What have you been up to this long Eid weekend? We decided to hibernate on Day 1, dreading the holiday rush across the city. Surely every road, every mall and every restaurant must be overflowing with people now that everybody is back from the summer break?

Well I have great news for you! I’ve recently discovered the (not so secret) secret hang-out for foodies who, like me, detest the crowds. Ironically just a few parallel roads down from buzzing Dubai Mall itself, Bay Square is a hidden gem housing some of Dubai’s most affordable restaurants under one spacious complex itself.

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I was in Bay Square about a week ago, devouring really good Thai food at Fuchsia, and just a week later I was back yet again, this time for some amazingly affordable Indian at 25 Degrees North.

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Despite retailing a plethora of world-renowned brands under its umbrella, Sephora manages to churn out fabulous products under its own label. One such product is the Sephora Instant Moisture+ Cream Hyaluronic Acid Booster.

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I picked this cream from my beauty stash for my travel to India this summer, primarily because it was the only tub of face cream in my possession that came in sturdy unbreakable plastic.

This is hilarious! A dear friend of mine just pointed out to me that I got featured in none other than The Huffington Post itself! Psyched! Yet I wasn’t expecting my #HuffingtonPostMomentOfFame to look quite like this!

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Sorry for so many exclamations in one paragraph… its the long weekend, it’s 4 am and I’m high on jittery excitement!

“Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes that for centuries were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East from China to the Mediterranean Sea.” – Wikipedia.

These legendary routes, set ablaze by none other than Marco Polo himself, was probably the beginnings of the East blending into the West. Apart from the lucrative trade of besotted silks, the West got introduced to the magic of noodles (and the Italians unabashedly turned it into pasta!). It also took heady mix of spices from the subcontinent to far reaching places and local dishes. The story is fascinating! And what better name can an Asian restaurant ask for than to be christened Silk Route?

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Located in one of Dubai’s oldest hotels, Silk Route has built a reputation for its delicious fare of Chinese and Thai dishes, and if you are looking to go out for dinner with the family this long weekend, I have great news!

Weekend Bargain Dinner Alert! Every Thursday and Friday, Silk Route spreads out an elaborate ‘all you can eat’ buffet for as little as AED 99 per head (with soft-drinks) and AED 179 per head (with alcohol).

I met the absolutely adorable, bubbly Chef Larissa Mazzoli a few months ago when I had my first taste of Chamas Churrascaria and Bar. Merely 24 of age, Larissa is a true connoisseur of her native Brazilian cuisine, and I was overly impressed with how passionately she talks about the churrascaria (a South American style of grilling meat over fire). You can read all about my kitchen tour with Chef Larissa by clicking here, and in today’s post Chef Larissa tells us more about her passion for grilling, and how she plans to take her career to the next step.

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It’s been over a month since I got back from my whirlwind trip around North East India this summer. We spent most of the holidays in my husband’s hometown of Shillong (Meghalaya), and I am really missing the cooler weather, the lazy midday siestas and the food… oh the glorious street food!

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I believe the food offerings of a city are a direct reflection of the cultural norms of the region, and what better way to explore Shillong than to take to the streets and eat like the locals? Being a Shillong boy himself, my husband was my most trusty food-exploring guide.

The quintessential Indian sari is an eternal masterpiece. Adorned by women of the subcontinent, the 6 yards come in a never-ending array of colours and textiles, and who better to talk to about it than the ‘Master of Weaves’ himself!

Gaurang Shah has earned this reputation in the Indian fashion fraternity, and will be giving Dubai a glimpse into his fascinating world on 17th September at the Opera Ballroom – Taj Dubai.

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I had the honor of chatting with Gaurang right before his Dubai debut. Humble as he is creative, Gaurang gave me many interesting insights into the world of Indian fashion.

Hubby and I are ardent Thai cuisine lovers and thought we knew of every major Thai restaurant in Dubai. And then I get an invite for Fuchsia, Business Bay Dubai’s newest foodie hub. But it turns out Fuchsia isn’t new at all… their first branch in Barsha has rave ratings from regulars on Zomato, and it looks like we’ve been missing out on this ‘not so secret’ secret!

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Fuchsia is a family-owned business, conceptualized and created by a Pakistani father and daughter duo. They are already operational in Lahore and Karachi, and after their Dubai venture in Barsha turned out to be a major success, it was time to open a second door, this time in Business Bay.

Known among his fraternity as ‘The Master of Weaves’, Gaurang Shah is a highly revered name in the Indian fashion industry. His besotted jamdanis, meticulously woven in all the colours of the rainbow, take up only a fraction of his masterful creations.

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With an artful eye for immaculate detailing, Gaurang Shah has been instrumental in the revival of traditional Indian weaves, and his creativity has re-molded the quintessential 6-yard sari as we know it.