell during its application but it is completely bearable & will go away after a hair wash. It should be okay if your hair smells like fritters for a day because your hair will be thankful to you. If you are applying this for the first time make sure you do a patch test to see if you aren't allergic to any of the oil(s) mentioned above. If these oils are store-bought patch test is highly recommended.

Being an old school in a tech advanced world is nothing but a curse, where most answers arent found on google, and mother's recipes & advice ALWAYS come in handy. And to end it indeed I can truly say Mother Knows the Best.

~Mehek Shaikh

Found this gem in the busy street of Al Karama just opposite Ansar mall. 

I was lucky to find parking in front of the restaurant that too on a Friday. So make sure to set aside time for finding parking.

As I entered the restaurant, it was like entering another zone. The smoke of sizzlers filled the restaurant & the sound of sizzling meat ordered by the other customers was gastronomical enough for me to be drooling from hunger. 

The restaurant's ambience worked well with the decor giving off relaxing and peaceful vibes.

Hygiene standards of the restaurant were pretty impressive as well as covid-19 protocols were also strictly followed.

Regardless of my 20% research on the restaurant and the food, it only allows me to make a decision 'if or not' I should be visiting the restaurant, and the remaining 80% is staff suggestion and dine-in experience. 

So prior to ordering I always ask the serving staff what is the best speciality of your restaurant and most of the time I didn't exit the restaurant disappointed.

I was being served by Mr Akshat and he guided me through their menu & suggested I order Pepper steak which was what they served the best. Before proceeding with the review, I would like to appreciate the serving staff as they made sure the best was served, customers knew what they were ordering & in case of any disappointment with the food they were willing to compensate for it. 

What I ordered?

Pepper Steak

This dish could easily serve 2 people & I ordered my steak to be medium.

The first bite was magical, extremely flavorful, delicious & sizzling hot. Not only the steak was appetizing enough but had an excellent price to quantity ratio. 

The sauce on the steak enhanced it's flavorful & like the name suggests it was quite peppery. Alongside the steak, there were some grilled vegetables and scrumptious potatoes that were served along with the steak which added a much needed healthy balance.

Although you might want to confirm with them the way you like your steak. As I had ordered it to be medium but my steak turned out to be medium-well to well done, although it was palatable, that was the only thing that caught me off-guard.  

Final review:

The steak was delicious, the price to quantity ratio was good, the serving staff's demeanour was very good, and the ambience was very relaxing and peaceful. The price was economical as well. 

Overall a great experience. If you are looking to dine out on a budget especially devour a steak, then I would definitely recommend this restaurant to my fellow foodies. 

Al Khail Mall located in Al Quoz

What I ordered?

Vazhayila Mutton Dum Biryani

The serving size was enough for 2 people. The biryani was flavorful and economical in price. Overall the biryani was palatable & suitable for lunch. Biryani was served with Dahi raita & tangy pickle; a one killer combo.

Mixed Grill Lebanese Medium

The platter consisted of:

• Chicken & Mutton Kebabs
• Chicken Tikka Kebabs
• Chicken Wings
• Grilled Onions & Tomatoes

The quantity for the mixed grill was very good. The meat was fresh, succulent at every bite & cooked to perfection. Nonetheless cooked on charcoal enhanced its aroma & flavour ten folds.

The price factor was also at its par with the flavour & freshness. Highly recommend it. 

Hummus

Arabic bread

Garlic Mayo

The platter was served with additional Arabic Bread, Fries, Hummus & Garlic mayo. 

Final review:

What I  Ordered  ?

• Chicken lollipop
• Hyderabadi Dum Mutton Biryani
• Bheja Fry
• Gulab Jamun
• Tandoori Butter naan

Chicken Lollipop

For the starters, we ordered chicken lollipops which were perfectly fried, with the perfect blend of Indian herbs, a very common indo-Chinese dish that was perfectly unique.

Bheja Fry

As a main course, bheja fry was fiery & succulent in texture. So juicy it just melts in your mouth.

Hyderabadi Dum Mutton Biryani (Jumbo)

The show stopper of the dinner, this biryani was so different to the types of biryani's I have tasted, the mutton was tender. However, it had the scope to be a little bit better yet the quantity impressed me.


Final Review:

Inside View

My dining experience with Zafran post-Covid was fantastic. Diners & the restaurant followed strict SOP's. Apart from their impeccable services, I was highly in awe of their hygiene, as they sanitized the entire table and seats. To avoid the touch of menus, there was a QR CODE menu at every table. There was an outside seating area that had a splendid marina view but unfortunately, it was closed due to Covid. 

But the staff was sweet enough to provide us access for photography purposes.

Outside View

Welcome Snacks:

           What I Ordered ?

Chaat Platter

Just to give you an idea of serving size & portions

Butter Chicken

Ghosht Kairi Ka Khima

                                                             HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Rasmalai

Malai Kulfi

Butter Naan

Final Review:

The overall ordered menu was satisfactory in taste but brilliantly managed to capture the true essence of Indian delicacies in its menu. The price for the ordered menu was way above the quantity & quality ratio but the ambiance compensated. This restaurant is just perfect if you are trying to chill with your friends or have work meetings as it provides you with free unlimited WIFI. Also don't forget to try their Ghosht Kairi Ka Keema, I Highly Recommend it.

Rating: 6 out of 10

XOXO

~Mehek Shaikh

Refer to the below menu we ordered from.

The menu we scanned through QR CODE (ATTN: the menu may/may not have been changed)