A speciality coffeehouse and restaurant, Spill The Bean serves healthy, low-waste food and offers several plant-based options.

We tried their orzo and chicken salad, beyond burger with a vegan bun and plant based patty (which we loved!) and chocolate raspberry tartlet (which we almost fought over).

The salad was truly wholesome. Made with everything healthy the portion was generous and filling. The beyond burger was certainly a surprise. I haven’t eaten many vegan burgers but the more I get them, the more I’m impressed with how delicious they taste. Also they’re so light and don’t leave you feeling guilty at all!

The tartlet is a must try. It is rich, creamy and again, comes with absolutely no guilt. Just make sure you order your own portion. It is totally not worth sharing

We washed it down with an iced latte and iced tea both of which were perfect for the slightly warm afternoon. Also we were seated outdoors and unfortunately Dubai summers have decided to hit earlier than usual.

Apart from specialty coffees and wholesome treats, this place is great for spending some time reading a book or meeting up for a casual chat with a friend. They have a selection of books that you can pick from and you’ll love cozying up in one of their corners.

Spill the Bean

Location: Shop 7, Ground Floor, Block B, The Sustainable City, Arabian Ranches, Dubai
Contact: +97142428671

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No, I’m not doing this as a challenge, neither am I asking anyone else to follow. I  took my time to get the perfect lighting, not have tons of dust flying into my coffee while I shoot the video next to an open balcony, and of course, steer clear of my anxiety which keeps knocking the doors every now and then.

Let’s get to the recipe video. Regardless to say, this is the simplest drink to make, given it requires a total of 3 ingredients, and either an electric whisk or a very rigorous arm workout.

Print

Dalgona Coffee

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 glasses

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp instant coffee powder I used Nescafe
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 cups milk
• 10-15 pieces ice cubes

Instructions

• Add equal amounts of instant coffee, sugar and water to a mixing bowl or glass
• Thoroughly whisk the ingredients until it forms stiff peaks
• Add hot or cold milk to a serving glass and top it off with the whipped coffee
• And once you're done clicking pictures for the 'gram, give it a stir and enjoy the drink

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Reminding you about the bounties of this planet we live on, Urth Caffe offers a varied menu that spans across breakfast and lunch/dinner and includes some of the best cakes and desserts too!

A huge tree inside the cafe amps up the earthy appeal of the cafe while also complementing its woody color tones.

English Tea Latte & Spanish Latte

Very rich and creamy, this latte, just like all their other hot beverages, is made with organic tea. Finished with a pretty latte art, this one is a good choice for high tea. Their bestselling blended ice drink, this creamy and sweet Spanish latte is made to order and has no artificial flavors or preservatives.

Chicken Pesto Omelet

From the breakfast menu, we chose this omelet for our protein fix. Made with three eggs, the fluffy omelet combined grilled chicken with pesto, mozzarella and goat cheese. A portion of greens and two slices of bread came as accompaniments. The portion size was huge. It would perfectly suffice two hungry people. And the taste, especially with pesto, is beautiful.

French Toast

Another breakfast classic, this French Toast came in a generous portion too. Two pieces of dense brioche bread, drenched in a mixture of egg batter and fresh cream were griddled to a golden brown hue. Dusted with icing sugar, they were served alongside whipped cream honey butter and maple syrup. I’ve never loved a French toast so much before, but now I think I’m on the path to getting addicted.

Burrata Salad

From the lunch menu, our first obvious choice was the Burrata. This salad featured a fresh creamy dollop of burrata cheese in the center, beautifully placed on a bed of red and green heirloom tomatoes, and drizzled with their signature Urth vinaigrette. The basil garnish with a hint of balsamic reduction perfectly balanced the creamy flavors.

Wild Mushroom Pizza

When I saw the words wild mushroom and truffle on the menu, there was no going back for me. This freshly baked pizza comes with a generous topping of sauteed wild mushrooms, balsamic braised onions, arugula leaves and truffle pecorino cheese. The dollop of creamy burrata in the center adds the metaphorical icing on this cake.

Coconut Royale

And of course, there was no way I would leave without a dessert, especially when it’s coconut based. From one of their bestselling cakes, this slice of Coconut Royale was yet another generous offering from Urth. Baked daily from scratch using the finest freshest organic ingredients, this cake features coconut shavings, coconut cream and lots of desiccated coconut in addition to other cake basics. And the texture is like a cloud!

Urth Caffe

Location: CITY WALK, Al Safa & Al Wasl Road Intersection, Al Safa, Dubai
Contact: 04 5897413

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Read on to find out about everything we tried.

