Sugar, Spice & everything fusion at Black Salt

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word Black Salt? Something spicy? Something savory? Something that stands out?

Black Salt is all of that and more. Quite a newbie in the flourishing foodie lane near Sharjah University City, Black Salt is already a favorite among locals, youth, families and foodies. A casual dining spot reflecting elements of modern urban decor, Black Salt transports you to a different world that’s filled with innovative food and drinks presented with lots of style. You will know what I mean when you read the rest of this post >>

Drinks

Served with the flamboyance of dry ice, each of these drinks come with a little twist that sets them apart from the rest.

Kandy Crush is a berry mocktail topped with pieces of sugar candy.

Good Ole Mint Mojito, a classic in every right, sparks a lot of interest thanks to those tiny bottles.

Pina Colada makes an entry in a giant golden pineapple which is quite the trend these days.

And the lovely Home Brewed Peach Iced Tea comes with actual fruit pieces placed over ice.

Starters

Starters are such an important part of the menu, they set the tone for the rest of the meal. And these few starters at Black Salt did quite a great job.

We took off to a great start with the Super Dynamite Shrimps which instantly brightened me up because, well, you should all know by now – I love shrimps. Despite how spicy and creamy the sauce is, I left feeling a slight bit disappointed with the actual size and texture of the shrimps. The pieces are too small which makes it difficult to grab them with toothpicks, and they fall apart quite easily.

The Watermelon & Feta Salad is quite the refresher. Juicy pieces of watermelon sandwiching cheese in between is something I believe we should all try atleast once. If it was up to me, however, I would swap the feta for something less salty like cottage cheese, or else tone down the thickness of the piece so it can balance the sweetness of the fruit instead of overpowering it.

The Fiery Bites are more like the poultry version of dynamite shrimps. Tender, juicy pieces of chicken come marinated in a sweet n spicy sauce making them quite irresistible. While I would have liked them more spicy, probably in a hot sauce coating, what I love the most about this dish are the potato straws on top.

The Citrus Corn on the Cob yet again proveshow corn is breaking out of its image and increasingly being accepted as a starter than just another side. And then again, I would have preferred the corn off the cob.

Mains

The mains at Black Salt have their own individuality. You won’t find a dish in different versions, but you’ll get to try it the way they make it best.

We started with their Instagram worthy bestseller. A class apart from regular butter chicken in a regular plate, Butter Chicken Chow comes in a bread bowl with accompaniments in small pans. The gravy itself is quite the bomb, but what I love the most is that it’s an all-in-one dish – gravy, white rice, bread that substitutes for roti, salad and pickle. What more could you possible ask for?

Pepper Chicken Pasta was next. This, in all honesty is my favorite of all mains, simply because of its creamy texture and comforting taste. The white sauce is perfect – not too salty, not too cheesy. And the pepper seasoning adds the right amount of spice. The chicken and pasta are cooked so well – they literally melt-in-your-mouth. Don’t miss that little parmesan pan on the side, incase you like your pasta slightly more cheesy.

Shish Tawook on Paratha that looks much like a taco is a combination of Arabic, Indian and Mexican cuisines. Sitting over a bed of fries, the Tawook pieces are a dream, but I guess it’s important to realize that once the dish is on the table and after the pictures have been clicked, it needs to be deconstructed a bit in order to enjoy it completely. So instead of eating the tawook pieces right away, only to realize the paratha doesn’t have any partner left, the pieces need to be placed next to the bread so they can be eaten side by side.

Swedish Kebab Flatbread is quite unusual. I took some time to gather that it was a) Swedish (meatballs?), b) Kebab (meatballs translated) and c) Flatbread (Italian). While I couldn’t piece these 3 concepts together so well, what I did do is take a piece of that flatbread and enjoy it like a regular pizza. And there was nothing disappointing about it.

Desserts

It’s clear. Having been to so many restaurants and trying so many desserts has me spoilt. So much so that every time a dessert is at my table, I almost immediately expect it to have some presentation twist by default. These two at Black Salt live up to my expectations quite well.

The first one is something out of a fairytale. A deep hued red velvet cake, cut up in discs and decked up like a tower beautifully mingles with a glossy cream cheese icing. Aptly named Red Velvet Tower, this is served in a deep glass bowl over lots of dry ice smoke. It creates a magical display that we are so in love with. Not very sweet in taste, but just right in terms of its density, these are the kind of cakes that please my palate.

The next one – another marvel – is their signature Black Salt Date Cake. Hidden within a caramelized sugar dome, this dessert has elements of Arabesque style, thanks to all that gold appeal. A couple of taps on the dome reveals a lovely date cake inside. This, just like the red velvet cake, isn’t too sweet, and had a nice sponge texture to it.

I do know that there are a lot of other desserts on their menu, that are all equally appealing. And honestly, I can’t wait to go back and try them all!

Black Salt

Location: University City Road, University City, Sharjah
Contact: 600546649

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