Sun& is the newest addition to the foodie scene on The Palm, Jumeirah. A creation of UAE’s construction giant Nakheel, the restaurant opened its doors in June this year, and acquired its liquor license in August. Offering a range of tapas-style treats, and very reasonable deals at the bar, Sun& is the ideal place to socialize with friends whilst enjoying breathtaking views of the sunset.

Apart from scenic views of The Palm Jumeirah’s harbor, the restaurant itself is very tastefully decorated. With plush, inviting couches at every corner, and vintage-style picnic tables adorned with gingham napkins, Sun& is a space I can see myself lounging at for hours on end.

Why is it called Sun&? The unusual name was coined by senior management at Nakheel. It is a clever use of words to denote the restaurant’s sharing concept. Sun& friends, Sun& tapas, Sun& drinks. You get the drill.

We started out meal with Sun&’s Beef Carpaccio.

Meticulously thin slices of melt-in-the-mouth beef has been further accentuated with the decadence of truffle-infused mayo. A shroud of fresh rocket leaves acts as a generous garnish, and very finely shredded deep-fried potato crisps add texture to this delicious mouthful.

And here is our serving of Empanadas, pastry parcels originating from Spain. At Sun&, this Empanada platter had an interesting mix.

The black one caught my fancy. Owing its color to squid ink, the black empanada has a stuffing of prawns. The pale green one has fresh herbs in its pastry, and is stuffed with oozing feta cheese. The red is beef, and the brown is chicken.

One thing all four empanadas had in common was the beautifully flaky, crumbly texture of the pastry. With just the apt amount of savory, the pastry dough has a near rustic feel and goes wonderfully well dunked in the salsa dipping served on the side.

Sun& also does a mean Chargrilled Octopus. A revamped version of something Captain Jack Sparrow would have for supper, the chewy tendrils of the 8-armed sea dweller is served on a rustic wooden platter alongside a pumpkin puree, and a delectable quinoa salad mixed together with a tangy-minty picala salsa. Sound appetizing enough?!

The more Arabesque dish to hit the table was the Grilled Halloumi. The saltiness of the cheese was juxtaposed with the fresh sweetness of strawberries and mint. Delish!

And how tempting are these Cauliflower Croquettes? These golden-brown dumplings are a decadent marriage of cauliflower and thick, creamy white sauce, and is served with a special tomato coulis that has been made in-house.

Carnivores would appreciate the next set of dumplings; Sun&’s Meatballs! These beefy meatballs sit on a pool of rich feta yoghurt, and is topped with generous shavings of fresh parmesan cheese.

Who would have thought that a round of tapas would be this filling? We quite enjoyed the delectable selection of bites at Sun&, and looked forward to the dessert round.

First came a deconstructed Cheesecake. The cheesecake had a beautifully subtle hint of citrus running through it, and the fresh berries added a lovely color dimension to the platter.

The second dessert for the night was Sun&’s Churras Bolas. I’ve had churros in their elongated form. These have been made as bolas, or balls. It was served with a home-made strawberry preserve, and a very rich, sweet ‘milk jam’ that is more akin to a soft caramel sauce. Despite the calorie overload, I could have done with some more of that delicious ‘milk jam’!

With all this over-eating, a nice hot cup of tea was a must. Love the huge, retro-style cup at Sun&!

Overall, I loved the beautifully laid-back ambience at Sun&, and their platter-sharing concept makes it an ideal venue for hanging out with friends. With the weather finally taking a cooler turn, Sun& has opened up its terrace seating with gorgeous views of The Palm harbor. We plan to be back at Sun& soon, this time with a bigger crowd!

Sun& is located at Palm Views, Marina West (Palm Jumeirah, Dubai). For more details and table reservations, call 04 375 9333 or visit their website.

My favorite South African diner, The Meat Co, held a ‘Pink Truffle Making Class‘ last night at their Souk Al Bahar branch.

Hosted by the very lovely Chef Melanie Smith who holds the designation of Global Pastry Chef for the Food Fund International group of restaurants, the event was predominated by click-happy chocaholic bloggers who couldn’t wait to get their hands dirty and morph into truffle-making geniuses!

When we arrived at the table, our seating was predesignated with customized aprons.

I was so stoked to get an apron with my name on it, that too an apron from The Meat Co!

The table was laid out with pretty truffle-making ingredients. We got three bowls of pre-made ganaches, and an assortment of sprinkles.

The white mixture is a white-chocolate and orange ganache. The pink is a white-chocolate and peppermint ganache. The brown is salted caramel.

We got heart-shaped sprinkles, pink-colored sugar and a crumble of chocolate cookies.

With disposable gloves on, we had a great time rolling out the ganache into little truffle balls and letting our imagination loose with the sprinkle decor.

Here’s my messy work bench:

When boxed up in The Meat Co’s boxes, even my creations look pretty professional!

You too can create drool-worthy truffles at home. Chef Mel shared some great truffle-making pearls of wisdom:

• You can make ganache in the microwave! Just heat the liquid portion, and add the chocolate once its out of the microwave. Let it all melt in and stir.
• If its too liquid, put it in the fridge to harden.
• Rule of thumb: 3 parts liquid to 1 part chocolate (for white and milk chocolate). For dark chocolate, its 2 to 1.
• Let your imagination loose! Use liquors, melted peppermint lollies, crumbs of Christmas cake.
• When using salt with chocolate, always opt for pink salt.
• Get the whole family involved! Kids love creating.
• A box of home-made truffles makes for a lovely, personalized gift.
• Bonus Beauty Tip: rolling truffles with your bare hands is great for the skin! Chef Mel vouches that all that hydrating cocoa butter can make your paws look 25 years younger :-)

Why pink? For Breast Cancer Awareness ofcourse.

For the month of October, The Meat Co has come up with some lovely pink-themed desserts, and 80% of each sale goes to breast cancer research. So far the restaurant has managed to donate a whopping AED 30,000. Go treat yourself to something pink and sweet at The Meat Co. As Chef Mel puts it, calories don’t count for anything pink!

Neal’s Yard Remedies, the multiple award-winning British skincare brand, has always stayed true to their holistic stance for beauty. The brand was created in London’s Covent Gardens, and base their luxury organic beauty range on age-old apothecary practices.

I love the fact that all their products comprise mainly of organic, naturally derived ingredients. Being free of chemical nasties including paraben, Neal’s Yard Remedies products, in their signature deep-blue glass packaging, take up most of my bathroom shelf-space and I really cannot get enough of this brand!

I have normal to dry skin, and given the cooler months are fast approaching, I headed to Neal’s Yard Remedies looking for some extra hydration for parched winter skin. The lovely lady at the counter suggested I tried the Neal’s Yard Remedies Orange Flower Nourishing Night Cream.

Product Claim

“A rich blend of wild rosehip, pomegranate and seabuckthorn oil with nourishing orange flower to intensely soften and smooth the skin.” – Neal’s Yard Remedies website. 

Key Ingredients

• Neroli and Orange Flower Essential Oils: for their skin regenerative properties.
• Gotu Kola and Pomegranate Extracts: to stimulate collagen production.
• Wild Rosehip Oil: to nourish and hydrate the skin.

My Experience with the Neal’s Yard Remedies Orange Flower Nourishing Night Cream

I’ve been using this gorgeous night-cream for over 2 weeks now, and its beautifully aromatic citrus scent makes it the perfect pre-bedtime treat. The scent of orange is refreshingly uplifting and helps the mind settle into a more relaxed mode before bed.

The cream itself is luxuriously thick and creamy. You can feel the deep moisturizing effect upon application, but what I really love about this product is the fact that the cream absorbs in beautifully without a hint of greasiness.

I’ve used countless numbers of products created for dry skin, and most of them have left my combination skin looking like a shiny Christmas bulb. Such products also play havoc on my not-so-dry T-zone. However, the Neal’s Yard Remedies Orange Flower Nourishing Night Cream does none of that. Instead, I feel it has helped to balance out my complexion and I wake up with softer, more supple skin every morning.

Will I get another tub? Definitely! I would recommend this cream to anyone with normal to dry skin. It really is a bedtime treat, and does wonders at hydrating parched skin.

The Good

• Loaded with hydrating, skin-loving organic ingredients.
• 57% of the ingredients are certified organic. This is a vegan product.
• Works wonders at hydrating the skin without greasiness.
• Smells absolutely divine!
• Suitable for sensitive skin-types.

The Not So Good

• As with most Neal’s Yard Remedies products, this cream is expensive! Given the amount of high-quality ingredients that go into the making of their products, their range falls under the luxury organic skincare tag.

Pricing & Availability

Neal’s Yard Remedies’ Orange Flower Nourishing Night Cream is available at all Neal’s Yard Remedies stores across the UAE, and a 50 gram tub retails for AED 210.

I was invited to the reopening of the Lush store at Mercato Mall last night. I’ve always loved the brand’s eco-friendly stance. As a major Lushie, I return my 5 empty pots for recycling (and get rewarded with a free face mask! Read more about that here), but the renovations at Mercato Mall have gone to show just how environmentally serious Lush management is.

I had the pleasure of having a chat with Gary Wells, Lush’s Project Manager for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.

With over a decade of experience with Lush in the UK, Gary has taken over the responsibility of opening 30 more stores across this region. He joined the MENA team in March this year, and gets into the nitty gritty of constructing the store interiors, keeping it up to Lush standards on a budget, and more importantly, sourcing material from environmentally sustainable and recyclable materials. His efforts have seen him being awarded the SKA accreditation for his contributions towards sustainable fittings for shops.

The shelving at the newly revamped Mercato store is made of reclaimed eco-friendly plank wood. The grains on the wood give the store a beautifully rustic look and feel.

At Lush Mercato Mall, they have done away with conventional steel taps. Below is a click of a copper tap, recovered from scraps at a construction site.

The store at Mercato Mall uses LED lighting that greatly saves on energy, and also gives the store a mellow golden hue. The walls of the store are painted with low VOC paint, thereby greatly reducing toxic emissions to the environment. You can read more on the importance of low VOC paint here.

