Teach Middle East Magazine Issue 5 Volume 2 May-June 2015 | Page 46

Taste it Share it Around the world in 20 dishes - Ayla Bawadi Hotel, Al Ain By Christina Morris Let’s get to the food. There was an abundance of tastefully presented dishes that made you want to try everything. The restaurant seats approximately 90 people and it became busy after an hour or so of us being there but the buffet was always well stocked. We all decided to approach the buffet from a different angle. I decided to start in China with the chicken and sweet corn soup. I devoured the tasty soup in ten seconds flat. Even though I was tempted with the offerings from the other countries and continents; I stayed in Asia and grabbed some spring rolls and shrimp sio mai. Both were delectable. W e were always extoled on the virtues of maintaining a routine while growing up and as educators we drill it into our students. Well last Saturday, I broke away from the routine I have had for years of doing chores and running errands. I went to Brunch at the Ayla Bawadi Hotel with two friends. One friend, I have known for a very long time and the other I was meeting for the first time. It is not customary to give the verdict on such a review in the opening paragraphs but sticking with my theme of breaking away from the norm, I will tell you now, that it was great and well worth it! clue to the tour our taste buds were about to take. The hostess escorted us to our table and presented us each with faux passports. Each of us received one from a different country. The passports all contained one key fact about the country and wait for it… an inspirational quote on education! I got a Japanese passport with a quote from Malala Yousafzai, “One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.” After the customary girly muted screams and hugs, we walked across to the restaurant. The entrance to the restaurant was decorated with statues and plaques depicting well-known monuments from around the world, a | On my third trip to the buffet, I was ready to try something new. One of my friends recommended the Syrian style fish kebab, so I went for that. While I was there, I grabbed some beef zurichoise, chicken mansaf and a tiny bit of Italian seafood cioppino. I know what you are thinking… but it was all so very good I could not resist. (Centre) Mr. Kamran Warsi, Assistant Food and Beverage Manager at Ayla Bawadi Hotel poses with members of his team. We all met in the tastefully decorated hotel lobby at around 1:00pm. Walking into the lobby of this brand new boutique hotel presented me with a pleasant surprise. The Ayla Bawadi presents you with beautiful, subtle elegance, soft neutral tones and modern contemporary furniture. 46 | May - Jun 2015 | Conversation flowed easily as each of us sampled different foods and commented on the taste and texture. It helped too that there was great ambiance music, which added the perfect backdrop to what was fast becoming a blissful afternoon. After The Bell