Browsing Category

Hotspot

Bleu Blanc – A Discovery of Food

Posted on February 20, 2019

Veganism, whilst the newest trend in the foodie world, is slowly starting to become more recognized as a menu must-have. Whether you’re drawn in by the sentiment or simply intolerant to the ingredients it forgoes, vegetables are slowly starting to take center place on a plate. I ventured down to Bleu Blanc at the Renaissance hotel in Business Bay for the first time. French, and as such, is somewhere that I’m assured lives up to its stereotype… i.e. not normally vegetable friendly. I was invited down to discover their entirely new meat & dairy free menu.

I’m always dubious of menu tastings as first and foremost, I’m not a natural foodie. I’m intolerant/allergic and downright fussy to boot, so challenging the chef was my main appeal I’ll admit. What followed a quick introduction to the accompanying wine offerings (which were deliciously curated) was an entirely engaging journey to a world of flavour I never knew vegetables had.

Salads to start, light and crisp, with a fair bit of crunch thrown in, whetted the appetite for my favourite dish… the fire cured cauliflower. I will never underestimate this vegetable again. Boil it and it’s useless in my eyes but cook it over a wood burning fire in a sieve and you’ve got a sensationally smoky alternative to say chicken wings. The almond cream sauce too was a winner.

Moving on to what we thought was the ‘main course’ equivalent, we spotted the blackened remains of a whole pumpkin that had been slowly cooking in its own juices for the past 12 hours, sitting in the fire. As Chef slowly tore through the skin, its true orange hue shone through. A ‘meatier’ meal, the pumpkin slice was soft and juicy, with a smoky base and coupled with a porcini sauce.

Not the main course however, the homemade potato gnocchi with shelled peas and pesto that was ‘Grandma’s recipe’ filled the tiny gap we had left. It was without doubt, a menu that would excite even the most carnivorous of my friends, because if veganism tastes this good, I’m sold.

Veganuary at The Four Seasons

Posted on January 16, 2019

It’s pretty self-explanatory, but Veganuary is a month-long pledge throughout the month of January where people try and live a more vegan lifestyle. The Four Seasons in Jumeirah is putting a precedence on wellness and nutrition and has decided to adopt this trend in one of its restaurants this month, which in my view, is fab news.

Let’s face it, adopting a plant-based diet with no meat, no dairy and no animal products can be for some, pretty tricky. I’m a vegetarian but I couldn’t imagine what my diet would look like if I gave up milk, eggs and bread… so I was intrigued to check out just what a vegan brekkie looks (tastes) like.

Their new ‘Get The Glow’ vegan menu unveiled this month at The Pearl Courtyard and I have to say, I was very impressed. (Check it out further down) My favourites are the Turmeric Quinoa Granola, Baobab Blueberry Yoghurt and the Superfruit Salad, share all three over a pot of England’s finest and you’ve got my winning strategy.

“Realizing the importance of a healthy and holistic lifestyle, Executive Chef Gilles has curated a dedicated menu rich in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and nutrients which is skillfully prepared to create positive, and long-lasting change and promote overall health. Using fresh and seasonal produce sourced from a local organic farm, Chef Gilles aims to change the way we view food without compromising on the flavour.” …and he’s not wrong, with a menu like that, there really is something for everyone and I can definitely recommend it as a healthy hotspot.

Here’s what they’re serving…

Don’t miss out!

Hotspot Recommended

A Seafood ‘Shellebration’ at Pier Chic!

Posted on August 18, 2016

Pier Chic is one of my favourite seafood restaurants in Dubai. It really is the epitome of fine-dining with its beautiful location out on the water at the end of the Al Qasr jetty. This (so special it should be saved for anniversaries only) hotspot is becoming more and more open and accessible too, with a whole host of delicious dining influences popping up. I jumped at the chance to check out their new six week seafood programme aptly named a ‘shellebration’ of the sea!

Chef Paul Lupton is the man behind this summer-curated concept, which is available from the 22nd of July –> the 4th of September. It boasts a weekly change in Pier Chic’s food focus, where you can expect to be taken on a journey through European coastal regions, enjoying all the fruit de la mar you could ever want. There’s a piece of the sea for everyone, with culinary themes such as; Marseilles Seafood Market, Valencian Seafood Paella and the Feast of St Antony, it’s a slice of (real) summertime.

