There's a whole lot of pointless PR blah about the new Cafe Baroque in the Murjan plaza of JBR. "Step back in time," says the promo bumf, "and relive the opulence of the 17th century." No, this is just a few nice old wooden tables and a slightly bewildered-looking bunch of staff. But the selection of soups that this place serves up is excellent, nonetheless. Everything is homemade and tastes it. A big jar of soup is very cheap and you get a couple of doughy, warm rolls bagged up to go as well.
With the vegetarian option at Dh15 and the organic pot at Dh22, you get a hefty serving and everything has that healthy, freshly made feel. Recent highlights have included a wonderfully lively pumpkin soup with just the right consistency, a wholesome garden soup and one or two more spicy options, such as a Thai chicken ensemble that isn't pocked with oil.
We've also been quite impressed with the "juice-a-licious" menu on offer. All ingredients are fresh and don't come doused in sugars or hidden flavourings. The Morning Sunshine, a mix of apple, carrot, lemon, celery and cucumber (with a dash of ginger) is surprisingly palatable, and a number of mixes include beetroot here, which is also a pleasant addition. These are fairly cheap, at Dh18 each, and make for a perfect lunchtime option. Also, speedy takeaway means you don't necessarily have to straddle centuries to enjoy what this strange little place has to offer.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
