My culinary journey this month took me to Gourmet by Kcal, a brand new cafe and restaurant. Gourmet by Kcal is one of the few places in Dubai that is completely gluten free.
Gourmet by Kcal is a collaboration between Le Meridien Mina Seyahi and the Kcal brand(healthy food chain). Their entire menu is gluten free and they only use organically produced local ingredients. In fact, the menu features the calorie count of each and every dish.
Located at the ground floor of Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, Gourmet by Kcal has the vibe of an urban cafe. The ambience is gorgeous. Loved the rustic decor-from furniture, potted plants to a fully grown olive tree in the centre of the dining space.
Gourmet by Kcal also offers outdoor dining space with the stunning view of the sea.
I was a part of small group of bloggers attending the BME dinner event hosted by Monica of Doindubai.
The evening started off with drinks. Gourmet by Kcal offers fresh juices, smoothies and hot beverages like coffee and tea. They have a fully licensed bar with organic wine options.
We were served a selection of smoothie shots. I sampled the Super Greens smoothie. It had a blend of green apple, fresh spinach, lemon, mint, cucumber, celery, kiwi and organic honey. It was refreshing.
Starters
Spring Rolls- Vietnamese style spring rolls made with fresh vegetables wrapped in rice paper was amazing. The spring rolls come in various options like chicken, beef, prawn and veggie.
Roasted Balsamic Onion And Carrot Cups-It was everyone’s favorite. Each cup was filled with roasted balsamic onion, spinach, fresh thyme and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Mains
Chili Con Carne was made with slow cooked Mexican beans, veggies and quinoa. It was served with polenta chips. This spicy stew was fantastic.
While my non vegetarian blogger friends had black rice biryani with smoked chicken and Havanna chicken as their other two mains. We vegetarians were offered Black Rice Biryani without chicken. It was mildly spicy. I would like to request them to add vegetable biryani in their menu.
Veggie Lasagna was not like the traditional lasagna that you get in Italian restaurants, it was made with mushroom and lentil mince that was layered with Parmesan, zucchini and aubergine noodles. It tasted different, but in a good way.
Vegetable Pizza was made with carrot base and topped with veggies and fresh greens. It was light, nutritious and delicious.
Desserts
Caramel Almond Tart was a big hit with everybody. It was made with 85% dark chocolate, coconut caramel filling and topped with fresh raspberries. This dessert was outstanding.
Coconut Caramel Cheesecake was another winner. I liked the fact that it was not as heavy as the regular cheesecake. It had a rich and nutty taste.
Dark Chocolate Mousse was the only dessert that I didn’t like. It had an overpowering flavor.
I ended my meal with a pot of relaxing and calming Chamomile Tea.
Gourmet by Kcal proves that dining out doesn’t have to be ridden with guilt. I had a great dining experience and can’t wait to come back again.
The BME event was hosted by Monica of http://www.doindubai.com and my dining companions were fellow bloggers Jen of Dubai Food Diaries, Tehzeeb of The Tezzy Files, Gaganjeet of Baggage and Dish, Sarah of What Nossy Ate, Javeria of Dine Out Dubai and Sneha of The Vegetarian Soul.
For reservations call: 04 511 7139
Website: http://www.gourmetbykcal.com
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