food blog

Busaba Eathai: A Modern Take on Thai Cuisine for Every Palate

When asked what my favorite style of cuisine is, my eminent answer, with no hint of hesitation, has always been Thai. I love their flamboyant mix of exotic spices, the heat of their fiery red chili, the pungency of fish sauce, and the aromatic whiff of lemongrass. Many a time when I am out with friends, not everyone in the group shares my love for Thai. In those instances, I am thankful for food-courts, although the hit of ‘Thai-ness’ fails in comparison to a well established Thai restaurant.

Imagine my thrill when Busaba Eathai invited us in for a tasting of their new menu additions! Busaba Eathai has never been stoically traditional, but offer more bistro-style Thai dishes that cater to a wider global audience. Click here for my previous review. However, if you are like me and love it hot and pungent, they can crank up the heat any way you like! And if you are with friends who claim to detest Thai, you might just make a convert of them here.

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The Yellow Chili by Sanjeev Kapoor

A young boy, on a visit to his mother’s ancestral home in Meerut (North Western India), is left fascinated by a bright yellow find. So contrastingly different from the usual fiery reds and deep greens, this prized yellow chili happened to fall in the hands of a boy destined to be arguably India’s most celebrated chefs, Sanjeev Kapoor himself.

So cherished was this find that many decades later, Sanjeev Kapoor opened up a whole chain of restaurants called Yellow Chili. Where Signature and Options are the chef’s ode to Indian fine-dining, Yellow Chili aims to be your cushy neighbourhood retreat for some seriously good, home-style Indian dishes.

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Aseelah: Emirati Cuisine Revamped

Aseelah is Dubai’s newest Emirati fine-dining restaurant, and is located in one of the city’s oldest hotel establishments; Radisson Blue – Deira, Dubai. With dazzling gilded interiors paying homage to the intricate architecture of the region, the restaurant is a spacious, welcoming abode for diners who are eager to get a taste of both traditional and contemporary Emirati cuisine.

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My family and I dined at Aseelah a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say I was blown away by the talent of Chef Rabeh Adel Amer. My palette preference lean towards spicy, robust combinations, and I have often found regional dishes to be a little bland for my liking. Not the case here at all! 

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Playing Judge at the Grandma’s Recipe Contest at Arabian Courtyard (My Master Chef Moment)

In our household, we are pretty addicted to Master Chef Australia. Hubby and I take great pleasure in putting bets on contestant rankings, and I’ve always been in awe with the judging skills and straight-up informative feed back Chefs Gary, George and Matt seem to be able to give at the drop of a hat.

We are foodies. I blog about food, yet actually being a judge at a cooking contest perturbs me. And then I had the honor of being invited onto the judging panel of the annual Grandma’s Recipe Contest in Arabian Courtyard & Spa this month! Absolutely honored, I decided to give it a go and put on my Master Chef hat 🙂

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An Elaborate Indian Dinner at 25 Degrees North (Bay Square, Dubai)

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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Blue Sapphire Chinese Restaurant (JLT, Dubai)

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.

Blue Sapphire Indo Chinese restaurant JLT Dubai review by The Tezzy Files UAE Food Blogger (1)

 

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.

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The Brass: Cafe Treats with a Mediterranean Twist

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.

The Brass CityWalk Dubai cafe review by The Tezzy Files UAE Food Blogger (13)

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Manga Sushi: Modern Day Japanese Cuisine & Pop Culture

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.

Manga Sushi The Dubai Mall review by The Tezzy Files Dubai Food Blogger (4)

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An Impromptu Lunch at Meat ‘N Fish

 

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.

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Layali Zaman Ramadan Majlis (Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre )

Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, is scheduled to commence next week. With a plethora of Iftar options being offered around the city, Dubai diners are truly spoilt for choice. Fancy having an Iftar meal in the majestic surroundings of an Arabesque majlis? Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre is revamping the interiors of their Falcon Ballroom this Ramadan. Enter the Layali Zaman Ramadan Majlis, and embrace the auspicious grace of the holy month.

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