Fortnum & Mason: The Dubai Edition

Only a couple more days to go until we can get our manicured little hands on the goodies at Fortnum & Mason here in Dubai. Though with one caveat; there will be no foie gras. Controversial but delicious, foie gras is not halal because of how it is produced. I am sure though that the rest of the goodies will make up for the lack of foie gras and maybe our waist lines and pocketbooks will be the better for it.

The new Dubai store is described as being a vast, three story department store. It is located between the Dubai Mall and The Address Downtown Dubai in a free standing location. The current facade around it was done by the brilliant Rory Dobner.

Link to original photo

Check out the facebook page of Rory Dobner for more of his work and some gorgeous and inspiring pictures.

Will let you know how it is as soon as I make a trip to Fortnum & Mason. Which will be soon. Very soon. Tah for now, dahling.

Saadiyat Island: Paradise at our doorstep

Living in the UAE means that we are absolutely spoiled when it comes to the coast line. Factor in the relatively warm winters and it is understandable that people not only want to live here but vacation here. Being quite loyal to the Dubai coast line I finally made the plunge and went to Saadiyat Island. Now I wonder why I have not gone before! It was gorgeous. White sand and turquoise water made a simple day trip into a vacation away to some faraway Caribbean paradise.

Entrance to the beach

 Entrance and membership fee information from the website:

• Basic entrance fee of AED 25 per adult and AED 15 per child over six years old. An annual membership fee of AED 500 per adult and AED 1,000 per family.
• Daily access fee inclusive of sun-lounging facilities is AED 50 per Adult/Child on weekdays and AED 75 on weekends. A six-month membership fee is AED 1,500 and an annual membership fee is AED 2,500. 
• There is free parking for up to 200 cars at the beach as well as a public bus service which stops there

Enjoying the beach

From the small restaurant

 As we did not bring snacks with us we opted to grab something from the small restaurant which was by the entrance. I went for the tabouleh and hummous. Both were well flavoured and cost AED22 each. There were other Arabic mezze, such as moutabel and Beiruty hummous, also for AED22. Sandwhiches and pizza, as well as some nice salads were also available to order and were around AED30-50. The prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity of what we ordered.

Looking towards the sun loungers

There are also changing, shower, washroom and locker facilities at the beach which are clean and well maintained.

After a nice day at the beach we headed across to the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas for a lovely Devonshire Tea at The Library which was AED70 per person. At first we decided to sit outside and enjoy the view but as we were not in the sun we slowly got rather chilled and moved inside.

Rose hip and hibiscus tea outside on the terrace

Delicious scone with clotted cream and cherry jam

Inside The Library

The Library was a cozy place to enjoy a Devonshire tea. I could imagine coming here even alone and reading one of the books they have on hand while eating scones and drinking tea or grabbing some girlfriends for an opportunity to just catch up. The service was excellent and because the scones (which are freshly baked) did not come in the time frame that was given to us we also received a glass of fresh orange juice.

Getting to Saadiyat Island is simple from Dubai as you only need to follow the E11 south bound and then you will find the signs to Yas Island/Saadiyat Island. From the Marina area to Saadiyat Public Beach it took us about 40 minutes with a stop at a petrol station.

Check out Saadiyat Island this weekend for an escape from the norm. 

The count down to love day

And the count down begins for both the RAK Half Marathon and Valentines Day. Both of which are on the 14th of February. Convenient that the 14th is a Friday which in the UAE means weekend! I was listening to the radio and an advertisement for a local jewelers came on where they asked a question which was something along the lines of "what do women want most from the man in their life?" And then it went on to say that we as women want to hear "I love you". According to this jewelers you can say it with a teddy bear, flowers, jewelry etc. Spare me the teddy bear. Even as a child I was not so much into plush toys. I had two that I loved, had those since birth and I have no love for any other plush toy. Flowers should not just be delegated to just Valentines day or special occasions. What about bringing flowers as a surprise, as a "the weather is not nice pick me up" surprise. Regarding jewelry it all depends on whether or not you can afford to give your lady love (or man love, equal opportunities) some jewelry. So there you have it, worst case scenario all three options are not viable, what is a girl/guy to do?

1. A muy romantico picnic in the park: Dubai in the "winter" is fabulous for staying outdoors. A park pick nick can be as expensive or as cost friendly as you want to make it. You can either pick up some gorgeous take away foods or make your own. Invest in a beautiful vintage style pick nick basket and blanket to set the scene. Bring proper cutlery, decorative napkins and nice glassware and plates. Take along a mini selection of luxe desserts. This is the time to splurge on macarons from Pierre Hermé, Perrier water, special cheeses and meats, bread from Le Pain Quotidien, desserts from Paul, the list is endless. Make it personal, bring some flowers and enjoy sometime with one another eating lovely foods, and talking under the warm sunshine. 

