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Welcome to EATING places here on DoinDubai

Dubai loves eating and why not? Enjoying food is a great pleasure. Dubai has been the focus of many new restaurant openings, attracting celebrity chefs from all over the world. However there is a huge range of smaller, less well known restaurants that you must try. The โ€œmelting potโ€ of Dubaiโ€™s nationalities has brought with it some authentic international cuisines. But how to choose where to eat? Well that depends on how fat you and your wallet are feeling ! Browse restaurant reviews here or go to the eating out menu bar and select the category of food you feel like today. If you have a restaurant that youโ€™d like to feature on DoinDubai get in touch via the Contact form link in the footer of the website.

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COPALA MEXICAN FOOD IN DUBAI authentic tasty Mexican cuisine

Welcome to Copala Mexican Food in Dubai. Authentic, tasty Mexican cuisine prepared with fresh ingredients by a genuine Mexican chef.

COPALA MEXICAN FOOD DOINDUBAI CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA SOUP
COPALA MEXICAN FOOD IN DUBAI NOT TEX MEX

Copala Mexican Food in Dubai – Where is it

COPALA cafe/restaurant is located on Level 1 of Index Tower in the DIFC area of Dubai. But don’t worry these aren’t swanky gate village 5 prices at all. This is a casual cafe with friendly service in an iconic residential building in Dubai adjacent to Gate Avenue.

The food at Copala

Expect authentic Mexican dishes cooked using fresh ingredients many of which are sourced direct from Mexico itself. Everything is very reasonably priced, moreover portions are extremely generous.

Dishes are professionally prepared and presented by Adan, a genuine Mexican chef. The whole restaurant was started and is run by 2 Mexican lawyers living in Dubai.

Exasperated at not being able to find genuine home style Mexican dishes they opened Copala to showcase proper Mexican food and ingredients to Dubai diners.

To begin with at Copala – Mexican Food in Dubai

Try the excellent Portobello chcharon guacamole. It’s their signature guacamole using Hass avocados from Michoacan in Mexico.

No ordinary guacamole, expect sides of red onion, coriander, lime, salt and crispy fried mushrooms with home made tortilla chips.

COPALA MEXICAN FOOD DOINDUBAI AVOCADO CRISPY MUSHROOMS RADISH APPETISER
COPALA MEXICAN GUACAMOLE WITH CRISPY MUSHROOMS

You could also select the cheese croquettas with fresh, green salsa or the chicken quesadillas. For any vegetarians or vegans there is also the option of the cauliflower tempura popcorn with chipotle dip.

A substantial soup at Copala

One of the heartiest and tastiest soups we’ve tried in a while, the red Pozole soup is made with Mexican corn, shredded chicken and served with in a sauce/gravy of Mexican spices along with a hand made cheese tortilla. See main picture.

Main courses at Copala

Choose from a range of vegetarian, non vegetarian, vegan or even keto main courses! We liked to the crispy tuna gorditas served with sour cream and a fresh green salad.

But we also recommend the fabulous crispy, Mexican cheese crust that forms the cover for the chicken pastor dish with coriander and onion too.

COPALA MEXICAN FOOD DOINDUBAI TUNA GORADITOS
TUNA GORDITAS SHOWN IN CENTRE OF MAIN COURSE SELECTION COPALA

Desserts at Copala

We were served a fresh zingy fruit salad incorporating roasted pineapple and chamoy chilli as well as a comforting, soft Mexican dessert flan called Flan de Elote made with a creamy, but lightish, goat milk caramel.

COPALA MEXICAN FOOD DOINDUBAI DESSERT FLAN
FLAN DE ELOTE MEXICAN DESSERT

Don’t leave without trying the excellent Mexican espresso coffee

We also were inspired by the genuine Mexican artisanal cups, scarapes and the REE brand of Mexican coffee all on sale at Copala. These would make unique gifts too.

