Dubai restaurants

Katsudon blasphemy!

May 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

I was craving for one of my favorite Japanese rices bowls of all time, the Katsudon: tender yet crispy panko breaded pork cutlet drowning in a mixture of sweet dashi-soy-mirin sauce, runny barely scrambled egg, translucent onion slivers and green peas atop a cup of pristine rice. And having passed Umami a number of times, it was a sign from the heavens that I have submit to the Katsudon craving. I knew that Umami at Ibn Battuta mall’s food court had a lot of promise of being an authentic Japanese fast food stall with its brightly lit glass display of life-like plastic food bowls.

But as I was hungrily looking through each plastic food display, my eyes did a double take on one dish. The sign read “Chicken cutlet katsu don”, but the rice bowl wasn’t katsudon at all…

Twas a fine day to be Filipino

May 12, 2012 5 Comments

I did not grow up eating in hoity-toity, fancy schamancy restaurants and hotels that required you don your Sunday’s best garb and behavior. Our family (perhaps because of the sheer number of hungry mouths to be fed) frequented places with more affordable yet still equally scrumdiddlyumptious food. It’s not that I do not appreciate the beauty of fine dining. I just grew up believing that good food was not directly proportional to the tag price. Even if I started to actually have the money to afford frequenting fine dining places, I still couldn’t find myself thoroughly enjoying fine dining…it just didn’t feel right.

And so ladies-who-brunch at BICE Mare, Italian seafood restaurant at Souk Al Bahar was still intimidating for me (even though I did win the brunch from Foodiva’s Italian lunch competition). Except that…

The Grand Grill Tuesday Nights: For caveman carnivores only

May 3, 2012 2 Comments

If you've got your caveman on, this is the place to be on Tuesday Nights

The Husband and I are both unabashed carnivores. We love our meats and are not afraid to go places for it. Case in point, last Monday, after grazing through and drooling over a eat-all-you-can beef ribs and grilled chicken promotion, The Husband quickly made reservations for us on Tuesday night at The Grand Grill, Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa.

I was quite excited since it’s been a while since we went out for a date, at the same time, my tummy’s carnivore hormones were pumped up too.

The Yemeni Mandi Challenge

April 22, 2012 12 Comments

Enter the Yemeni battle arena!

The Husband and I don’t agree on many things, unlike some couples, who are completely on the same page on practically everything in life. (But being clones of each other doesn’t make it any fun, right?)

Hence, we argue quite often about food, including which restaurants serve the “best (insert dish here)” And unlike me, who is more open to trying out restaurants (maybe because I am still on googly-eyed curious Dubai newbie mode) , he’s the type of customer that is fiercely loyal to his favorite restaurants, which he has tried and tested through the years he’s been here, and is highly critical of the competition. Good thing about The Husband that he’s open to try at least once, but if the competition doesn’t pass his critical palate’s standards, then bye-bye to the restaurant forever and back to sticking to the tried and tested.

I can be a person, who likes a bit of a challenge, most especially when it comes to convincing people of the best dish or the best restaurant. So I was brave enough to have thrown the gauntlet down on The Husband’s favorite Arabic meat and rice dish: the Yemeni Mandi.

The need for breathing space and Arabic pizza

April 17, 2012 3 Comments

Don't you just love the breathing space?

So this is how it feels to be trapped in an coffin-like enclosure.

My head was strapped down to the bed by a velcro belt, then the kind attendant clamped the robust plastic head cage shut and reeled me into my 25-minute coffin. But instead of enjoying the peaceful silence of pseudo death as I closed my eyes, I was greeted with a mild whirring, which turned into a slow rapping tap…tap…tap…tap. Then the taps swelled into a blaring ringing like a telephone pressed against the ear.

I quickly opened my eyes to see what exactly was going on, but all I saw was the bellied curve of the medical machine an inch away from my pudgy nose and so I squeezed my eyes shut again. The gritting sounds changed every few minutes – from continuous buzzing to pulsing shrill wails to furious pounding – and my breaths were shorter by the second. I wanted to get out of this enclosure quick. Unfortunately, all I could do was to wiggle my toes to show my discomfort, else the medical test would be rendered unusable.

Then came the abrupt deathly silence and the quick swish from roll of the cot on its industrial steel base. “We’re done Madam.” the attendant said.

I’d rather talk about the Bento-ya toilet…

March 28, 2012 15 Comments

The food at Bento-ya Japanese restaurant along Sheikh Zayed Road was authentic enough for my taste, but I must say the toilet is the one that made my experience an unforgettable one. Come for the food AND the toilet.

If talking about toilets makes you uncomfortable, I discourage you to read on…

Lost and Found in Karama

March 25, 2012 6 Comments

There wasn’t any available taxis in sight and I was so late (I hate being late and 5 minutes past an appointment is already too late for me.) for my 5PM Filipino merienda date with Sandy. So I decided to be crazy brave: I power walked from the Al Karama metro stop to Delmon Filipino restaurant in the heart of Karama. I’ve been to the restaurant twice, but I didn’t know how to get there on foot…alone. That was the problem. A big problem.

Have pink suitcase; will travel.

March 22, 2012 4 Comments

It has been almost 7 years since that maiden voyage of my famous screaming pink suitcase. It has served me well, being my trusty travel companion in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Bangkok Thailand, Hong Kong, and Dubai (and back again – twice). It bravely rolled into these destinations half-filled with basic clothes, shoes and toiletries and always managed to come home bursting at the seams with souvenirs ranging from authentic designer knock-offs to salt & pepper shakers and, of course, food…lots of food for the food loving family.

Alas, ye olde trusty suitcase’s locks and handles have given up from the wear and tear of travels through the years. Now, it is time to lay it to rest. But all goodbyes are signals of beginnings. So as I say goodbye to my fuchsia pink suitcase, I say a chirpy “Why hello there!” to a brand new pink suitcase Old habits die hard, my friends.

Great ball, g-g-g-great ball of carbs!

March 21, 2012 4 Comments

It is a GREAT ball of carbs that you need at least one glass of tea to help you digest or drag at least two other ravenous carb sucking comrades to help you finish the damn thing.

Give fish a chance.

March 15, 2012 7 Comments

This is where the fish action went down and out.

My parents know for a fact that I am not a fish person. I am a certified shout-on-the-rooftops, I-will-never-give-this-up-for-Lent (Sorry God) meat lover, pork and beef are my poisons of choice (though I occasionally can go cold turkey on meat and go vegetarian once in a while).