Mango Yuzu Bingsoo

My favorite of them all, this mango yuzu bingsoo had a refreshingly fruity flavor to it. This shaved ice dessert came topped with tea flavored cream, and the mango flavor was from the use of fruit based syrups.

Japanese Cheesecake

This was my next favorite! The Japanese cheesecake is undoubtedly the best kind of cheesecake I’ve ever had, simply because it’s not too sweet and comes with no cream. While this one wasn’t jiggly like you expect them to be, it scored a full 10 in terms of taste and texture. Must have.

Coffee Bun

The coffee bun is quite a delicacy in many Asian countries. While it was slightly sweet, the coffee flavor in this one is sure to hit the right chord with coffee lovers. The inside of the bun was super scrumptious and almost melted in our mouths.

Matcha & Houjicha Green Tea Rolls

Something known, something new, these green tea Swiss rolls were wrapped up beautifully with tea flavored cream within. The green one came with matcha green tea flavored cake, while the brown one was infused with houjicha tea. Interestingly this tea is like any other Japanese green tea. But while most tea varieties are steamed, Houjicha is roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal which gives it a reddish brown tint.

Drinks

We tried 3 of their bestselling drinks: Thai Iced Tea, Yuzu Lemonade and Korean Plum Soda. These were all very refreshing. The Korean Plum Soda was slightly bitter in taste, but had a nice fruity flavor to it. The Yuzu Lemonda was my favorite. Just like any other lemonade it was chilled, tangy and fresh. The Thai iced tea was surprisingly good too. A dewy orange hue made it quite appealing in looks, and despite the milk density it was quite light.

Kaffe Bloom

Location: Inside Gourmet 1004, P2 Level, The Onyx Tower 1, The Greens, Dubai
Contact: 04 3943973

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While L’ETO Caffe is known for its extensive variety of cakes – especially milk cakes and cheesecakes, this charming restaurant also offers a host of all day breakfast items, as well as lunch and dinner mains along with healthy drinks, coffee and juices. We went there pretty hungry, so it was all about getting our proteins right for us.

Bulb Juice

We started with a healthy ‘bulb juice’ called 1 kWatt that came with a blend of apple, orange and passion fruit juices – AED 45. What impressed me the most about this juice was the presentation in a bulb. the taste was very refreshing as well, after all it had all my favorite juices in one.

Mango & Peach Smoothie

Next up was the Mango & Peach Smoothie with mango, peach and orange juices as well as coconut milk and a hearty garnish of almond flakes – AED 45. I found this smoothie too heavy and thick for my liking. I would have liked it slightly more smoother. Another one on their menu was the raspberry coconut smoothie with red-berries, raspberries, coconut and lime, which I’m definitely going back to L’ETO Caffe for.

Italian Breakfast

For our food, we decided to go with one of their breakfast favorites – Regional Italian Breakfast – that came with scrambled eggs on sourdough toasts, accompanied with a portion of pugliese burrata and topped with oyster mushrooms and sweet tomatoes – AED 95

I was highly disappointed with the sourdough bread in this one. While the scrambled egg, prepared to a medium doneness as per our preference was decent enough, the bread was too hard and almost impossible to bite or cut with a knife. Chewing was a completely different challenge altogether. I guess it would be a good idea to ask them to replace the sourdough bread with a different variety. The burrata was good, albeit not the creamiest I’ve had. But it was definitely a respite from the tough bread.

California Burger

The next dish was from their lunch and dinner section – California Burger. This open styled burger was loaded with avocado and tomato salsa and we asked for it to be served wit ha side of sweet tomatoes and rocket salad, and rosemary sweet potatoes – AED 110 + AED 20

This was definitely one of the better burgers I’ve had. Yes, it was too big to be eaten as a sandwich (it will fall all over your clothes if you try to eat it that way), but I found it perfect, and rather easy to eat with a fork and knife. The meat – well done – was simply irresistibly juicy and the avocadoes as well as tomato salsa added tons of texture and flavor in each bite. The spinach bun was fairly soft and fluffy with a hint of crusty, but after the sourdough, it seemed absolutely perfect.

As for the sides, regular potatoes would’ve made a better accompaniment than sweet ones. I find the latter more preferable as fries than wedges.

Nutella Dulce De Leche

We couldn’t go easy on desserts so we ended up with three of their bestsellers – Nutella Dulce De Leche (Milk Cake), Tiramisu and Blueberry Cheesecake.

If you know me, you know I am a big fan of milk cakes and this one from L’ETO Caffe has made it to my list of must try milk cakes in Dubai. So soft, so dense, so milky and so chocolaty, this was ultimate indulgence. I am sure their other milk cake varieties are equally satisfying. And I would go to L’ETO Caffe to have this in a heartbeat.

