Scoopi Café

Ice cream cravings are truly the most dangerous and so, a particularly strong one led me straight to try out the new ice cream place on the block, Scoopi Cafe on Jumeirah Beach Road. 

They had some interesting gourmet flavors on display such as Medjool Date and Pina Colada along with the regulars such as Creamy Peanut Butter, Tropical Coconut and Mocha Espresso.

I decided to go for it king size and try out their Belgian Waffle topped with Madagascar Vanilla and Italian Nutella scoops which was further topped off with organic maple syrup (let's call it a cheat week worth of calories).

So, here's the deal: you choose your flavor and then they make you a fresh scoop by using liquid nitrogen to freeze the ice cream. Why? This produces smaller ice crystals which makes the ice cream more smooth and flavorful. This process takes about a minute per scoop.

This was my first time trying ice cream prepared with liquid nitrogen and I don't think I can enjoy normal ice cream ever again. The textures of both scoops were so creamy and delicious - the way it was prepared made a world of a difference. Plus the combination of the warm waffles and maple syrup with THIS ice cream was perfection.

Cons - I wasn't a big fan of the presentation - on paper plates with plastic cutlery - but this is not a deal-breaker for me. The flavor of the ice cream itself wasn't anything to write home about, it's the texture that made it so god damn wonderful.

If ice cream is not your thing (I'm sorry, we can't be friends), they have frozen yogurt, sorbet and handcrafted chocolates on offer. Scoopi is also famous for its 'Black Diamond' scoop - priced at AED 2999, it's made with Madagascar Vanilla ice cream, world's most expensive Iranian saffron, slices of black truffle and sprinkled with edible gold. To top it off, the scoop is served in a Versace cup and spoon which you can keep.

Mona xo

Scoopi Cafe
Jumeirah Beach Road (opposite De La Mer Spa)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scoopicafe

SS'15 picks

High street fashion heaven is where I was at a couple of weeks ago - the SS'15 collection previews of New Look, Koton, Lipsy, Reiss and Yours London. It was my first time at a collection preview and have to say, all the brands did a phenomenal showcase of their upcoming collections - each one had a unique flavor and some standout looks.

I honestly loved SO many pieces but I powered through and made my top three picks from each of their SS'15 collections. Let's go straight to it, enjoy!

New Look SS'15 collection 

Loving: Sporty, feminine vibe. And dat ice cream clutch doe! (you saw that coming)

Koton SS'15 collection 

Loving: Modern twist on 70s fashion, how divine is the brown look?

 

Lipsy SS'15 collection 

Loving: The monochrome pieces especially, very delicate yet powerful.

Reiss SS'15 collection 

Loving: So effortlessly chic, just look at that green jacket!

Yours London SS'15 collection 

Loving: I'm a sucker for anything floral, so there you go.

 

What was your favorite collection? Least favorite? Let's compare notes - tweet me @MonaGir or comment below!

Mona xo

Ladies Night at Healey's

This weather, am I right? I decided to take full advantage of this not-so-long lasting winter and headed down to Healey's Bar and Terrace for their 'Pink Ladies Night' with my friend, Juhi. (wave to everyone)

First impression: Healey's has a cool, modern ambience and their resident DJ was matching this vibe with some seriously on point lounge music. Their menu featured a really good variety of food, light snacks, drinks and bonus - shisha.

Image provided by Healey's Bar and Terrace

Pink Ladies Night every Wednesday

We started off with some Chocolatinis (vanilla vodka + chocolate ice cream). My sweet tooth was purring - the cocktail was well-balanced and quite delicious really.

And to top off this sugar rush, we got a surprise strawberry vodka ice cream as a bonus ladies night treat! Overall, Healey's had a great relaxing atmosphere - just right especially for an after-work evening out.

*Pink Ladies Night is from 8 to 11 PM every Wednesday and offers three of either a featured cocktail or sparkling wine.

Photo credit: Juhi Roddam

How was the food, you ask?

Chicken satay, jalapeno poppers, chicken wings, corn and oh, we kept the light snacks coming. While these might not be ground-breaking choices for the menu, the snacks were tasty and I particularly enjoyed the chicken satay - very juicy with some great bursts of flavor. 

For the shisha fans - they have some wonderfully smooth shisha, we tried and loved the grape mint one. Most importantly, it stayed smooth through the evening.

After an enormous amount of snacking, we further indulged in a half-and-half pizza - one half was their Marco Polo Pizza (chicken, mushroom) and the other was their Frutti de Mare Pizza (shrimp, calamari, mussels). The crust was light and crispy, the pumpkin and onion puree on the Marco Polo pizza was divine and the seafood was paired perfectly with the pesto base in the Frutti de Mare pizza.

Photo credit: Juhi Roddam

I was very impressed by...

The terrace was pretty crowded and that's usually an excuse for bad service but Healey's was truly at the top of their game. The service was one of the best I've seen so far - the waiters were friendly, attentive and alert. As mentioned, we had shishas as well and not even once did we have to bug someone to change our coal because it was done in a timely fashion.

I definitely recommend the 'Pink Ladies Night' at Healey's to those looking for a chill night out to catch up with girlfriends over some delicious cocktails, food and shisha.

Healey's Bar and Terrace
Bonnington Jumeirah Lake Towers
Tel: +971 4 3560574

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonningtontowerfans

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bonningtontower

Instagram: http://instagram.com/bonningtontower

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/bonningtontower

*This was a sponsored post but as always, all opinions are my own.

Mona xo