End of an era as Darcy's Kitchen ( MSQ branch) shuts down in Muscat

I follow select social media pages and one of them is our all time favourite cafe Darcy's Kitchen. About 10 years ago, the cafe culture of Oman received a real shot in the arm as a charming cafe called Darcy's Kitchen came up in Madinat Sultan Qaboos. While they already had a branch in Shatti Al Qurum, this cafe in Madinat Sultan Qaboos soon became the number one spot for an anytime break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Be it a coffee, breakfast, brunch or tea- we could pop in anytime be assured of great food, ambience ad top quality service with a very personal touch.Home away from home- the thought that popped into my head every time I was there... Given all the above, imagine my dismay when, I saw this post from Darcy's Kitchen come up on my newsfeed late last night "Dear D’Arcy’s customers! Sadly, after 10 successful years, our MSQ branch has closed due to the landlord’s redevelopment of the entire area. We would like to thank each & every one of you for your loyalty & friendship. We are aggressively working on our new location and will inform you as soon as we have an opening date.' The flood gates of memory opened up as I sat remembering all those times hat we had spent there. Looking through my blog I found this post and decided to share it here again. We all have a place that we love to head towards time and again. A place where we can just sit and have a chat with friends over a cup of tea, coffee or enjoy a quick meal. Or if you will, sit out in the sun, basking in the warmth of the venue, but even more, the sheer pleasure of being in a place where each member of the staff is keenly attuned to your individual preferences and greets you like a long lost friend. Darcys MQ, Quaint, beautifully decorated and serving the best coffee.

I've got exactly one such place and its probably where I spend the most amount of time, outside my own home. This charming little cafe is called 'Darcys Kitchen' and its located at Madinat Qaboos (MQ) in Muscat.

'My Take' with a Cappuccino While I'm fairly engrossed in my book, magazine or newspaper if I'm alone here, or chatting animatedly with friends or family in other situations, I do take a look around and nod at a familiar face every now and then. Most of the customers are regulars just like me and over a period one gets to know them somewhat too.

But then there are the other faces that seem somewhat out of place and that is exactly the reason why they stay in the mind. Every other time that I'm there, I see a 35' ish local man, who has a slight limp- and if one looks at him closely, doesn't seem to be entirely normal. Now I don't know why that is so, but one generally avoids making eye contact with him, for fear of...? I really don't have the answer here, but am just sharing my thoughts. And believe me, I'm not the only one there who does this, its probably the majority of others present too.As for the staff, I've noticed that they sat him in a quiet corner where he's served a cup of tea and a small bite and after a short respite, he's off and on his way.. But last weekend saw a departure from the norm. My husband and myself were sitting outside and having our scones and tea and this man walked out.It was evident that he'd finished and was leaving. But here's the real surprise. Just as he reached the small gate which serves as the exit and entry point, he stopped, looked directly at us and waved goodbye. I too waved back instinctively. I really don't know what it was about that simple gesture, but it touched me a great deal. For all the times, I'd thought of him as 'not exactly normal" he'd been seeing and focusing on me as a person who he'd learnt to recognize. Then one day, he actually reacted and how! I find myself thinking of him every now and then. And have made up my mind that I will have a real conversation with him when I see him next.

Just one more reason to head back to Darcy's!! And while I have many photographs of the exterior, Im choosing to use the pic that Darcy's Kitchen used to make this announcement of shutting down

Goodbye Darcy's Kitchen MQ- we will always cherish those beautiful and incomparable memories....

Cafe Ceramique, Oman. A great little place that asks- Would you like to eat first or paint first?

Some time back we decided to go to Cafe Ceramique in Muscat for a weekend breakfast. Must admit the fact that there was a very special offer was the real draw but we came back converted into Cafe Ceramique fans. For more reasons than just one.

Located centrally in the Bareeq Al Shatti Mall, Muscat.Cafe Ceramique is a cafe cum art-workshop. The highlight of the place would have to be the fact that the cafe serves food as well as offers customers ceramic pieces which they can purchase and paint at the cafe itself.They can then enjoy creating unique personalized gifts, keepsakes, dinnerware and home decor pieces that will be cherished forever. All one has to do is to pick a piece of ceramic off the shelf (that has many great pieces to choose from ) and let your imagination run wild. These are then painted, glazed, fired and soon ready for pick up. Once you select the piece you want to paint, you are given a paper, five colours and two outliners. These colours are handed over along with a sponge, water, and a set of brushes. Customers can paint away till they are happy and satisfied and once completed, the piece has to be left in the cafe for them to fire and glaze the piece (about seven days).Customers are are given a receipt which must be used to collect the piece.The pieces are microwave as well as dishwasher friendly and we were informed that the colours do not contain any toxins, so that everyone can eat or and drink out of them.

