Yes those three magic letters again!!  Jumeirah Lake Towers is home to Farsi Restaurant and that is where I found myself yesterday.  It’s no secret that Persian food is one of my preferred foods and I am a regular visitor at our local Persian restaurant Caspian.  I think it is the simplicity of Persian food that appeals to  me, not over spiced, good clean healthy food.

Stepping into Farsi is like being transported to a restaurant back in Tehran, I know this as my guest has visited Tehran many times.  Lush dark wood with light walls and some rather interesting table centers that I loved.  The menu covers everything Persian from  an array of interesting starters that are set up buffet style for you to help yourself.  There is a comprehensive selection of kebabs and grills and daily specials too. Following the complimentary bread with greens and of course the cheese and walnuts the main courses arrived. Today I had my lamb chop head on so it was lamb chops for me, which when you think about it aren’t just a favourite with the Persians.  My guest opted for the chelo kabab-makhoos Farsi, no complaints from her side either.

Chelo Kebab-Makhsoos Farsi

I really enjoyed my my entire dining experience at Farsi and have no hesitation in recommending it to all of you.  I have to say that I was a bit disappointed to see that Farsi are still serving grilled hamour, even after all the publicity about it being over fished, you can find more information about that here.

You may feel I am not qualified to comment on this restaurant based on just a dish of lamb chops, but trust me we have used Farsi many many times for delivery. If you do give Farsi a go, order their mixed grill, it is one of the best ones in town.

Lamb Chops

For more information you can check out Farsi’s website, you can find them on Facebook too.  You can call them on 800 FARSI (800 32774) and they offer a free delivery service but I think it is only in the local vicinity.  There are more photos on my Facebook page, don’t forget to like the page  and book via RoundMenu!!

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It’s not a secret that I have had a long-standing love affair with Jumeirah Beach Hotel, from the day it opened it has been part of me. We have stayed at the hotel various times and are regular visitors, especially when we have guests in town.  However during all this time I didn’t know about Villa Beach, they kept it a secret!!  However, a couple of weeks back they let the cat out of the bag, and to celebrate the launch of Jumeirah Restaurant Week I was invited to preview their special signature dining three course menu.

The View

As most foodies do, if you are going somewhere new you spend time on the internet reading up on the venue and checking the  menu endless times in anticipation of the experience.   I refrained from doing this as I wanted the experience to be totally new and exciting.  Arriving at Villa Beach I was literally blown away with the location and soon realized why it had been easy to miss.  Villa Beach is at the far end of Jumeirah Beach Hotel, as close as you can get the Burj Al Arab and slap bang on the beach. A wooden shack like restaurant with polished wooden floors, it reminded me of a visit to the Maldives.  We were warmly welcomed by Nurik, who was more than keen to share his enthusiasm and love for Villa Beach.   Headed by a duo of Spanish Chef’s I knew before I ordered that we were not going to be disappointed with the Mediterranean themed menu.  The Mediterranean’s love fish and we all know what is always a firm favourite for me.

The menu didn’t disappoint and before we knew it I was enjoying a starter of citrus cured salmon with apple, yogurt, baby spinach, blinis and blossom honey.  Absolutely delightful, the combination of tastes and textures was fabulous. My guest opted for The Villa salad, with heirloom tomatoes, rucola, manchego cheese and macadamia nuts.  What the menu doesn’t mention is the amazing infused guacamole with a hint of tabasco, very nice indeed.

Citrus Cured Salmon

For main course there was no doubting what I was going to have, it had to be the sea bass fillet, served with saffron potatoes with bouillabaisse sauce and spinach.   Again the presentation was outstanding and the fish was cooked to perfection. I loved the combination of the delicately saffron flavoured potatoes against the bouillabaisse sauce.  My guest chose the marinated duck breast with strawberry, goat cheese crumble and chocolate sauce.  Fabulous dish, I initially didn’t think strawberry would work with duck but it did, and it’s not the first time I have experienced chocolate with foul.  Beautiful.  For desserts we shared a banoffee cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust accompanied with rum raisin ice-cream.   What can I say? sometimes words just aren’t enough  If you are planning to visit any outlets during Jumeirah Restaurant Week you will be mad not to book this one.   The views are by far the best I have ever seen whilst dining in Dubai.

