Dubai Food Blog

Siraj: Emirati Cuisine with a Contemporary Twist

Siraj, the authentically Emirati restaurant with a contemporary twist, is the latest addition to the list of dining places at Souk Al Bahar (Downtown Dubai). I’ve passed its premises on a number of occasions, and the stunning interiors make me take a second peek every time.

Siraj 1

The restaurant interiors pay tribute to the UAE, with seven distinct arches representing each Emirate. A flock of golden horses are suspended in mid-air, and the artistic vibes of Siraj is all at once Arabesque yet stylishly new-age. The most striking feature of the restaurant is the cursive calligraphy, flowing across the walls and the bar-stools. These are stanzas of poetry that were composed by the ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed himself.

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Lebanese Feasting at Grand Cafe Boulevard

The word ‘cafe‘ is getting a major face-lift in the Dubai foodie scene. From what one would presume to be a simplistic setting for catching up over cups of coffee and a pretty pastry, you have the likes of Indian import Farzi Cafe offering a lineup of much talked about molecular gastronomy treats, and then I had the pleasure of dining at Grand Cafe Boulevard, a Lebanese fine-dining cafe that treats its guests like royalty.

Grand Cafe Boulevard Dubai review by The Tezzy Files UAE food and lifestyle blogger Lebanese Levantine fine dining restaurant (39)

Where else in the world do they roll out a red carpet for guests entering a cafe? This was the VIP welcome we received at Grand Cafe Boulevard! The cafe is located diagonally opposite The Address Downtown Dubai, and you need to drive up the Dubai Mall Fashion Parking ramp to get to the valet service offered right outside the red carpet.

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Tezzy in Dubai Foodies Forward

I had the pleasure of meeting the multi-talented Rafael Roxas at the Chawlas 2 Bloggers meetup last week, and it was incredibly sweet of him to feature me as the ‘Food Blogger of the Week’ on his wonderful site called Dubai Foodies Forward.

Click on image below to read my interview on Dubai Foodies Forward 🙂

dubai foodies forward coverage

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3 Weekend Brunches Your Kids Will Love

Happy Thursday! The countdown to the weekend has begun 🙂 Where are you brunching this weekend? For me, weekends have always been a family affair and I therefore prefer a place that keeps my little munchkin in mind. Here is a rundown of some of the fabulous kid-friendly brunches I have had the pleasure of trying (and that are highly recommended by my 5 year-old as well!).

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Saleem’s of Delhi: Regal Mughlai Cuisine Revisited

I had the pleasure of being invited to a bloggers’ event at Saleem’s of Delhi by the lovely Deepti Chandak from the Jive With Deepti blog. Saleem’s of Delhi has earned quite a reputation in the Indian capital, having served up traditionally rich Mughlai dishes to the society’s foodie elite since 1977. Their Dubai branch in Karama is the restaurant’s very first venture out of India, and has been in operation for about a year now.

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Celebrity Indian Lunches in Dubai

This month I’ve had the pleasure of lunching with not one, but two prominent personalities from the world of Indian fine dining! I met Chef Kunal Kapur for a second time at Patiala (Downtown Dubai), and got introduced to Michelin Star Chef Vikas Khanna at Junoon (Shangri-La, Dubai).

It has been an absolute honor lunching with these big names in the Indian culinary industry, and getting to know about their phenomenal career growth and enticing dishes firsthand.

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Lemongrass is Back (New Branch Alert – Sheikh Zayed Road)

Lemongrass Thai Restaurant has long been a family favorite. I’ve been a regular at their very first branch in Oud Metha (near Lamcy Plaza) ever since I landed in Dubai 9 years ago. This iconic restaurant with its trademark neon green logo and zen-like Thai-inspired interiors has since opened up a number of branches, and streamlined into food-courts with their ‘Lemongrass Express’ outlets.

Lemongrass Thai Restaurant on Sheikh Zayed Road Latifa Tower Review by The Tezzy Files Dubai food and lifestyle blog (9)

Lemongrass also has a special place in my blogging history. One of my very first blog posts compared the Pad Kee Mao of three Thai restaurants in Dubai, and at that point in time, Lemongrass aced the lot (you can read this post by clicking here).

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Late Night Feast at Denny’s (the 24 hour American diner)

As a woman, one of the biggest boons of living in the UAE is its safety. I’ve roamed the streets of Dubai till early dawn, sometimes with the family, sometimes with the girlfriends, and even on my own. I love the nightlife of my adopted home, and it has become a Thursday-night family ritual of sorts to take a drive around town past 11.

Oftentimes, most restaurants are closing down or taking their last orders by 11. However, the bright, cheerful yellow logo of Denny’s is on 24/7.

Denny's American diner 24 hours open in Dubai Al Ghurair Center reviewed by The Tezzy Files Dubai food and lifestyle blog UAE (2)

 

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Meet Sherine John: The man behind the signature cocktails at Tresind!

Sherine John Tresind br manager mixologist cocktails molecular gastronomy dubai UAE indian fine dining (1)Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of dining at Tresind (located in Nassima Royal Hotel – Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai), will tell you about their magical cocktails. The drinks at Tresind oftentimes steal the spotlight from the restaurant’s phenomenal dishes. Clever concoctions featuring unexpected blends and the theatricals of molecular gastronomy thrown in, each drink is a unique masterpiece and presented with the exceptionally suave, jaw-dropping pizzazz we have come to expect a la Tresind.

Today I am introducing you to the man behind the magic; Tresind’s very own maestro mixologist, Beverage Manager Sherine John himself. A graduate in Hotel Management from India, John always had a special interest in cocktails and self-taught his way into Tresind cocktail fame.

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