Sometimes, you need to escape the city for a soulful dining experience that truly transports your senses. While we all love having the option of heading to the mall for some shopping then stopping by a reputable restaurant for a bite, we can’t deny the charming experience of dining at a remarkable dining-only location. This is what we found at Sweet Sour, located in Abu Alhasaniya’s Divonne dining complex. From an internationally inspired menu to impeccably finished interiors, a visit to Sweet Sour is a must!
Sweet Sour first began as a home-business that revitalized the local market’s love for chocolate-dipped strawberries in 2012 where the tart yet sweet delight quickly soared in popularity, and upon partnering up with Gourmania Group, it has evolved into a fully-fledged café and lounge. First founded by Mohamad Akbar, Sweet Sour became the go-to business for mini sweets and chocolate-dipped strawberries. While desserts might reign supreme in the minds of Sweet Sour’s visitors, our experience of their savory menu truly left us wanting more.
But first, we need to set the scene at Sweet Sour. Imagined and executed by an Italian design team, the décor at Sweet Sour is lavish yet playful. The ceiling is clad with intricate damask designs and asymmetrical patterns, while an entire wall is covered in floor to ceiling subway-tile-style mirrors. By the patio windows, you’ll notice artful dessert structures elegantly displayed in clear acrylic boxes. We absolutely loved the chevron-tiled floors, and the overall color theme of white and aqua-blue salon chairs, marble gray tables and gold accents completes this stunning setting.
Sweet Sour offers a diverse menu that will suit any occasion. Whether you’re after breakfast, a light salad, sandwiches and burgers, pastas or light bites, always leave room for dessert. Trust us, you won’t want to miss out on this main event.
Before indulging in desserts, we sampled some of the delicious savory offerings at Sweet Sour, because life is never as sweet without the sour! We began with bread sticks coupled with labneh, olive and spicy avocado dips. This was swiftly followed by the Goat Cheese and Beets salad and the almond encrusted Halloumi. A true celebration of textures, we loved how the marinated beetroot in the salad was calmed by its minted yogurt dressing. As for the Halloum, it was expertly prepared with a blend of almonds and spices and an accompanying aromatic tomato and olive dip.
We also tried Sweet Sour’s signature Ravioli dish. Filled with creamy ricotta cheese and spinach, and finished with a tomato and fresh basil sauce, we knew we’d be craving dessert in no time. Soon enough, the friendly staff approached us with an appetizing plate of what we thought were colorful macaroons. To our pleasant surprise, what looked like the cutest dessert were actually sliders. A Sweet Sour signature, the three colorful mini burgers were set on a beautiful marble stone serving plate, and we were dazzled by both the presentation and the juicy flavor of these sliders! Each with its own distinct topping, the Sliders trio includes crispy beef bacon, a classic offering and a slider topped off with caramelized onion and mushrooms.
All of the dishes at Sweet Sour are artfully presented, giving your dining experience an added touch of refinement and panache. Perhaps this is most exemplified by our dessert experience. Elegantly titled in their menu as ‘The Sweet Sour Delights’, we were truly blown away by how spectacular the desserts looked and tasted. Whether you’re craving cookie confections, molten cakes, or the mood strikes for a waffle, the dessert selection at Sweet Sour will please every palate. For our experience, we opted to go down the Oriental route. The Sticky Date Pudding is given a Middle Eastern twist, as the classic date and walnut cake is infused with cardamom for an aromatic and flavorful note, and the addition of gorgeous caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream completes this masterpiece. The Sweet Sour special, however, is a truly original creation. The traditional Gers Ogaili (a local favorite) is refined and reimagined as a cardamom and saffron infused fluffy sponge and is filled with saffron ice cream and sweet rehash (a delightfully sweet sesame paste), topped off with a hot milk chocolate sauce. Embracing modernity yet celebrating tradition, the Sweet Sour special won our hearts and taste buds.
If you’re after a sinful chocolate overdose, then we highly recommend the Molten Cake, or better yet, go for a Fondue! We also love the create your own waffles, crepes or pancakes dessert offering, where you choose your toppings and sauce to your own liking. Another standout for us included the Lotus and Lime Cheesecake—who knew that these two flavor profiles worked beautifully together? The slight tartness of the lime beautifully works with the indulgent, classic, sweet ginger-infused Lotus crumble and sauce.
We absolutely love Sweet Sour’s journey so far. By creating an opulent lounge and café. The original concept truly comes to life, like never before. Our visit showed us that the demand for those delightful chocolate-covered strawberry sweets is sharply on the rise. If anything, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of walk-in customers coming to Sweet Sour to place their orders for these confections, as well as mini mille-feuille gateaux. For your orders, you can customize these delicacies however you please.
To end our incredible meal, we couldn’t leave before sampling the famous confections along with a side of piping hot espresso. We truly can’t wait to revisit Sweet Sour this winter, as the café lounge is preparing for an equally elegant and opulent outdoor seating area that will be absolutely perfect for days enjoyed outside with a cup of indulgent hot cocoa.
Sweet Sour is located in Divonne in Abu Alhasaniya. For more information or to place your orders for their strawberry confections, please call 6047 7885 or 5581 9885. For catering services call 6062 2223. Follow @Sweetsour_me on Instagram and Snapchat: Sweetsour_kw.