Sea Bass Fillet

I wrote about Jumeirah Restaurant Week last week, you can find the review via this link. You can also find all the information you will need via this link.  The link to Villa Beach can be found here.  Jumeirah Beach Hotel can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.  There are additional photos of our experience which can be found on my Facebook page.  Don’t forget to like the page  

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Yet again I find myself in Jumeirah Lake Towers, dining as their guest at the recently opened Nofara Cafe.  Nofara translates into the word fountain and a fountain was often to be found in the centre of a home, kind of like a meeting place.  Nofara Cafe is light and airy and has a rather contemporary feel to it, dark wood, light tables, you get the jist.  There is an outside terrace and also an indoor Shisha area, separate from the main dining area.

Nofara has taken a little bit of everything from around the world and added its own slant on things.  The menu offers everything from breakfasts to desserts and also has a good deli selection of sandwiches and side salads.  We ordered the fava bean dip to share, which was fabulous but it wasn’t a dip it was more like the consistency of a potato salad, but it was very tasty.  There was just the right element of cumin and coriander in the dish, not overpowering in any way.   My guest much to my delight ordered the shakshouka with two eggs, having heard about this legendary shakshouka dish but not having experienced it myself the curiosity alarm went on.   Luckily for the seafood devil inside of me I opted for the seafood stuffed calamari, with salad.  Shakshouka is a somewhat Middle Eastern dish its origins claim to originate from Tunisia.  The dish was absolutely amazing and by far the star dish of the day, unbelievably tasty with a rich tomato sauce and perfectly baked eggs.

Shakshouka

My seafood stuffed calamari was good but I did find the dish very dry, the taste was there it just need a sauce of some description adding to it.  I suggested that the Manageress discuss this with Chef and was pleased to hear that he had taken my comments on board and the next stuffed calamari dish to leave the kitchen had a butter/lemon sauce with it.  I am not a big lover of sweet things but the flourless chocolate cake caught my eye and I brought some home for later that day,  AMAZING! by far the best flourless cake I have had in a long time.  Nofara will have its teething issues and I am guessing there will be alterations to the menu as they find their feet and discover what is popular with their diners.  I have said before when reviewing outlets in JLT they aren’t destination dining outlets,  if we are really honest people don’t drive to JLT  to dine unless they live in the vicinity. I will be driving back for that chocolate cake though

Seafood stuffed calamari

Thank you Nofara Cafe for inviting me to dine with you, I hope my comments were taken in a constructive manner. I absolutely adored the doggy cafe outside.  Nofara Cafe is located on the lake terrace of  Swiss Towers, Cluster Y, Jumeirah Lake Towers. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter and I have also uploaded more photographs to my Facebook page.

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It was a rather last-minute lunch date with a friend that found me sat outside of Memsaab in Jumeirah Lake Towers.  JLT is fast becoming quite the foodie place these days. The weather was perfect for al fresco but I think the temperatures are getting a bit hot now, maybe not for dinner though.  The restaurant is small and decorated beautifully and has a lovely lake view terrace.

After presenting us with the menu the waiter arrived with a small complimentary glass of a fresh mint/lemon type lemonade, it had quite a kick to it.  The menu is not huge but it covers all our usual favourite Indian dishes. The children’s menu has chicken korma and chicken tikka options at just 16 and 18 dhs respectively. Memsaab also has a clay oven and hence offers a good range of tikkas.

Platter

We decided to share both the starters and the main course.  For starters we went for the Memsaab grazing platter of aloo tikki, koliwada fish and hot wings.  More than ample to share, the koliwada fish was really good. For main course we went for my favourite Indian dish, good old buttered chicken, served with rice and naan.  Rich and creamy, made with fresh tomato sauce, it was absolutely  delicious.  Hats off to Chef Anil Kumar.  What can I say? Memsaab is a good value for money outlet, giving you good value for money Indian food.  Just for the record, my guest is a regular visitor to this outlet and he said all the dishes he has ordered have always been good.

Butter Chicken

Memsaab is located on the Lakefront of J2 Tower, Cluster J, Jumeirah Lake Towers.  (not far from McGettigan’s Irish Pub).  You can find more information via their website and their Facebook page.  They are currently only offering delivery to Jumeirah Lake Towers but are looking to extend that in the near future.  You can call them on 04 442 9816  

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A global culinary celebration

May is a going to be a good month for dining because for yet another year Jumeirah are hosting Restaurant Week from 23rd of May until 1st of June.  Last year the initiative was a huge success so this year they have gone global! During this unique week we are able to dine at various Jumeirah outlets at a special rate.  Unique three course menu’s have been created and are offered to us at amazing price. A three course casual dining outlet menu is just 120 AED per person. If you fancy something a bit more up market then  a three course signature outlet dining menu is available at 180 AED per person.  I know one thing for sure, you will struggle to decide which outlets to visit.