Apart from the environmentally sound stance of the brand, their products continue to adhere to the Lush ethics:

Here’s a brand new product spotted at the Mercato store. Lush’s Zen Soap takes on a regional influence with the addition of oudh, and this product is only available in Lush’s Middle East and Oxford Street (London) stores.

When at Lush, I always get busy doing color swatches with their lipsticks and eye-shadows! Lush lipsticks are my go-to beauty fixes. They really last all day, and are pigmented with beautifully bright colors. Read more on my favorite Lush lipsticks here.

Miche Whitehouse is the Regional Retail Brand Manager for Lush Middle East. She is the motivating factor behind the sales team across the region, and has a plethora of Lush experience from her stance at Lush in North America. Apart from a hectic schedule of endless store visits and looking up sales data, Miche is also very hands-on with creating Lush goodies. When they say their products are hand-made, the Lush team really mean it!

At the Mercato event, Miche gave us a live demo on how to make the Lush Comforter Bath Bomb.

Lush Comforter Bath Bomb Recipe

• Step 1: Mix together an equal amount of Sodium Bicarbonate (aka baking soda) and Cream of Tarter. Baking soda helps the mixture rise, and cream of tarter softens the bath water.

• Step 2: Add a gooey mix of LC70 to bind the mix (this icky stuff looks like snot!).

• Step 3: Separate the mixture into two. In one half, add color and Laurel Bentonite.

• Step 4: In the white half of the mixture, add titanium dioxide (this makes soap milky as opposed to clear).
• Step 5: Leave the mixtures to rise (approximately 10 minutes).
• Step 6: Sandwich a patty from each mix together. Twist together, and stamp flat. See image below:

• Step 7: Leave overnight to harden.

And voila! Here’s a click of the finished product on the shelf:

With the festive season coming up, Lush has great gifting options for all budgets. Love Lush’s gifting boxes, such a chaos of colors!

The next store to get the eco-friendly makeover is Lush at Dubai Mall. Till then, do visit their branch at Mercato Mall. Its right around the corner from the food-court on the first floor. Call 04 344 9334 for details.

Joe’s Crab Shack, the much-awaited American beach-themed casual dining concept hailing from Texas, has finally opened its doors in the UAE. This is the chain’s very first venture out of the United States. It’s very first UAE store in The Dubai Mall is aptly located right next to the Dubai Aquarium with scenic aquatic views. The UAE branch started operations yesterday, and we were invited to check them out last night.

The restaurant is brightly lit, and has a very groovy, fun-loving feel to it. With surfboards and quirky seafood-themed captions across the walls, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled into a Miami beach bum’s hideout.

What I wasn’t expecting was the crowd. It was a little past 9 in the evening when we got there. It was a weekday, and Day 1 for Joe’s Crab Shack, and the place was fully packed! Tables of crab-munching maniacs and overall seafood fans were making merry like it was the weekend.

Despite the overloaded chaos, the staff looked relatively calm and collected. Perhaps it’s their psychedelic t-shirts with giant ‘peace’ signs that kept them going. Darlings, this is only Day 1!

Our table was hosted by an ever-smiling young man who, in true Joe’s Crab Shack tradition, asked to be passed the roll of tissue on the table to introduce himself (this got me hysterical, I thought he wanted to blow his nose!). He promptly tore off a piece and scribbled his name. Here’s RJ for you, ain’t he adorable!

We went through the Joe’s Crab Shack menu, and ofcourse we ordered crab! To start off with while we pondered over the options, we nibbled on a platter of their ‘Great Balls of Fire’.

Served on a bed of fries and lined with brown paper, the presentation of the dish reminds me of greasy Fish & Chips takeaways. Aaah the fond memories of my youth! Thankfully the ‘Great Balls of Fire’ are not on the greasy end of the spectrum. These are essentially deep-fried breaded dumplings of cream cheese and crab meat with a slight hint of jalapeno heat. Quite moreish if you ask me!

Apart from the obvious crab selection, Joe’s Crab Shack has a number of seafood specialty dishes, and even do chicken for people who are not that into seafood.

Ordering crab at Joe’s Crab Shack is pretty straightforward. It’s a 2 step process really. All you have to do is choose the variety of crab you want, and then choose the flavoring to go with it.

Two buckets of Jumbo Bairdi Crabs were ordered on our table, one in Garlic Herb, the other in Spicy Boil. Look-wise, they are identical.

The crab itself is very meaty, and the bucket includes a very juicy cob of corn.

RJ came over to explain how the crabmeat extraction is done. Below is a click of the crab munchers’ weapons:

And ofcourse the crabsters got aprons! Adding a touch of Joe’s Crab Shack quirkiness, each apron was scribbled on with a personalized caption. Hubby got ‘Hot Crab’ (I’d like to think this is because all his orders involved jalapeno!) and munchkin got hers scribbled with ‘Little Crabs’.

If all that crab cracking is not your thing, fret not. The staff at Joe’s Crab Shack are pros at the game, and are more than willing to help.

With a little help from our Joe’s Crab Shack friends, the litter bucket on our table filled up in no time!

Joe’s Crab Shack’s ‘The Ragin Cajun’ is a very special pot of crab. First of all, its served in a Dutch Oven, and includes jumbo shrimps. The Cajun flavor is really raging out of this one!

Buried deep beneath the Dutch Oven, ‘The Ragin Cajun’ revealed a rather rude looking meaty sausage! I’ve never had crab with sausage. Interesting mix!

Being a major salmon fan, I decided to give Joe’s ‘Cedar Roasted Salmon’ a try.

The salmon has been steamed, and pan-fried to give it the lovely caramelized outer layer, and then gently roasted on a block of cedar wood. I was skeptical about all that cooking. Surely the salmon would be far too over-cooked? However, I was mighty impressed with this fillet. It was beautifully moist and subtly salted. Just look at how beautifully pink and juicy the insides are!

The salmon was accompanied with a bowl of buttery mashed potatoes, and a cob of corn. However, even the salmon on its own is a delicious fishy treat.

Joe’s Crab Shack has an interesting seafood themed drinks menu. And no, they don’t do crab juice!

The menu challenges us to take a sip on the dangerous side, and I therefore had to try their very gory looking ‘Shark Bite’ (oh, and it comes with a free toy!).

Joe’s Crab Shack’s ‘Shark Bite’ is essentially a citrus flavored fizzy drink with the added sweetness of blueberry. The little shark dangling off the goblet holds a deep red grenadine syrup made to look like blood. When poured into the blue fizz, its gives the effect of a gory drama scene right out of Jaws.

Pretty nifty don’t you think? And my daughter walked out of Joe’s Crab Shack with four free shark toys!

For our round of desserts, we went for Joe’s Crab Shack’s ‘Sea Turtle Sundae’.

Two wedges of decadently smooth, rich brownie slices are served under a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and drizzled down with caramel. The brownies have the intense hit of chocolate without being overbearingly sweet. A must-try for dessert lovers!

Planning on a rowdy, fun-filled night out with friends over some very Americanized seafood grub? Head over to Joe’s Crab Shack. They are located on the Second Floor of The Dubai Mall, right next to the aquarium. Get crabbing!

Have an important event coming up, and want to recreate the Pinterest board of your dreams? The guys at Innovative Hiring can make it possible!I had a chat with the company’s General Manager, Paul Harding. Aussie-born Paul has a true eye for style, and is more than happy to take on any furniture-setup request, be it a corporate or a personal event. Having created uniquely stunning set-ups for the likes of Harvey Nichols and Galaries Lafayette, Innovative Hiring is geared up to becoming the region’s most sought-after furniture rental agency. Read on for more details about the brand.

1) With a parent company based in Melbourne, and catering to the entire GCC region, please give us a brief synopsis on the story behind Innovative Hiring.

IH begun by owner Henry Dyer owner of Dish catering, saw that there was a market for premium furniture hire, he approached tim buzzard owner of place settings and the rest is history.

2) How often are your collections updated? Where do you get your inspirations from?

We receive new stock every 3 months, ontop of that we add to our inventory locally or if we see there is an item in demand. Inspirations come from our parent company in Melbourne, Australia, instagram, magazines and local demand

3) You have a wide range of clientele. Tell us about your most recent ventures, and what you created.

We are moving into the wedding season now, we work closely with the lovely ladies at carousel weddings. Recently sponsoring the house of bazaar for Harpers Bazaar Arabia. Some large names we are working with include the Al Tayer group (Harvey Nichols), Galleries Lafayette, Quintessentially.

4) Do your clients come with ideas, or do you give them inputs on what can be achieved?

Its a real mix of both, a lot of event management companies know what they want and have a clear idea, others will come to our showroom seeking inspiration and suggestions

5) Pinterest is one social media platform that has an addictive following. Do you get many brides-to-bes who come in with Pinterest boards?

Not at this stage, we find Instagram a lot more powerful, and we get a lot of calls from this platform.

6) Are you on Pinterest?

No

7) I saw the Oil Drums on your website, super cool! Who’s hired these so far, and how did they do them up?

We were actually the first ones in the UAE to hire these, we started with them at the famous Ripe Market, and from there they have taken off and available at most hirers. These are oil drums which we powder coat to a specific colour. We can now custom-make these to any colour for clients.

8) You mainly cater to corporate and weddings, but would you have a special package deal for private parties?

Most definitely, we do a lot of domestic and private parties, we are the YES company, if you have a vision and a budget we will always try to accommodate. We want to work with people to create their dream event.

9) There are a number of furniture hiring companies out there. How do you differentiate yourself from the rest?

Indeed there are, at IH we don’t just hire out furniture, we offer a full service package, our items come with professional dust covers, our trucks are boxed spotless 3 ton trucks. We have a team of fully trained staff in uniform. We don’t just drop and run, we set up your equipment for the client and make sure everything looks perfect.

10) What are the new furniture styles that are up and coming on the Innovative Hiring site?

