A Blogliterati.com Blog

This week I was at the German Doner Kebab outlet in Downtown. I had the opportunity to finally taste the delicacy considered the big daddy of the Arab shawarma, the Greek gyros, and the Mexican al pastor. Yes - the famous Doner Kebab! Did you know? Did you know the word "Shawarma" is the Arabic pronunciation of the Turkish word "Çevirme" (First letter is Turkish and pronounced as "ch". Since Arabic does not have that letter, they pronounce it as "sh". Similarly, the closest pronunciation of the word Çevirme becomes Shawarma with the other Arabic letters). Çevirme is another Turkish word with a similar meaning, "to turn" symbolizing the method of cooking - meat turning slowly on the rotisserie.  A bit of Doner Kebab History Originally a Turkish import into Germany, the Doner Kebab - named after the Turkish word "dondurmek" meaning rotating roast, has grown to capture a special place in the heart of the Germans. Consi...

Dubai’s most favorite pizzeria Jazz @ Pizza express has relaunched with a stunning new interior design and jazzy personality. In conjunction with this relaunch, a grand party was thrown last night to dignitaries from media and other special guests. Jazz@Pizza Express has been a sought-after destination for its delicious fare, live music, decadent cocktails & bubblies and awe-inspiring service. With the new facelift, this JLT restaurant is touted to be the hottest pizzerias in Dubai for dining and wining. Known globally for the great design of their restaurants, Pizza Express commissioned the award-wining British interior designer & consultant Sharon Jutla for the refurbishment. Listed on Interior design & Architecture magazine's top 50, Sharon's portfolio includes high-end projects like Moscow Terminal 3 Airport, Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi Sports City, PWC head office in London, Noor al Ain shopping centre in Abu Dhabi, and the Edgbaston Cricket Stadium. ...

Last week me and my dining partner had a chance to stop by at Mama Tani Café to enjoy some Emirati Soul Food.   It was food as good as grandma made it, with a delightful contemporary twist, of course. 'Mama Tani' means second mother in Arabic and Mama Tani café takes inspiration from the founders’ grandmother who inspired their belief in fresh food made daily with only the finest ingredients.  And doing full justice to its name, Mama Tani Café offers traditional and authentic Emirati food, eaten by UAE nationals all over the country. The Food Run by a Emirati brother-sister duo, the café is very widely known for its authentic Khameer bread – the traditional Emirati bread with humble Bedouin origins. This flatbread had once fallen completely out of favor with the upscale eaters of UAE but restaurateurs like Omar and Maitha Al Shamsi are leaving no stones unturned to revive the love for this traditional bread in all its former glory. They do this by custo...

Last month we visited UZB Avenue, Dubai's top Uzbek restaurant to try Uzbek cuisine, for the first time.  A delicious amalgam of cultural influences, Uzbek fare is as interesting, diverse and unique as its people. Traditionally agrarian, the Uzbeks produced abundance of grain and vegetables, which enriched their cuisine and thereby allowed them to express their strong tradition of hospitality. Me and my dining partner got a feel of this culture and hospitality at UZB Avenue. UZB Avenue - Ambiance Just a hop away from the Sharaf DG Metro station, this fine dining restaurant will take you on a culinary journey straight to the heart of Uzbekistan.  Black tablecloth with colorful floral patterns, traditional Uzbek souvenirs, tea urns (Samovar,) artsy cushions, artistic decor, folk instruments and a host of interesting relics from the past completely immersed us in Uzbek culture, as we awaited our food. A very nicely decorated place for fine dining, UZB Avenue has a re...

The most wonderful time of the year is finally here and its time for celebration. And needless to say, no celebration is complete without the company of loved ones and of course great food. So, we went to Soho Bar & Grill in Century Village, Garhoud to check out their new festive menu and see what they have in store for the season. Just next door to Irish Village in Garhoud is the Century Village and here you can find a couple of good restaurants and Soho Bar & Grill is the one of the best among them. We were impressed beyond words with the food, service, ambiance and the over-all experience that we decided to go there again for our Christmas brunch. The Drinks We were welcomed with a glass of mulled wine and live music in the background. With the winter winds swirling in, nothing could have been more apt than mulled wine for a welcome drink. It literally set light to the evening. An absolutely delight to savor, it was sweet just to the appropriate level and carri...

We are what we eat. So, it doesn't take Einesteinien wisdom to understand that anything we ingest into our bodies can have positive, as well as negative impact on the body. In our super fast paced metro life in Dubai, we hardly find time to stand and stare, leave alone take time to cook healthy and nutritious meals at home, everyday. Most of the time we rely on fast food (read junk food) or food on the go, and this is resulting in a lot of gluten and carbohydrate intake, which is slowly leading us to illnesses related to the heart and stomach. Perhaps, this is why health conscious people world over are slowly going the organic way and consuming more of organic food now, than any other time in history. More than a temporary fix, going the organic way is a complete change of lifestyle. Willingness to eat healthy food alone wont help, there also needs to be the easy availability of such food when people need it.    And I'm really happy to note that a few restaurateurs here...

During our last visit to  Media One Hotel  to review  Coco On 8  we were very highly intrigued by the green foliage facade of what seemed like a lovely restaurant, next door. The wooden name board on the foliage read Garden On 8. Pretty interesting nomenclature, we thought, as we marked the place in our list of 'Places to try'. This weekend, we had a chance to swing by Media One Hotel and decided to check the place out.  The Coco On 8 experience was outstanding so got into the bar lounge with even higher expectations. Gladly, Garden On 8 not only lived up to the expectation in terms of the food and service, but also exceeded it on several counts. The Ambiance Situated on the 8 th  level of Media One hotel. Garden On 8 is a spacious, green and cosy sports bar with a spectacular rooftop terrace.  Thanks to the gorgeous garden like milieu, comfy seating and spacious terrace, the place is apt for a post work chillaxation or a lazy weekend hango...

Gate village in DIFC is a not an unfamiliar location for Dubai’s socialites. Being home to some of the slickest restaurants, art galleries, art cafes and bar lounges it is a haunt of the fashionistas, food connoisseurs, art lovers and party animals. While Zuma in the vicinity, is very popular, there’s one more rising star that you probably may not have heard of as much, but is clearly rocking the party scene big time in the financial district. Indie Restaurant & Lounge is a DIFC hideaway that blends a restaurant, lounge and bar into one eclectic mix, offering Dubai’s party smarties the perfect fix. Do you belong? 'If you don’t belong, don’t be long' says a neon signage at the entrance. Well, that should give you a hint if you're that notorious club hopper! Rustic-chic interiors with low level sodium filament lighting, artsy décor, colorful upholstery, tall pub style stools & tables and retro props all combined together - give the place an old-world te...