Chocaholics rejoice. Chocolak, an online distributor of premium chocolate, is now open for business! Forget the usual supermarket range, we are talking premium highly indulgent chocolate treats here, the kind you really wouldn’t want to share… not even with your kids!
The wait is over. The highly anticipated Carnival by Tresind is finally opening its doors at DIFC Dubai on Saturday 3rd September. After a long week of work, I was very excited about heading to Carnival. We received a media invite to try out a set menu, and like our undeniably favorite Indian restaurant Tresind, Carnival proved to be a magical jaw-dropping experience. The only bummer was that they haven’t obtained their liquor licence yet (this will be resolved by the time they officially open).
Walking into Carnival by Tresind is like stepping into a fantasy world. Dimly lit yet festively spruced up with gilded trees branching out at every corner, a wall of masquerade masks and an impressively stylish bar area with a backlit feature wall of empty bottles, we were showered down with a welcoming burst of bubbles as soon as we took our seats at the table.
Hidden in a quiet nook of Jumeirah Lake Towers I is a neon-blue lit restaurant serving up a smorgasbord of Indo-Chinese delicacies. Blue Sapphire is managed by the very debonair Mr. John, who like the cuisine of the restaurant, has an Indo-Chinese background. Chinese by ethnicity, Mr. John grew up in the Eastern Indian state of Calcutta and is now proudly heading the kitchen of Blue Sapphire.
The glistening play of light on the vividly blue waters of JLT gave inspiration for the restaurant’s name, and apart from the stark blue lighting (which played havoc with my camera), the interiors are clean, simple and sparsely decorated with Chinese memorabilia.
Asha Bhosle is arguably one of the greatest living legends of India. Internationally acclaimed for her evergreen melodious voice, she has been awarded the iconic status of “Most Recorded Artiste in the World” in music history by none other than the Guinness Book of World Records itself. Asha’s impressively long list of accolades includes the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair) and the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the Dubai Film Festival in 2014.
Despite being a larger than life music sensation with fans spreading across a few generations, Asha Bhosle takes time off her busy schedule to perfect her skills in the kitchen. She has a profound love for cooking and entertaining her elite group of friends from the film fraternity, and with a special collection of unique recipes created by herself, the global chain of Asha’s restaurants was born.
Kyo translates to ‘entertainment’ in Japanese, and that is exactly what this stylishly chic new eatery on Golden Mile 1 (The Palm, Dubai) is setting up to do. Kyo Cafe & Lounge will open up to the public around 25th August, yet I had the privilege of being invited for a pre-menu tasting early this week.
Created and conceptualized by a highly enterprising Egyptian management, with a kitchen headed by a French chef, Kyo serves up an unabashedly authentic Japanese fare. Multi-cultural much?! Welcome to Dubai Habibi!
The Brass (at CityWalk Phase 2, Dubai) takes coffee very seriously. On their counters is a display of fragile coffee apparatus that would be more fitting in the labs of a mad scientist. They even have rustic jute coffee sacks in the background, and quirky coffee quotes on the wall. The ambiance is all at once welcoming, chilled out and artsy. Everything here seems to be washed in an amber hue, so befitting of the cafe’s name.
Named after the much-loved Japanese animation character, Manga Sushi is a spectacular world of its own. With a cherry blossom tree right at the front, a graffiti wall, Origami lighting and waitresses dressed up Japanese school-girl style (high socks and all), walking into this restaurant is like relishing a slice of Eastern pop culture that is so strikingly different from the hustle bustle of Dubai Mall that surrounds it.
I was driving down Al Wasl Road last afternoon, wondering where I’d settle down for a quick bite of lunch, and then my phone buzzed. It was an urgent work call, and I didn’t have my bluetooth on, so I swerved into the parking alley of Box Park Dubai.
After attending to my call, I noticed I was parked right infront of Meat ‘N Fish. The simplistic name sounded enticing enough, and I wasn’t feeling too keen on walking up Box Park in the muggy midday heat to look up any other options.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of DIFC is one of Dubai’s latest Italian imports, one with the much coveted Michelin Star association. The Artisan by Enoteca Pinchiorri already has a huge fan following in Florence, and the dishes this restaurant churns out under the guidance of 3 Michelin Star Chef Annie Féolde are fabled to be absolute works of art.
The original branch in Florence has been around since the early 1970’s, and was established by Chef Annie and Giorgio Pinchiorri. Today, the restaurant has earned a reputation as an institution for gourmet excellence, and I was therefore super excited about the prospect of trying out their highly coveted Italian spread, right here in Dubai.
I have dined at Ananta, The Oberoi a countless number of times before, and the enticing, ever-changing menu here never fails to impress. Staying true to the culinary traditions of India, Ananta has always been one to keep true to its Indian roots, and the whole premise of their offerings has been to uncover forgotten gems from the different states of India.
Ananta’s traditional stance has definitely paid off, and the restaurant has received a number of accolades including being awarded 3 Black Hats under the What’s On 2016 edition of the ‘The Black Hat Restaurant Guide’, and bagging the prestigious BBC Good Food Award for ‘Best Indian Fine-Dining Restaurant in the Middle East 2014’.
Awadhi Cuisine, which originates from the princely Indian province of Lucknow, is rarely seen offered on UAE menus. Executive Head Chef Dirham Haque explores the tantalizing flavours of Awadhi cuisine and its rich cultural linkup with Mughlai, Punjabi and North Indian cooking, and does a great job at recreating a feast you would only expect to be served at a Nawabi table.
Taking the premise of Awadhi cuisine, Chef Dirham has created a delicious lineup of Indian Muslim dishes for Ramadan.
The Tezzy Files 