Baking in the oven

We are shown exactly how the operation works

The paints used

Bright and Beautiful

At our table- Puffy Paints Starters- a delicious salad and toasted bread Can't close before I tell you about our meal which we enjoyed thoroughly.

Called 'The Arabian Treasure', it had a range of Mediterranean favorites, Foul Medammas, Hummus, Grilled Halloumi Cheese, Zattar Crisps, Labneh with a choice of tea or coffee. So there it was- a truly memorable Arabian delight breakfast, topped with the option to paint.A really great way to spend a relaxed and fun morning!

Revisiting a Chocolate Fondue Demonstration and High Tea at the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, Muscat

Just yesterday I came across this great little post on a site called 'Thought Catalogue'. It was aptly titled '15 things we should stop making a big deal about'. Something about it struck a deep chord and made me re-read it to understand the real essence of what was being said. I'm quoting two of the most meaningful lines here "Ordering dessert when you really want dessert. Or that you want to finish all of your dessert, or that you cleared your plate because you were hungry..Life should be a balance between things that are good for you, and things that you genuinely enjoy, and you shouldn’t feel the need to excuse yourself or make a light joke about being “bad.” Then this morning I went into the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton Hotel in Muscat for a Chocolate Fondue demonstration followed by High tea and these lines seemed perfect! Life really has to be a balance and I know I will always keep it that way.There will have to be a time to write, a time to click photographs, go out, spend quality time with family and do that little bit for people who need it. The Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, Muscat For all the ladies present, the highlight of the morning was the Chocolate Fondue demonstration set up by Executive Chef Jergen Sodemann and his two young assistants Kevin and Julia who took us through the short and sweet steps involved in making three kinds of chocolate fondue. Executive Chef Jergen Sodemann shows us the superb Ritz Carlton Chocolate cake which we then got to eat- It was in a word, superb! Kevin then started the demonstration by showing us these bags of fabulous chocolate ( of course, we all got to eat the chocolate). The three types of chocolate fondue that we were privileged to watch were the Manjari, Tanariva and the Dulcey chocolate fondues. Bags of the best quality chocolate used to make the chocolate fondue For those of you who are interested in trying it out, here is the highly acclaimed original Ritz Carlton recipe for the Manjari ( Dark) Chocolate Fondue Boil cream and glucose together. Pour over the dark chocolate . Start using a spatula to create an emulsion. Keep aside Vacuum into a bag and preserve in chiller for a week Ready to serve with these mouthwatering options The taste of the pudding is really in the eating! The fabulous High tea that followed Did that make us feel really happy? I'd say Yes. So would the fifty other ladies who joined us for the event.And before closing, I will share my favourite quote on chocolate by Dave Barry."My therapist told me the way to achieve inner happiness was to finish what I start. So today I have finished two bags of M and Ms and chocolate cake. I feel better already!" NB- Revisiting an older post and loved reliving the experience

You are what you eat.

"You are what you eat" is a line which occurs  to me every now and then.Particularly after I've eaten a whole bar of chocolate or gorged on a big pack of Caramel popcorn at my favourite cinema. 

So on such an occasion, I head to my kitchen and look for the nearest piece of fruit  that's readily available and make sure that I have it, right away if possible.But if something has to be cut or sliced there's no way that I would make the effort. 

But imagine going to a morning 'do' where this absolutely mouthwatering fruit platter was beautifully laid out.All ready and begging to be eaten.

Well that's a different ball game altogether and I certainly didn't complain. Getting busy, just like the rest of my companions and before long this beautiful plate lay empty!

Yes, I really did eat my quota of fruit for that day, along with ensuring that I got a lovely set of photographs just so that I could happily sit back and remember that lovely day in February.

PS Sharing an older post but found it to be very relevant..