We have quite a few new collections in stock, most recently the rustic range which is proving to be very popular, we have introduced a pastels range for the baby showers and ladies lunch market. And our provincial range is also a new comer which the market is loving.

For more details on Innovative Hiring, and their range of furniture settings that cover quirky-cool to regally sophisticated, do have a browse through their website.

Sunday morning, and I’m back at the start of yet another rigorous week of work. I spent a lovely, fun-filled weekend with the family on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The weather has cooled down significantly, and we enjoyed leisurely walks around the island, did some window-shopping in Yas Mall, and stayed the night at the very futuristic Viceroy hotel.

I kept my outfit comfy and casual, and funked it up with colorful accessories.

Yes, this is the GAP shift dress again. I wore it in my previous post here, and love it for its versatility. The dress is made of comfy, t-shirt style breathable stretchy cotton making it ideal for road trips.

If you’ve been following Tezzy’s Wardrobe posts, you know I have a bit of an obsession with the mystical ‘Hand of Fatima’, or Hamsa as it is better known. It is a Middle-Eastern good-luck charm believed to keep away the evil eye. When I saw this funky fuchsia bag by ‘Funk for Hire’ at Orange Boxy, I knew I had to have it!

The ‘Funk for Hire’ Hamsa bag retails for AED 125, and I got mine from Orange Boxy. It is also available in blue. At closer inspection, the hands on this bag are not exactly ‘hamsa’. The mystical version has two thumbs at each end :-)

The turquoise leopard-print scarf is from Zara. I was attracted to its colorful, Mexican-style print and it looks so Frida Kahlo to me!

A large scarf is a must-have for a road-trip. Its comes in handy for shading out the sun when in the car. A colorful scarf like this means I can minimize on the accessories I’m carrying as its loud enough to add a splash of color to my simple GAP dress. I also find it very handy by the pool (or beach).

Here’s 3 different ways I used my Zara scarf:

1. As a Scarf: Duhh! Pretty obvious this one :-) It also doubles up as a shawl for the chilling A/C and a cover-up from the midday sun.
2. By the Pool-Side: Taking two corners of the scarf at opposite ends around the neck, I tied a knot to create a makeshift halterneck dress over my swimwear. 
3. Bolero Scarf: Fold the scarf in half, and tie the two ends of each corner together. Slip your arms through for a funky, one-of-a-kind bolero!

And don’t you just love my shoes?! It took the spotlight on my Instagram feed last night:

I got these suede lace-up pointy flats from Nine West. Although they are also available in a neutral, sober black, I went for these burgundy beauties. The color is so boho and very apt for the fall season.

With funky accessories like these, the only piece of jewelry I wore was my favorite charms bracelet (you can see it in my previous post here), my CK watch and a pair of tiny black-pearl ear-studs. Comfy and colorful is definitely my go-to look for a weekend away!

We spent last weekend at Viceroy hotel. Set half on water and half on land, Viceroy on the man-made Yas Island of Abu Dhabi is set right on top of the Yas Marina Circuit. You therefore get great views of the race track, and a continuous vroom-vroom of the race cars as they whiz across the circuit.

I’ve read many positively glowing reviews about Viceroy online, and was therefore very excited about this trip. This five-star property is very new-age and styled with modern minimalism and panache.

What really irked me was the service at the reception. They had 4 counters open, and only one was in operation with a long queue tailing behind it. Once at the desk however, the staff are very courteous and the lady at the reception even walked us to the elevator to indicate directions to our room.

Viceroy is split into two towers that are interconnected by an internal bridge.

We were staying in one of their Deluxe rooms which had a partial view of the racecourse and the sea.

The room itself is massive! There’s enough room in here to play run-and-catch with my toddler. Like the rest of the hotel, the rooms are white-themed, minimalist and modern.

Keeping with the new-age theme, the room facilities are very tech-savvy. The room numbers on the doors are LED lit, and the lighting within can be controlled by a remote control. You can even pull open the curtains with the remote!

The king-sized bed was spacious enough to accommodate me, my hubby and four year-old and as can be expected of a five-star property, the bed linen was topnotch!

The bathroom has sliding doors, and there’s a door between the bath and bed if you’re inclined at conversing while you scrub.

And ofcourse the room has the usual amenities including free tea/coffee, and travel-sized toiletries in the bathroom.

Viceroy has 2 separately located swimming pools. One is for adults only, and with a child in toll we only had access to the family pool by the Skylite lounge on the 9th floor.

As you enter the 9th floor, guests can lounge around on the comfy seating and get glimpses of the race track. Even at this elevation, you can hear the roar of the racing engines. It’s all very dramatic at first, but by mid evening, I was starting to tire of the race-course noise and wondering if it would extend to bedtime. Thankfully, the races end just past 6!

The family pool was a bit of a disappointment to me. They have the adult pool a few steps up, and the baby pool is a narrow stream with a cascade of water on the side. The steep steps between the adult and children’s section does not look like good news to me. Also, both pools in general are rather small in size.

I went for a dip mid-afternoon, and then decided to lounge by the baby pool as my daughter had some fun splashing around.

We didn’t have dinner at Viceroy. We headed out to Iris just across the harbor (more on that in my next post!). However, a one-night stay at the Viceroy is inclusive of a buffet breakfast at Origins, their intercontinental restaurant located on the ground floor.

The breakfast was divine! Apart from the usual breakfast options of breads, cereals and a live omelette-making station, the breakfast buffet at Origins also has an Asian corner serving dumplings and Congi, and an Indian section with vegetable curries and paratha.

The restaurant is also considerate enough to think of their little customers, and has a cute little corner dedicated to children. The bunny-faced buns were so cute that my daughter didn’t protest on gobbling it up despite it being stuffed with cheese and spinach!

Checkout is at 12 noon, but the hotel were kind enough to accommodate us till 2. However, we had a Cinderella moment when, half-soaked from the pool, we realized our swipe card allowing us back into the room had stopped working! We had to go back to the reception to get it reactivated till 2. Awkward! 

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Viceroy. The hotel has noteworthy futuristic architecture, and the hum of the racing cars during the day makes it a unique experience. Moreover, the hotel is just walking distance from Abu Dhabi’s most happening shopping destination, Yas Mall (which also houses Ferrari World!). The staff are courteous, but from our experience, they could do much better given the hotel wears a 5-star badge. Perhaps it was the weekend rush.

For more details on Viceroy Abu Dhabi, please visit their website.

We were on Yas Island last weekend, and stayed at the very stylish Viceroy hotel. Yas Marina is a line of chic eateries facing the harbor, and is literally ‘across the ditch’ from Viceroy. Our evening soiree saw us at Iris, Yas Marina. Cooler weather is finally here, and we had a lovely laid-back time sitting alfresco, and could even see our hotel glimmering across the shimmering night waters.

The evening breeze coupled with Iris’ mellowed lighting and rustic wooden architecture made for a magical ambiance over drinks.

We sipped on Iris’ best-sellers. Hubby had the ‘Moscow Mule’ which was presented in a very eye-catching copper mug. This is an interesting blend of vodka with ginger beer, lime and mint. My drink (as seen in the background) is Iris’ ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’. This is the perfect choice for people who prefer sour cocktails, and this has the perfect hit of lime edged with the bitterness of its zest.

However, my favorite drink from the night has to be their Porn Star Martini. Delecably sweet with vanilla-infused Ketel One vodka, a mix of Passoa Passionfruit and dry Prosecco, you can really get the hit of the vodka at every sip. When stirred up, you get more of the passionfruit pips on every sip, and this adds a delicious element of texture to the drink. It is served with a shot glass of white wine on the side should you wish to add more alcohol to the mix (or dilute on the sweetness). And doesn’t it look stylishly ‘Vogue’ too?

For nibbles, we went a little overboard and by the end of our time at Iris, we we decided to skip dinner.

Iris has a wide variety of delicious platters, and I especially like their selection of raw seafood specials.

Iris does an impressive selection of fresh hand-rolled sushis, and we chose to have the ‘Iris Special’ which is an assortment of their best-sellers including shrimp, crab, salmon, hamashi, tuna and avocado sushis.

Here is a platter of the Iris ‘Fresh Fish Cuts’. 

It is an assorted serving of raw salmon, tuna and king fish carpaccios, and surprisingly, my four year-old daughter gobbled it up before we could have much of a taste! We had ordered the Iris ‘Crispy Chicken Balls’ for her, but had to have most of these ourselves. The ‘Crispy Chicken Balls’ are sophisticated chicken nuggets, and is made from scratch in-house. It is served with a mild apricot sauce on the side, and has itsy-bitsy bits of pineapple on the skewers to give it a tropical twist.

My favorite platter from the night was the Iris ‘Smoked Salmon’ platter. This is a generously large serving of smoked salmon that is served with drizzles of horseradish, a sprinkle of capers, and a whole mountain of of rocket leaves and very crunchy potato and beetroot crisps. The salmon sits on crusty brown bread, making it easier to lift up a big bite-full, and this dish is a beautiful medley of flavors from the salmon, the heat of the horseradish, and the crunch of the crisps. Will be back for more real soon!

If you love shrimps, I would highly recommend you try the Iris ‘Rock Shrimp Tempura‘ for starters. These little battered, deep-fried beauties are served in a creamy, decadent chili-mayo garnish and are pretty filling to boot!

With all our drinks down, and the appetizer platters sent back all cleaned up and empty, we were too full for mains yet we wanted to prolong our time on the Iris patio. The weather was such a treat! The UAE summers are finally cooling down, and a view of the Yas Marina made the setting all the more appealing.

I decided to flick through the Iris dessert menu, and ordered their ‘Fondant Chocolat’ and their ‘Pain Perdu Brioche’.

Iris’ ‘Fondant Chocolat’ is a rich, dark-chocolate molten fondant cake that has a spongy dark-chocolate outer, and a lava of melting, sinfully rich chocolate in the inside. All this chocolate richness is cooled down with a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream that sits on top of the cake, and is a definite must-try for serious chocaholics!

