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Blogger Managed Events

Work with me on BLOGGER MANAGED EVENTS

UPDATE MAY 2020

These events will not be taking place due to the current situation but please reach out to us if you need a selection of genuine bloggers for a virtual event, or if you need appropriate bloggers to test a service or product at home. We are evolving new ideas that work all the time. 

A blogger managed event provides you with guaranteed, timely exposure for your brand. I hand pick a selection of bloggers that commit to provide social media exposure and sometimes a blog post using high quality images and words within a few days of an experience.  Use the contact form below to talk about organising a blogger managed event or anything connected to recruiting bloggers.

Thermomix in Dubai Blogger Event DoinDubai Learning gallery

ARE YOU A BLOGGER?

If you're a blogger and would like to be considered for an event, use the contact form below to request a blogger form to fill in and return.

Contact Page

 

 

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DUBAI IFTAR Ramadan Nights by Dish Catering a unique concept

A different Dubai Iftar brought to you by Dish Catering, welcome to Ramadan Nights Season 2! We’re telling you about this Dubai Iftar as we were part of a select group of food bloggers who experienced this first hand in a home setting. Read on to see why you should definitely book this contemporary Dubai Iftar.

Image ofDubai Iftar DoinDubai Desserts

Dubai Iftar – Ramadan Nights Season 2 

We first experienced Ramadan Nights last year when we were invited to try the special menu put together by Dish Catering for every night of Ramadan at a special pop up venue in Dubai. We loved the food, the set up and the concept so we were delighted to participate in their offering for Ramadan 2017. Dish Catering recreated a mini version of the set up at my home in the Arabian Ranches and 12 of us sampled what will be this year’s contemporary Iftar menu.

What to expect food wise 

The food on offer definitely follows the format of what you’d expect at a traditional meal to break the Ramadan fast, but there are some delicious contemporary twists woven into the dishes. So dates are first on the menu served together with hummus and a variety of breads, so far so normal. Our next course was a soup, again traditional for an iftar, but all of us agreed that this soup was exceptionally good.

Image ofDubai Iftar DoinDubai Butternut Squash soup

We tasted roasted butter nut squash and red lentil soup finished with toasted almonds. There are a variety of main dishes that follow, all of which are designed to be shared. I really liked the tarator style salmon fillet that had been smoked with wood chips infused with coriander and fennel seeds! (Note the picture below is from Dish Catering as my salmon picture was a bit fuzzy, but rest assured, it really did look like this!)

Image of Dubai Iftar tarator style salmon

 

The chicken served satay style on sticks was a big hit as it was marinated in rose and pomegranate served with a parsley and almond salsa. Of course we also had lamb and rice, again traditional for an iftar. Dish uses a very slow braised shoulder of lamb that was very tender and perfectly spiced. We all liked the honey yoghurt with confit garlic that came with it.

Image ofDubai Iftar DoinDubai slow cooked lamb

Often vegetarians aren’t well catered for at Iftars as there is a big emphasis on meat, but this isn’t the case with Ramadan Nights offering. I loved all the vegetarian courses on offer. Expect grilled peach and green bean salads dressed with orange blossom for a start! Save room for felafel, cauliflower and baked beetroot dishes all of which use Middle Eastern spices such as Zataar, sesame and mint.

I normally skip desserts after heavy meals but it was hard not to try the 2 desserts on offer from Dish.

Both are quite different, one more sweet, the other more citrus based so everyone will be happy. The problem comes when you eat both! Our group really liked the chocolate coconut dessert served in a glass with passion fruit compote at the bottom, but I preferred the caramelized pink grapefruit dessert with citrus meringue. See this latest Instagram picture of mine to see why I’m partial to caramelised grapefruit!

Overall an amazing selection of truly innovative dishes with an obvious Middle Eastern theme. We look forward to being part of Season 3! Ramadan Kareem 2017.

Location of Ramadan Nights 

This year Ramadan Nights will be located at Warehouse 4 in Al Quoz, that’s the same venue as last year.

There is plenty of parking on site. Do arrive on time though. Here’s a google map showing you the location.

How to book your iftar this year 

I strongly suggest you book your places for the Dish by Ramadan Nights Iftar

by telephone on

+971 56 128 3247 

or email them on 

info@dish.ae 

The price is AED 195 per person and includes the meal we’ve mentioned in the post above AND a choice of fresh non alcoholic beverages made with lychee, mint, elder flower, basil and cucumber. Finish off your meal with a cup of espresso coffee or hot tea at no extra cost.