With over 20 casual dining outlets within the group you won’t be disappointed. Last year I visited Rivington Grill during Restaurant Week.  There are so many restaurants to choose from including Alfies, Carnevale, Toscana and many more, we really are spoiled for choice.  In the signature dining section Al Iwan at the Burj Al Arab will be seeing an increase in bookings (270 AED), as will Pier Chic, The Ivy, The Rib Room to name  just a few that are participating.

The event this year has been extended to other global Jumeirah properties too so don’t be disappointed if you aren’t currently based in the UAE.  For more information about Jumeirah Restaurant Week and all the participating outlets check out this link.  I suggest early booking if you are looking at weekend evenings.  If I remember rightly last year the event was extended by one week, fingers crossed it happens again this year.  Stay Different…..

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When I saw an update on Facebook with some rather nice snap shots of a new venue right on the beach in the heart of Jumeirah my heart missed a beat.  The next day we were in the car and trawling the area near Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in a mission to find Dubai’s new best kept secret.  It however isn’t a secret anymore because I am going to tell you ALL about this new and unique concept that has recently opened. I know in my heart of hearts that Bait Al Bahar is going to be a huge success.

The View

Bait Al Bahar is a three-storied building,  on each floor there is a different and unique concept.  The ground floor and amazing outdoor terrace is home to The Beach House, a literal translation of Bait Al Bahar.  The first floor is home to Bait 1971(Emirati), the second floor is home to Mazeology Lounge (Sushi), and if that isn’t enough there is a terrace on the roof too.  I will be reviewing both Bait 1971 and Mazeology Lounge in the next few weeks.   This review however is purely for The Beach House.

We dumped the Pajero in the parking lot with the boats and headed in to see what we could find.  I wasn’t expecting a quintessentially British seaside beach hut, but that’s what I got. A lot of bleached wood, pretty cushions and clean fresh vibe with seaside pics and even a token seagull adorning the walls.  We however opted to dine al fresco, the views are absolutely stunning, but it might be getting a bit hot for this option now.

Tuna Nicoise

The menu is not huge but big enough, some great breakfast dishes including a full English keenly priced at just 52 dhs.  There are some great starters, a good selection of salads, burgers and sandwiches, main dishes, a separate little pasta section, sides, desserts and of course a children’s menu.  I opted for the Tuna Nicoise salad and my guest went for her favourite of Fish and Chip (50 dhs).    Service was a tad slow but to be expected at this stage of the opening, the staff are still finding their feet and getting used to working as a team.  The food however was faultless.  Fish was cooked beautifully and even though they were frozen the chips were well browned and crunchy.  Both dishes were superb value for for money.  One thing worthy to mention is Bait Al Baher does not have an alcohol licence but it is has some stunning look mocktails to try.

The Beach House isn’t about fine dining, it’s about hitting the beach for a swim and then hauling yourself onto the terrace, showering your feet and chilling with friends.  The views are unspoiled which is a rare thing in Dubai these days.  I loved the place, I can see it being in my top ten review of the best places in Dubai that I will be publishing later in the year.

Fish n Chips

Bait Al Baher (The Beach House) is situated in the heart of Jumeirah right next door to Dubai Offshore Sailing Club.   You can find them on Facebook and on Twitter.  You can call them on  04 394 441.  You can also find more images on my Facebook page.  All it leaves me to do now is to wish the owners all the best for the future, you have a cracker on your hands.

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It is exactly one year since I launched this blog, and more or less one year since I decided to stop lifestyle blogging and concentrate purely on food blogging.  At that time I knew of a few other food bloggers, primarily those who were recipe blogging and not concentrating on  restaurant reviews.  The great Foodiva was making a name for herself in the food world with her impartial reviews and interviews with high-profile celebrity Chef’s. I live in a Frying Pan had firmly made her mark on Dubai’s street food scene.  There were also a few lifestyle bloggers who did the occasional food review, however there appeared to be no one who concentrated on the mid price range restaurants that Dubai has to offer.  This is where I was comfortable and I started blogging and searching every little nook and cranny of Dubai to find all its hidden little reasonably priced gems.

I drove round Dubai endlessly searching for new outlets, my twitter family soon caught on to what I was up to and if they saw somewhere new they would let me know.  After a few months of writing I was asked to join locally based food blogger/lovers group Fooderati Arabia. I was absolutely delighted. No longer alone, but part of a food loving team, my enthusiasm grew even more.  Joining Fooderati Arabia not only opened new doors of friendship with food loving friends, it also opened me up to the world of the PR Company.