I would have taken the customary click of the chocolate lava oozing out to entice you even further, but I got too engrossed in a spoon battle with the family and this little mound disappeared in record time!

Our second dessert was even denser than the ‘Fondant Chocolat’. Did you eat French Toast for breakfast as a child? Hell, I still do! My mother used to serve us these egg-dipped, shallow-fried slices of bread with drizzles of honey and I now make it for my daughter on weekends.

Imagine a more sophisticated, grown-up version of the humble French Toast, one with a posher Parisian accent. That essentially sums up the Iris ‘Pain Perdu Brioche’.

This dessert is made of spongy brioche bread that has been coated in a rich ‘Caramel Au Beurre Sale’ sauce and is served with a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top. The caramel sauce is dense, sticky yet very balanced in terms of sweetness. After our gastronomic meal at Iris, we struggled to finish this dessert, and here I am typing away wishing for more right now!

Iris at Yas Marina (Yas Island, Abu Dhabi) is the ideal location to lounge with friends over cleverly mixed-up cocktails and culinary treats. The view of the harbor makes for a serene setting, and I would definitely recommend sitting outdoors while the weather is still so beautifully pleasant.

Iris also has a branch in Dubai at The Oberoi. The Dubai branch has a strict no-children rule, and I plan to make a visit once I get my baby-sitting organized! At Iris Yas Marina, they are not as rigid on the children’s rule, and the staff don’t mind as long as the children are supervised and don’t hang around past the 9 pm curfew.

Psst ladies… Iris Yas Marina does a ladies night every Wednesday, and you can have four complimentary drinks on the house! Details below:

If you are planning on a staycation on Yas Island, an evening at Iris Yas Marina is an evening well spent! Please visit their website for more details, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as we did :-)

A road-trip through sunny UAE, and a walkathon around Yas Island left my skin crying out for rejuvenation once we hit our hotel room at night. I’ve been using the masks from the ‘When Special Package’, and was saving up the ‘Travelmate’ mask for this short trip.

The mask was packed with the rest of my beauty travel stash below:

Product Claim:

The ‘When’ Travelmate mask has been created to combat the fatigue of travel, and over-exposure to wind and sun.

Key Ingredients:

• Sacccharide Isomerate and Swiss Alpine Herb Extracts: to gently hydrate and rejuvenate a tired complexion post-travel.
• Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate: to deeply moisturize.
• Grapefruit Seed, Bamboo Stem, Pine Leaf, and Ginseng Extracts: to maintain a healthy, glowing complexion.

My Experience with the ‘When’ Travelmate Mask:

Like the other ‘When’ masks I’ve reviewed here earlier, the Travelmate mask is made of bio-cellulose material that is derived from natural coconuts. It therefore adheres beautifully well onto the face, and is a breeze to put on.

The mask has an immediate cooling effect on the skin which is great for a travel-fatigued complexion.

The product on the mask is gel-like and mildly sticky, but this dries into the skin pretty effectively thanks to the bio-cellulose mask technology. 10 minutes into wearing the mask, I could already feel my skin lapping up the moisture.

The mask needs to be removed after 30 minutes, and the leftover serum-like product can be massaged into the skin. You don’t have to wash up after a ‘When’ mask, making it super easy to use. 

My skin felt so fresh and rejuvenated, that I actually got the confidence to take a post-mask selfie #nofilter sans makeup. Sorry if this #daretobare selfie scares you though!

The Good:

• This mask really delivers on its promise at restoring travel-fatigued skin.
• The mask is super-easy to use!
• The packet is flat and compact, making it ideal for travel.
• It gave me the confidence to take a #nofilter #sansmakeup #selfie :)

The Not So Good:

• Not sold separately! Comes in an assorted pack of 5 called the ‘When Special Package’.

Where to Buy:

The  ‘When Special Package’ of 5 assorted ‘When’ masks retails for AED 159, and is exclusively available at all Sephora stores across the Middle East. For more information on ‘When’ masks, visit their website.

4th November 2014: I never thought this date would be so significant. I never thought this blog would extend to more than a personal collection of ranting! And here I am reminiscing about a whole 12 months that have passed as Tezzy.

How Life Has Changed as a Blogger:

1. Tezzy Who? Tezzy. Before I started blogging, only a handful of intimately close family and friends called me by that name. ‘Tez’ has always been the more adopted shortcut for the mouthful of a name that is ‘Tehzeeb’. Suddenly random strangers are calling me Tezzy. I get emails addressed to Tezzy, my alter ego, the blogger in me. I feel like I’m living double lives, and loving it!

2. A Balancing Act. I have a full-time job, and I am also the mother to a very hyper young child. Many people ask me how I manage to balance the blogging act on my already full platter. It’s a simple truth: I’m addicted to writing. Writing is my ‘me-time’, my choice of decaf if you please. I have writing diarrhea! So yeah… blogging came quite naturally to me.

3. Click Unhappy. The part I struggle with the most is photography. Great clicks after all is half the blogging homework done. Editing pics takes up the biggest chunk of my blogging time. Still working on it peeps!

4. Blogger Quirks. I now belong to a special niche of the UAE blogging community. We have insider jokes that a layman would raise a curious eyebrow at. Isn’t it funny how a great many of us don’t even know each other’s first names, and address one another by the blog title? ‘Hello, it’s me, The Tezzy Files!’. And after a year into blogging, I am absolutely comfortable at taking out my rather large DSLR lens at the plate I’m about to attack!

5. Blogging Buddies. I’ve been living in the UAE for 8 years now, but this past 1 year of blogging has brought in a major influx of very interesting people into my circle. I’ve made some of the most amazing friends, some are bloggers (both in the UAE and beyond cyberspace). Others work in PR and media, and then there’s the talented coop comprising of chefs, designers, photographers and bikers. You know who you are. Tezzy loves you!

6. Blogger Bloat. My non-blogging friends are so envious. I’ve been flooding my social media feeds with food, food and more glorious food! But don’t they see the bloating aftermath? No jokes, all these decadent food posts are starting to show around my midriff. (Hubby was daring me to post a before and after blogging selfie. I think I’ll pass. I don’t need a blogging deterrent!).

7. Blogging Makes Me Pretty Too! I’ve never been a makeup kinda girl. I’ve always been diligent on my skincare routine, I splurge on great skincare creams and potions, and worship sunscreen. But makeup? I’ve been far too lazy for all that. A ‘dressed up’ former me would involve a bright neon lippie and a feeble attempt at a cat-eye flick. Tezzy, my alter-ego, has been splurging on colors! I now own a multitude of pretty palettes and even have a contour kit up my sleeve, and have been brave enough to be posting #motd clicks on my Instagram feed.

8. Dubai Reintroduced. 8 years into expat life, and I thought I knew my city like the back of my hand. Blogging has introduced me to a whole new side of Dubai, and has shown me just how blessed I am to be living in this vibrant, ever-changing city!

9. Food Critic. Beauty Guru. Fashionista. In that order. The Tezzy Files logo reads ‘Beauty, Fashion and Food Cravings’, but so far, Year 1 has shuffled the order a bit :-) Food has definately taken predominance on this blog. Promise to keep more coming on all sides in the coming year, stay tuned!

10. Thanks for the love! I feel totally humbled with the number of followers I’ve accumulated in my short time in cyberspace, and am thankful to each and everyone of you who has been following The Tezzy Files so far. Icing on the cake has been the online blogger awards very kind fellow bloggers have bestowed on me, and then I got nominated for the very prestigious Ahlan Masala Awards for Best Asian Blog! It’s been an absolute dream come true xoxo

Tezzy’s Top 20 Posts:

It’s been 365 days, and The Tezzy Files has posted a total of 289 posts (including this one).

The blog stats show me that this site gets visitors from all around the globe. A huge ‘thank-you’ to all my regular blog visitors! Without your constant love and support, I wouldn’t have had the motivation to keep going, and thanks to you I can proudly claim the ‘Blogger’ status.

As a blogoversary special, I’ll leave you with links to 20 of The Tezzy Files’ most viewed posts. Happy browsing!

1. Coconut Oil: For Health & Beauty
2. Iris Apfel: A Rare Bird of Fashion
3. Kashmiri Cooking with Nischay
4. Adam Irija: Fashionably Blending East with West
5. Absolute Barbecues: a new way to grill in Dubai
6. Beauty Tips: Neck & Décolletage Care
7. Tea Tree Oil: Tips & Tricks for Beauty, Health & Home
8. The Oberoi Dubai: Iftar Preview
9. Dalila’s Kaftans
10. Italian Recipe: Chef Glady’s Wild Mushroom Risotto with Truffles
11. Rashi’ Nutrition Tips and ‘The Protein Bake Shop’
12. Cafe Rider: Be Original, Be Free
13. Meet City 101.6 Star Malavika Varadan – Talent Overload!
14. Authentic Bangladeshi Cuisine in Dubai
15. 20 No-Nonsense Beauty Tips
16. Sharmin’s Assamese Recipes for Bhogali Bihu
17. Le Relais de l’Entrecôte: Now open on the Boulevard, Downtown Dubai
18. Meet Mouna Abbassy, the founder of IZIL
19. A Dermatologist’s Tips for Great Skin
20. Shahtoosh: The Forbidden Wool

Follow Tezzy:

Stay in touch, and do follow The Tezzy Files on its social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Conceptualized and created in 1996, Galito’s frame-grilled chicken was a well-loved secret in the Mpumalanga City of Nelspruit (South Africa) for a good seven years till it took flight and opened several branches across Africa. Canada and recently the Middle East.

We still don’t have Galito’s in Dubai, but in Abu Dhabi they have 4 (Galito’s Abu Dhabi branches are in Yas Mall, Al Wahda Mall, Marina Mall and Dalma Mall). We were in Yas Island last weekend, and I was therefore delighted to have received an invitation to try out the Galito’s branch in Yas Mall. 

