Casper & Gambini’s

Perhaps it is the tiring bones of shopaholics that mainly frequent Casper & Gambini’s at Landmark Mall, or maybe people are going there just for the purpose of having a wide selection of decent meal options? We’re not sure if it’s one or the other, or a mixture of both, but either way, the place is always busy. A mall location is never ideal, but this outlet has managed to still have a friendly glow and buzz to it.

So we leave the office and take a seat. We go at lunchtime, so miss the morning breakfast selections, which look good, with frittata and omelette choices among others.

One thing that must be said, this menu is truly international. For appetizers we plump for a Japanese dish with the tempura prawns and a Mexican dish wish some nachos and its usual amigos – guacamole, sour cream and salsa sauce. Then for main we try a Chinese dish with cashew nuts and an egg on top, and an Italian panini. Truly cosmopolitan! And the menu is vast, with sushi selections and promotions as well, and pizzas, pastas and a large desserts and soft drinks menu.

The bread basket received at the start was a surprising touch for what we perceive to be a café, but a welcome one, followed by a serviceable tempura. However, the stand out dish for us was actually the nachos – dripping in cheese and spicy enough for our palates, great for sharing.

The most disappointing dish was the cashew chicken. With seasonal vegetables and Hoisin sauce, the flavour was surprisingly bland. The caprese panini was as expected – juicy mozzarella, layered with tomatoes and basil. It came simply and without sides, but the quality of the bufala mozzarella was evident.

Dessert, and we can’t make our mind up about the cheesecakes so we choose a trio of them. One mixed berries, one caramel and one strawberry sauce, we argue over which is the best. As we continue to argue, we run out of food and contemplate ordering it again to start round two, but ultimately decline.

So, will we be returning to Casper & Gambini’s? In short, yes, when we’ve had enough of trawling the mall.

The bill (for two)
1x panini caprese QR46
1x cashew chicken QR71
1x tempura prawns QR34
1x nachos special QR30
1x Casper cheesecake QR31
3x revolution tea QR45
1x orange juice QR22
Total QR279