It wasn’t long before e mails were arriving with an array of invitations to different food related events round town.   I have attended a splattering of the ones I receive, I don’t like evening events and most restaurant openings are evenings, so I haven’t attended any of those.  Some PR companies have extended invitations for me to attend lunch at the outlets they represent, again some I have accepted and some I have declined.  These PR Companies are doing their job, they are paid to promote their clients brand, and if inviting someone who has a high-profile on any social media platform is going to increase the awareness for the brand they are promoting, then that is what they will do.  Some companies insist you write a review in return to having your *free* lunch, others don’t. They simply want you to spread the word.

In the past year I have received a lot of praise for my reviews, way more praise than criticism.  The intelligent folk out there realize that there is no such thing as a free lunch.  They know and understand that nothing in life is free.   The time alone spent attending these events (which just so you know are about two a month), is taking up my time. Time that I am not being paid an hourly rate for, time that I could be working on the projects that create an income to fund this site.   Once I have attended such an event and decided whether I want to actually write a review about it, even more time is spent sorting through photographs, researching the roots of the brand or the history of the restaurant, and spending time with the owner on a one on one basis.

After spending a few hours of my time actually at the venue another few hours is spent at home writing up the article, editing images, finding links to add to the review.   Some reviews can take up to three hours to write, check, re-check and  then eventually publish. It doesn’t end there as now that it is out in the world it has to be shared with the world.  More time is spent sharing to the different social media platforms, promoting someone elses brand whilst driving traffic to your own.  You ask me who are the winners in this circle?  the PR Companies and the brands you are writing about, and the PR Companies are getting paid, cash.

This website has no sponsors, it has a partnership with Round Menu which is of benefit not only to myself but to my readers who can avail a discount when booking via my website.  I am now, after a lot of hard work a food connoisseur with Zomato, a very nice team who have popped the occasional dining voucher my way,  who have never asked for a review in return.  I add value to their website, they hopefully drive traffic to mine, it’s a mutual agreement.

In essence this website has cost myself, my husband and my dining partners a fortune in the last year.  There are currently 150 reviews published on this site. Recent domain renewal and hosting fees were over 300 USD.  On average I write 2 – 3 reviews a week and spend probably in the region of 20 unpaid hours a week promoting it.  Why?  because I am passionate about it, I love food, I love writing about it, it is my hobby.  The next time you accuse someone of having a free lunch, bear in mind that there really is no such thing as a free lunch …

Thank you for reading, today this little blog is celebrating it’s 1st birthday and I shall be celebrating my daughters 9th birthday

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Bu Tafish was recommended to me many times when I was covering Seafood Month, but like a few others I didn’t get round to it as soon as I would have liked.  Last week I eventually did make the trip to Jumeirah 1 to sample the delights of Bu Tafish.  Apparently Hajj Radwan Othman Ishtay Al Tamimi, aka Bu Tafish  is the brains behind this concept that was established way back in 1968, the first seafood outlet in the UAE.

First impressions were good, the restaurant is immaculately clean but a bit weirdly decorated, part 50′s diner, part seafood themed.  We were the first guests of the day and the waiter wasted no time showing us to our table and presenting us with a huge menu.  I love seafood menu’s (I kept mine), so it took me a while to decide what to order.

Fried Calamari

The menu is comprehensive and offers something for everyone, if you don’t like seafood there are grill options.    With over 20 cold appetizers alone we were spoilt for choice but it was one of dishes from the hot appetizers that caught our eye.  The chicken liver with molasses pomegranate, we teamed it up with the potato with coriander.  The chicken liver was outstanding, if you enjoy that kind of thing then I can’t recommend it enough. The appetizers were served with the traditional bowl of salad vegetables, bread and pickles. Bread from modern bakery served in plastic bags, they claim to keep it fresh?  mmm, I am  not so sure about that.

For the main course I opted for the lemon and oil style of cooking and chose the sea bream, sadly Bu Tafish are still serving hamour on their menu.   More information can  be found about over fishing in the region via the Choose Wisely link, there are alternatives.  The fish was outstanding, I have to say and grilled to perfection, the accompanying lemon/oil and slightly spicy sauce with paper-thin potatoes were delicious. Faultless in my book.   My guest opted for the fried calamari, the portion size was huge! big enough to take half of it home for later that day.  I tasted the calamari, well cooked, not overly seasoned, just a really tasty dish, though too big!

Sea Bream with Lemon and Oil

I loved my entire dining experience at Bu Tafish and will definitely return.  The only place  I can put it on a par with is Barracuda on the Beach Road, Barracuda have the edge though not with the food but the bread.  Their bread is oven baked and served piping to your table.  Pricing wise both restaurants are on a par, our total spend was 100 AED pp inclusive of soft drinks.