Tiramisu

Surprisingly light, this was the most non-guilty Tiramisu I’ve had. The cream was fluffy like a cloud, and none of the ingredients overpowered the other. I could taste every individual flavor – espresso, lady fingers, mascarpone – in every spoonful.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Quite a unique presentation, along with an equally unique taste, this inside-out, upside-down, whatever-you-call-it Blueberry Cheesecake at L’ETO Caffe had a dense yet smooth outer biscuit crust shaped like a well, and a very cheesy cream within. The purple blueberry swirls that pop up as soon as you dig in were such a pleasant sight. The taste was refreshingly sweet with a hint of tangy.

Latte Honey & Hazelnut

To end it on an even sweeter note we opted for two of their creative coffee choices. While I chose the Lavender Cream Vanilla Latte – AED 38, my plus one opted for the Latte Honey & Hazelnut – AED 32. Light, but at the same time gritty, the Latte Honey & Hazelnut came with ground hazelnut pieces mixed with the coffee. Although hazelnuts are my fav, personally I would have preferred hazelnut syrup or essence. But if you’re okay with that nutty texture in your coffee, then this one’s for you.

Lavender Cream Vanilla Latte

So creamy and comforting, the lavender latte was a total surprise! I always knew lavender is soothing, but never knew it could add so much magic to a cup of latte. This coffee is sure to work wonders the way you want it to – either by waking you up or calming your senses. As for me, I’m going to enjoy this with a slice of their classic dulce de leche on my next visit.

L’ETO Caffe

Location: CITY WALK, Al Safa, Dubai
Contact: 04 3452209

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Well, this place is much more than just your regular cup of Joe. Seattle’s Best Coffee has introduced an all new menu which brings together salads, snacks, sandwiches and light desserts – catering to whatever your palate pleases, albeit in a healthier way. And of course, there’s an impressive drinks selection too – most of which are available in a choice of hot or cold brews.

Since we have a Seattle’s outlet located right next to my workplace at Dubai Festival City Mall, we decided to give it a go for a quick post-work meal. They share this outlet with their sister brand Cinnabon, so while you are there, don’t forget to load up on some of those hot pecabon rolls too! Read on to find out about the drinks and food items we tried.

Raspberry Mocha Kiss & Almond Mocha Joy

Since the evening was extraordinarily chilly, we chose to go with the hot version of both drinks. The texture of their mocha is really smooth and creamy. And if you like your drinks sweet, these are quite well balanced in terms of their chocolatey flavor – not too sweet and not too bitter. I suggest you get your drink with whipped cream – just makes it all the more wintery. The raspberry one had a swirl of raspberry sauce on the top of the cream.

Tip: While hot tastes perfect, make sure you have it while it’s still warm.

Other bestsellers on their drinks menu include White Chocolate Mocha (which was my first choice, but was unfortunately not available at the time), Chai Latte, Caramel Latte and classic Mocha.

Seattle’s Best Coffee’s food menu, has a slightly healthy side to it. While one or two from the list are for the indulgent types, most of the other items like beetroot hummus, Lite Chicken Pumpkin Salad, and even muffins seem to cater to those who watch their calorie intake.

Green Chicken Pasta

So colorful, this one caught our eye right from the minute we saw a picture of the dish on the menu. Multi-colored penne tossed with basil and mixed leaves and topped with what I can rightfully call the most tender grilled chicken pieces, this salad was a meal in itself (for the both of us!). A generous pesto serving on the side lets you dress your salad to your liking. I would have preferred the pesto sauce a little more liquidy in terms of consistency.

Tempting Tomato Bulgur

Quite a bestseller, this snack was a no fuss tomato flavored bulgur wheat and chickpea salad with a side of plain yogurt. At only AED 12, it’s quite a filling option for those looking for something light yet satiating.

Cheesy Chicken

This one was a filling choice – with the corn and cheese and chicken mix. I liked everything about this sandwich in terms of taste – the chicken was juicy, the sauce creamy and the bread fresh. Although I believe this could have been better in terms of looks if it came with an ingredient that added a little color (red peppers maybe?!).

Savory Taouk

Wrapped in a warm tortilla, this one added a local touch to the sandwich selection. It was done well in terms of the meat, but I would have liked it a little more spicy – not Indian spicy, but it was missing those Arabic spices and the fire grilled flavors you usually expect from taouk.

Both sandwich and wrap are good to share if yo’re having one of their generously big salads. Next time I might experiment with other options like Roasted Beef Shawarma, Exotic Turkey and Loaded Crab Sandwich.

Seattle’s Best Coffee

Location: Next to Hyper Panda, Level 1, Dubai Dubai Festival City Mall, Dubai Festival City, Dubai
Contact: 04 2326690

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