The restaurant itself looks very funky and inviting. The walls feature interesting artifacts from the brand’s South African heritage as well as quirky little Galito anecdotes to cleverly summarize the brand values and offerings.

Galito’s bases its menu offerings on traditional home-cooking, and the brand stands by its promise to use only fresh, natural ingredients. The manager on duty explained to me that unlike other food chains that have expanded rapidly over the years with mass-production of food created under commercial practices, Galito’s prefers to take it slow and easy and continue with its stance at offering the freshest of dishes at very family-friendly prices.

However, Galito’s has some major expansion plans up its sleeves and its UAE parent company, the Tablez group, is planning to open a total of 25 more branches in the next 4 years. 15 more branches are planned for the UAE, and another 10 for India. Good news: Galito’s will hit Dubai in early 2016!

Being South African, ofcourse Galito’s has Peri Peri! Our table had 5 different bottles, and these can also be bought for home use for as low as AED 12 per bottle.

At Galito’s you can choose your tolerance for Peri Peri heat from the scale below. We went with ‘mild’ for all our choices so that the dishes could be shared with my four year-old, but ofcourse I was smearing all my servings with the ‘Premium Reserve’!

Galito’s is a family-friendly restaurant. They have mummies in mind, and give little tots a welcome pack to keep them preoccupied. Thank-you Galito’s!

After a road-trip and a walkathon exploring Yas Mall, we were very much in need for a cool, refreshing drink to quench our thirst. Galito’s has a number of interesting mocktails on offer, and they generously gave us a sample of all 5!

I got creative, and used my Zara scarf as a backdrop. Doesn’t this click look so tropically pretty? :-)

Here is a breakdown of the drinks from left to right:

• Melon Teaser: A light, refreshing muddle of watermelon and strawberries.
• African Blues: This bright blue drink looks like a Smurf got caught in the blender! Galito’s African Blues is an unusual mix of fresh lychee with peach.
• Kiwi Mojito: A fizzy concoction of sour kiwifruit with mint and soda. My hubby liked this one best.
• Coco Melaucia: This pale pink, highly hydrating treat features a deliciously light blend of coconut milk with fresh watermelon juice. I voted this one as my favorite!
• Laranja: ‘Laranja’ is the South African word for ‘orange’, and needless to say this drink is based on freshly squeezed orange juice, with a muddle of strawberries.

We started off our meal at Galito’s with a serving of their ‘Garlic Bread with Chick-e-Naise’. 

This is Galito’s take on traditional Garlic Bread. These slices have been coated with a special mix of chicken and creamy mayo, and are topped with melted, stringy cheese.

The other appetizer we were served was Galito’s ‘Livers and Roll’. I am not a fan of liver, but the staff insisted we try it as it is one of Galito’s best-sellers.

One bite of this rustic bread with a big dollop of liver, and my husband proclaimed this was exactly how his mum used to make it! The chicken liver has been cooked with a generous portion of garlic. It is curry-like yet thicker in consistency to have as a dip with crusty bread, and the flavors of garlic and tomato predominate the liver making it very appetizing even to me, the liver-hater!

For those who opt for lighter starters, I would highly recommend Galito’s ‘Chili Bean Salad‘. This is a trio of beans that has been tossed together with french-beans, onion and a very special hot-and-sweet peri peri dressing. This salad may not be photogenic, but it sure is light, tangy and deliciously good!

At Galito’s ofcourse we had to have Peri Peri Chicken! The secret of Galito’s flame-grilled chicken lie in their special marinade. Using only the freshest of ingredients, the chicken is left to marinate for a good 24 hours in order to ensure the flavors are infused right into the bone.

I found Galito’s flame-grilled Peri Peri chicken to be succulently moist, and loved the tangy-hot flavors that came to play at every bite. With a well-marinated piece of chicken like this, you don’t need a separate dip to go with it!

We also tried Galito’s ‘Prawn Espetada‘. This is a serving of skewered prawns and chicken along with two servings of your choice.

We chose to have fries and rice for the sides. Pretty dry options I know! This was more for my daughter, we adults were more interested in the skewers.

One skewer is lined with prawns, the other boneless chicken. Each piece is sandwiched between grilled capsicum, and marinated with Galito’s signature marinades. Like the plate of chicken, both the skewers were loaded with the tangy-hot flavors of Peri Peri, and were beautifully moist yet charred on the outside. The use of fresh, natural ingredients definitely makes for a better bust of flavors.

Look who greeted us at our table as we were munching our way through the mains; the Galito’s mascot himself! He got my daughter very excited, and we had to oblige her with a few clicks with Galito.

And then came my favorite course of all; desserts ofcourse! Galito’s gets its desserts from its sister company, Bloomsbury’s which is also managed by the Tablez group.

We had their ‘Double Chocolate Fudge Cake’ and ‘Date Pudding’. I apologize in advance for the sinfully enticing clicks below!

 The ‘Double Chocolate Fudge Cake’ was very, very moist and absolutely loaded with dark chocolate goodness. It was rich and moreish without being overbearingly sweet. This is not for the calorie-conscious, and although it would be tough, I recommend sharing this large, chocoholic treat.

I got so busy that I almost ignored the ‘Date Pudding’. I caught a glimpse of my dessert-detesting hubby devouring every spoonful and quickly swapped over our plates.

This pudding is dense, yet moist, loaded with dates yet not too sweet, and if the sweetness is not enough for you, there is a whole puddle of caramel sauce that goes with it! A cool scoop of vanilla ice-cream is served on the side for respite from all this richness.

We couldn’t do justice to both the desserts, and here I am wishing for a plate all to myself right now. The dessert portions from Bloomsbury’s are generously large, and after a heavy meal, it would be a good idea to share one between two.

Overall, we had a very memorable time at Galito’s and I can’t wait for the brand to come to Dubai! Will have to do Abu Dhabi trips in the interim. Their dishes are brimming with home-cooked flavors, and the simple secret behind this is the brand’s commitment at keeping their offerings as fresh and natural as possible.

Do try out Galito’s. A flame-grilled Peri Peri is light on the calories, and loaded with flavorful goodness. For more details, please check out their website.

So I didn’t win the ‘Best Asian Blogger’ title, but am super flattered to be nominated among the top 5 ✌ . Congrats Lokesh Dharmani from the F by Lokesh blog, so very well deserved.

Thank-you Ahlan! Masala for yet another fabulous #masalaawards2015 event, had so much fun! Met one of my favorite Bollywood stars, Simi Garewal (she’s even lovelier in person!) and even had a quick chat with the stunning Jacqueline Fernandes backstage…! Oh and that’s me giving away an award for best lounge in Dubai (congrats AKS Nights!). 

One of the biggest perks linked with blogging about food is the sheer diversity of invites I receive to try out different types of cuisines. However, apart from the eminent upward shift on the scales, food blogging also has another major downside. Here I am ready to tell you all about our fantastic evening out at Chez Sushi, and every little detail and drool-worthy click is making me exceptionally hungry and eager to go back… right now, now!

Chez Sushi (or ‘in the home of’ sushi in French) is a very well-known chain among the sushi-munching dwellers of Dubai, and being a sushi lover myself, I was super excited when I got an invite to their Al Wasl branch last week.

The restaurant itself is a casual dining concept. The interiors are clean, spacious and decorated in the funky brights of green and orange that is associated with their logo.

On being seated, I couldn’t help but notice the blown-up replicas of sushi on the benches that served as comfy cushions. How cute are these?! They even have a giant stuffed edamame behind the sushi :-)

These cutesy cushions are available on sale at Chez Sushi, and they have a range of other interesting Japanese collectibles up for grabs including transformer toys that turn into sushi, futuristic Japanese warrior dolls (that look like plastic, but ouch! They cost AED 700 and above!), and even training chopsticks.

For those of you who are not very comfortable with chopsticks, the training chopsticks set could well prove to be a good investment!

My daughter was given a chopstick training holder on her disposable chopsticks. At merely 4 years old, I’m mighty impressed with how well she works these beauties!

We started off our meal with a shared bowl of Miso soup. Many people find this soup very bland, and it really does take an acquired taste to really enjoy the delicately mellow flavors. The trick is to stir it at every spoonful to ensure you’re getting all the flavors, inclusive of the bits that get settled down at the bottom.

Here’s our serving of edamame. The ones at Chez Sushi have been coated with a delicious sprinkle of rock salt, and we munched on these throughout the meal. ‘Edamame’ is just a fancy name for boiled green soybeans, and they really pack a nutritional punch (click here for more details).

We tried Chez Sushi’s ‘Prawn and Coriander Gyoza with Ponzu Sauce‘. These little steamed dumplings are stuffed with minced prawn and fresh coriander, then pan-fried to give the outer coating a hint of crispness. The ponzu sauce on the side is a very commonly used citrus-based sauce for Japanese cooking, and lends a sharp salted edge to the dumplings when dipped.

One of our favorites from the night was Chez Sushi’s ‘Calamari Salad with Ginger Dressing’. A pile of deep-fried breaded calamari rings sit on a bed of mix greens that have been dressed in a very flavorful mix of tangy, sweet and ginger-hot. The characteristic heat of ginger steals the show, and despite his many efforts, Hubby could not get the recipe out from the Chef :-)

We also had Chez Sushi’s ‘Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Chili Sauce’. This was by far the most filling appetizer on the table. The battered and fried balls of shrimp were enriched with the creaminess of a mayo-based sauce that had the slight edginess of chili. Delicious, decadent and satisfying enough to have as a main course.

What makes Chez Sushi stand out from other sushi joints? You can let your creativity loose here, and create your very own rolls! The ‘Let’s Roll’ concept is clearly broken down into 4 steps on the table mats (as can be seen below):

I had a go at rolling, and my creation was done with brown rice. I love the combination of salmon and avocado, so these took precedence in my sushi. I added mango to the mix, and it was finished off with a tangy-hot wasabi mayo. It was divinely good (if I may say so myself!).