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2. S'mores in the desert: Dubai is, as you may have noticed, surrounded by natural beauty. The desert is a vast and magical place especially as the sun rises and sets. Heading out into the desert can be a great Valentines option for couples that are more outdoorsy. Firewood can be purchased at most petrol stations in the UAE, to be prepared like the boy/girl scout that you are, have that sorted a couple days before and bring plenty in case you intend to see the sun set and rise. Newspaper and matches to start the fire are also important. I know people who use lighter fuel to start the fire but I would be wary about the fumes. Like the first option also make sure you have a blanket for sitting on or bring folding chairs for more comfort. As the desert is still quite cool in the evening bring some extra clothes; a warm jacket/ sweater is still needed in the night. You could even gift your love a matching toque/ glove set (double points for having a small message embroidered somewhere). S'mores are easy to make: bring a box of graham crackers, assorted chocolates (mix it up with a varying assortment from Lindt Excellence) and of course marshmallows. You will also need a long stick or skewer for roasting the marshmallows on; these can be found in most grocery stores in the outdoors section. Carrefour has a great selection for outdoor pick nicks etc. Bring as well a thermos with hot chocolate and tea to drink through out the night. Cuddle up and enjoy!

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 3. Dinner a casa: Dinner at home on Valentines day does not have to be a death sentence. Au contraire mon ami/ ma amie! It could very well be a swoon worthy event. If your lady love/ man love works on a Friday this could be such a wonderful "welcome home after a day of work" thing. But! And this is a big but. Do not dress like a slob just because you are at home. Men wear nice slacks and a dress shirt, ladies dig into the dredges of your closet and take out that gorgeous figure hugging cocktail dress. Wear an apron if you are worried about making a mess while cooking (this goes for the men as well). Or of course you can save yourself cooking and order in or get some lovely items from The Lime Tree Cafe or Eataly. But make it thoughtful. Unless your other half is craving AED 2 schwarma, keep it classy. Decorate with candles and flowers, have some soft music playing in the background, prepare a welcome drink. Candles are super inexpensive escpecially at places like IKEA. Floating candles inside a nice glass bowl make the light bounce. For a beach vibe add some sand to the bottom and sea shells. Nicely set the table with glassware, cutlery, plates and decorative napkins. Essentially you are bringing the restaurant atmosphere inside your home. A quick google search for "romantic dinner at home" will bring up images and ideas to help you on your way.

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If you want to gift your lady love/ man love something make it something personal. What do they like? Wherein lie their interests? Are they a vinyl fan? You can gift them a new vinyl from Virgin Mega Store. If they like poetry an old book with a hand written message from you is adorable. If you have a mutual interest like horse back riding or diving make a handmade voucher for diving and a beach lunch or a sunset desert hack. We all have interests and there is nothing nicer than having something take an interest in said interest.

Valentines day is an opportunity to show someone how much you love and care for them. So even if you are a single on this very much couple orientated day so something fun with friends. All of the above can also be done as a group, pick nick in the park, s'mores in the desert and a nice dinner at home can become a friend or family event.

Enjoy this Valentines day and cuddle up. And for all you RAK Half Marathon runners good on you and see you at the finish line!

Lunch ahoy!

There are times when having lunch in a new location can be just the ticket, at times a rather decadent ticket. As this is Dubai we are absolutely spoiled with choices. This lunch saw us down at La Veranda at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. La Veranda has marina side seating with a direct, and very much unobstructed, view of the ever so iconic Burj al Arab. Feeling very much like we were on a wee vacation my friend and I settled in to cruise over the menu. See what I did there?

For our starters we shared a hot/fried and cold antipasti; the Calamari with Lobster Mayo and the Quinoa Salad, respectively. The Calamari arrived hot and crisp with a pancko style coating, the lobster mayo for dipping did not taste too intensely of lobster but it did have a nice kick to it. The flavour of the calamari would easily allow them to be eaten without the mayo. Balancing out the fried calamari was a nicely presented quinoa salad with marinated quinoa, rucola, zucchini, aubergine, feta and beetroot. We found that for the size of the salad it would be best to share or share it with the main course it you prefer more veggies to your main.

Quinoa Salad

Calamari with Lobster Mayo

For the main course we went in a direction befitting of the location we were at: seafood. While my friend went with the King Prawns I ordered a Crab Linguini. The pictures below will show how large the portions were and I did take half of my linguini home.On the menu the prawns were written as being "cinnamon marinated, orange and cardamom" we did not really find any of these flavours to be prevalent though the meat was tender and juicy. The vegetable ragout which accompanied it was also nice and flavourful. My crab linguini was well received and though the cream sauce could have had a wee bit more flavour the crab was excellent and there was a surprising amount of it. Clearly the crab was not just used as decoration.

Crab Linguini

King Prawns with Vegetable Ragout

After a small, and much needed break, we perused the desserts. Though there may not be a large selection it is diverse and there are also mocktails and cocktails which have dessert like attributes. Our chosen desserts were a lime flavoured cheesecake with raspberry coulis and a chocolate almond truffle cake with raspberry compote. The cheesecake did taste delicately of lime and instead of the traditional graham cracker base it had a thin sponge style base and was topped with mandarins. The raspberry coulis was on the side. The chocolate truffle cake was also quite nice but not as indulgent as it sounded and I was missing the almond taste. Both were quite large portions and I would say one dessert would have sufficed.

