Indian interior designer Sayana Rahiman lives in Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi, with her husband, in-laws, and cat Inji. The 24-year old founder of food blog My Mouth Is Full devotes most of her time to ensuring her recipes, irresistible photos of her latest creations, and reviews of restaurants in the UAE, will leave you with serious food envy. When she isn’t baking treats like turtle brownie bites and halloumi garlic-stuffed whole wheat bread, Sayana has her head buried into a book, or hands full with a paintbrush and palette.

About the blog

Growing up, food has been an integral part of my life. Having left work after getting married, I started cooking and from there on, there was no looking back. Photography came naturally to me and my husband helped hone my technical skills. Mymouthisfull.com began two years ago and it was a creative outlet for my love of food, photography and chronicling all the recipes made in my kitchen. It’s also a platform to satiate my baking weakness and sweet tooth, and gives a peek into my food-infatuated life, my family and how we celebrate every occasion with food.

Someday, I will master…

Bengal’s most famous dessert, Rasgullas. From experience, I have learnt that this isn’t a recipe that yields successful results even if you follow every step meticulously. I’m still trying to improve my technique and hopefully will be able to perfect it in the near future.

Favourite cuisine

I can eat Italian all day, any day. I enjoy gnocchi, parmigiana and a classic wood-fired oven pizza. Then of course, there’s panna cotta, zeppole, gelato, panettone – the list is endless! I love the flavour of garlic, a rich tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Favourite restaurant

Eric Kayser in Abu Dhabi Mall is great for a meal anytime of the day. A relaxed ambience, ample menu choices and cheerful service, have us dining there a lot. Personally, I find their chocolate almond croissant the best in town.

Guilty pleasure

Drinking bubble tea – I take my own sweet time finishing the tapioca pearls.

Fondest food memory

Knowing my love for chocolate, on our honeymoon, my husband found a quaint little place that claimed to sell Venice’s best hot chocolate. Every evening, he would take me to the café and buy a cup of that divine chocolate. Richly smooth with an intense cocoa flavour and mildly sweetened, it was the perfect beverage for a cold winter night. Warming up to it and walking back to our hotel was a ritual I looked forward to every day.

Of late, I’m loving…

Warm waffles with fresh homemade berry compote, chocolate syrup and vanilla whipped cream.

My inspiration comes from…

Everything I eat, especially when I’m eating something for the first time. When I eat, identifying a new or distinct flavour comes naturally to my palate. I remember drinking a ginger-spiced sweet milk at an Iftar last year. Oddly enough, the flavours came back to me recently when I was thinking of an interesting taste for a pound cake batter. I marbled it with raspberry purée for sweetness and everyone loved it.

Secret ingredient

I add a pinch of freshly ground cinnamon to all dishes. Its mild heat, with a touch of sweetness, enhances the flavour of sweet or savoury recipes. None of my baking recipes make it to the oven without it. I might omit vanilla, but I won’t forget cinnamon!