Do let them know you booked on the recommendation of DoinDubai. But if you’re still not sure, then see what my fellow foodie blogger friends thought of the Ramadan Nights experience in their posts here. We’ll add them in as they’re completed, so do keep checking back! And remind yourself of what to expect in Dubai during Ramadan… 

Image ofDubai Iftar Table setting

What did the other bloggers think about their experience of Ramadan Nights 

Engineer with Flair 

Megs Blogged 

One Latte Please 

Dine Out Dubai 

The Tezzy Files 

Annika Eats 

Mark My World 

Big Food Boy

 

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best afternoon tea spot DoinDubai

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KIZA DUBAI – A Pan African Restaurant – Read why we liked it

Kiza Dubai is a Pan African restaurant, bar and lounge that serves more that just tasty African food and great cocktails.  Here’s why we like Kiza Dubai.

What’s the philosophy behind Kiza Dubai

Kiza is a Swahili word that means black, but it also means community. So Kiza wanted to be a platform for all things African in Dubai.

Expect fashion shows, music events, great food and cool cocktails at this venue. In fact our foodie bloggers dressed up in African clothes lent to us for the occasion by a Dubai based African designer –  Ntombi Couture. Her functional, vibrant pieces for both men and women are inspired by Africa an it’s people.

Where is Kiza Dubai located

Kiza Dubai is located on the ground floor of Emirates Financial Towers, almost opposite the Warwick hotel. It’s in the same building as Mint Leaf of London.  Here’s a google map showing you the exact location of Kiza. It’s not in the well known Gate Village where Zuma and LPM are located.

What would you expect to eat at Kiza Dubai 

Kiza Dubai serves a variety of dishes from all over Africa. There is definitely an emphasis on meat and fish, but rest assured, vegetarians would definitely not go hungry!

I recommend you try the kele wele, a Ghanaian street food favourite to begin with. This is a fried plantain dish served with peanuts and good to have with drinks. I think it could be improved by a serving of their spicy chermoula sauce on the side.

Kiza Dubai DoinDubai Kele Wele

Maybe try a traditional meat patty from Nigeria as well or a soup. We had the hot and peppery lamb soup and we also sampled a delicious lentil soup which was just like a tasty, light, Indian yellow daal!

To follow I recommend you try the prawns piri piri. We all loved these, you’ll get 3 large prawns cooked in a special, spicy African sauce. I suggest you eat your prawns with some jollof pilau type rice and a side serving of sukuma wiki from Kenya.

Kiza Dubai DoinDubai Princess Kiza prawns

This is more commonly known as kale and is a very popular side dish served all over Africa. It’s served slightly stir fried as opposed to raw which is how I am used to it in salads.

Do also order the mango salad as this is a perfect accompaniment to the prawns and rice and is also delicious.

Kiza Dubai DoinDubai Mango Salad

There is a generous and tasty selection of meat that forms part of the mixed grill. Expect chicken, lamb and beef.

We also really liked our Princess Kiza fish that was baked with some very African/Indian tasting spices. This would have been easier to eat if was filleted properly after being shown to us whole at the table though.

Anything for vegetarians at Kiza Dubai

We tried and I would also re order the Githeri, which is again from Kenya. It’s a type of vegetable bean curry served with bread. Eat this with the jollof rice. I also suggest the mango salad, sukuma wiki and kele wele with spicy sauce for the vegetarians. Instead of rice you could try ugali, which is a polenta type starch that would form a great base for the Githeri curry.

What were our favourites at Kiza Dubai

Definitely the prawns piri piri for me with the mango salad, kale and jollof rice on the side. If you leave out the rice then you have a perfect paleo meal too! It’s the kind of meal I’d like to learn how to cook to serve at home.

Special Deals at Kiza Dubai

They have a Happy Hour every day from 4pm till 8 pm where many beverages are just half price, that’s a great deal! They also have a business lunch that offers a meat, seafood or vegetarian option with a side of rice and vegetables for just AED 40! That’s a delicious deal, don’t you think?

What did some of Dubai’s finest Food Bloggers think of Kiza Dubai

Don’t just take my word for what the food and ambience is like at Kiza, have a read of what Dubai’s finest Foodie Bloggers thought here. I’ll add in their posts as they’re completed. Keep checking back to read what they have to say here:

  1. The Tezzy Files.
  2. MarkMyWorld.
  3. BigFoodBoy
  4. NairuzReviews
  5. A Foodie World
  6. DineOutDubai

 

Kiza Food Bloggers DoinDubai

How to win a meal for 2 at Kiza Dubai ( value AED 450 )

  • Follow DoinDubai on Instagram or
  • Follow DoinDubai’s Facebook page then
  • Write your answer this question in a comment below

NAME FOUR DIFFERENT AFRICAN COUNTRIES

  • To complete your entry Press the PINK button below and follow the instruction to check you email  ensuring completion of your entry

 

Pressing the pink button below will subscribe you to the DoinDubai Newsletter.

