Saladicious - #352

This is a nice newish cafe called Saladicious located behind The One store in Jumeriah.

I recomend it, funky place and good for some lunch.

All It Takes Is A Good Hard Slap - #327

to make the bread work out fine.

Taken just off Rolla Square at the famous eatery Pak Ghazi...

Manakish - #291

A typical oven set up - open to the street. The breads to the right of the oven are simply fantastic.

These are manakish - the lower ones are zaatar - this is a thyme based topping - and the others are cheese manakish.

Basically this is a bread base loosely similar to a pizza idea, although different taste and texture. They are fantastic (and a bit of a diet buster!)...

Noodle House - a/k/a Bluey From Above - #286

The Noodle House in Burjuman Centre. A nice place to have a tasty lunch. You'll find me here sometimes at the weekend...

Just don't look up...

Little Happy Chef - #280

A small street side cafe in Satwa. They all have open windows from the kitchen so customers can be served directlt and for ventilation. Not sure of the hygene factors with this!

But if you can look so happy at work as this guy did, then I think you achieved something...

Global Happy Chef - #225

A happy chef at work is a good thing. This chef at the Marriott makes some damn fine duck pancakes...

Breakin The Bread - #220

Traditional unleavened flat arabic bread, straight out of the oven.

Dipped straight in to some humous or with tabouleh... one of the best dishes on the planet!

Baked in tiny shops right in the middle of Deira.

The Irish Village - #205

One of Dubai's famous locations... The Irish Village & Dubai Tennis Stadium.

Every city in the world, except maybe Riyadh, has an Irish themed pub. Dubai is no different, except being Dubai it's an Irish Village. Through the cooler months it's a great place to have some food a drop of the black stuff etc on its wide outdoor area. Bands play here too, most recently Bob Geldof before that The Pretenders (nb. bands for the 21st Century need not apply!!)

Through the summer it's a bit smoke filled and not so good... if you are reading this IV - take note.

One of the better pubs in town...

Can't Stand The Heat? - #201

A chef doing his thang at the JW Marriott, Deira, Dubai.

More Cafe - #163

A great place for some fresh and tasty food called More Cafe.

There are 2 of these in Dubai - one in Garhoud and one in the Murooj Rotana across the road from the Burj Dubai.

A fine choice for really good salads and a top eggs benedict.

Cold Bento - #127

Have I mentioned just how culinary multicultural Dubai is? And pretty reasonably priced too.

I can't help but love my food.

I don't normally do this, but I really recommend checking out this blog for more thoughts on being an expat in Dubai and great foodie things...

Half Man Half Beer

Sezzam Reflection - #117

Some things I like:

Food, photography, people and reflections

I like the way they come together in this shot. Taken at a nice place to have a quick lunch, Sezzam at Mall Of The Emirates - which looks on to the ski slope.

I recommend either the hammour tandoori (hammour is a cod like fish) or the thai papaya salad...

P.S. Thanks for the nice Xmas wishes - I do hope you all had a great time too.

Edibile Gold Flake - #108

I'm sure this exists around the globe, however there is something inherently Dubai about the concept of edible gold flakes...

Should anyone wish to buy a pack, these are on sale in the deli at the Grand Hyatt for 80 dirhams (approx US$22).

Glass House Glass - #95

A very decent dining option - The Glasshouse @ Hilton Dubai Creek. Particularly good salad with black pudding and poached egg...

It is over shadowed a little with its neighbour Verre, which is Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay's Dubai restaurant. I was invited to dine there tonight and it was actually Gordon Ramsay that was overseeing the kitchen. I love food, but alas, the invitation did not include paying for me and as, allegedly, Dubai's best restaurant, with, allegedly, one of the world's best chefs in residence... it was a little pricy - so Bluey unfortunately had to decline graciously...

What's the best restaurant in your city?

(Should you care at all, in Dubai my 5 favourite places to eat currently are:

1) Barbeque at Jebel Ali beach including prawns, tuna steak & koftah
2) Coconut Grove - Sri Lankan / Kerala / Goan cuisine @ Rydges Plaza
3) Manhattan Grill - The Wagyu Beef Tenderloin @ Grand Hyatt
4) Al Safadi - Lebanese home delivery
5) Andiamo! - Friday brunch Italian style, fine wine and antipasti)

Anyways, I digress.

Bluey!

PS Michael - This is number 3 bar / restaurant at least - I expect you to keep a note :)

If You Can't Stand The Heat - #73

5 hungry people.
2 quizical looks.
1 chef of iron.
1 slightly toasted Bluey.

All in a hard day's blogging... :)

The infamous X11 Brunch at the JW Marriott, Deira, Dubai.

Love And Reflection - #22

As the saying goes T.F.I. Friday... Fridays in Dubai are wonderful. It is the only day that the entire city rest (like Sunday in the West but even more restful). The horrendous traffic calms to a mere trickle.

This shot was taken last Friday at actually a very civilised and quiet lunch on a Friday at Amwaj and the Shangri-La Hotel. Very nice indeed, amazing fish and lovely rose wine for about 240dhs (about US$70 / 35 UK pounds) per person.

If you look very closely you will also see my wife and I... A self-portrait and a brunch photo for the price of one photo - BARGAIN!

For some expats Friday inevitably means Brunch. To a civilised person brunch sounds like a gentle prospect. Some food at a time and size that is between breakfast and lunch. How nice.

Where as in Dubai this generally means eating you body weight in food and drinking a LOT in 5 star hotels for one set price. It is a wonderful and deadly combination.

If you are not a western expat Friday is usually a quiet day for religion, contemplation or shopping.

Something fishy is going on - #16

It's Saturday morning and I am just back from somewhere I should have visited a long time ago.

Dubai Fish Market in Deira. What an amazing place this is! It is a covered, but open air, market about the size of a football pitch I guess. One very large section is fish and the other is fruit and veg.

The fish are stunning - so fresh. Gills glistening and eyes clear. Lots of variety from the local Royal Hammour (like cod) to Red Snappers, Mackerel, Tuna, King Fish, shark, prawns, Omani lobsters, squid and so much more.

The stall holders are all characters too, be prepared to be cajoled and gently pressured to buy their catch at every turn.

The price is stunning as well. Huge 3 to 4KG fresh fish for about US$8.00 enough to feed 4 people. Take the fish to the huge back room where they descale and gut it or even fillet it for you.

Along with the great veg section this is fantastic Dubai Saturday morning.

Menu for tonight is oven roasted fish stuffed with corriander and chilli accompanied with fresh and crunchy bok choy in butter and soy sauce with quick fried julienned courgette...