This week September 30th feast on some fabulous focaccia at La Fabbrica Italiana, cool coffee at Kaffe Bloom and edgy buys at the Urban Market
Monica Kapila joins Mark Lloyd as a guest DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm every Friday
Monica’s Weekend September 30th Focaccia Coffee and Edgy markets
Missed the live broadcast on Dubai Eye? Don’t worry just listen again here we’ll add the new podcast as soon it’s up, here’s last week’s in the meantime.
We’re eating some fabulous focaccia at La Fabbrica Italiana.
Real sourdough fermented for up to 72 hours makes for a perfect, light base for La Fabbrica Italiana foccacias. Well established Italian run eaterie based in Wasl 51 in Jumeirah 1 with an executive chef from Santa Margarita in Italy and a real Italian owner Maurizio on site!
We highly recommend any of their slices of foccacia with a coffee or a kombucha. Even if you don’t eat gluten or bready things too often, this is where you treat yourself! We opted for vegetarian toppings, classic tomatoes, burrata of course mushrooms and even a bit of truffle. But they do also have spicy salami toppings as well.
A word on their tomatoes. Not only are they fresh, the marinade they use is so flavoursome and I think they don’t rush things so the depth of flavour is so obvious! They marinate their aubergines for days almost curing them before they add to their toppings! BUT it’s not just focaccia you can eat here, they’ve added a whole range of hot dishes including apparently the lightest, tastiest lasagne in Dubai we were told!
We also tried some of the fresh, pesto sauce they used on their pastas and again, you couldn’t look at a jar of sauce after eating here. The Italian hot dishes are part of new range called Nona’s Kitchen, so it’s how grandma would make. Everything is Italian in origin apart from the Kombucha which is an artisanal Australian brand called Remedy, very good!
Did someone say pudding?! Choose from 3 if you have room! Their classic Tiramisu, any of the gelatos, pistachio is especially good or try the focacciatella! Focaccia with nutella in it, cinnamon and orange zest! Warm it or dunk in a flat white, honestly hard to beat even if you’re not keen on sweets! a huge slice for AED 25. Should be on a foodie tour of Dubai.
Open from: 11am to midnight every day.
This Saturday October 1st is in fact International Coffee Day!
So go to a place called Kaffe Bloom and try some specialty brand Fritz Coffee and The Barn Coffee Roasters for half price on both Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd of October! As Kaffe Bloom is offering a flat 50% discount on their coffee menu. And if it’s too hot for you to have a steaming coffee how about a special Coffee Jelly Float ?
But before you have your coffee for half price do a little all South East Asian food shopping in the 1004 Gourmet emporium! Think everything you need to make Korean, Chinese and Japanese food or just buy some ready made frozen dumplings and your favourite sauces!
Need some inspiration on what to buy from 1004 Gourmet then see our post here on this originally Korean supermarket in Dubai By the way it was World Dumpling Day last Monday 26th of September!
Kaffe Bloom is located at the back of 1004 Gourmet supermarket in the Greens area of Dubai in Onyx Tower 1 on P2 level. Open from 9am till late every day.
This weekend visit the Urban Market at the Radisson Red hotel in Silicon Oasis
So while the main event on Saturday brings in a variety of vendors from all over Dubai often they’ve made their own products or they have a fair amount of edgy but thrift buys, don’t worry if you miss it.
There is a permanent shop operated by the Radisson Red hotel in Silicon Oasis that stocks a good range of products that you buy anytime. But they don’t have all the thrift gear, still very well priced from what I gathered when researching the Urban Market.
There’s vintage clothing, wellness and some beauty products as well. The Saturday event is on from 2pm to 8pm but the shop is open via the reception at the hotel.
Monica’s Travel Tips
Another new route added by FlyDubai to a new short break destination. This time they’ve added a 3rd city to the 2 they already fly to in Uzbekistan! So you could already go to Samarkand and Tashkent, now you can also fly direct to new to me Namangan!
That’s the 3rd largest city in Uzbekistan, and a three and a half hour flight away, so definitely a new short break destination. Namangan has always been famous as a craft city. On its territory lived the best weavers, jewellers, blacksmiths and potters. It’s famous for a special kind of pilaf rice and apparently the fruit of the region especially the peaches are the best in the region!
The name Namangan comes from 2 words Namak Kan which is Persian for salt mine! I reckon it’s going to be a reasonably priced place to explore. Last but not least apparently no more masks required at Dubai Airport or on Emirates, Etihad and FlyDubai flights! After 2.5 years!
More travel tips on our Travel Tips page here.
And if you want to go further a field read our cool 48 hours in Miami where to eat, visit and sleep
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