'Luquaimat' and Tea. What I learnt about this traditional Omani sweet at Muscat Festival 2015

Luqaimat  is a well-known Arab dessert and a 'must have' in Arab homes for Iftar. Also known as a crunchy sweet dumpling, it varies from country to country and I had a wonderful opportunity to see it being made 'up close and personal' at Muscat Festival 2015 last Thursday.  

My 'Golden bowl of delights' Luquaimat, accompanied by a delicious cardamom tea.

Halfway through my visit to Muscat Festival 2015, I found myself feeling slightly peckish and the need for a cup of tea was very strong. Heading towards the food stalls, I was wondering exactly what I should have when I heard someone calling out to me. It turned out to be the heroine of today's story, Fathiya, a 43 year old from Rustaq who showed me exactly how it was made, patiently answered all my queries and best of all, allowed me to photograph her at each stage. 

Fathiya putting the dumplings into hot oil

"See they are turning golden  in colour"- she tells me

Moved to a draining bowl and left for a few minutes

 What I learnt from Fathiya however was that the dumpling itself was not sweet but the syrup that is poured over it is what gives it that sweet taste.

Moving to the sit down area, I sat and enjoyed my teatime treats and moved on...refreshed and thoroughly rejuvenated!

For those of you who might be interested in trying it out, I have located a variation of the basic recipe that uses condensed milk at the last stage. In my opinion that really makes it even more delicious. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 3/4 – 1 cup of water
• Condensed milk
• Oil to taste

Method

• Mix the all purpose flour, corn flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl.
• Gradually add the water and keep on mixing until  you get a smooth batter. It should be in dripping consistency( not too watery or too thick)
• Cover the batter for 1 or 2 hours until the batter has doubled. The batter now should have bubbles and look somewhat bouncy.
• Heat oil in a wok. Scoop a small amount of batter with your fingers and drop them into the hot oil 
• Fry till they turn golden brown. Remove from oil, and place them on kitchen paper.
• Pour condensed milk or your favorite syrup on top.

Sit back with friends and enjoy with a hot cup of tea, coffee or better still, on their own.

Weekend Delights - A day at Shatti Beach, Muscat

Shatti Beach, Muscat

          It was an absolutely beautiful day today and we decided to head out to the Shatti Beach in Muscat.
        
          Blue skies and an even more blue sea.

People relaxing and making the most of the weather. 

We did exactly the same.

Topped by the most delightful breakfast at the Crepe Cafe.  

Mixed Berry Pancakes and coffee

A great start that really did make our day!

Indian Theme Nights inaugurated at the Best Western Premier, Muscat

Its always good to know about a new eating place in Muscat and   it was interesting to learn about the Indian Theme Nights at the Best Western Hotel. So there we were on Day 1, the Sneak Preview and this is our story. 

As a melting pot of Middle-Eastern, Asian and Western cultures, Oman offers a rich array of cuisine from different corners of the world. The Best Western Premier in Al Khuwair, Muscat is celebrating one of the most popular cuisines in the country , Indian, with special Indian theme nights every Thursday. So if you’re a fan of desi delicacies, head straight to the Atrium, the Best Western’s all-day restaurant, on Thursday evenings between 6.30 pm and 10.30 pm. An expert team of chefs headed by Executive Chef Shafiq Ahmed will whip up various exotic flavours of India which range from tangy and savoury pani puri, to slow-cooked mutton rogan josh and the best ras malai. 

Spoilt For Choice

The first Indian theme night was inaugurated on September 18th  and subsequent theme nights will be held every Thursday. No effort has been spared by the hotel to create a complete and authentic dining experience that will transport diners from 'Muscat to Mumbai'  from the moment they walk into the restaurant. The buffet menu includes salads and appetizers, two snack stations for pani puri and pav bhaji , a range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian main courses, and finally, Indian sweet dishes to round things off. 

Executive Chef Shafiq Ahmed tells us how the spicy Pani Puri is made

Salads, chickpeas chaat and a delicious Mango lassi

We chose to have our Pav Bhaji without the butter 

Rounding off the evening with a delicious array of Indian sweets

Reflections on the use of Bad language and how music is Food for the Soul

Is it just me or are there more of you out there?
People who believe that our day to day spoken language is something which is meant to convey what we feel, think and believe in- but without the liberal use of four letter words.

