Although he is a qualified engineer, Chef Richard followed his parents’ footsteps and entered the famous Filipino kitchens of Max’s Restaurant.

Richard or Chai, to his friends, has a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Civil Engineering. He is a graduate of the Technological Institute in the Philippines.chef richard max restaurant filipino

Combining a love for cooking with the practicality of science, Chai’s career has seen him win a number of accolades across his decade-long career with Max’s restaurant including a special award for food safety. However, his greatest moment of pride was when his dish won over the finickiest of critics; his 6 year-old daughter!

When Max’s was brought to the UAE, Chai was chosen to help the team in maintaining the high quality standards of the food. For him, bringing Max’s to UAE was like planting the Philippine flag in the UAE culinary map. Chai believes that Max’s UAE has brought Filipinos closer to home.

kiehls line reducing eye brightening concentrate review

There are many under-eye products out there, most claiming to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. However, it has been pretty challenging to find an under-eye treatment that is designed to combat dark circles.

When I heard of Kiehl’s Line Reducing Eye Brightening Concentrate, I knew I had to try it. I am a huge fan of Kiehl’s and their breakthrough skincare lines, and given the number of late nights I’ve been having these past few weeks, I thought it would be the perfect time to put this product up for trial.

Hello darlings! Did you miss me? Sorry for the extended silence, I’ve been away on an exciting 3 day tour around Amsterdam. This Eid holiday was totally unexpected, and I have to say its been the best surprise I’ve ever received because I actually won this trip on radio!

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Sheraton Dubai Creek is one of the city’s oldest hotels, located by the picturesque creek, Deira – Dubai. It’s Indian restaurant has been reinvented with a touch of stardom in the past year; Michelin stars that is!

Ashiana restaurant’s menu has been recreated by Chef Vineet Bhatia who happens to be the only Indian chef to have acquired a 3 Michelin Star rating, and our dinner at Ashiana by Vineet was a wonderful journey into sampling the magic of this culinary maestro.

Ashiana by vineet review dubai indian michelin star chef (12)

With under a week to go for Eid, the festive ending to the month-long fasting on the Muslim calendar, I for one am really going to miss Ramadan.

There’s something magical about this holy month. Apart from the shorter work hours, the piety and communal eating through Iftars, the late night prayers and the Suhoor meal, make for a month out of the ordinary. I hope you all have been having a blessed month.avocado date linseed shake recipe vegan paleo 1

Last night, I created yet another smoothie for Suhoor (my last one was a Blueberry Smoothie). This one is a healthful blend of avocado and dates. It’s highly nutritious, thick and super-easy to make.

bertin bistro and restaurant review iftar (9)

Bertin Bistro & Restaurant is the latest addition to the string of cafes on Al Manara Street (Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai). Modeled with the look and feel of an airy villa from the 1920’s, it is the fictional story behind Bertin that makes this newbie so unique.

According to Wikipedia, 42% of the UAE population is made up of Indian nationals. Out of this big majority, a major chunk of UAE’s Indian population hails from the South Indian state of Kerala.

With Malayalee tea-shops and restaurants in every nook and corner of the country, you’d be hard pressed finding a UAE resident who hasn’t had Kerala cuisine some time or another.

I’ve had my fair share of dosas, chicken chukkas, and appam with chicken stew.  Yet my friend Hema, a native of Kerala, kept insisting truly authentic cuisine from her state was far more diverse than that. So last Thursday, she took us to Kerala Castle; a casual family-style joint in the heart of the residential area in Al Nahda-2, Dubai.

Kerala Castle review (15)

I’ve been fortunate to have attended a number of Iftars this Ramadan, and it’s been pretty challenging keeping the weighing-scale in check!

Living in Dubai, foodies are truly blessed with the plethora of dining options and today’s post is a round-up of some of the scrumptious Iftars I’ve had the pleasure of trying this past few weeks.