If I were to sum up my experience at Tresind in one single word, it would have to be ‘magical‘. Ofcourse we’ve heard about the restaurant’s take on molecular gastronomy, but the theatrical brilliance of Tresind had us totally spellbound.

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The name ‘Tresind’ is a summation of two parts; ‘Tres’ from French meaning ‘very’, and ‘Ind’ for India. Despite all the chemistry that has gone into making Tresind an institution on molecular gastronomy, all the dishes we had the pleasure of trying stayed true to the original culinary flavors of Indian cuisine.

When I got asked to share beauty tips with Abu Dhabi Week, I was beyond flattered. Abu Dhabi Week is undoubtedly the most widely read weekly in the capital, and to get featured here alongside well-known local beauty celebrities is an honor indeed.

I talked to Abu Dhabi Week about Strobing (you can read more on this in my earlier blog post). Here’s the feature in Abu Dhabi Week (17-23 Jan, 2016):

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Thank-you for the coverage Abu Dhabi Week!

rahul moshi interview dubai uae1I had the pleasure of meeting Rahul Sajnani when I was invited for a tasting at Moshi, and felt this young, debonair fusion-chef deserved a blog post on his own! How many of us have the courage to make a profession out of our kitchen experimentations? Rahul found his calling at university, when his unusual flavor combinations won over his roomies in the UK. Back home in Dubai, he is on a mission to convert as many people as possible into sushi-loving Moshians!

Moshi has enjoyed unprecedented success in less than a year of operation, but all this media buzz has not gone into Rahul’s head. A firm believer in giving back to the community, Rahul has initiated a philanthropic stance at Moshi where 5% of the proceeds of every Moshi bill goes into feeding Dubai construction workers.

We’ve all heard about Shea Butter. It’s one of those hyped up beauty ingredients that get highlighted on hydrating potions all the time. But what if you could get your hands on raw, natural shea butter all on its own sans any chemical mix-ups?

I got my hands on a jar of this lovely beauty product by Mother Nature from the African stall at Global Village last year, and have been looking for a local supplier ever since. Then I get sent this generously large glass jar from Shea Butter DXB and I am over the moon!

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My little cherub turned 5 yesterday, a whole half-decade! My cuddly little bundle is now a hyper little child with a strongly opinionated mind of her own. She’s graduated from Barney to Dora, and is currently fixated by the Frozen sisters.

She therefore insisted her birthday cake had to be a ‘Frozen’ one, preferably with the ‘cooler’ sister Elsa on it (pun intended!). Just like the sister duo Elsa and Ana have a huge fan following with little girls the world over, the Bhatia sisters Sneha and Ravisha have been creating headlines in the Dubai bakery scene.

Fondly known as the ‘Suga Sisters’, Sneha and Ravisha conceptualized and created Sugaholic way back in May 2010. It all started off with their love for baking, and the brand was created for a bake-sale to generate funds for children’s education in India. Their bakery creations were far more successful than expected. An unprecedented number of orders came flooding in, and Sneha and Ravisha finally took a leap of faith and left their high-flying banking careers to launch their brand, Sugaholic. Read more on the Suga Sisters here.

The Filipino community take up a large percentage of the expat population in the UAE, and it is heartening to see we finally have a little piece of the Philippines right in the commercial nook of Deira, Dubai catering for the authentic cuisines our Filipino brethren have been missing from back home. Little Manila is not a restaurant; it is a whole food-court of well-loved foodie brands hailing from the Philippines. I had the pleasure of attending their opening in September (read all about it here), and then I got invited for a ‘Boodle Fight’!

When colleagues Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah founded Zomato way back in 2008, little did they know of how phenomenally successful their online restaurant search site would be. Featuring real restaurant reviews from everyday foodies like you and me, Zomato currently spans over 23 countries and is aiming to take over the globe.Viraj-Sawant

Zomato has taken the UAE foodie scene by storm. You are as likely to see the ‘Rate Me on Zomato’ sticker in fancy-shmancy restaurants  as the humble ‘hole in the wall’ cafeterias, and the site currently has over 2,000 highly enthusiastic, food-reviewing ‘Zomans’ across the globe. What is the story behind Zomato’s unprecedented success? I had a chitchat with Zomato UAE’s Business Head Viraj Sawant.

I have a rather tragic tale to tell. I was sent this absolutely gorgeous bag full of beauty tools from The Vintage Cosmetic Company courtesy Boots Middle East, and got click-happy as soon as I got them out of the bag.

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Then…horror of horrors…I lost the camera’s memory card! And here’s the thing; I had already thrown away most of the packaging, and packed up the lovely tools nice and compact into my beauty drawer.

“Are we really going to drive that far just to have hotdogs?!” This was my husband whining for the umpteenth time as we took yet another turn that got us lost into the urban jungle of Dubai Marina.

The Hotdog Stand is relatively easy to find with the help of our trusty GPS (the coordinates are 25.069795, 55.133140), but when we found no parking in the vicinity, we ended up on the highway towards Abu Dhabi!

When we finally got to the restaurant, flustered and half an hour late, the staff tell us they have parking! You just need to honk at the front or call them on 800 HOTDOG, and they will have you sorted. Lesson learnt; always ask about the parking facilities when trying out a new restaurant!

My beautiful young friend Darshana is visiting from Australia this month. How time flies! I saw her last as a frisky little toddler, and here she is, on the threshold of womanhood. Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl” blares loud and clear in my head.