NOBU

Let me preface this by saying "I had a religious experience" in a restaurant, non the less. It came in the form of foie gras resting atop a grilled scallop. The foie gras absolutely melted on my tongue and it took all my will power not to cry from the sheer joy/bliss/elation. What is it about food that can bring out such strong emotions? The entire experience at NOBU was amazing. The décor was gorgeous and understated (a pleasant contrast from most of the Atlantis). We had a very professional, knowledgeable and friendly waitress. When you go ask to sit in Yuli's section, she was brilliant. Another plus at NOBU is their child policy, no children under 10. Which of course only leaves admittance to us loud adults (NOBU is not the place for a quiet, intimate dinner).

The Salmon Tacos

Left: Wagyu beef Nigiri Sushi, Right: Salmon Skin Roll

Scallop and foie gras vanilla den miso

Part of the tasting menu

Sweet finale of the tasting menu: chocolate cake with liquid centre and coconut ice cream



Our first course was the salmon taco. Beautifully presented and tiny, it was like receiving a jewel. The salmon was as soft as butter offering a nice contrast to the crisp taco shell.

The wagyu beef as well surrendered willingly but it was not to my taste, my friend on the other hand loved it.

What is a Japanese restaurant without the ubiquitous sushi? I was keen on trying the salmon skin roll and it did not disappoint. Slightly warm rice, crisp salmon skins and avocado at a seemingly perfect point of maturity. The sushi roll which came as part of the tasting menu was also a treat. Gorgeous salmon and avocado.

The overall experience at NOBU was great. My friend and I ended up ordering various small dishes as well as the tasting menu which is a good idea especially as this was our first time at NOBU..

Note: until the end of September Atlantis the Palm is offering 25% of the total F&B bill for Emirates NBD card holder. I overheard on the table beside that with CITI Bank it is 15% off but I do not know for how long.

Gold Star for Happiness

The Gulf News wrote about it and now Khaleej Times has confirmed it: the UAE is the happiest Arab country.  And really, is it all that surprising? People may complain about the UAE, I am guilty of it, but we have it good here. The weather is usually amazing (save for yesterdays sandstorm), we have kilometers of beaches to frolic in and everything is a call away. Life is more "convenient" here. Want to order from your favourite restaurant and have it delivered to your house door or office? No problem(hello, Talabat)! Too lazy to walk across the street to Choithrams? They deliver. Too hot to walk outside? No problem, AC is always on in Dubai Mall (don't forget the cardigan). Let's not get started on the various school curriculums that are available here; Canadian, American, French, Australian ... though I hear the school fees are maddening. Dubai also has a modern and clean (I like clean) metro system, which is also being expand. A taxi is relatively inexpensive (and clean, really we should thank the RTA for this). From a foodie point of view Dubai and its surrounding areas offer a plethora of restaurants. From the chic in the 5 star hotels (hello, Armani Hotel) to the adventurous in Karama you will not be short of choices. For the fashionistas (and fashionistos) Dubai has twice yearly shopping festivals. Also good to check out, if you like the thrill of the chase, is Dubai Outlet Mall. People may say it is "far" outside of Dubai but it is really about 20 minutes from the Dubai Mall when you take the Dubai-Al Ain Road. It has a good selection from Burberry and Banana Republic/Gap to Tchibo and Jashanmal. There are also outlet stores like The DEAL and Salam Designer Outlet which have a mixed selection of designer clothes. And if you get hungry trot on over to Tim Hortons (there are other food and beverage outlets, I just want to give a shout out to Timmies). 

image from bluekrowndesigns.com

There are other advantageous to living in the UAE. No taxes is a big one. But also having more help around the home. Nannies, house maids and gardeners are cheap and easy to have here though in ones home country they may be considered a luxury. Please take care to remember that the "cheap" help you have is a person and not a machine. House maids are exempt from UAE Labour Laws (yes I read it, you should too). To those of you who do have a maid/nanny/gardener please treat them with respect, pay them on time, give them a day off (and spend that quality time with your own family) and remember that they too have come a long way to be here.