We also tried Chez Sushi’s ‘Rainbow Maki’ and ‘Dragon Maki’. As the name suggests, the ‘Rainbow Maki’ is a vivid play of colors and features crab, avocado, cucumber and mayo wrapped with salmon, tuna and kingfish. What a mouthful! The ‘Dragon Maki’ in comparison is far less complicated and comprises of eel, prawn tempura, avocado, cucumber and unagi sauce.

Seeing I love salmon with avocado, the Chef created another version using these as the main ingredients. The Chef’s Choice was made of white rice, salmon, avocado, Unagi sauce and Japanese Mayo. Just look at how delicately cut the avocado slices are! This sushi was as delicious as it was pretty.

Which roll did I like best? Tough call! It would be a tie between my own creation and the Chef’s Choice.

As if our table wasn’t piled up enough, we were also served Chez Sushi’s ‘Fried Chicken Katsu Curry’. This is Japanese-style breaded and fried chicken that is served in an exotic barbecue sauce. The chicken goes beautifully well with the mound of white rice that was served on the side. The sauce has an interesting mix of flavors that are all at once robust, meaty and salted, yet vaguely exotic. It has this familiar taste I can’t quite place; perhaps it has the borrowed flavors of other Japanese sauces I’ve had in the past.

For our dessert round, we tried out the ‘Mochi’ at Chez Sushi. Mochi is popular throughout the Far East. These are essentially rice cakes that have been filled with ice-cream, and come in a variety of flavors.

Below from left to right is Chez Sushi’s Orange Chocolate Mochi, Wasabi Mochi and Blueberry Mochi.

Chocaholics will love the first mochi. The ice-cream inside is deep dark chocolate which goes beautifully well with the orange flavored outer coating.

The Blueberry Mochi is more on the fruity side. The sweetness of the vanilla ice-cream on the inside contrasts well with the tangy berry flavor of the outer skin,

However, the mochi I found more intriguing was Chez Sushi’s Wasabi Mochi! There is a hint of wasabi flavor both outside and in. It won’t bring you to tears, but you definitely get a hit of heat on every bite! Highly recommended to those who dare!

Fancy a free main course at Chez Sushi? You might just get lucky by simply downloading their brand new app! Check out the details below:

If you love your sushi (and fancy having a go at creating your very own combinations!), I highly recommend a visit to Chez Sushi. I visited the branch on Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah (opposite Choithrams). For more details on their other branches, call Chez Sushi toll free on 800 SUSHI or visit their website. Get those chopsticks clicking!

Lush released a video entitled ‘The Experimenter’ last December, and it got Lush fans worldwide super-duper excited! The video is a dramatacised take on the brand’s newest bath bomb that goes by the same name, and was first released in Lush’s flagship store on Oxford Street, London.

I was at the newly revamped Lush store at Mercato Mall a couple of weeks back (read all about it here), and I got gifted the Lush Spectacular Gift Box (oh how I love these blogging perks!).

The box is loaded with Lush goodies I can’t wait to tell you about, and it also included the ever elusive ‘Experimenter’ bath bomb. I took it with me on our trip to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and put it to use in the bath tub of our hotel room at the Viceroy.

Product Claim:

Key Ingredients:

• Bicarbonate of Soda: To give it that fizz! (You might want to read my earlier post on how to make a Lush Bath Bomb).
• Vanilla, Tonka Oil and Vetivert Oil: For aromatherapy.

My Experience with ‘The Experimenter’:

‘The Experimenter’ is a chunky, colorful hexagon that screams ’80’s pop-culture to me. It has a deep, intriguingly smoky scent, and a slight gold shimmer when rubbed. I packed it in some newspaper to take on the journey, and as you can see below, it got to Yas Island in one piece!

One side is blue/pink and the other yellow/white.

I filled up my bath with warm water as recommended, and then let ‘The Experimenter’ loose. The bath bomb dissolved almost immediately, and gave way to a riot of colours and a delicate crackling sound akin to the sounds of popping candy I’ve had as a child.

Oh how I would have loved this bath bomb as a child! Ironically, although ‘The Experimenter’ is Lush’s most colorful bath bomb yet, it is not recommended for children. I sure hope they come up with something quite as colorful for the kids as my daughter is getting very jealous!

With all that colour and crackle comes a beautifully therapeutic scent of Vanilla laced with Tonka and Vetivert oil. The deep, almost woody scent is a stark contrast to the fun, bright colors of the bomb and reminds me of Lush’s All Good Things perfume.

10 minutes into the bath, and the last sound of candy popping signaled an end to this colourful bath-tub party. The rainbow hues faded into a sad-looking murky ink blue that held on to the shimmer of gold glitter.

Eyes closed, I inhaled the deep, exotic scent of ‘The Experimenter’, and made the most of my last few minutes in the solace of the tub. The scent is great for aromatherapy and puts the mind at ease. If only the bath had more of a moisturizing element; it would have kept me in there longer!

The Good:

• It’s an explosion of colors! Pretty much a party in the bath :-)
• Loved the crackling pops, and fizzy bubbles!
• Has a gorgeous scent that helps you relax, lie back and enjoy the bath.
• Uses fair trade vanilla that is sourced from the world’s first fair trade source in Uganda.
• The shimmer of gold glitter is made of biodegradable material, and is therefore eco-friendly.
• Made predominantly of fresh, natural ingredients and is vegan-friendly.

The Not So Good:

• After all that drama of color and crackle, the bath water turns into a morbidly murky ink blue. Wish the colors lasted longer!
• Although ‘The Experimenter’ is Lush’s most colorful bath bomb yet, it is not recommended for children.
• It has no moisturizing properties.
• When the plug is pulled out, you have to clean out the glitter (luckily it washes away fairly easily).

Pricing & Availability:

‘The Experimenter’ is included in Lush’s Spectacular Gift Box, and can also be bought separately at all Lush stores for AED 39 each.

When I first heard of 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, I thought the ‘800’ referred to a toll-free number. However, this numerical addition to one of Dubai’s newest pizza chains has a far more significant, customer-oriented reference than that.

800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria is a novel concept. Pizza served in this eatery is baked in a brick oven that is fired up to 800 degrees thanks to the imported almond tree bark used inside as fuel, and pizza is baked and ready to eat in 90 seconds flat!

If this speedy efficiency wasn’t enough to impress you, at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, customers can custom-make their very own creations in 3 easy-peasy steps!

Akin to the assembly line at Subway, the pizza line at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria is broken down into the following steps:

You have two choices here. Choose between the Original Neapolitan crust, or their 95% Gluten Free option. The original crust follows a traditional Neapolitan recipe using white flour, and the consistency of this crust is light, puffy and just a tad bit chewy. The Gluten Free crust on the other hand is made of wholemeal flour, and is a thinner, crisper option.

Between Hubby, myself and our little girl, we decided to go for 2 different pizzas, and chose to try out both options.

If you are not feeling very creatively inclined, 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria also has a number of ready-picked options from their menu (how cool is their wooden chopping board menu?!).

We chose to have their ‘Carni’ pizza on the Gluten Free base. This is the perfect choice for meat-lovers. The toppings include beef pepperoni and meatballs, and is topped with turkey ham and rosemary. Hubby added his signature touch to the ‘Carni’ by asking for jalapeno and mushrooms to top it off.

For the second pizza on the Original crust, I put on my pizza-making hat and got busy creating a masterpiece of my own!

For the base, I went for 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria’s Verde sauce. This is loaded with the goodness of basil, you can just smell it from across the counter!

Next came my choice of toppings. The staff recommend sticking to no more than 5 toppings as a few too many can make the crust go soggy, and also prove to be a tricky mouthful!

Here is what my pizza had for toppings:

• Turkey ham
• Mushroom
• Red peppers
• Sundried tomatoes
• Corn kernels

Isn’t it a colorful masterpiece?!

After all the toppings were assembled, and a few crumbs of mozzarella added, my pizza was sent straight to the oven.

In 90 seconds flat (yes, I timed them!) my pizza came out looking like this:

And here’s how our ‘Carni’ pizza looked like right out of the oven:

We started off our meal at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria with a platter of Burrata cheese served with a slice of crusty bread, pan-fried tomatoes and rocket leaves on the side. It came with Pesto Verde, and I loved this basil-olive oil dip even more than the cheese!

Given my obsession with basil, no points for guessing which pizza I devoured most of from the two on the table; my green creation ofcourse!

Even my Hubby who is a total carnivore preferred my creation over the ‘Carni’ pizza. Perhaps I should have a go at working at a pizza parlor you reckon?!

While we were munching away at our pizza, the staff offered us some of 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria’s signature chili sauces to try with our meal. Don’t these bottles look feisty?! You can buy them for home use for AED 35.

They also sell bottles of pickled red peppers that go deliciously well with pizza.

After adding the 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria chili sauce to the ‘Carni’ it suddenly came roaring to life! The hit of chili combined with the beefy toppings helped the pizza vanish from the plate in no time. Yes, we love our chili!

For drinks, we had icy glasses of Peach Tea. It was a bit too watered down for my taste, and I would advise asking for less ice to get more flavor per sip.

A shared platter of Buratta and 2 pizzas between two hungry adults and a child is more than sufficient to appease the appetite, and I was looking forward to the dessert round.

At 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria they do Italian gelatos. I was not sure about the size, so I asked for my daughter’s to be made a little smaller. When the minuscule tubs came to the table, I felt quite sorry for my bub, and let her have most of mine as well!

My daughter had the Strawberry Gelato, Hubby went with Mango, and mine was Cookies ‘n’ Cream. By far the best gelato on the table was Hubby’s Mango Gelato. It had the creamy, cool refreshing texture of a decadent sorbet and was loaded with the sweetness of ripe mango. The Strawberry Gelato was pretty good too, but my Cookie ‘n’ Cream had more of a slushy iced texture that somehow contradicted with the cookies. Stick to fruity gelatos I’d say!

