Rated: Tasha's

When I hear The Galleria, I instantly think of Home Bakery and their addictive chewy melt cookies. And that my friends, are exactly what they are. But let's not get into that right now.

Now we're talking about Tasha's, the new South African export recently opened at The Galleria. I saw a few posts here and there on Instagram but had no idea how popular this new gem was until I got there.

It was a late dinner on a Friday night and we were told there was going to be a 45 minute waiting list. My friend and I were eager to try it so we waited it out. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do you know what I mean? Honestly, even parking was a struggle. I accidentally parked in what I thought was the "extended" parking of the mall but later on that night, the kind Dubai Police told me I was parked in their authority parking! Whip out a little Arabic with these bad boys and no biggie ;)

Back to Tasha's!

Finally got a table and it was jam packed but still cozy. It was a mix of warm, honey interiors with pops of color from the exposed fruit and dessert counters. Furniture was a blend of textures with hints of leather couches, wooden and crisp white chairs. It felt like a homey-elegant-deli-cafe type feel if that makes any sense.

Our server, Caroline was the best! One of the best servers I've seen in Dubai. She took care of us the entire night and gave us honest suggestions which I loved instead of the usual "Everything is good." answer. 

The menu has something for everyone. It ranges from delish-looking breakfast options, sandwiches & flatbreads, salads and sharing platters and even a 'healthy appetite' section. There's global hints all over the menu from a 'Tabbouleh & Halloumi salad' to a 'Shnitzel Sarnie'.

We decided to start off with the wagyu beef carpaccio, served with rocket & shaved parmesan, caper berries and truffle.

This was delicious! Alongside were these holed out sliced bagel like crisps to prepare the perfect bites with the beef. Super delicious, would definitely have this again. Only downside is there was some mayonnaise in the dish that wasn't necessary. It was sort off odd to see mayonnaise on a beef carpaccio.

For mains, we shared the salmon flatbread and chicken milanese. The flatbread had classic flavors that pair so well together. Listen to this, smoked salmon, avocado, mascarpone, chives, seaweed caviar and dill... Now I know this sounds super simple but sometimes restaurants here forget that you have to be good at the simple stuff. Man was this good! Great quality salmon, beautiful medley of fresh salad and scoop both on the crispy, fluffy flatbread and you're in business! I'd order this again.

Chicken milanese was huge! Enough for 2 if you're sharing and 3 if you've ordered starters prior. Two crispy pieces of chicken breast cooked to perfection topped with a fresh salad that I loved! Fennel, cherry tomato, rocket, red onion and a punchy dressing to balance with the crispy chicken.  Also served alongside was a side of mash potato. This was pretty good too although, very very filling. Definitely share this one. In general, the majority of dishes flying out of the kitchen were on the larger side. Ain't no complaining bout that. Side note, I've just checked online and can't seem to find this dish on the menu... not sure why that is :(

We were super stuffed but decided to still indulge in dessert since we were in it to win it. We ordered the highly recommended doxas chocolate cake served with vanilla bean ice cream.

It's pretty simple. The ultimate bite involves a scoop of the ice cream with a slice of the cake topped with the caramel sauce. Decadent and delicious. Loved the crunchy candied pecans too! So so so good.

Overall food, service and ambiance are all a winner! I'm pretty excited about this place - it's been a while since I've experienced such a hit with a newbie in town. Small note is it is on the pricier side but that doesn't seem to be slowing this place down whatsoever.

I've rated Tasha's 4.5 out of 5!

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