Chocolate Almond Truffle Cake

Lime flavoured cheesecake

Overall we had a nice experience at La Veranda. The service was friendly, there was soft music playing in the background, we were by the marina with a soft breeze and a view of the Burj al Arab. In a way it was like being on vacation in your own home town. This is a family friendly place as it is on the beach you can watch the littles play in the sand and the dress code is casual.

As is the norm this is not a sponsored post.

Baking with Yoghurt

There comes a time in every single person’s life when one has simply too much yoghurt in the fridge. Other than the obvious face mask or hair cure solution here is another: baking. I had a kilo tub of plain yoghurt lurking in my fridge which was nearing its expiration date and I decided to look up cake recipes which utilize yoghurt.

The blog Chez Catey Lou turned up with a lovely Blueberry Lemon Yoghurt Loaf recipe and as a plus it used only a small amount of oil which I reduced even further. Below is my variation on her recipe. I believe that this recipe can also be used as a base for other flavour combinations: lemon/poppy seed, lemon/pistachio/cranberry, orange/ mixed berry etc. I would though stick with flavours which complement the flavour of plain yoghurt.

Lemon & Pistachio Yoghurt Loaf
Ingredients
1 cup whole meal flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour (note: you can use all all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 lemon grated, and juice from half the lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
50 gr slivered pistachio

Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with a large strip of parchment paper that hangs over the edges – this helps with easy removal of the loaf after baking.

In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and oil until thoroughly combined.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for about 50 minutes (bout 20 minutes for muffins), or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not over-bake. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Lemon & Pistachio Yoghurt Loaf

Muffins made with strawberries and lemon

If you are looking for wholemeal flour Carrefour is now carrying Jenan flours in addition to outmeal. I have had a most difficult time finding more rustic flour here in the UAE so this is a nice addition in my kitchen.

Wholemeal Jenan Flour

Eataly: get some Italian in Dubai

Dubai is known for its rather pretentious dining and clubbing scene. There is of course nothing wrong with partaking in this I have enjoyed dinner at Nobu before and going to Cavalli and People by Crystal, amongst others. There are though times when you want to sit back a bit, wear jeans and share a joke with the kitchen chefs. I adore kitchen chefs and find then rather amiable. On a recent Dubai Mall shopping excursion with my friend we happened upon Eataly. From the outside it is quite eye catching with its large, open and bright store front. Upon stepping inside you see the scale of this place. It is a mix of grocers with a café, gelateria, chocolate counter, restaurant and other delightful stations. The glass enclosed room where they make the fresh mozzarella is a thing of beauty.

Smoked Turkey Piadina with the lovely chefs in the background

Simple yet delicious tomato spaghetti

In addition to the site down dining there is also a bar which one can sit at and watch the chefs at work in the hot station. Once we were seated we were brought our menus as well as a serving of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping the bread in. Delish! Wanting something simple, warm and with carbs, as we had been shopping, we settled on a simple tomato spaghetti and a smoked turkey piadina. As a started we tried their fresh made mozzarella. Over all we had a wonderful experience the food was fresh and tasty and the mozzarella in particular gets a massive thumbs up, no matter how geeky it looks. I even took the other half of the piadina home with me as it was a large portion. The next day I heated it in my Panini press and it was delicious. Sitting at the bar was a fantastic idea as we were able to watch all the other lovely dishes be prepared and it gave us some ideas for another home made dinner get together.


Eataly can definitely be recommended as a casual date night or a less hectic mall meal. The fact that you can combine it with some of your grocery shopping is a bonus. Of course you can also pop in for an ice cream or an espresso at the coffee counter. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Car watching and a date (or two)

In the background is the aforementioned Ferrari

In Dubai we see our fair share of luxury cars and soon enough it becomes second nature to see a red Ferrari or matte purple Cayanne parked in your buildings garage. What is fun though it the people watching associated with these cars. Dubai is currently in the full swing of its tourist season and that means luxury car neophytes ... everywhere. I find it rather humorous watching a grown man make his elderly mother pose in front of  a red Ferrari and getting the perfect shot from every which angle. Oddly enough though it peeves me when I see people leaning on said Ferrari. It seems almost disrespectful and jeans have rivets which could scratch that rather expensive paint job. Maybe I am hyper sensitive on this subject, maybe not, the point is: respect the car.


As this is Dubai we have to enjoy every chance at out door dining before summer slaps us across the face in all its heated humid glory. We grabbed a table at Bateel and set to work pouring over their menu.


As we only wanted to stay for a refreshing drink we ordered a mocha shake and for myself a Bateel Date Shake which is made with vanilla ice cream, milk and fresh Rhutab dates. Bateel is well known in the middle east and both the mocha and the date shake lived up to Bateels name. Neither were too sweet and were perfect for sitting in the sun and watching people watching cars. The shakes were reasonably priced at AED22 each. Their menu looks nice as well and I may need to get myself a snack at their Mirdif City Centre location.


The Bateel location we went to is located on the ground floor of the Dubai Mall on the outside promenade near the fountains.


Please note this is not a sponsored post.