In fact, a few days back I found myself so concerned about this increasingly visible trend, be it in cinema, theatre or in some passing conversations that I decided to check with a few younger people in the age group of about 20-25 and wasn't really surprised when their feelings mirrored mine to a very great extent!

Image courtesy- Google

So my next thought was how does one deal with the very real fact that this sort of language is increasingly being incorporated in theatre and cinema? My brain told me this would really leave me with one of two options - ‘like it’ or then, just ‘lump it’. But my heart tells me that there has to be a solution to this.

Can we as a community try and do something to reverse, or at least minimise the trend? Or then, (what really saddens me even to think of) will we now have to learn how to numb ourselves to what is happening all around us and just go with the flow? Would love to have your feedback on this one, so please do let me know.

On a completely different and happier ‘note’, 'If Music be the food of love, play on' said some famous poet, many moons ago. To that I'd like to add, music really is food for the soul, nourishing it like very few other things really do. Just the sound of a Spanish guitar, or if you would, an electric guitar, the violin, the harp, or then a combination of all these and many more in the form of an orchestra, are enough to bring a smile to the face of a person who is sad, or another one who is just weary from the walk of his/her life.

It goes without saying of course that meaningful cinema inevitably makes use of a background score to express emotions of various genres, and our good old Hindi movies have music combined it with the song and dance routine. Many a time, the more the merrier.But times are changing and today discerning Hindi film goers are conservative in their approach to nonsense that was sometimes served up in the garb of music, and refuse to swallow more than they absolutely must. We are certainly all getting luckier as music is becoming more eclectic and therefore more appealing.

So I go back to where I began recalling one of my all time favourite numbers from an interesting movie called 'The Great Gambler'. The scene was that of three people in a gondola – Big B, Zeenat Aman and the gondolier – as he took the couple on a gondola ride through the canals of Venice. 

Image courtesy - Google

All I hear as I write this, are the heart stopping, soul stirring words, 'Amore Mio'…

(Note- This piece was originally written for my column, My Take in the Muscat Daily, July 2011)

A memorable Iftar evening at at the Musandam Cafe, Intercontinental Muscat Oman

I've often wondered what exactly it takes to to set up a memorable Iftar and the kind of preparation and planning that is entailed as a part of that process. To find an answer to my questions and a lot more, I contacted Baida Al Sikaiti, the Public Relations and Communications Manager at the the Intercontinental Muscat Hotel, who in turn arranged for me to get into the heart of the kitchens and satisfy my curiosity once and for all. 

 Iftar is the meal served at sunset during Ramadan, as Muslims break the daily fast. Muslims traditionally first break the fast with dates and either water, yogurt drink, ( laban or lassi)or kahwa.

Breaking the fast with  dates, kahwa and juice

The Maghrib prayer is followed by a full-course meal, consisting of soup, salad, appetizers and main dishes. Traditional foods vary by country and Iftar meals have a delightful range of varied delicacies. From rich curries to lovely desserts and cooling sherbets, it is interesting to see how every country cooks up something exclusively wonderful. e.g Muslims in Afghanistan relish traditional soups and onion based meat curries, kebabs and pulao people in Pakistan and Bangladesh have jalebis, haleem, sweetened drinks, parathas, rice preparations, meat curries, fruit salads, shami kebabs, piyajoo, beguni and many other mouthwatering dishes. And of course, I'm going to detail an International cum Omani Iftar menu  later in this piece.

Iftar is a social event, involving family and community members. It is common for people to host others for dinner, or gather as a community for a potluck. It is equally common for people to invite and share food with those less fortunate. The spiritual reward for charitable giving is considered to be especially significant during Ramadan.

                                             The exciting range of salads

Now back to the Intercontinental Muscat.

Having recently become a member of 'Chaîne des Rôtisseurs', an International association of gastronomy,   established in over 80 countries, with over 25,000 members sharing the same values of quality, fine dining, the encouragement of the culinary arts and the pleasures of the table; the Inter Continental Muscat has moved up  many notches higher and the quality of cuisine as well as the service are beautifully tailored to reflect that.

Executive Chef Pascal Etienne

In an exclusive chat, Executive Chef Pascal Etienne at the Intercontinental Muscat, informed me that their Iftar Buffet would be be served daily at the Musandam Cafe and in keeping with the high standards of service, they would have a different menu on every day of the week. To top that, he shared the menu for Day 1 and I must admit, it was an absolute delight!  

