Happy 2015!
Happy new year everyone! And a happy 23rd birthday to me!!
I still cannot believe how fast 2014 has passed. From planning my wedding to graduating with a degree in economics, it has definitely been a busy year for me, and don’t even get me started on the blog! But to keep it short, the website has had a huge design overhaul (which I hope has made navigation easier for you guys), I was interviewed once for the guardian and once for a Malaysian TV channel, and the food I have encountered in 2014 has been out of this world!
Anyways, keeping in line with tradition, I thought I would gather up 5 of the best restaurants I have dined at this year.So without further ado, here are Halal Girl’s top five restaurants of 2014!
5. La Petite Maison (Dubai)
Seeing as this is one of my favourite restaurants in London, can you imagine my elation at being able to indulge in the whole menu which is only possible in Dubai! Highlights of the meal were the burrata that just burst with cream, creamy pasta with tender beef chunks, and the best creme brulee on this blog to date with the crunchiest sugar layer and sweetest cream concoction underneath. It also appears listed in the top 100 restaurants in the world.
4. Gymkhana
Widely known as London’s best Indian restaurant, I’m not one to disagree with that. With their juicy, gelatinous goat brains which you can mix in with the goat keema, Gymkhana steers away from the traditional Indian staple dishes but instead adds their own unique twist to every item.
3. Zuma (Dubai)
Supposedly better than London’s version, Dubai’s Zuma has that sort of an atmosphere that you just want to keep on revisiting. The restaurant is huge and full of a fun, young crowd. However, the food is even better. One of best dishes of the restaurant was the incredibly crunchy lamb ribs with a subtle sweet glaze and sprinkle of green onions, and to this day, I still salivate just thinking about them. This is another restaurant that is also listed in the top 100 restaurants in the world.
2. Cut (Dubai)
I know, I know, Cut was in my 2014 edition BUT the Japanese wagyu at the Dubai Cut just did it for me and it is only available on the Cut menu in Dubai. It is definitely not an overstatement to say that this was the best steak that I have ever encountered. Imagine, mouth melting steak that was cooked to a charcoal crisp on the outside with a buttery, soft inside and little pockets of fat that just burst the moment you put it in your mouth – mmmmmm.
1. The Ledbury
This was the restaurant BW took me to for my 22nd birthday. Although having eaten here almost an entire year ago, I can still recall the taste of the chicken with the crispiest skin or that incredibly tender mackerel or even that mini sweet and creamy banoffee pie. It was a one of a kind experience and I really have never eaten anything so stunning since that one meal.
So that’s my list of the top five restaurants of 2014!
For 2015, I say out with the burger joints (please, no more) and in with something different, delicious, and really mind blowing! I’m expecting new pizza joints, more halal European options, and some delicious halal dim sum!
Sorry to keep this post short but it’s just the beginning of the HG’s birthday celebrations so I wish you an amazing happy new years and I hope 2015 really is an amazing year for you all!
Lots of love,
HG
(Yay, I’m 23!)