There’s nothing I love more than a good fish & chips, so I was not going to miss sampling Pier Chic’s take on this British staple… and let me tell you – it was DELICIOUS! I may be biased because I love the venue, but honestly, that was the most chic fish & chips I’ve ever tried! Don’t let my snapchat fool you – I couldn’t put my fork down long enough to do it justice photographically.

Check out the schedule here:
Week 1: Marseilles Seafood Market
Week 2: Valencian Seafood Paella
Week 3: Feast of St Antony, Portugal’s Sardine Festival
Week 4: Posh Fish & Chic
Week 5: Amalfi Coast
Week 6: Galician Octopus Fiesta

Hotspot

Brunch is Back: Novikov At A Glance

Posted on July 26, 2016

I’ve never really been a fan of brunch. The loud crowds, high heels / short dresses and inevitable fight for the food, not to mention the 100 pounds-a-head price tag… I’d rather book a flight somewhere for the weekend thanks!

But there’s a few on my radar that have helped to quell that initial horror when someone with a Birthday mentions one. Having checked into Novikov last week for their re-opening post Ramadan, I have to say it’s slowly bringing me round to the idea of trying a few more.

Novikov is a London based institution that’s known for it’s famous faces as much as its food. Dubai’s hotspot is located in the Sheraton Grand Hotel on the Sheikh Zayed Road, featuring an Asian inspired menu. I have to say that atmosphere-wise it was a little dry, as in there was a real lack of it. There was a DJ who played my kind of lounge music, lovely staff who were completely attentive and helpful but for the size of the venue (it’s enormous – think Buddha lounge but all on one floor), it needs to be fuller to feel like we weren’t just having a nice lunch. It was just post-Ramadan and everyone right now seems to be in Greece/Ibiza/St Tropez according to my Instagram so I’m sure it will be full again in no time!

The best part of the experience is their fresh market, where you can select from a whole host of fresh seafood or vegetables and have them cooked to your requirements. The seafood is a little too fresh for my liking (the lobster winked at me) but the veggies were delicious!

I tried and LOVED the Miso soup

Vegetable Maki

Mushroom Dim Sum

Black Cod

Hotspot Recommended

Fish & Chips at their Finest 🐟🍟

Posted on March 3, 2016

There’s a handful of ‘authentic’ British dishes that I judge quite harshly out here… with fish and chips being the hardest for restaurants to get right (or so it seems). Their mushy peas are either too dry or non-existent or their batter is too oily, but i’m pleased to announce i’ll be haunting this new waterfront hotspot on a Thursday eve!

Where: SENARA is a homegrown concept fusing the UAE’s staple seafood cuisine with Head Chef Anthony Reilly’s British flair. It’s the newest seafood bistro to open in Dubai, fully conceptualised in the UAE and situated perfectly on the waters edge of the Palm Jumeirah, boasting some of the best sunset views in town. Just a stones-throw from the Shoreline, Golden Mile and Frond villas.

What to try: Signatures include a host of fresh fish dishes daily. Its famous fish & chips is a must of course, buckets of mussels & oysters and a mouth-watering lobster linguini is amongst many more mains. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, the baked cheesecake is a worthy dish, and don’t underestimate the apple crumble or sticky date pudding… a true fusion of cultures.

It’s also just about to get its alcohol license through so stay tuned!

Adventure Animals Hotspot travel Winter

Life in the Bay for Christmas

Posted on December 29, 2015

I love South Africa. I’m particularly in love with the southern coastline, from Cape Town to Plettenberg, it’s nothing but blue skies, blue seas and beautiful people!

It feels like Christmas every day here, waking up to the most gorgeous bay views and sea air. It’s amazing how tired salty air can make you, but you definitely feel like you’ve had a long, fruitful (if not too eventful) day. The African sun is relentless too, warm yes, but strong, even when it’s overcast. We welcome the odd splashes of rain.

This sleepy bayside town wakes up for 2 weeks a year to a plethora of surfers, VIP’s and people like us, who are just looking for some winter sunshine, all mingling in beautiful café’s with quaint views, and the same long waiting lists.

The days are spent surfing, shopping, eating and napping, whilst the evenings gather everyone around the BBQ’s. The smell I tell you is fantastic. I’m a vegetarian but oh my…

I’ve been so glad for two particular necessities here, one is Neutrogena’s sun cream and the other, is their chap stick… with the winter winds out on the water raging, my normally semi-coiffed hair hasn’t had a look in this holiday, and it’s been great to let go. Apart from getting the odd eyeball whipping from the baby strands around my face, it’s actually been nice to not care.

