food

Iftar at Panorama Restaurant, Emirates Grand Hotel

On Tuesday evening, we had a media invite for Iftar at Panorama Restaurant, Emirates Grand Hotel. Centrally located on Sheikh Zayed Road, the restaurant boasts of great views from the 43rd floor.

Image taken from the restaurant's website.
Image taken from the restaurant’s website.

This was my first time at Emirates Grand Hotel, and I was therefore unsure of what to expect. I read a review on Zomato where a contributor had given Panorama Restaurant a scoring of 4.5 out of 5 for being the perfect choice for an intimate, undisturbed date. However, as a media event, our Iftar was far from ‘intimate’ and every table was packed!

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Celebrating Tanabata at Toko!

Tanabata (七夕, meaning “Evening of the seventh”), also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. – Wikipedia.

Legend has it that on this day, two besotted lovers, Altair and Vega, reunite on the cosmic plane. In Japan, Tanabata is a National holiday. Streets are decorated with colorful paper mache, and special wishes are written on tanzaku paper and hung on trees for good fortune.

Toko, the multi-award winning contemporary Japanese restaurant hailing from Sydney (Australia), offers modern ‘izakaya’ style dining in an impeccably designed setting. We were there last night, and yes! We even got to place our wishes on the wishing tree!

toko dubai review (17)

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Chef Vardon’s Recipe: John Dory with Shellfish Garnish & Salted Butter Shavings

I interviewed Michelin Star Chef Vardon in an earlier post here, and had the pleasure of trying out a number of his creations at La Residence Restaurant & Lounge, Raffles Dubai last week.

Chef Vardon has been kind enough to share the recipe for one of his signature dishes with us; John Dory with Shellfish Garnish & Salted Butter Shavings. I hope you give this fine-dining dish a try at home!

Chef Vardon’s Recipe John Dory with Shellfish Garnish & Salted Butter Shavings

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Iftar at ‘The Eatery’ – Four Points by Sheraton

Still unsure on where to take your troop for an Iftar treat? ‘The Eatery’ restaurant at Four Points by Sheraton (on Sheikh Zayed Road) might be your answer.

Priced at AED 130 per person, The Eatery offers special discounts for big groups. For every 10 guests, 2 people dine for free, and children under 12 can enjoy the extensive buffet at no cost.The Eatery Four Points by Sheraton Iftar review (16)

We were invited for Iftar at ‘The Eatery’ last evening, and really enjoyed the variety of dishes on offer.

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Iftar at Reem Al Bawadi

Reem Al Bawadi is a bit of an institution in the UAE. Having bagged a celebrity following and a list of prestigious awards, the Arabic themed restaurant is a great choice for a traditional Iftar.

Reem Al Bawadi Iftar Review (6)

We visited the branch on Mohamed Bin Rashid Boulevard (next to Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai) last night. I’m glad we reserved a table, as there was a long queue just to get in!

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Iftar at La Residence Restaurant & Lounge, Raffles Dubai

La Residence Restaurant & Lounge, the French fine-dining restaurant at Raffles Dubai, has only been in operation for 2 months now. With Michelin star Chef Vardon backing the menu offerings and a glamorous backdrop to boot, La Residence is set to create waves in the UAE culinary scene.

La Residence Raffles Dubai Review (18)

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A Chat with Michelin Star Chef Frederic Vardon

chef vardon interview
Image taken from fredericvardon.com

I had the pleasure of having a chat with Michelin star Chef Frederic Vardon.

Raised on a farm in suburban France, Frederic was exposed to the freshest of ingredients at a tender age and there stemmed his love for the kitchen.

His humble upbringing did not deter him from being awarded a Michelin star for his signature restaurant in France, Le 39V.

Humble as he is talented, Chef Vardon does not consider this award a game changer as he continues to insist on the power of hard work and perseverance.

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Iftar at Ramada Plaza JBR

Our social calendar has been flooded with Iftar invites this month, and last night took us to The Shores restaurant at Ramada Plaza JBR.

The Shores is the Ramada Plaza JBR’s all-day dining concept, and the menu for Iftar has been revamped to accommodate the more traditional fare for Ramadan.

Ramada Plaza JBR Iftar (4)

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Iftar at Dusit Thani

Dusit Thani, the 65 year-old five star hotel chain hailing from Thailand, has been a part of the UAE hospitality scene for nearly a decade now. Renowned for their service and delicious meals, I was quite excited about trying out their Iftar buffet last night.

The Iftar buffet at Dusit Thani has been set up on the 24th floor of the hotel with spectacular views of the Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai. The menu is predominantly Middle Eastern adapting to the theme of Ramadan.

dusit thani iftar review (2)

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An Interview with Celebrity Chef Osama El-Sayed

Chef Osama El-Sayed needs no introduction in the Arab world. With over a million fans across seven continents, Chef Osama’s television shows have been educating the audience with a vast array of cooking styles that have kept in mind the simplicity levels required home cooking.

Image taken from the Chef Osama Twitter page.
Image taken from the Chef Osama Twitter page.

“Ma Osama Atyab” (It’s More Delicious with Osama) is a daily show on Dubai TV. Chef Osama has also published a number of cook books, and has regular columns in a number of prestigious publications.

Chef Osama has recently been appointed the brand ambassador for the DeLonghi Multifry. Being an advocate in the field of cooking, Chef Osama loves the versatility of this product and believes it should be renamed the ‘multi cooker’.

It’s been an honor interviewing this culinary genius. Read on for more about Chef Osama. He’s also been kind enough to share a recipe for Moroccan Hareera Soup with us!

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