Overall, 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria is a novel concept. Picky eaters get to choose exactly what goes on their pizza, and the creative whizzes can go crazy with any odd flavor combination they please. The restaurant itself is well lit, spacious and accentuated with the black and white color combination and typography you would expect to find in a quaint little cafe in Italy.

We dined at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria’s newest branch in Mall of the Emirates. It is located right next to the cinema, and would therefore make for the perfect quick bite before a flick.

800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria also has a branch in Burjuman Centre, and will be opening soon in Deira City Centre (Dubai). For more information on the brand, have a browse through their website. I’m already dreaming up my next pizza masterpiece!

Half way through the busy work week, I decided to treat myself to a facial. The lovely people at Kaya Skin Clinic invited me to try out a facial of my choice, and given they are conveniently located on the second floor of Mega Mall (Sharjah), I managed to fit in an appointment during my lunch break.

What is Kaya Skin Clinic? Created under the umbrella of Marico, one of India’s pioneering beauty goods manufacturers, Kaya Skin Clinic opened its doors in Dubai in early 2003. Combining the expertise of trained dermatologists and beauty experts with the customer service and care the women of the Middle East would expect from the high-end retail sector, Kaya Skin Clinic has built a reputation for their advanced, state of the art skincare technologies. Today the brand has over 18 branches across the GCC region.

Facials at Kaya Skin Clinic are therefore far more advanced as compared to your regular salon or spa treatment. They offer a number of facial packages that can be customized as per individual needs (more details can be found on their website link here). I decided to try out the ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’.

‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’ Claim:

“Welcome to an experience so revitalizing, it takes years off the face. Kaya Ultra Youth Glow. Ideal for re-energizing tired and dull skin before that special occasion, to look the best. All in a relaxing 90 minutes of pure skin pampering. Kaya Ultra Youth Glow leaves skin smooth, soft and hydrated for days. Got something special coming up? Wear something new. A bright, youthful look, a special aura.” – Kaya Skin Clinic website.

My Experience with the ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’:

The interiors of Kaya Skin Clinic is very clean, white and clinical. The lady at the reception was busy on the phone when I got there, and her workstation looked more apt for the reception area of a corporate office.

Once I introduced myself, she took me to a waiting area that had a comfy leather couch in one corner, and a television screen playing reruns of what appeared to be a dermatological show in Arabic. There was ample reading material in one corner, and a very official-looking set of rules and regulations about the clinic.

So far, I felt more like I had come for a formal interview than a relaxing facial treatment. About 10 minutes into waiting, the lady from reception hands me a four-paged disclaimer questionnaire. This is all very serious business! At Kaya Skin Clinic they want to know all your skincare habits as this will help them to better evaluate the treatment at hand.

Then my Skin Therapist walks in. Despite her formal, clinical attire that would look perfectly in place at a hospital ward, I felt right at ease as soon as I met Rehana. Perhaps I am biased as there was a connection right away. You see, my mother shares the same name! But suddenly I was a child in a candy shop and was super excited following Rehana down to my treatment room.

The treatment room is once again all white and clinical, and rather cold. I was thankful for the snug blanket I got to tuck into on the treatment bed.

The ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’ is a 90 minute session, and Rehana began by explaining what the process involved.

First of all, my face and décolletage areas were thoroughly cleansed, and every trace of makeup removed with Kaya’s Soothing Cleaning Gel. The gel was deliciously cold, and felt like the invigorating freshness of peppermint on my skin.

Next came the scary part. Rehana explained she was going to gently exfoliate my face using a machine that would remove the dead skin cells on the outermost epidermis. I had my fingers tightly crossed under the blanket praying it wouldn’t be too rough! At Kaya Skin Clinic, they use state of the art technology, and their Diamond Microdermabrasion machine ensures that the skin gets a very thorough exfoliation. Thankfully the ‘diamond’ exfoliation didn’t feel any rougher than a coarse towel on the face. The probe did a gentle suction on the face which was quite relaxing, and I wished away all the debris it would suck up like a mini vacuum-cleaner for my face.

The next stage was the most painful from the entire ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’ process. Rehana looked deep into my skin through clinically bright white light and got prodding around my nose and chin areas to unclog the pores and extract unsightly white heads.

Rehana tells me my skin is pretty clean otherwise, and that I have a combination to dry complexion. My T-zones tend to oil up, and I therefore need to up my water intake (more trips to the loo today!).

To calm down the assaulted skin areas, Rehana gave my face a quick rub-down with aloe vera gel which made it feel as cool as a cucumber and ready for the next step.

Yet another gel was rubbed into my face and décolletage area. It was not as cooling as the previous two, and made my skin tingle with itchiness. Rehana advised this was a Vitamin C concentrate, and the tingling would diminish within a minute. If you have overly sensitive skin, it would be advisable to speak up at this stage and the Skincare Technician will readjust the treatment accordingly.

Thankfully the tingling settled down as promised on my skin, and Rehana used yet another machine with an infrared wand. It glowed a scary orange near my face, but its warmth was very mild and comforting in that cold treatment room. This process helped the Vitamin C soak right into my skin, and I could actually feel my skin getting rehydrated and pumped up with freshness. Vitamin C helps the skin boost collagen production, giving the complexion an overall supple, youthful firmness.

After the Vitamin C treatment, Rehana  gave me a 15 minute facial massage. This was an absolute treat, and I was just a few winks from slumber with all this pampering. Rehana advises getting regular facial massages as this helps regulate the blood flow and keep the complexion youthfully glowing.

The ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’ treatment is finished off with the application of the ‘Insta Glow Mask’. Rehana advised me to refrain from facial movements, and dimmed the lights and let me relax for a good 20 minutes allowing the deeply hydrating mask to work its magic.

The mask peels off easily, and after cleaning up my face, Rehana applied a serum and sunscreen from the Kaya skincare range, and I was ready to go.

I am not exaggerating when I say my skin has never felt so refreshingly hydrated before. It feels like the hydration is coming from within, and my complexion had an immediate, unmistakable dewy glow to it.

I got back to work sans makeup, and just applied a little lip-gloss. My skin not only felt amazing, it looked it too and I was not going to hide it under makeup!

Best of all, I had an event to go to right after work and even in the dim lighting of the car, my husband commented that my skin was absolutely glowing!

The ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’ treatment shows visible results right away, and continues on the morning after as I type this review.

At AED 750 this treatment does not come cheap, but with results like this, I am planning to get this done on a monthly basis and am sure it will pay off in the long run. I’m also planning to look into their extensive range of beauty products to try on my own; after all, they are skin experts!

The Good:

• My skin has never felt better! No exaggeration. The ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’ instantly delivers on its promise of rejuvenated, glowing skin.
• Kaya Skin Clinic is based on clinical expertise, and use state of the art equipment. The staff are very well trained, the premises are squeaky clean and you can rest assured you’re in expert hands.

The Not So Good:

• Kaya Skin Clinic has the look and feel of a clinic. If only the ambience could be more spa-like!
• Kaya Skin Clinic treatments don’t come cheap. However, the results are worth every dirham spent, and you can always look out for their special deals online.

Price & Availability:

The ‘Kaya Ultra Youth Glow’ 90 minute treatment costs AED 750, or AED 2,700 for 4 sessions.

For more information on Kaya Skin Clinic, their locations and treatments offered, have a browse through their website. Say hello to a glowing new you! #kayaarabia #mykaya #Kayaexpert

The UAE is a melting pot of cultures, and living in Dubai we are spoilt for choice with some of the finest global cuisines. Yet local Emirati cuisine tends to get overshadowed. As an expat, I’ve devoured a number of delicious ‘mandis’, but my visit to Seven Sands restaurant this week has opened up a whole new world of Emirati cuisine to me.

Located on The Beach (JBR, Dubai Marina) with stunning views of the sea, we would have never found this gorgeous gem of a place had we not been invited to try it out (for easy reference, Seven Sands restaurant is right across the road from Amwaj Rotana).

From the outside, Seven Sands looks like a black box, and even the entrance is around the corner. However, on stepping inside, I was mesmerized by the stunning decor. The interior design at Seven Sands restaurant pays homage to the glorious heritage of the Emirates, and has been blinged up with the tasteful panache that has put this region on the global map.

The restaurant is split into two floors. The ground floor has a lacquered wall showcasing relics of the past, and upstairs the walls are lined with UAE icons including Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa and Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

The name itself, ‘Seven Sands’ stands for the seven different emirates that combine together to form the United Arab Emirates. In one corner of the restaurant, sand from the seven regions have been collated together to form a stunning display.

In true Emirati tradition, a staff member clothed in traditional Emirati attire greeted us at the entrance, and offered us cups of kahwa (Arabic black coffee).

We were ushered to our table upstairs by our lovely hostess Sana, who sprinkled our palms with rose water (yet another Emirati tradition!).

The upstairs area has a cosy reading area with informative books about the region. You can even wear the Emirati national dress provided here for a photo opp! Seven Sands will definitely be on the top of my list next time I have guests visiting from overseas.

The views from the terrace are absolutely amazing. You get a panoramic view of the Dubai skyline including The Palm Jumeirah, and it is bang opposite Dubai’s latest attraction, The Dubai Eye (scheduled to be ready by New Year).

The terrace at Seven Sands is perfect for shisha. If you are a non-smoker, they have a separate non-smoking outdoor area as well.

It was still a little muggy outside, and we decided to dine indoors. The gorgeous gilded gold decor continues into the first floor, and I got a little carried away trying to capture its beauty on camera.

With a fine dining restaurant like this, I wasn’t expecting the staff to be child-friendly and was quite impressed when my daughter got given an activities sheet to keep her preoccupied!

The leather bound menu at Seven Sands reminds me of vintage photograph albums.

We started off with cocktails. Nidhal, our waiter for the night, suggested the ‘Black Cinnamon Mojito’ for Hubby, and the ‘Yellow Bello’ for me.