COPALA MEXICAN FOOD DOINDUBAI HAND PAINTED ENAMEL DRINKING GLASSES
HAND PAINTED STAINLESS STEEL DRINKING GLASSES GREAT GIFT IDEA

We were tempted to buy a jar of the special Mexican chilli paste prepared fresh, an ideal gift for any real foodie.

COPALA MEXICAN FOOD DOINDUBAI MEXICAN COFFEE
LOVE THE MEXICAN ESPRESSO AT COPALA DUBAI

Worthy of note about Copala Mexican food in Dubai

The focus on the flour used to make the tortillas, the chips, the quesadillas and everything that uses corn. It’s milled freshly and then this flour without lot’s of preservatives, enhancers or colourings is what’s used to make the dough for all the above items.

So it’s easy on the stomach, very unprocessed, tasty and good for you too.

Try Copala for yourself and let us know what you think by sharing your pictures on instagram and tagging @copaladubai and @doindubai

Copala Mexican food in Dubai – need to know

TEL 04 878 5757

EMAIL Hola@copalarestaurant.com

COPALA INSTAGRAM

Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free and Keto options are available.

CHECK OUT THEIR MENUS BELOW

COPALA MAIN MENU

COPALA PLANT BASED MENU

Copala is OPEN from 12pm till 9pm everyday. Dine in and takeaway options are both available.

Note the nearest place to have a few drinks before or after your meal at Copala would be Gate Avenue where there is a MgGettigans.

However Copala does serve non alcoholic beer and a range of artisanal non alcoholic beverages made from hibiscus and tamarind.

VISITORS PARKING accessible via Index Tower main entrance (fountains level).  2 hrs validation
Take the service road of Al Mustaqbal st (Burj Khalifa direction), and turn right and go up the ramp, immediately after Index Tower Residents’ parking entrance. 

Note: This post was written in conjunction with Copala but the views are all my own.

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ENERGY BALLS RECIPE perfect nutrient dense sweet snack

Get your Energy as naturally as possible with this simple Energy Balls Recipe

UPDATED APRIL 2022 perfect Ramadan Recipe

The original energy balls recipe is great but here’s another version WITHOUT the very calorific peanut butter AND without all the caffeine in the cocoa. I’ve also used a delicious coating of sesame seeds and fennel seeds making this version of energy balls a perfect after dinner sweet fix.

ENERGY BALLS DOINDUBAI MONICA KAPILA fennel and sesame seeds
ENERGY BALLS NO PEANUT BUTTER OR COCOA

NEW FAVORITE ENERGY BALLS RECIPE GOES LIKE THIS

100 g of UNSALTED nuts – your choice I like cashews, almonds and pistachios all mixed

5 dates and 5 PRUNES no pips

1 tablespoon avocado or coconut oil

30 g flaxseed powder

40 g sunflower/pumpkin seeds ground to powder or you could us 70 g or dried coconut powder

1 tea spoon of water – if mixture is too dry

You pretty much make it as in method for the original recipe

ORIGINAL RECIPE FOR ENERGY BALLS USING PEANUT BUTTER AND COCOA

There are so many energy ball recipes being shared; this one was given to me by one of my uber fit and body conscious Australian gym buddies. It’s easy, uses simple, accessible ingredients and it works every time. Try some energy balls instead of your usual sweet fix!

Energy Balls Recipe DoinDubai

Ingredients to make the Energy Balls

12 to 14 pitted or unpitted dates

1 tablespoon of cacao powder

3/4 of a mug of raw, plain cashews and or almonds

2 tablespoons of your favourite peanut butter

Energy Balls Recipe ingredients 800

Equipment to make the Energy Balls

A good food processor OUR FAVOURITE IS THE THERMOMIX Read all about it or listen to a podcast on what a thermomix is and what it can do here.