DoinDubai SUBSCRIBERS who are already registered STILL have to go through the process to enter  the competition. Don’t worry you will not have multiple subscriptions, it just helps us to have all the  entries for this competition in one file

Once you click on the ‘WIN’ button below, please complete your entry by opening the confirmation email  to confirm your subscription has been added to the WIN a meal for 2 at Kiza Dubai competition list.

[maxbutton id=”29″ ]

 

We’ll let the randomiser pick a winner on the 1st of May 2017

*This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, Facebook, Twitter or any other social network.

DoinDubai.com Online Competition Terms & Conditions apply

2nd May this competition has now closed, and the WINNER is Harriet Dodea! We’re emailing you with your vouchers right now, well done Harriet!

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LA VILLE CITY WALK

La Ville City Walk is a new, luxury boutique hotel that’s part of the Autograph Collection from the Marriott Group. There are 4 places to dine at La Ville City Walk. We checked out the 3 spaces  that were fully open in a type of culinary immersion experience! It’s easy to go from one dining space to the next.  Read on to see which bit of La Ville you would to experience most.

La Ville City Walk – A Culinary Immersion

There are 4 areas you can dine in at La Ville City Walk:

  • Chival  – a Californian style, bright, all day dining area serving modern food with a large courtyard setting.
  • Graze Gastro Grill – a Mediterranean inspired contemporary eaterie serving lunch and dinner opening out onto City Walk.
  • Grapeskin – a full service wine bar with a special week end menu
  • Look Up Roof Top bar  – located on the 5th floor with spectacular views of Dubai serving cocktails, mocktails and light bites.

La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Exterior frontage

We started at La Ville City Walk with some drinks and snacks at the Look Up Roof Top bar

This would be a perfect place to meet for some drinks and classy snacks before dinner or even for a light dinner itself! Expect gorgeous views of the Burj Khalifa on one side and the beach on the other. It was quite a cool evening for Dubai when we visited (Feb 2017) but we felt deliciously warm sitting close to the contemporary lampshade style heaters!

I recommend the peach bellini cocktail to drink, this can be made with or without alcohol. Choose any snacks you like the sound of, but we all really liked the chilli jalopenos. The Look Up Roof Top bar is situated on the 5th floor of the property.

La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Look Up Bar

Starters and Main courses at Chival

This was the 2nd time I was eating at Chival and it’s reassuring to see that quality has been maintained. We were served a Morrocan inspired spicy lentil and beetroot salad, some roasted cauliflower with freekeh (gluten free I think) and a very pretty plate of tuna tataki and cucumber salad. We all really loved the tuna tataki starter.

La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Tuna Tataki salad

Main courses consisted of a dish of roasted king prawns with yucca plant crisps, a plate of agnolotti pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach and a prime burger served in a pretzel bun. The weakest dish for our party was the prime burger. Some said it was a little greasy, and while it certainly wasn’t a “bad choice” it wasn’t exceptional either. I don’t eat beef so I’m reporting honest feedback from my fellow diners!

We did however order a second plate of the very good agnolotti pasta. This was a completely vegetarian dish but hugely popular with the carnivores too!

La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Agnolotti pasta

Chival is the all day dining restaurant of the hotel, and it has 3 distinct areas you can eat in: the outside courtyard, the inside main dining area and a very cute private room within the interiors. This area would seat 10 comfortably, so would make a really good choice for a special occasion. This is where our group sat.

Moving on for some signature desserts at Graze gastro grill restaurant

Still on the same floor, but with a different feel and look, we moved to Graze gastro grill for our desserts and coffees. Some extremely modern techniques in evidence here, so I was impressed with the dessert selection. I LOVED my little pre dessert though!

La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Pre Desserts

We also tried a smoky, vanilla dessert in a glass jar, some dark chocolate Mississippi pie, some Japanese white cotton cheesecake and some white chocolate zabaliogne.

All very high quality desserts using fabulous ingredients and fun presentation without any gimmicky distractions! I really liked the dark chocolate dessert and ate this despite being full from my snacks, starters and mains!

La Ville City Walk DoinDubai Desserts at Graze

Our chefs for the evening were Pedro Joaquin Arceyut from Puerto Rico, David Schaumburger from Germany and Juan Pablo Dominges from Mexico.