Here are some ideas on making the UAE an even happier place to be:

1. volunteer your time. There are plenty of places which would love for people to help out: Volunteer in UAE

2. take part in a good cause like donating blood or taking part in a charity marathon

3. get involved with the Dubai Autism Center

4. check out Meet Up to find like minded people in your area

Take the time to meet and get to know Dubai. She has her mysteries and once you get to know more about her you can slowly start to appreciate where you live. Find something to make you happy and give yourself a gold star.

Note: I should add that none of the above mentioned companies/websites are remunerating me in any way, shape or form.

Pizza, Pasta ... Pesto

Seeing as Dubai is one of seven emirates and conveniently located in the middle of these one can easily make a trip away. Case in point Ras al Khaimah. A quick hour outside of Dubai on the E311 and you reach a place with a slower pace and turquoise waters. I went to visit a friend and for dinner we headed down to the corniche (there is a lot of parking) and went for dinner at Pesto Ristorante Italiano which is located near to Baskin Robbins (when it is dark that is probably the easiest sign to see). When you walk in the first thing you see is a chef at the pizza oven and inside there are two seating areas one is restaurant style seating and the other more in the manner of a lounge with a show kitchen to the side. The atmosphere was definitely that of a European restaurant, calm and sophisticated. My favourite touch was the Italian chef walking out to the guests. The waitresses were professional and attentive.

Now to the important part, the food. Delicious. My friend ordered the salmon pizza whilst I had the pesto with shrimp pizza. Generous portions were served to us on wooden boards with the waitress offering us fresh ground pepper and chili oil. The crust was thin and crisp with enough dough to not make it a cracker crispness and the toppings were heaven. Juicy shrimp and sweet cherry tomatoes complimented the pesto. My friend was amoured by her salmon pizza which was garnished with lemon slices. If you want a light dinner we suggest taking half home. But the two of us persevered and finished off our pizzas (cue waddling back to the car). They were simply to good to leave. The down side was there was no more room for dessert. So next time ... I reckon we need to stop by for a cappuccino and something sweet. I hope by then we can sit outside and listen to the nice background music; admittedly I broke out in song at one point (but quietly, I was after all in polite company).

City of Life

This movie could not wait another day to be posted. It was stunning. One could almost call it the UAE version of  "Babel". I found it to be well played. Moments made me smile at how typically Dubai they were and others made me cry and hug my pillow closer. You are taken from Sheikh Zayed Road to the backroads of Dubai and back in a fluidity that works for the film. So please enjoy it and tell me what you think. Is it an accurate description of your Dubai?

K Pop Chicken

Let me start off with the following statement "I love Korean food". Can it be, that, because of the different flavours, the spicy undertones or maybe that it is a refreshing change from your standard Chinese take away that I fell, stomach (and possibly all major organs) first for Korean food. K Pop Chicken serves your standard/typical Korean fare of Kimbap, Bibimbap and Bulgogi in a brightly coloured, easy to find location. The Mandu (we ordered fried) arrived hot and delicious to our table along with a nicely presented salad (I cannot remember which but there were oranges involved). The Mandu went down a treat and already my "no, I have never eaten Korean food before" friend was convinced this would be a good dinner. Soon after this we were served the main courses. My issue with this was that we were served the main whilst we still had the Mandu and salad on the table. We could have though said to wait, or better yet, they could have asked. I ordered the beef bulgogi bibimbap and my dining partner had the seafood and beef bulgogi. Both were delicious and there was no skimping on ingredients. I knew from previous reviews that the bibimbap would not be served in a hot stone pot; maybe this would be changed in the future? Our waiter was observant without hovering, music was at an appropriate level (k pop and music videos, some people might call it heaven) and there were Korean guests eating there (always a good sign). We were asked if we wanted dessert but I politely declined (an explosion was imminent). Perhaps next time (if I don't over eat, again). And next time the fried chicken needs to be tried as well ... Apparently that is what they are known for.

K Pop Chicken is located in Indigo Icon in JLT F cluster, you can easily take the metro to JLT station and walk.



image from timeoutdubai.com