Nestled in a quiet corner in Barsha, is a small, cute Japanese café called Simply Oishii, that is all set to change the availability of authentic Japanese fruit parfaits and Japanese sweets here in the U.A.E. I had the honour of being invited for their grand opening. Though it took me some time to find the exact location, parking wasn’t a great issue as there were plenty of parking slots around but they are all paid ones.
As I stepped into the café, and looked around, I felt a wave of calm and happiness around me as everyone seemed to be enjoying the Japanese desserts and the beautiful interior decoration. The entrance was adorned on both sides with various Japanese artefacts, that were imported from Japan; there were Sakura blossoms falling from the ceiling (although not real ones, the effect was real); traditional woodwork panel all across the café and Japanese masks on most tables. Each placemat had a unique and literally untranslatable Japanese word along with its description which made it interesting to read and learn more about the Japanese language and culture. The staff was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
Once seated, we were presented a set menu for the grand opening. First on the menu was a cake platter consisting of slices of Japanese Cheesecake and pieces of a Classic Japanese Chiffon Cake served with light cream, berries and chocolate sauce. The cheesecake was just melting in the mouth and it’s definitely a must-try. The so-called Japanese cheesecakes available in malls doesn’t come any close to this in any way.
Then we tried their parfaits which is their main focus and we chose to try Matcha Parfait and Mixed Fruit Parfait. The presentation is amazing and truly instaworthy. The mixed fruit parfait with layers of seasonal fruits like mangoes, kiwi, berries with cream was refreshing and delicious. I initially started sharing it with my lil one thinking I wouldn’t be able to finish it but as soon as I had a few mouthfuls, I regretted my decision 😉
I’m not fond of matcha as it’s quite bitter and I don’t know why I allowed my better half to order a Matcha Parfait, but it reinstilled in me that I can’t handle the bitterness of matcha. But if you’re a matcha fan, then you’ll absolutely love this. But I have to say it was very photogenic.
For drinks, we had a Red Velvet Hot Chocolate and a Caffe Latte with a surprise element in them, and that was blooming marshmallows. Yes, blooming marshmallows!! It blooms very slowly, so I don’t have a proper video and also because the blooming only worked with the hot chocolate, not with the latte. Both drinks also came with cookies in different shapes hanging from the cup. Taste-wise, both were just average.
I also got some goodies to take home with me. These included a Vanilla Cheese Tart, a Chocolate Cheese Tart, Cream Puff, Vanilla Strawberry Shortcake and Chocolate Roll Cake. The cakes were all soft and melt-in-the-mouth consistency and my favourite was the vanilla cheese tart.
Their menu is pretty extensive, and one visit wouldn’t be sufficient to try even a handful of what they have to offer. Let me know when you visit Simply Oishii and what you tried and what you liked and did not.
Lizbethology 