This event was part of a Dubai Blogger Managed Event, so you can also see what my fellow foodie friends thought of their culinary immersion experience here. I’ll add their blog posts as they come up, see who’s views resonate with you the most. Do come back and keep checking the page.

La Ville City Walk DoinDubai blogger managed event

  • Nairuz of Nairuz Reviews could almost become a vegetarian based on what she tried!
  • Mohit of BigFoodBoy loved the coconut rice and is keen to go back for more at La Ville
  • Mark of MarkMyWorld thinks La Ville will always be fully booked!
  • Javeria of DineOutDubai loved La Ville, here’s why.
  • Meghana of MegsBlogged would love to go back to Graze, here’s why.
  • Rachel of BeingRandomRachel liked the Prawn dish best, find out why here.

Please SHARE this post with your foodie friends.

Click the graphics below to LIKE us on Facebook and FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Thanks Monica.

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DUBAI WEDDING

A Dubai Wedding 

How would you go about planning your Dubai wedding? So much to think about and so much to do.  

But I think all weddings in Dubai or anywhere else must start with a good venue. Then everything else flows on from that. I was asked by the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club to experience their venue as one that was ideal for a wedding in Dubai. So here’s my post of what you could expect if you hosted a wedding at the club.

Dubai Weddingi DoinDubai set up gallery

A Dubai Wedding at the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club

The club is situated just opposite the Arabian Ranches next to Studio City on Al Qudra road. It’s about 25 minutes drive from Dubai International Airport and the same  driving time again from Downtown Dubai.

The property has been established for over 11 years now and has 357 horses stabled on site. It does feel like you’re slightly out of town as there aren’t any tall skyscrapers on site. You do see plenty of green fields and hacienda, Spanish style spaces and tiled terraces. Here’s a Google Map showing the exact location of the venue.

Different spaces at the club for your Dubai Wedding

There are a variety of different spaces at the club for your wedding in Dubai. The 2 largest spaces at the club are the The Saha Courtyard and the Palermo Terrace. We were shown these spaces on our tour, but our event for a small group of bloggers took place on the Pool Lawn area. This would be an ideal space for a smaller, more intimate gathering.

There is also a spa on site with changing areas. The spa has a jacuzzi and steam facility. You don’t have to be a member to use these facilities if you book a treatment at the spa. The spa also offers bridal packages. The spa is run by the Polo Club itself and uses Natura Bisse products.

DO NOTE there are no overnight facilities at the Polo Club.

Dubai Wedding DoinDubai Saha Courtyard gallery

Food and Drink for your Dubai Wedding

We experienced a meal that drew on a variety of dishes from the wedding menu offerings.

You’d be free to mix and match as per your requirements though. They do cater for full vegetarian wedding meals as well. We had a selection of Arabic and European salads to start with.  Then our main  courses comprised of both Arabic and Indian style grills, biriyanis and curries.

Everyone really enjoyed Chef Samson’s vegetarian lasagne. The chef himself is from Chennai in South India but is skilled in all cuisines.

You can request different cuisines at your wedding functions, even a full South Indian type meal served on banana leaves!

Dubai wedding DoinDubai Vegetarian Lasagne gallery

The club is licensed so alcohol is available at the venue.

Dubai wedding DoinDubai drinks

The Set up for your Dubai Wedding

The Polo Club has an events team who will help you with everything connected to the banqueting of your Dubai wedding. That includes not only the food and drink but the table and chairs (dressing them ) as well as a bar set up and all the crockery you need.

You DO need to organise your own wedding decor; flowers, centrepieces, accessories and props.

We organised the decor ourselves for this Baraati Bloggers event.

We all LOVED the horse and cart that the bride and groom could use to make an entrance! That’s a unique aspect of this wedding venue and it’s use would be included in any wedding package you book.

Dubai wedding DoinDubai horse and cart gallery

Don’t just take my word for it, see what these Dubai bloggers thought of the venue as a place for your Dubai wedding. I invited these bloggers to come along and experience the venue as though they were experiencing an Indian wedding from the boys side.

Dubai Wedding Doindubai Baraati Bloggers gallery

Welcome to the Baraati Bloggers Dubai Wedding posts!

I’ll add them in here as they are posted on the bloggers sites

If you’d like to find out more about planning your Dubai wedding then the Lifestyle Events team would be happy to assist you in planning your dream day.

For more information please contact 04 361 8111 or visit www.poloclubdubai.com or email events@poloclubdubai.com

If you’d like to explore organising a blogger event then do contact me 

Thank You Monica.

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