SNACK-TASTIC: OUR FAVOURITE EASY BITES AT THE GALLERIA MALL

Unsurprisingly, we love a great snack - an excuse for us foodies to fit another delectable morsel into the day? Say no more! While there’s no shortage of eateries at The Galleria - high-end delights, grab and go fast food and everything in between - this week we set out on a mission to see what will scratch the itch when you’re snacky!

Sweet. Savoury. Japanese. Mexican. We’ve done the leg work for your next trip to The Galleria - all that’s left for you to do is try and choose just one!

This week, we have been lucky enough to have Farida and Erin join us on work experience and learn the ins and outs of Best Bites - it’s not just eating great food, as they were soon to discover.

After a crash course in filming, photography and that special Best Bites touch, they were ready to take on our snack challenge. We descended on The Galleria - cameras, notebooks and taste buds at the ready - as the girls worked their magic and impressed us with their newfound skills. Enjoy some highlights below!

SAKURA CAFE | FARIDA

KINOKUNIYA BOOKS | THE GALLERIA

A cafe in the bookstore? Soothing atmosphere and serenity was just what we needed to enjoy these three lovely pieces of mochi (AED15 each): salted caramel, tiramisu and matcha. The softness and flavours really came together when tasting this mochi. Tiramisu was an unexpected taste of Italy to find in a Japanese treat - the prominence of the coffee flavour didn’t overpower the sweetness of the treat and we found this one to be our overall favourite.

For all the matcha lovers out there, we found the matcha mochi to be such a perfect representation of a matcha in a sweet treat on-the-go, and a better option than the salted caramel, which was quite sweet. Ending off a lovely taste of Japan, we tried the matcha latte with strawberry jam (AED27). This drink was so Instagram-worthy - its unique look was super cool - but its clash of flavours was a new concept to get used to. The atmosphere of Sakura was unmatched, bringing positive energy into a busy day.

Timing: 10AM - 10PM Monday - Thursday | 10AM - 12AM Saturday - Sunday

Contact: 02 246 7939

TORTILLA | ERIN

FOOD COURT | THE GALLERIA

Fancy a quick lunch on the go? We ordered six tacos: three soft, three hard. You aren’t limited in fillings: we chose our toppings and customised each taco, which was a great experience.

Both sets of tacos were delicious, and the flavours were very fresh. Options of different meats and toppings are great if you’re a picky eater. Our favourites had to be the hard shell tacos - they were easier to eat on the go and kept that nice crunch to the last bite. In a hurry? They were very quick to prepare, and within three minutes we were ready to eat. In our opinion, they were great value for money, coming in under AED100 for six tacos!

Timing: 8AM - 12AM | daily

Contact: 800 8678

KAYU BISTRO | FARIDA

THE GALLERIA

A sweet treat with a touch of elegance was exactly what we found at Kayu Bistro. We enjoyed the melo cake (AED15), which was a delicious quick bite - its sweetness satisfying any sugar craving. The eclair chocolat (AED49) was filled with a rich 70% chocolate, which felt so warm and comforting in the mouth - by far one of our favourite desserts at Kayu. Intrigued by its seamless colourful appearance, the Tarte Mangue Kesar (AED49) tasted as vibrant as it looked. Fruity, tangy, fresh and creamy, it was definitely a flavour not to be missed. Finishing off strong, we tried the cruffin cheesecake (AED25), which proved to be an amazing croissant-muffin hybrid. Flaky yet soft, it was filled with a delectable sweet buttercream. Overall, Kayu Bistro blew us away with its presentation, taste and feel!

Timing: 9AM - 10PM Monday - Thursday | 9AM-12AM Saturday - Sunday

Contact: 02 235 8401

SHAKE SHACK | ERIN

THE GALLERIA

Ready to shake things up, we headed to Shake Shack. We ordered the red velvet shake, chicken bites and truffle fries. Everything was very well made, and great value for money.

The fries were both flavourful and very filling, with melted cheese that we got as a side dip - these were very enjoyable. Chicken bites were our favourite: they were easy to eat, full of flavour and crispy. The red velvet smoothie had a surprisingly strong flavour - in a good way - and actually tasted like a red velvet cake! Definitely worth the total of AED100, it was a very pleasant meal: filling, fresh and served in on-the-go containers, making it easy to travel with!

Timing: 10AM - 1AM | daily

Contact: 02 492 6829