Category Archive: Food

The Rooftop Lounge Reopens for Season 5

Located right in the center of the hustle  bustle of Bur Dubai is one of our city’s oldest hotel establishments. We’ve driven past Royal Ascot Hotel many times over, and consider it a landmark for giving out directions. The outer facade oozes old-world charm, and the drive up to the valet always seems packed.

However, I’ve never actually walked through their heavy oak-wood doors till early this month. It was a Monday evening, yet the place was packed. We were heading to the media launch of The Rooftop Lounge & Dining, Season 5.

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10 reasons why More Cafe is so much ‘more’ than a cafe

 

I have a special link with More Cafe. When I first landed in the UAE ten years ago, I started working in for the Al Tayer Group in Garhoud, Dubai. To celebrate my joining the marketing team, my colleagues took me to lunch at More Cafe.

Suffering from home-sickness and missing the cafe culture of New Zealand, I immediately struck a cord with the welcoming vibes of the place and its naughty freshly-baked treats. Sadly the Garhoud branch closed down three years ago, but to my delight they now have a brand new branch at Murooj Duplex (bang opposite The Dubai Mall).

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Friday Garden Brunch at Kempinski Ajman

 

Kempinski Ajman has to be one of my favorite hotel properties in the UAE. The ambiance here exudes an old-world charm with hauntingly beautiful deep woods, classic lounge areas and a very scenic sandy private beach.

Given the temperatures are finally cooling down, Kempinski Ajman’s Friday Garden Brunch is now up and running in full swing. We were here a year ago, and were more than happy to revisit last Friday.

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The Pancake House Launches in the UAE

The Pancake House is a much-loved cafe-style franchise from the Philippines, and UAE Kabayan will be thrilled to know we now have a branch of our very own in Burjuman, Dubai.

With retro-style quirky cool interiors and an enticing lineup of menu options, I was surprised to discover that, despite the name, Pancake House serves far more than just pancakes!

I was seated next to a Filipino journalist at the media opening last week, and he was telling me that their Beef Bolognese was ‘pure love’, its a flavor he’s grown up with. It was quite endearing to see so much emotion being associated with a dish. 

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Netflix celebrates the launch of ‘Stranger Things Season 2’ with an enticing menu at Black Tap

 

Stranger Things, the ever-popular supernatural thriller, has started airing season 2 this Friday 27th October.

Exclusively aired on Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service provider, Stranger Things is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s, and revolves around the investigation of a missing young boy and the supernatural events surrounding the mystery. The second season promises many more popcorn-gripping twists and turns, and I am gearing up to a Netflix binge-watch session this coming weekend!

And if the launch of Stranger Things season 2 isn’t good news enough, here’s enticing news for all you foodies out there…

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‘Art of Spice’ Diwali Dinner by Chef Sweety Singh (Medley Restaurant – Pullman Deira, Dubai)

We were invited back to Medley Restaurant at Pullman Hotel (adjacent to Deira City Centre mall, Dubai) for a scrumptious Diwali dinner by celebrity Indian Chef Sweety Singh.

We’ve had his buffet before, but this time round we actually got to meet the man himself! He greeted us at the door with the warmth of a long lost friend, and ushered us to his authentically Punjabi buffet.

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Italian Linner at Cucina (Courtyard Marriott)

Friday brunches have become a foodie institution, and as Dubai dwellers we really are spoilt for choice with all the options out there. But my only qualm about most brunches is the timing. The standard norm is a 1 pm start, but Friday sleep-ins are so precious. We usually crawl out of bed by noon, and then there’s the Friday prayers to attend. We therefore never really make it to a brunch before 2.

And then I get invited to try out a ‘Linner‘, a New York concept now adapted by Cucina, Courtyard Marriott. Here’s how the foodie equation works:

Breakfast + Lunch = Brunch

Lunch + Dinner = Linner!

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Diwali Brunch at Bombay Bungalow

Diwali, the Indian festival of light, is fast approaching this Thursday 19th October.

” One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, it spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.” – Wikipedia.

 

With twinkling diyas (Indian clay lamps), an array of festive treats and clothing as colorful as Bollywood dance sequences, Diwali is a great time of year to let out the inner Desi in all of us.

Last weekend we were invited for a Diwali brunch at Bombay Bungalow (at JBR, Dubai). This was my very first visit here, and I was absolutely awestruck with the interiors. The turquoise walls, the intricate vintage-style Indian decor is so picturesque and Instagram-worthy!

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Brand New Menu at The Meat & Co

 

Of all the steak houses I’ve been to in Dubai, the highest marbling of wagyu beef I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating has been at The Meat Co (a prime 9+ Aussie wagyu steak). These guys are really serious about their meat, and they are also one of the very few that offer to serve meat ‘blue’ (below ‘rare’, and served ‘sealed’, very red in the center and at room temperature). In a nutshell, they are true-blue meat experts.

I love this South African chain! Apart from their very specialized cuts, the ambiance at both their branches is magical, and the service faultless. So when I got invited to taste their brand new menu last week, the carnivore in me gave out a roar of delight! After a bout of shopping at The Dubai Mall, we made our way to The Meat Co in Souk Al Bahar. 

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The IKEA Salmon Challenge

 

Last week I spent a really fun-filled afternoon in Ikea, and no, I wasn’t shopping for home improvements!

This Swedish home furnishings giant has built a solid reputation over the last few decades, but what makes the brand even more endearing is their stance at being accessible to all, and their very core idea that family comes first. Apart from affordably priced furniture with (almost) easy DIY assembling steps, Ikea’s inbuilt restaurant is almost always packed. 

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