You can find out more information via the Bu Tafish website, they don’t appear to have any social media representation.   According to the menu I have there are four outlets, the original in Abu Dhabi, one in Khalifa City, one in Al Ain and course the Jumeirah branch (next door to The One).  I have uploaded more pictures of our meal to my Facebook page.

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It’s no secret that I love Persian food and following a recent trip to Madinat Souk I stumbled upon Anar.  It was love at first sight and that was before I had even sampled the outstanding food!   Just the decor of the restaurant was enough to have me hooked, absolutely stunning, not typical of most traditional Persian restaurants here but one of understated elegance, with a touch of Persia.

We grabbed a table outside but I have to be honest and admit that dining al fresco is over, it’s just getting too hot these days.   We were presented with a rather large but elegant menu which is comprehensive and offers all the regular Persian favourites. We opted for mirza ghasemi, shirazi salad and a Bakhitiary kabab, to share of course, it was after all only lunch time.   The waiter brought us some fabulous fresh bread (clay oven) and the usual little collection of walnuts, feta and leaves. The mirza ghasemi it has to be said is the best I have had in Dubai, traditionally served with an egg.   The shirazi salad was fabulously fresh but no better than the one I have at my local Persian (Caspian), it could have done with a bit more sumac.

side salad

The Bakhitiary kebab was outstanding, delicate cuts of tender lamb and chicken that had been marinated in saffron and served with a lime and shallot sauce.  The kebab was served with a good portion of rice and was big enough for us to share.  I couldn’t fault this restaurant one little bit, as I said the food was outstanding even the char-grilled vegetables were presented beautifully and tasted amazing.  It can’t be all good can it?  I felt it was overpriced, possibly not the kabab at 145 AED as the meat was amazing but 52 AED for  the mirza ghasemi and shirazi salad (each) is a bit steep in  my book.  However I thought the food was outstanding and you do pay for the location so it’s what we expect to pay for fine dining at such a location.   I shall go back but it will be for a special occasion next time, and book via Round Menu to avail a 25% discount.

Kabab Bakhitiary

Anar can be found at Madinat Jumeirah, Ground level.  You can find more information via their website, and also some information relating to their sister outlet Ushna.  I have uploaded more images to my Facebook page too.

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Foodies love shops that sell food, foodies adore shops that sell artisan hand-made foods, foodies in Dubai will love Crescendo!   I am hoping that the Owner of Crescendo reads this little blog and is happy to hear that I heard about this little gem via Facebook, so yes social media does work and on this occasion a like has been transformed into a paying customer.  I am pretty confident there will be many more like me.

I am married to a man who has a passion for all thing condiment, our cupboards are full of various oils, vinegar and spices.  He is currently in Germany which is where the Crescendo brand originally hailed, however I believe their head office is based in Canada.  The outlet is beautifully decorated and has fabulous rustic charm, with oak filled barrels and wooden jugs adorning the walls.  Inside these barrels is the most amazing range of specialty oils and vinegar.  With everything from white truffle oil, basil oil, lemon oil and Styrian pumpkin oil you won’t be disappointed.  I have never seen such a huge selection of vinegar either including pomegranate, cherry, raspberry and so many more!  on top of this amazing selection there is a huge array of herbs and spices to choose from as well.

Lemon Oil

What is unique about Crescendo is that you decide how little or how much you want to buy.  You purchase your bottle (starting at 7.50 dhs for 100 ml container) and then you  pay for the oil and vinegar by the 100 ml. Prices for the oils started at 12.50 dhs for 100 mls (the bottles are reusable). The herbs and spices are sold in 10 g weights, prices starting at 2 dhs for 10 g.  Totally impressed, not only with the prices, the oils are a lot cheaper than other “designer” food outlets, but with the overwhelming variety of choice.  There is also a huge selection of gift packs, the perfect gift.  You might feel a bit overwhelmed at first but there is a fabulous young lady who knows her stuff who will point you in the right direction.

Crescendo

Crescendo are running Cook & Taste classes with Master Chef Kaspars Vendelis, we have booked up for a forthcoming event.   It offers tips and tricks to turn everyday cooking into fine dining, with an insight into the world of oils, vinegar and spices.  This is currently at a special introductory price of 100 dhs per person and includes 5 delicious dishes. For more information or to reserve a place, call them on 04 447 8833.

Crescendo is located at Shop #113, Souk Madinat Jumeirah.  You can also find them on Facebook and on Twitter.  There is more information about Crescendo and their other locations around the world on their website.  I have uploaded more images to my Facebook page too. Congratulations Chef Kaspars, you have a success on your hands.

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