I’ve been off the radar for a while as I had the opportunity to visit Dubai and perform a mini pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. My journey and experience cannot be compressed into a single blog post but I’ve put together a short list of some noteworthy foods that I have enjoyed and, more importantly, aren’t available yet in South Africa.
One of the first products I came across on day #1 in Dubai was Lay’s Chili flavour. My initial thought was “nope, too spicy” but then I decided to give it a try. Delicious! Crispy wisps of chili-flavoured potato that quickly became addictive. If you’re in Cape Town and enjoy the local favourite Messaris Chilli Chippi, wait until you’ve had Lay’s Chili – the real deal. I think Simba’s making a big mistake by not yet introducing this into the South African market. (Just for the record, I’m still on my no-chips diet…)
About 2 weeks before my trip, my husband found a review of the Snickers ice cream. It didn’t matter that I had paid little attention to the video because these yummy gems are available in the Arab states. The ice cream is just so good… And this is coming from someone who isn’t a big fan of ice cream. The nougat part of the chocolate is replaced with vanilla-nougat-like ice cream with peanuts and caramel drizzled right through, enclosed in a chocolate casing. Heavenly.
A personal Nestlé favourite of mine are KitKat fingers… But the fingers tend to melt some times while I hold & eat them. For this reason I was delighted at the idea of KitKat Pop Choc designed for on-the-go. They’re dice-shaped, easy to eat and just the right size to give you the perfect dose of KitKat each time. I felt deprived.
My sister raved about Shake Shack – they apparently have the best burgers. And I couldn’t describe it any better. They are freshly made with minimal extras (basic salad, no pickles, no onions) and their ‘standard’ ShackBurger comes with ShackSauce and a slice of cheese (yay!). It doesn’t taste like fast food, it has a more home-made, but deliciously home-made, taste and feel to it. I like that the extras are simple as the patty seems to be the focal point of the burger. Wish Shake Shack would open up here soon!
Saving the best for last, Ladurée is a Parisian bakery whose cakes were beyond my expectations. They’re known for their macarons but also have a wide selection of fresh & fancy treats that you’ll have to dig deep into your pockets to pay for. The decor, furnishes and dim lights transport you back to Paris. After Ladurée, I realised how limited South Africa’s range of cakes are. We really need more bakeries of this calibre around.
These products & outlets are only some of which I’ve come across between three Arab cities. Do you know of any others that belong on this list? Post it in the comments section below, I’d love to know!
amberafrica
Exiting!
Saajida
It was 🙂 looking forward to more!!!
djgarcia94
Its okay, America doesn’t have any of those things despite the fact that the first two are from American brands and other Nestle products being readily available.
Saajida
wow really! Shake Shack is American though.. have you had it yet?
djgarcia94
I’ve never heard of it. Its probably a regional thing, a lot of chains are only in certain states.
Saajida
Ah okay, I see. I hear it’s big in New York.
djgarcia94
I’m in Washington State, there are a lot of chains that are only on the East Coast or the West Coast.
YellowCable
These are good!!!!
Saajida
They really are 🙂 have you had them yet?
Arins
Omw! Laduree looks too yummy! Heard it’s To. Die. For. True?
Saajida
yes! I would say so. It’s really something else.
Raz
I’ve tasted the snickers ice cream bars in Saudi and thought i would find them in SA. Unfortunately I am still looking
Saajida Akabor
Please let me know when you find them!