Café Bateel Takes Healthy Eating to a New Level

Mistakenly when I thought of Café Bateel, I thought about the high quality gourmet dates on offer. But the fact is Café Bateel is a gem of a gourmet café that serves up some of the healthiest and deliciously satisfying food. They invited us to try their 10th Anniversary menu, curated with organic and super foods.  

Background
Red, the branch manager at the Mirdiff branch explained the Bateel journey began in Al Ghat, a town in Central Arabia, known for its rich soil, sweet water, and perfect climate for date production. Here is where Bateel’s premium dates were first harvested and the idea of gourmet dates was born. Over time, Bateel has perfected its art and now has a network of premium cafes, boutiques, and artisanal bakeries all over the world.

Taste
Artichoke-soup_previewWith a cozy ambiance, a gourmet café type of interiors, not surprisingly, the menu here prides itself on being loaded with super foods. From the 10th Anniversary menu, we sampled the wild artichoke soup with truffle and mushroom brioche. It was creamy, rustic, and had a very mellow flavor.

Poke_previewFrom the salads, I had the very healthy Poke bowl which was loaded with healthy elements: seared tuna saku, quinoa, avocado, rocket leaves (rocket) grilled butternut squash, grilled haloumi, lots of veggies, and pesto sauce. Super healthy and fresh, the pesto in this gave it a slightly Italian flavor.

Caesars-salad_previewThe Caesars salad was slightly creamy with a smattering of croutons and strips of chicken.

beverages_previewFrom the healthy detox menu, I tried the red detox: a beetroot and pomegranate drink with black grapes and fresh lemon which was sweet, but very healthy.

beef-(2)_previewFrom the mains we sampled the beef bourguignon, or braised beef served with potatoes, Greek mushrooms, glazed carrots and turkey bacon. It was wonderfully moreish, comforting, and very light.

chicken-and-mushroom-gratin_previewThe second main chicken saltimbocca was corn-fed chicken breast filled with mozzarella, fresh sage and sun-dried tomatoes, served with potatoes and a mushroom gratin. This was another healthy hit with very healthy flavors infused throughout the dish.

generic-2_previewFrom the desserts, we sampled the Vanilla Delight–a crispy almond based vanilla biscuit with cream and white chocolate mousse. In one word: decadent.

date-puddingAnd my all-time favorite always is date pudding. But this version isn’t just any old sticky date pudding, but the Bateel date pudding which incorporates its gourmet dates into this pudding with butterscotch reduction served with a tangy yogurt ice cream and caramelized pecans. The tanginess of the yogurt balanced out the flavors and this was without a doubt, the best date pudding I have tasted.

The Verdict: Café Bateel is an impressive venue that serves up some of the healthiest and delicious food in town. Service here is spot on and Red, the manager, will make you feel at home.
Visit: Café Bateel, Mirdiff City Center Level 1
Phone: 04 284 0670