We had a fantastic day out on the water yesterday, venturing out with the ocean safari team with our sights set on finding some whales, (it’s technically out of season but I was optimistic none the less). What we did see straight away was a large seal feasting on a stingray, happily enjoying his well deserved breakfast with the ever-growing fear of the dreaded ‘Robberg Express’ hanging over him. The Robberg express is not the channel between which all the sharks roam as I later found out; it’s the name of a singularly enormous creature that haunts the bay. (May be why I haven’t gotten into the water to surf yet…)

As he rolled on his back, waved at us and promptly sank beneath the waves, we moved on in search of more aquatic wonders. We headed straight for the coastline where we saw a collective of at least 30 bottlenose dolphins hugging the waves in fear of the Express, and followed their movements in the swells for a good half an hour. Soaking up the sun from the top deck, with these small, beautiful mammals playing next to us was a moment of absolute perfection. Then we spotted (I spotted and alerted the boat rather loudly) a baby hammerhead shark off to the right, swimming with a small family of indo-pacific humpback dolphins! (These are incredibly incredibly rare – hence my exclamation mark).

After what was the perfect way to start the day, we felt it was only right to end it just as memorably. Dinner last night was at a little romantic hotspot called Emily Moon River Lodge… it boasts spectacular views across polo fields and wet lands by day, the ideal place for a sunset aperitif or two!

Anyway, I’m off to enjoy the rest of it now… ☺

Hotspot Recommended

Beauty Insider: The Anti-Free Radical Treatment

Posted on May 28, 2015

Recommended: The Anti-Free Radical Facial Treatment

Where: Tips ’N’ Toes, Al Barsha branch

It’s been a long time since I had a facial – I’m talking at least a year!

I have been able to balance my skin with a combination of Bioderma products for the last couple of years and my fear was always that if I had a facial – I could potentially unbalance that chemical mixture. Having had facials in the past, I knew that a certain amount of redness and after effects were inevitable, but to this day, my skin still feels moisturised, and no redness at all!

The Anti-Free Radical Facial is a treatment for dull, dehydrated skin, combining high potency vitamin C, E and D to seal in hydration and refine the skin, it really is the perfect facial for all of us who’s skin is subject to those harsh sun rays, (I’d been at Dreamland enjoying those the day before).

After a make-up removing cleanse and pore opener with a steamer, I dreaded the pain that the pore cleaner can bring, but I was pleasantly surprised, there was minimal stinging and from the look of my skin now, maximum effect. She really went to town on my face too! After the cleansing, came the moisturising… eye pads and a gauze later, my face was covered in a fast-hardening paste. After a quick nap (it was far too relaxing) I woke to the mask being lifted off as the light flooded back in again.

All the massaging and moisturising was followed by a final round of cream, to seal in the hydration, and I was off home shortly after. I made sure to sleep in the moisturisers they had put on, so that I didn’t wash off any of that goodness. The next morning I went make-up free and felt like my skin was literally glowing.

I’d advise having this facial at the end of your day so that you aren’t tempted to touch, prod and stroke your face (reducing the risk of dirt being deposited back into your pores).

Hotspot yoga

Healthy Hotspot Life’N’One

Posted on May 19, 2015

Nestled in the backstreets of Jumeirah 1, hidden behind institutions like Magrudy’s and Spinneys, a graffiti wall hides a new hotspot that transports you across the sea to the breakfast bars of Sri Lanka or Goa. A villa that is one part cafe, one part yoga studio and one part pop-up shop.

If you haven’t heard of or visited Life’N’One yet, I urge you to head down there before the weather makes sitting outside on their luscious green grass, around a gorgeous long reclaimed wood table a tad too unbearable.

It’s simple, yet oh-so-detailed, everything from the food (a vegetarian’s heaven), and the freshly squeezed power juices… to the straw seating and ceiling recipe’s in the kitchen!

It has all the charm of an exotic back garden at yoga retreat in Bali, and mix in Dubai’s favourite wellness trends like barre, yoga and reformer pilates, you’ve got a hotspot that literally has everything (including a massage centre) you need for a morning of pure bliss!