Sharp kitchen knife and chopping board (to take the pips out of your dates if you need to)

Baking paper (not strictly necessary)

A large enough tray to lay out up to 14 to 18  made energy balls for setting

Prepared shelf in your fridge for energy balls to set on the tray

Metal tablespoon

One large bowl

Method to make the Energy Balls

  1. Take the pips out of the dates if you didn’t purchase them pitted
  2. Weigh out all your ingredients
  3. Process the nuts in the food processor to the thickness you want them. Some people prefer them to be almost powdery and quite fine, others a little more course. Me? I like a little of each, so I put most of the nuts in the processor and whizz to a powdery consistency, then leave a handful to be whizzed up roughly. Set aside the processed nuts
  4. Whizz up the dates to as small as you can get without them sticking together
  5. Add the peanut butter to the processor with the cacao powder, mix well so you are making a kind of very chocolatey peanut butter
  6. Add the dates to the mixture and whiz up again
  7. Add the nuts and do a final whiz till the mixture all comes together in a rough ball
  8. Switch off your food processor! Then take out your mixture and put in a mixing bowl
  9. Shape the mixture into little balls and lay out on kitchen paper on a tray ready to set in the fridge
  10. This quantity should make 12 to 14 small energy balls, set in the fridge for about an hour, or you could put in the freezer for less time.
  11. Just eat from the fridge or store in an airtight bag in the freezer and take out a few minutes before you need to serve

These Energy Balls are great for those after dinner munchies 

You can add your ingredients together

differently if you prefer.

In my video I combined the nuts with the cacao

as they are both dry ingredients.

Experiment and see what you think.

*I do recommend you make the dates as small as possible first though. Don’t be tempted to use too much cacao, it has a very strong taste!

Try the energy balls recipe with different kinds of homemade or shop bought nut butters and see if you prefer the taste! I think  these would also be good to give to growing teens as a snack especially during exams. Also a great recipe to teach to any kids going to university, provided they had a basic food processor!

Hope you enjoy! Tell us what combination of ingredients you have tried.

Monica

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TASCA BRUNCH AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL

EATING

TASCA BRUNCH AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL

THE TASCA BRUNCH UPADTED MARCH 2022

BRUNCH IS NOW ON SATURDAYS 12.30 TO 4.00PMย 

THERE IS NOW A DEDICATED VEGETARIAN MENU AND A VEGAN MENU TOO.ย ย 

PRICE OF ALCOHOLIC PACKAGE IS NOW AED 450 PER HEAD.ย 

BEST TABLE is definitely anything on the promontory deck overlooking the sea, if it’s not too hot!ย There is definitely a seafood slant to the Tasca Brunch at the Mandarin Oriental. Thatโ€™s because Josรฉ Avillez a Michelin starred chef brings it to you from Portugal.


Expect a range of starters, main courses and desserts all served at your table around a sharing concept.

The Food

The most unusual thing to eat was an Apple Margarita. Delightful! A slice of crunchy apple drenched in some kind of alcohol, we had a piece each but could have asked for more. This came as part of the starter section of food.

I liked my cod cake and tempura beans to start with and our fellow brunchers raved about the veal chorizo. Another all round favourite was the crispy aubergine in a yogurt sauce with pomegranate, we all wanted and got more of this dish. I also went on to make it at home!

We also upon prior request got a non-fish rice dish made with mushrooms that was a real hit all round the table. I actually preferred this to the fish rice.

The hot, fat, crispy outside and fluffy on the inside chips were perfect and how all chips should be, I passed on the wagyu beef strips though. The crunchy broccolini was well cooked and a great accompaniment.

Tasca Brunch at the Mandarin Oriental Apple Margarita
Apple Margarita and clams

The Puddings

Desserts were outstanding with some obligatory custard tarts as these are a Portugeuse classic. Expect light, buttery, flaky pastry and a creamy filling. A range of fruit ice creams and a hazelnut cream pudding complemented the custard tarts. All beautifully presented and demolished by our table.

Custard tarts and hazelnut dessert

Expect a range of starters, main courses and desserts all served at your table around a sharing concept so no getting up and down for a buffet!

The Drinks Package

I think itโ€™s quite a generous drinks package as far as high end Friday brunches are concerned. There is a range of cocktails you can order with no limit. You are greeted on arrival with a choice of red or white sangria or a mocktail. We opted for red sangria and got a tall carafe of it brought to our table.

