As we sat by the terrace, surrounded by a hauntingly beautiful Emirati past, I contemplated on how the chaos of city life managed to look so serene from this angle. At this vantage point, the stark lights of the city halo into a rainbow of colours, and enchantingly spill onto the vivid dark waters of the Deira Creek.
Just a week after I wrote a post entitled ‘3 Weekend Brunches Your Kids Will Love‘, we found ourselves at the Mazina Superhero Brunch at The Address Marina (Dubai), and I think this one definitely tops that list! Centrally located with a sprawling space extending to both indoor and outdoor seating, Mazina takes on the avatar of superheroes every Saturday between 12 noon to 3.30 pm.
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.
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.
Wok & Co is one of the newest Asian restaurants to enter the Dubai foodie scene. Located on the Ground Floor of Ibis One Central (near Dubai Trade Center), the interior decor of this place had me floored upon entering.
Chawlas 2 (pronounced ‘Chawlas Squared’) has all the makings of an epic rags to riches story. With humble beginnings in Ludhiana (in India’s Northern state of Punjab), the very first branch was christened Chawlas, and earned a reputation with its one-dish menu serving their signature Cream Chicken.
Till this very day, their Cream Chicken remains on the menu, yet the options have multiplied to include an extensive range of North Indian favorites. Over a span of 56 years, the restaurant stays true to its roots, keeping the flavors unabashedly authentic, sans any commercial frills and has over 100 outlets worldwide including India, Australia, Canada, the United States and is now open in Dubai. With a wider menu and a global presence, this 56 year old eatery now equates to Chawlas squared!
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!).
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.
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.
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 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).
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.
The Tezzy Files 