There is a Village in Ajman...

 

What if I tell you that I am a Desi from the bottom of my heart and I love Desi food? But there has always been one problem: Finding a restaurant which serves authentic and desi food.

The biggest expat population in U.A.E comprises of Indians & Pakistanis and there are hundreds and thousands of Desi restaurants around and yet we still struggle to decide where to go.

But finally, finally, finally. I found a really, really good Desi and in particular, an authentic Pakistani restaurant not in Abu Dhabi, not in Dubai, in fact, not even in Sharjah, guess where, in Ajman, yes you read it right, in Ajman.

Village restaurant founded by 2 brothers, Aftab and Raheel who have the passion to provide a meal which makes you feel at home to the millions of Pakistanis and Indians who are roaming the streets of UAE like Zombies to satisfy their taste buds with authentic Pakistani food.

You want to know what I had to eat there, don't you? THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Check out the latest webisode to know more about this wonderful restaurant make sure you check out, Village Restaurant in Ajman

Healthy but Tasty at Healthy Choice, Sharjah

I have failed miserably to understand that why healthy food has to always taste so bad and why it has such an expensive price tag. I finally got the answer; The more sugar, salt, and processed food you eat, the less sensitive your taste buds become to anything which isn't salty or sweet.

Beef Fried Rice

So the question is, can we cook healthy food without using salt or other unhealthy ingredients and still make it taste as good as unhealthy food?

I have always supported the thought of eating healthy but it's just little difficult to find a restaurant where you can have the luxury of having an option of both healthy and tasty foods. It was only recently that I discovered both qualities in one place.

Once again Sharjah didn't disappoint me when I visited The Healthy Choice.

Chicken Fajita

The Healthy Choice and diet food were started by a young Emirati entrepreneur Mr. Khailfa, who had the vision to bring the highest quality of the healthiest food to the residents of Sharjah.

Honestly, I was not very excited when I was invited to try the food. I was thinking about all the possible excuses I could use to avoid going there. But honestly, this guy was so good and he was so confident about his food that I could not say no.

My perception of the food was wrong. I was amazed by the kind of dishes that I tasted and realized that healthy food can be as delicious as the unhealthy food.

Want to know about the entire experience?

Then make sure you check out this weeks webisode of The Hidden Greats at The Healthy Choice and Diet Food.

Made With Love at Garage, The Grill

Philly Steak Sandwich & Dynamite Shrimps 

The best thing about homegrown brands is that they have lots of passion and hard work behind them. Young entrepreneurs getting inspired by their dreams, risking everything they have and turning their dreams into reality.
While on my mission to find the best food in UAE, I was lucky enough to meet such young, energetic, passionate Emirati entrepreneurs from Sharjah, who are challenging the way people think about them.

Garage, The Grill is the brainchild of three brothers, friends and now partners.

Left to right - Mohammad, Hussain, and Chef Tariq

The first thing that attracted me about Garage, The Grill was the name. Raw and very original just like their food. I saw some pictures of their outlet that people shared on social media.

Although it's not a dine-in restaurant yet a lot of effort has gone into making the place unique and interesting. This was enough to getting me craving some burgers. In no time I was on my way searching for Garage, The Grill on Wasit Street, Sharjah.
The guy I met there was one of the most humble guys I have met in a very long time. Tariq is an Emirati and he is a chef, which is again not very common. Tariq got very excited about my VLOG and made me 2 of his signature items from a very diverse menu, Philly Steak Sandwich, and Dynamite Shrimps.
What happened after that, you have to watch it in our this week Vlog

The Chicken on Fire at Grill'O

Grilled food is one of my favorite foods of all time. It is probably the purest and the oldest method of cooking. Men have been grilling food since the stone age. The history of grilling began shortly after the domestication of fire, some 500,000 years ago. ‎

My love affair with grilled food started some 30 years ago when we went on a family picnic and my mom made us  Grilled Chicken. I cannot forget that chicken, even today. It was juicy, tender, spicy and the smell of charcoals enhanced the taste, even further.
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Somewhere, the taste of authentic Grilled Chicken is getting lost b'cos of the way it gets cooked, these days and what we are served is the slimy, greasy and tasteless chicken which is available at every corner.  If you try it once, you won't be able to eat it, again.  
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So, when my friend introduced me to Grill'O, a joint that specializes in grilled food, I was expecting the same. But, my first bite of Grill'O Chicken with their special Peri Peri sauce.... it was like going back in time.

In this week website of The Hidden Greats, we went to discover the unique taste of my favorite Grilled Chicken at The Grillo...‎ a must try for those who love grilled food.

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Tallest and the juiciest burger in Dubai

Burgers are my weakness and my hunt to find the best burgers is a never ending journey. People who know me often come up to me with their finds and most of the times I'm left disappointed. 

Big brands are mostly failing big time in producing "the perfect burger". Somehow they all taste the same and leave us feeling full (and unsatisfied) for days.      

Recently, my friend shared a photo of him devouring a work of art created by a small restaurant called The John Denials. I was stunned by looking at this huge burger. It was big, juicy, colorful and I could not move my eyes off it. I immediately called my friend and he said these guys know what they are doing and they are probably making the best burgers in the world. 

When I decided to start The Hidden Greats, my food Vlog, John Denials just had to be the first on the list. I called these guys and they were gracious enough to invite us over and let us try their burgers.

Watch my vlog to witness the masterpiece they call their burger.