All set up for the evening 

Featuring juices, oriental mezza, appetizers,salads, soups, a bread station, live cooking, mains and desserts, it looks something like this-

Juices

• Kamareddin, Jallab, Laban,Assorted Juices,Karkadey (apple, mango)

 Oriental mezza & appetizer

• Khoudra display,Hummus,Moutabel,Fattoush,Watercress salad,Tabouleh,Chicken feta,Mohamara,Loubieh bil zait,Moujadara
• Olives & pine nut salad, Samkeh harra,Hindabh,Rocca,Mixed pickles

Omani salads

• Kachumbar salad (tomatoes & onion)

International salads

• Four fruit flavored yoghurts,fresh yoghurt,four kinds of lettuce leaves,potato & salmon salad,artichoke and grilled halloumi cheese salad with cherry tomato,pasta and sun dried tomato salad,whole grilled mushrooms with garlic and parsley.
• 
  
•  Hot mezza

• Kibbeh,Sausage roll,Fatayer

Soups

• Lentil soup (lemon wedges and croutons) and Chicken and mushroom cream soup

Live bread station

The Bread station-(Pic courtesy Intercontinental Muscat)

• Bee Nest bread (cheese & dates)

Cheese corner

Oriental Main Course

Smells even better than it looks

• Ouzi with oriental rice togas sauce (carving)
• Rice Turkish Kofta & Tomato sauce
• Shish barak
• Rust chicken whole (carving)

Omani main courses

• Kousa with  vine leave
• Dajaj salona
• Seafood Makbous
• 
  

Live cooking – Grill

Set up outside and preparations in full swing

The Shawarma station

• Skewered chicken,skewered beef & vegetable,skewered fish,lamb steak,beef steak,fish steak,chicken wings,chicken shawarma on skewers

The International main courses comprise Spinach beef lasagna,hammour filet with sauce vierge, fresh garden vegetables and crispy rice noodles with beef.

Dessert   

Pastry Chef Mohammed Redha with his delightful creations 

    Spoilt for choice

• Six kinds of cake,mudlalloukh,Halw bil jeaben, Katayef Kachta, Mufrokh,Crème brulee,Arabic sweets and Halwet bil jeben,
• Owaymate,Namourah,Ousmalieh,Mouhalabieh, Chocolate pudding
• Umm ali and kunafa.
• 
  

• 

  Pastry Chef Mohamed Redha with Kunafa, a delightful Arabic sweet
  

  
  

• Fresh fruits display
• Sliced fruit
• Fruit salad & fruit salad

Dry Fruits display

·         Assorted mixed dry fruit & nuts

·         Dates -3 kinds

Behind the Scenes

Now that you have seen the splendid display, let me take you  right into the heart of the kitchens where a dedicated team of 54 people start work on preparing this Iftar from 2 pm. 

Escorted in by Executive Sous Chef Qureshi, who has recently joined this team and walking from one station to another and looking at the seamless teamwork,  two things struck me almost immediately.

All of it  smelt incredibly delicious and the majority of the chefs and staff preparing this delicious feast were Muslims..

and fasting....

At that moment, like never before, I understood the true meaning of the Ramadan fast.

To be able to stand and prepare all of this while one is  fasting (without even  a drop of water)- that really is the true test of a devout Muslim. This is something I admire beyond what I can put into words  that and have made up my mind..

 I will try and fast at least one day a week from now on- at least during Ramadan.. 

Chef Mohammed Reha in the Pastry kitchen

Just one of the desserts he has prepared

Another Chef prepares the Arabic delicacies

Baked deliciousness- Chef Badar preparing the Ramadan Special bread with honey and cheese

Now its ready..

Neatly sliced and in the freezer -Temp controlled to 4 deg C

Ramadan Kareem- the beautifully decorated lobby

I walked out into a beautiful evening and this was the scene that greeted me... 

The beach is just a stone's throwaway from here and on impulse, I headed straight or it. If I had thought, my evening couldn't get  any better after all that I had seen and learnt, I was wrong.

For this was the icing on my cake!

A beautiful sunset

Wishing all of you Ramadan Kareem and a very pleasant  month ahead.