Seven Sand’s ‘Black Cinnamon Mojito’ is an interesting take on traditional Emirati flavors. A simple lemon-mint soda gets a fruity, deep purple twist with the addition of blackberries, and a stick of fragrant cinnamon adds a spicy depth to each sip.

My ‘Yellow Bello’ cocktail is also based on lemon juice and soda, but tastes completely different. It is a delicious muddle of passionfruit and basil. It’s sweet, its tangy, and very refreshingly exotic.

While we flipped through the menu options, we were served with a complimentary platter of cheese bread that comes with an amazingly good chili-feta dip. These little bites are very moreish, and whet our appetite for more.

For our round of starters, we ordered two different salads. Seeing green mango on the menu, I had to try their ‘Homeidh with Green Mango Salad’. Unfortunately they didn’t have homeidh leaves, but were accommodating enough to redo the salad with rocket leaves. Apart from the mango and leaves, the salad also contains succulently sweet baby tomatoes. The dressing is a simple combination of lemon juice, olive oil and spring onions. It is refreshingly tasty with a tangy hit, and as they say, the simplest things in life are always the best.

The other salad on our table was the ‘Seven Sands Signature Salad‘. This is a very clever mix of Arabic flavors. Finely sliced beetroot is topped with rocca and rocket leaves (again the rocket was substituted for homeidh). A sprinkle of black sesame seeds and pumpkin crisp add texture to the dish, and a very creamy homemade yact cheese is piped around the parameters. The dressing is once again based on a lemon-olive oil mix, and also includes a special spice blend and pomegranate. Delish!

When dining Arabic, how can we not order hummous for starters? However, Seven Sand’s ‘Hommous Bajela‘ is not your everyday chickpea dip. It has been mixed in with finely chopped turnip pickles and salted fava beans, and topped with crushed walnuts and bezar (Arabic for ‘spice’).

We scooped up all this decadent hommous with the freshly baked khubz bread in no time. My husband detests beans in any form, and this was the first time I’ve seen him raving about a dish that had them in it!

The khubz is baked fresh in the oven inhouse, and apart from the plain variation, we also had a turmeric and ginger infused version (it appears more yellow than the ordinary counterparts in the photo above).

And here’s a platter of Seven Sand’s ‘Shark Sambousa‘. These deep-fried crispy golden parcels are stuffed with baby shark mince and comes with a very delicious sweet chili dip. Jaws, we finally get out revenge!

However, our absolute favorite appetizer from the night was Seven Sand’s version of the humble kibbeh. Their ‘Kibbeh Al Bezar‘ is baked, not fried and this is probably why its so perfectly soft and tender (as opposed to the overly fried, hard variations I’ve had in the past). The outer breaded crust is soft enough to spoon open, and the stuffing is a beautifully spiced minced lamb with pine nuts and almond. The tahini sauce on the side was the perfect accompaniment with this divinely meaty dish.

Next came our round of Mains. Seven Sands is running a Kebab Festival this month, and has a special menu of kebabs on offer at very special rates. From this listing, we tried their ……………. .

Beautifully succulent and cooked to perfection, these lamb chops tasted even better than they look, and my only complaint is I wish there was more on the plate! The rice with beans on the side went almost unnoticed as our table got busy grabbing the chops,

Our other main dish is from the menu’s ‘Traditional Emirati’ section. I wanted to try a Fouga. ‘Fouga’ translates to ‘on top’. This is a traditional Emirati dish where selected spices and meats are cooked together with perfumed stock and basmati rice, and topped with a meat or seafood of choice.

We ordered the ‘Shrimp Fouga‘, and I could smell its aromatic flavors, especially the saffron, before it was even laid on the table.

The rice is spiced with Seven Sand’s homemade bezar and accentuated with a pinch of saffron and dry lime. For once, I found the rice of the dish even better than the pump, marinated shrimps that sat on top.

Our very friendly waiter Nidhal insisted we had frappes with our mains, and given his great job at choosing for us so far, we were more than happy to oblige. And then these towers hit the table! I’ve never seen glasses quite as tall, these are roughly a foot high! We have jokingly renamed these as the new Burj Khalifa :-)

The one on the left is the Date Frappe, and the other one is the Caramel Frappe. Both frappes are decadently rich, sweet and creamy and topped with frothy cream. The date version even has the texture of chewy dates. Delicious as they were, I couldn’t do justice to my glass even with help from my toddler. Best to share I’d suggest (or order this all by itself and sit by their terrace to enjoy the sea views!).

We were mighty stuffed by the end of our meal. Blame it on the Burj :-) It’s hard to pin down one favorite; both the mains were fantabulous and brimming with authentic flavors.

We decided to share a dessert between the three of us, and chose to try the ‘Seven Sands Date Pudding’. My rule of thumb at any given restaurant is to pick dishes that the place names after itself. Surely it must be extra special to be given that honor, and also have a special individual twist that is impeccably a signature trait.

Following on from my theory, the ‘Seven Sands Date Pudding’ didn’t fail to impress. The pudding was chopped into bite-sized cubes, sprinkled with almond flakes and drenched in a deliciously sweet toffee sauce. Each spoonful was sinfully delicious, and I almost regretted on my decision to share.

By this stage, we were craving a good cup of tea. After all, a warm cuppa is the perfect ending to a gastronomic meal. Our waiter Nidhal went off to get us the tea menu, and what a gorgeous menu it is!

We were encouraged to unscrew each of the tea tubes on the side to have a sniff. We felt a sense of pride seeing Assam Tea right on top. For those of you who don’t know, my roots are Indian and my family hails from the North Indian state of Assam, famous for its tea.

Hubby chose to have the ‘Emirates Spice‘ tea, an aromatic blend of black tea, saffron and cardamom. I decided to try the ‘1001 Nights‘ tea, a subtly floral blend of black tea, green tea and orange flowers.

If the tea menu can be considered beautiful, the actual presentation of tea at Seven Sands is absolutely stunning!

Our trays came with teapots on candle-warmers, a butter cookie on the side, and three little sand clocks. You basically dip your teabag into the pot and turn the timer over. If you want light tea, you follow the first clock. For a medium brew, the purple is your guide, and a strong cuppa needs to follow the green. What a novel concept! I want one of these timers for home use please!

Idly sipping on our fragrant teas, we couldn’t believe where the time had flown. I can easily spend hours on end in this beautifully decorated space.

With its immaculately styled interiors, first-class service and absolutely divine cuisine, Seven Sands restaurant already has a major fan following since its opening in April this year. It is the ideal choice for a premium take on local cuisine, and is sure to impress both residents and visitors alike. For more details on Seven Sands restaurant, visit their website. I’m planning on booking a terrace table to ring in the New Year. Hope the Dubai Eye will be up by the 31st!

November is the hairiest month of the year, and for a good reason too. Last month saw us thinking pink for Breast Cancer Awareness, and this month sees thousands of men the world over sprouting moustaches in support of Movember.

What is Movember?

Movember is a movement encouraging men to grow facial hair in the month of November. The aim is to raise awareness of men’s health, with particular emphasis on prostate cancer. Millions of men the world over have been taking part in this global phenomenon that adds a lighter side to a more serious topic, and the movement has helped raise a great deal of funds for cancer research.

A Hairy Tale

‘Movember in November‘ was conceptualized and created in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 when two friends, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, met over drinks. They were discussing how the moustache had been clean-shaved off the fashion radar, and managed to get together 30 men who were up to the challenge of bringing it back.

They started off clean-shaven on 1st of November, and got sponsors for their mouche growth through the month. All proceeds were going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

By the end of November 2003, this enterprising group of 30 donated the largest single donation the PCFA had ever received!

Today, the Movember movement has spread to over 21 countries worldwide, and last year saw over five-million Mo Bros and Sistas participating. The numbers are sure to be phenomenally higher this year, and The Movember Foundation is now listed under the top 500 NGOs (non-governmental organisations) in the world.

For more on the Movember story, visit this link.

What is Prostrate Cancer?

The prostrate gland resembles a chestnut, and can be found just below the urinary bladder.

Prostrate Cancer is the most common cancer among men, and has no symptoms whatsoever until it spreads. However, the good news is, like breast cancer, early detection can save lives.

Take the month of November as an excuse to get checked. Make a donation. Grow a mouche.

How You Can Help

Grow a Mo’ for the Bros! Register on www.movember.com and put the moustache back on the fashion map! The site also lists a number of ways you can get more donations for your efforts, click here. If you can’t grow a mouche, its all good too… become a Mo Sista! Spread the word online, support your Mo Bros, donate!

Donate! Help out a friend who’s sprouting a moustache this month. Donate, spread the word! This month, I’m supporting my bro Sanjay Saikia who’s growing a stylish mo across the ditch in Canada. Very groovy don’t you think?! He’s aiming to raise $300 by the end of this month. Please help him beat this target, and click on his pic. 

Moustache Inspirations

So far, the handlebar has been the most popular choice of mo for Movember. Choose a mouche for your mug:

Need even more inspiration for the perfect Movember mouche? I’m leaving you with tips from funny man Nick Offerman. Grow a Mo for your Bros! 

My last blog post was all about Movember, and then I rediscovered this cute little silicone chocolate mould my sister had sent me from New Zealand. These are moustache moulds, how appropriate for #Movember!

It became our Saturday afternoon project, and my daughter is already halfway through the moustache stash as I type. Yikes! Expecting a major toddler sugar-high anytime soon!

Since we Mo Sistas can’t grow a moustache, we can always indulge in ones made of chocolate! These little beauties were far too easy to make.

All I did was dunk a whole pack of Hershey’s Semi-Sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-proof bowl, add 3 tablespoons of milk, and microwave it on ‘high’ for 30 seconds. I gave it a good stir, and re-microwaved for another 30 seconds.

The melted chocolate was spooned into the moulds, and refrigerated for an hour.

Here’s a closeup of the final product:

If you don’t have moustache moulds, look out for other silicone mould shape and get creative! Try it out with different types of chocolate, add flavors to the mix. I’m thinking up some ideas for Christmas already :-)