So the day began long planned goodbye brunch for an OPNO girl you all know. She'd been wanting to try out Shakespeare & Co. since she, with Omani gal pals, had wound up in Al Mouj Marina by mistake at the Wave development while trying to get to the beach... and I wanted to treat her. Our friends back in UAE are always raving about this paritcular [girly] franchise, and I myself, having attested to the validity of the creme brulee in the Dibai locale, agreed to her choice. MOP was dragged along for good measure since the closest he's ever gotten to real creme brulee is that soggy powdered sugar creme caramel sold in bulk in Lulu, during Ramadan.
The marina looked lovely that day, the yachts bobbed on blue waters, and we fully intended to take a stroll about after tempting the waters at Shakespeare & Co. ... had the day turned out differently. But not knowing then our fates, we took a cosy table at the back on a settee with a marina veiw and sat down with the menus. Those of you who know Shakespeare & Co. know that the decor is a little like shabby chic on crack, pastel shades, winged arm chairs upholstered in Chintz, wierd Maire Antionette-affixed doilies hung from every crevice... not to my taste certainly, but dessert menus always are. All I had eyes for were the desserts.
Sadly, the crepe machine was broken that day, and everyone within our party had intended to have one varient or another of crepes. Very disapointing start food-wise. We also noted that we were being swarmed by flies, which kind of, I don't know, ick. We consoled ourselves with very expensive teas and the promise of desserts. Service was polite and decent, once we'd gotten menus. The majority of the patrons were seated outside opposed to us so I guess that explains the slow start. We seated ourselves, which is different than when I visited Shakespeare & Co. in Dubai. Bit I liked our server. In the end I order an "American Breakfast: out of the chance that the Muslim-safe pseudo bacon would taste yum and for want of fresh orange juice.
My breakfast was, I don't know, like any breakfast I could make myself I guess. I've had better egges, toast, and fake-bacon. And my "sausage" was actually a hot dog which was a bit ridiculous. On the other hand, my tea, orange juice, and the herb-butter served WITH the meal were pretty much perfect.
MOP ordered cream of mushroom soup [assuming wrongly that this is the soup that I always make him that he loves] and hated it. Since he ordered the wrong thing, I am not judging. I hate mushroom soup. Always have, always will. MOP was like, "I don't like this, it doesn't taste anything like yours." I am like, " I never made you mushroom soup. I hate mushroom soup." He insists I have, which is funny, because in all my life I have never managed to swallow even a spoonful of mushroom soup so I highly, highly doubt that. He also had some sort of skewered meat on a stick, very Omani of him, which he liked, but that I found to be a bit chewey/greasy.
OPNO girl #2 ordered a tuna fish sandwich with a side of green salad, and a flowering tea. Tea was good and reminded me of something I had tasted made authentically by a Chinese woman in a back alley near the
old Opium smuggling majong gaming dens in Chinatown back in my old hometown in the land far-and-away. My tea-connoisseur boss would appreciate it. Sadly, she never got to review her brunch, as immediately after this above photo was taken (AND BEFORE I COULD ORDER DESSERT OF ANY KIND) OPNO girl #2 had to be taken to the emergency room in a nearby hospital because she had something akin to appendicitis but apparently more excruciatingly painful. She wanted to eat her sandwich, but the pain became too much. Soon she couldn't walk, and it was all very scary. I am sorry she had to go through that. The dudes at the Wave Al Fair looked pretty scared too. **** As an afternote though, our flatmate ate her tuna fish sandwich and said it was amzingly good**** I don't know, for myself, the only thing I'll go back for [and I am in no rush] is a try at the crepes and dessert menu. MOP insists he will never go back. But the day wasn't perfect, so who are we to judge right?
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