There is also red, white or rosรฉ wine on offer from Portugal, no sign of those iconic Matheus Rose bottles although we would probably have been the only table that remembers them well!

The passion fruit martini was a success all round only surpassed by the Espresso Martinis had at the end of our brunch. The cocktails are expertly crafted by mixologists, so we really appreciated that.

Passion fruit martini at Tasca brunch at the Mandarin Oriental DoinDubiai
Passion Fruit Martini

The Ambience

Itโ€™s lively and busy at brunch. If you want a table in front of the pool and the sea, then you need to arrive early at about 12.30 or so on Friday. Otherwise youโ€™ll sit on the side facing the Dubai skyline. It seemed a little less noisy near the skyline side, but you maybe nearer the josper ovens and so it might feel warmer. Service was attentive and platters of food arrived at the right time.

Meet me at the Mandarin Oriental

Get a feel of the vibe of this place.ย 

Prices for the Tasca Brunch

There are no Entertainer or Zomato type deals for this brunch, but itโ€™s not too expensive at AED 450 for the alcoholic package and AED 350 for the non-alcoholic package. Iโ€™d highly recommend and definitely go there again.

Location

where is Tasca

at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Jumeirah 1

Four Seasons brunch in Jumeirah

You may also like Saturday Brunch at the FOUR SEASONS IN JUMEIRAH. See our instagram reel for a flavour, PLUS they are currently offering 25% off for all mums this weekend 19th/20th March 2022

This review was written independently of the restaurant, we paid in full for our brunch. The pictures are all my own.
Monica Kapila
Founder of DoinDubai

MOTIVATION

Start your weekend with some rigorous exercise, go for a swim, do a yoga class or an early morning walk, then you can eat brunch guilt free!

ย If you’d like us to review a product or service for this award winning website, then get in touch using the link below:

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Another Mandarin Oriental Moment

Christmas tea at the Mandarin Oriental in London.

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THERMOMIX IN DUBAI


Updated March 2022

Thermomix in Dubai Is it worth it ?

Read this honest review updated 2022.

I found out all about the thermomix in Dubai in Feb 2017 when I did a review of the product.ย  But I ended up waiting till December 2020 to buy my thermomix!ย  I use it daily, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day, constantly when I have people over.ย  It’s given me back some control over my health.

Why don’t you Listen now to my podcastย  (Feb 2021) in the Monic Moments Podcasts to find out what some of my doubts were.

Episode 6 What is a thermomix

I did actually go ahead and buy a thermomix in Dubai, the latest version, which is ย the TM6ย  in December 2020!

I use the recipes in the in built cookiedoo account, but I also confidently and happily DISRUPT those recipes.

I have been happy being creative with my own recipes experimenting with flavours throughout the process and via sharing of recipes and experiences on instagram, people have approached me to help them make better use of their thermomixes to achieve their lifestyle eating goals. These sessions can be one to one or in a group.

Energy balls made with dates and prunes rolled in a coating of sesame and fennel seeds in the picture below.

thermomix in dubai monica kapila energy balls

If you have any questions on the thermomix then go to my @doindubai instagram account and send me a dm or use the contact link here to send me a message directly.

Thermomix in Dubai – from the beginning

A Thermomix is a kitchen gadget that weighs, processes and cooks your food.

Read on to find out what thermomix in Dubai is all about. It’s fabulous if you’re a creative cook, but it’s also fabulous if you’re not a creative cook. It’s great if ย you can cook, but it’s great if you can’t cook too!

Thermomix in Dubai making a curry paste DoinDubai gallery

What’s thermomix in Dubai all about

The thermomix is about the size of a large electric kettle that sits in it’s own pod type housing unit. The “kettle” is in effect the mixing/cooking bowl that you use for almost every task the machine carries out.

The pod has only 3 types of main controls, a timer, a temperature control and a motor speed dial – that’s it. The machine has been designed and made in Germany by a company called Voerwerk.

