Cosy Dining at Ellie’s Cuisine

by Iyath Adam

For this time’s dining out article, we decided to try Ellie’s Cuisine, a restaurant located in Ameenee Magu, near Ghiyasuddin International School.

Walking into the restaurant, the first thing that hits you is the warm scent of coffee emanating from behind the counter. An entirely welcome start!

Both indoor and outdoor seating are available – with two floors inside. The interior of the space is a little quirky and bohemian. The counter with the pastry display on the first floor is modelled to look like an ice cream cart with wheels, in warm tones of teak and yellow. The seating is a mix of comfortable sofas and blue and yellow wooden chairs.

Upstairs, it’s a bit busy, bustling with the after-work crowd of the evening and sounds of conversation waft up from all around. We take a corner seat, next to a life-size painting by Shaff Oceans that – at first glance – looks like an abstract painting of vivid colours. However, upon closer glance, the abstract starts to take a shape – of what WE think is a couple intertwined. What do you think?

As soon as we sit down, a server comes to us with a menu. The food selection available here is extensive, with everything ranging from coffees and mocktails, to main dishes with chicken, fish, seafood, lamb, and beef. Different desserts and appetisers are also available. After some deliberation, we opt for the chicken momos, a waffle with a side of Nutella and a piña colada mocktail.

While waiting for our order, we finally get a chance to properly look around. The walls and ceiling are set with multi-coloured wooden strips with sun-shaped mirrors placed at intervals. The seating mirrors that of downstairs with sofas and wooden chairs. Glass lamp lighting of different colours illuminate the place. Highchairs are also available, for a stress-free dining experience with your little ones.

The food arrives fairly soon, and it looks great! The momos are beautifully hand-pleated and comes with a side of what looks like homemade chilli sauce. The piña colada has a lovely maraschino cherry on the side and the waffles are accompanied by generous dollops of whipped cream and a sizeably BIG serving of Nutella.

First up, the momos, which are steamed perfectly!  The minced chicken filling is savoury and slightly umami-ish, with a great filling to dough ratio (no unnecessary air pockets here!). The chilli sauce is both spicy and a little bit sour and goes well with the momos. The piña colada certainly has the tropical, pineapple kick to it, although we felt like the coconut taste could have come through a bit more. But we do recommend trying it out if you want a break from the usual mojito mocktails. The waffle is airy and fluffy and paired with the classic Nutella, is the perfect dessert to end our light meal.

For a relaxed dinner with your loved ones, or an outing with friends and family, we definitely think Ellie’s Cuisine would be a great choice – both for the cosy space and the wide array of foods served!