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

Cafe Ceramique in the Bareeq Al Shatti Mall, Muscat

The other day 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

The Arabian Treasure, a great start to the day

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. 

Will we be going back soon? Well, the weekend really isn't too far away..

Food for Thought Turns 1 and a Pre Ramadan Special

Time  flies and here we are on the 25th of June, 2014. (Oman time)

Today,  its exactly one year since I started 'Food For Thought' and this also happens to be my 50th post. I've had a really great time writing each and every one of these posts and my journey through this year has taken me to kitchens in France, Oman and India in addition to my very own. 

However, 'Food For Thought' is not merely about cuisine- I have also tried to share my love for art and culture through some of these posts  and am fairly satisfied with the outcome. I've received feedback from readers as well as many of the restaurants and locations that I've featured. Best of all, I know for a fact that I've learnt a great deal as well!

Top of mind, I recall the three sessions I had at Paul Muscat, with Pastry Chef Mohammed Kessrwani who unhesitatingly shared his  Chef's secrets, special tips and allowed me to ask him "anything at all". Similarly, a Chocolate fondue making experience at the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, the delightful new Anar Cafe, Caramel Bakery, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, I could go on and on.... 

Creations by Chef Mohammed Kessrwani of Paul Muscat

    

Delightfully decadent

A special occasion ought to be marked by something special and I'm going to try and do exactly that. Oman is currently in the grip of Football as well as Date fever and we are enjoying the very best of both. There are so many uses of dates in recipes and over a period of time, I will share some of these with you. Meanwhile, here's a glimpse at what most of the date palms in Oman look like at the moment.

Ripe for picking

As mentioned in my previous post on Pre Ramadan musings, I'm going to to write about some of the Ramadan Specials that various hotels and restaurants in Oman will be offering during this one month period.I will also try and get into the kitchens of some of these places and watch the chefs at work creating the most amazing delicacies and share that with you as well.

To start with, I've got some special Iftaar recipes which  Erika Anggreini, the Public Relations Manager at the Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel has very graciously shared with me.

The first one is a Rose Water Rice Pudding served with Mango compote 

Rose Water Rice Pudding

Ingredients 

·         114gr Arborio Rice

·         ½ Ltr water

·         ¼ Tblspn Salt

·         1 Ltr Milk

·         57g Powdered  Sugar

·         118 ml Heavy Cream

·         60 ml Rose Water

·         1 tbspn Cardamom Seeds

Procedure

Combine water, salt and rice.Cook until rice is tender, adding milk, cream and sugar and continue cooking on low heat until it becomes a pudding consistency. Add the  rose water & cardamom seeds and cook for 10 min. Finally, chill before serving.

Mango Compote

Ingredients

·         4 Mangoes

·         2 Oranges/ Juice

·         100gr Powder Sugar

·         1 Vanilla bean stick

Procedure

Cut two mangoes. Place all ingredients in a pot and caramelize for about 10 minutes, then blend to make sauce.

Once the sauce has chilled,  cut the remaining two  mangoes into small cubes and mix in with the compote. 

In a bowl serve the rice pudding and mango compote garnishing with pistachio crumbs. 

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And here is a great Summer cooler, a very special Ramadan inspired beverage also from the Al Bustan itz Carlton. This is Coconut Ice Tea which is really simple to make. Try it, I'm sure this will immediately become a family favourite!  

Coconut Ice Tea

·         ¼ cup of coconut puree

·         8 black tea bags

·         Lemon for flavor

·         Sugar

·         Ice cubes

Fill a blender with ice and blend all the ingredients.

Finally, sit back, relax  and enjoy!

To close for today, here's wishing all of you Ramadan Kareem and peace, happiness and joy in the month ahead and looking forward to hearing from you on what else you would like to see in Food For Thought.

The Taimur Mosque -Muscat

'Anar'- A Lovely Little Cafe opens up at The Wave, Muscat

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful testimonials and I'm firmly convinced that it works beautifully in the food business. Which is exactly why I found myself driving all the way to The Wave, Muscat this morning  because a lady I know had told me about this "great little place" that had just opened up there and since I love to check out new places, this had to be a 'must do' on my list.She was right- it was and I loved it! 

Located just ahead of Costa Coffee  and Shang Thai, it looks cool and pleasant and is done up in the shabby chic style.  The fabrics are primarily in  cottons and linens, with linen being particularly popular. Pure whites, as well as ecrus and worn or bleached pastel colours have been used.The overall appearance 'looks' as well as 'feels' right for a perfect morning out. There are tables as well as sofas and looking around at the customers already seated there, I could see that it's already well on the way to becoming a hot spot for all those who live on that side of town. Currently open from 0900 -1800 hours, the plan is to be able to stay open for longer once all the staff and other misc requirements are in place.

I was lucky to have an opportunity to meet and interact with the cheerful team there and learnt a lot by a little chit chat. Aberrahim Zouda ( centre in pic below) is the Operations in charge, Thomas Mocock is the Head Stand in Chef, while Roland is Pastry chef.

All Smiles- Some of the team members at Anar

My first question was- why 'Anar'? The answer was clear and simple- Anar meaning pomegranate has been chosen as the name of this cafe after a great deal of deliberation.In almost every religion the pomegranate has been used as a symbol of humanity's most fundamental beliefs and desires, life and death, birth and eternal life, fertility and marriage, abundance and prosperity. To the Jews, the pomegranate represents righteousness, to the Christians, it means life and hope of eternal life and to the Chinese, wealth and many sons.

Taking on from that Anar in the context of the restaurant means an abundance-of everything. They encourage all customers to give them feedback, their suggestions for items on the menu with Abderrahim going so far as to tell me that any recipes given by the customers  and approved after a taste test by the team would be put up on their menu with great pride. That's a real opportunity for all aspiring chefs if there ever was one!

A Super Display

On the menu at present is a range of hot and cold beverages, freshly baked breads, tarts, pastries, cookies. They have recently introduced sandwiches and will continue to add items to the menu on a regular basis. 

Just some of the freshly baked goodies

My 'Danish' with a Cappuccino- I loved both!

I hope to make another visit in the near future and have an opportunity to see the chefs at work in the kitchen, so do watch this space for more ..

Cheers!

In the meantime, do yourself and your friends a favour- head to The Wave and check out Anar for yourselves...