Thermomix in Dubai Blogger Event DoinDubai Making MInt Lemonade gallery

What can a thermomix do that my current food processor can’t

One of the unique selling points about the thermomix is that seems to be many kitchen gadgets all rolled into one. So it’s not just a powerful food processor.

  • It’s very easy to weigh ingredients precisely and continue adding and weighing as you need to without removing things and starting again. So good bye kitchen scales.

Thermomix in Dubai Monica Kapila DoinDubai weighing scale

  • It has an incredibly powerful motor, the most powerful of any food processor on the market at the moment. So that means you can produce fine powder from the hardest food substances. This makes it easy to produce your own flours, sugars and nut combinations.
  • You can then use these to turn into dough, butter, cake mixture or anything you need. It’s also very easy to process tough, sticky dates, so you can make things like these 4 ingredient energy balls in seconds!

Thermomix in Dubai Beetroot and Orange Cake

  • The processing functions are quite comprehensive and sophisticated. So there is a special kneading mode for making dough as though you were doing it by hand. There is an emulsifying mode for combining sauces, as well as the regular blending and chopping functions of a standard food processor.
  • There is a unique cooking mode which again can be precisely controlled via the temperature gauge. We saw how simple it was to first grind whole spices like pepper corns and cinnamon sticks into a fine powder and then easily roast them in the same bowl by pressing a button. These spices then form the base of a spicy curry paste with the garlic, ginger and onion easily chopped in the same bowl.
  • It also works as a very powerful blender so it’s great for making any combination of fruit or vegetable drinks that include a bit of the zest or skin if you’d like. So it’s good bye smoothie and ice cream maker.
  • We saw the cooking element work to make a curry and a soup. It works in a similar way to how a multi cooker would work. It’s more powerful than a slow cooker though. ย So goodbye multi cooker and slow cooker. But there is a non stick wok type saucepan that enables you to steam food as well. That sits comfortably on top of the “kettle” type bowl.

Thermomix in Dubai Middle East DoinDubai Blogger Event mango ice cream gallery

I’m not good in the kitchen so why should I buy a thermomix

The thermomix also comes with it’s own unique recipe chip (now connected via wifi in the machine itelf) that very simply guides you though making a dish step by step, with minimal food preparation. And if you need inspiration for making fabulous food in your thermomix, we have recipe ideas here that you can easily adapt and make in minutes! This 3 ingredient pancake mix is trending on our site at the moment!

3 ingredient pancakes doindubai

And so many people have tried baking their own bread! Again very easy to do ANY KIND OF DOUGH in the thermomix!

Here’s our recipe for an easy Irish Soda Bread that doesn’t need yeast or proving time!

Bread without yeast DoinDubai toast and jam

Where can I get a thermomix in Dubai

You can’t buy a thermomix in a shop, almost anywhere in the world. They’re only sold via distributors and Dubai is no exception. Call the thermomix office here in Dubai if you’d like to book a demonstration to see how the machine works or if you’d like to buy one anyway. The demonstrations are free of any obligation to buy. Tel +971 4 234 2520

Do say you heard about them from DoinDubai though please!

How much does a thermomix in Dubai cost

The thermomix machine isn’t cheap. They are around AED 5000 or so. I think they’d make an ideal wedding present for a couple that are just starting out. Friends and family could put this money together for them instead of buying separate household gifts. Thermomix in Dubai do offer a type of payment plan whereby you can pay in installments.

The thermomix is ideal for anyone who is maybe thinking of downsizing to a smaller home. The smart thermomix would negate the need of lots of gadgets taking up valuable kitchen counter space. Pay for it from the money you make selling your junk when you move.

Get it as a special Christmasย or aย Birthday or Anniversary present to yourself especially if you’re serious about improving your health as it gives you back so much control.

If you like cooking then you should definitely see our AIR FRYER recipes here too.

3-ingredient-spicy-edamae-beans-doindubai-finished-dish
3 INGREDIENT SPICY EDAMAME BEANS

More great recipes on the DoinDubai Instagram and Facebook Feeds.ย 

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