Cheesy Bites is a multi-cuisine fast food restaurant which also specialises in Nepalese food. Located on the first floor of the West Zone Mall inside the Al Khail Gate development in Al Quoz 2, this fully enclosed food court eatery has a stereotypical (=colourful) fast food interior. It brings to four the number of Nepalese restaurants in the Al Quoz area, other notables being Yak & Yeti, Momos Magic and my favourite (until now), Sayapatri.
Like at many such outlets the menu at Cheesy Bites too takes you around the world, claiming to offer “authentic” Indian, Chinese, Arabic, Italian, Thai and Nepalese. I don’t understand why these restaurants make such absurd claims. Anyway, I was there to try their Nepalese and totally ignored the pizzas, grills and curries. I ordered a mixed fried and steamed chicken momo combo followed by a bowl of Thukpa noodle soup, also chicken. And as if these two weren’t enough, I ordered a Chow Mein as my main.
The momos arrived together with the Thukpa though in separate serving plates; steamed in a bamboo basket and the fried on a plate. I found the steamed momos disappointing. Falling apart at the slightest touch, I was put off by the overwhelming taste of raw onion in the filling. Note to self – avoid steamed momos when next ordering. Round and almost roly-poly, the fried momos looked better and tasted better. The spicy sauce they were both served with was spot on and had me reaching for the tissues after my second fiery bite.
What the Thukpa lacked in presentation it made up for in taste; tart, tangy and spicy it came loaded with noodles, vegetables and of course chicken.
Best of all was the Chow Mein. So good in fact that it catapulted this jack of all trades right onto my list of favourite Nepali restaurants (in the UAE), the others being Everest in Meena Bazaar, Namaste in Fujairah and Momo House in Sharjah. I plan on going back tomorrow to make sure it was not a fluke. Yeah, that’s how much I liked it. And what leftovers I brought home I saw disappear a minute after I offered my daughter a try.
Service at Cheesy Bites is friendly, accommodating and prompt. I think I may just have found myself a little hidden gem in Al Quoz. Worth a visit? Damn right it is. Just remember what I said about the momos.
Hey! Now read this –
Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from,
each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his
companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes accepts
no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or favouritism.
What you have read was NOT influenced in any way by the venue. Join me on
Instagram @ravenousxerxes
or email
me on xerxes@dellara.com.