Hala Sweets is an Iranian sweets shop in the Al Mizhar Mall in…um, Al Mizhar. Located opposite Al Farsi Iranian restaurant where I was having dinner, its interior won’t win any interior design awards. That said, it was clean and cool. The owner, a young Iranian lady (named Hala perhaps), sat outside surrounded by boxes of her sweets and confectionaries. Having stumbled upon the place by accident my fellow food adventurers and I decided to try the Faloodeh and Noon Khamei (cream puff pastry), both of which we were assured were made in-house. My reference in Dubai for both has always been @afrinasweets. Hala’s cream puffs were good but not a patch on Afrina’s; hers uses a heavier, flavoured cream filling whereas Afrina’s is a light, fluffy cream that tastes of nothing more than what it is. The Faldoodeh, however, was close. So close that I would feel uncomfortable taking a blind test. Other than these two, I am not really a big of Iranian sweets but that shouldn’t stop YOU from trying them, especially with the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, coming up in a couple of days – Halal Sweets has all the specials for this occasion. Give it a try if you’re in the area.
Xerxes (pronounced Zûrk’seez) – Food Adventurer Extraordinaire – Shamelessly Exploring the Boundaries of Gluttony
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 him on his culinary journey on Instagram: @ravenousxerxes or reach out to him via email on xerxes@dellara.com. I was joined on this adventure by @mansoormadani @bigfatrestauranteur and @soheil1uk