Special Occassion

March 16, 2022 by monica Leave a Comment

TASCA BRUNCH AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL

EATING

TASCA BRUNCH AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL

THE TASCA BRUNCH UPADTED MARCH 2022

BRUNCH IS NOW ON SATURDAYS 12.30 TO 4.00PM

THERE IS NOW A DEDICATED VEGETARIAN MENU AND A VEGAN MENU TOO.

PRICE OF ALCOHOLIC PACKAGE IS NOW AED 450 PER HEAD.

BEST TABLE is definitely anything on the promontory deck overlooking the sea, if it’s not too hot! There is definitely a seafood slant to the Tasca Brunch at the Mandarin Oriental. That’s because José Avillez a Michelin starred chef brings it to you from Portugal.

Expect a range of starters, main courses and desserts all served at your table around a sharing concept.

The Food

The most unusual thing to eat was an Apple Margarita. Delightful! A slice of crunchy apple drenched in some kind of alcohol, we had a piece each but could have asked for more. This came as part of the starter section of food.

I liked my cod cake and tempura beans to start with and our fellow brunchers raved about the veal chorizo. Another all round favourite was the crispy aubergine in a yogurt sauce with pomegranate, we all wanted and got more of this dish. I also went on to make it at home!

We also upon prior request got a non-fish rice dish made with mushrooms that was a real hit all round the table. I actually preferred this to the fish rice.

The hot, fat, crispy outside and fluffy on the inside chips were perfect and how all chips should be, I passed on the wagyu beef strips though. The crunchy broccolini was well cooked and a great accompaniment.

The Puddings

Desserts were outstanding with some obligatory custard tarts as these are a Portugeuse classic. Expect light, buttery, flaky pastry and a creamy filling. A range of fruit ice creams and a hazelnut cream pudding complemented the custard tarts. All beautifully presented and demolished by our table.

Expect a range of starters, main courses and desserts all served at your table around a sharing concept so no getting up and down for a buffet!

The Drinks Package

I think it’s quite a generous drinks package as far as high end Friday brunches are concerned. There is a range of cocktails you can order with no limit. You are greeted on arrival with a choice of red or white sangria or a mocktail. We opted for red sangria and got a tall carafe of it brought to our table.

There is also red, white or rosé wine on offer from Portugal, no sign of those iconic Matheus Rose bottles although we would probably have been the only table that remembers them well!

The passion fruit martini was a success all round only surpassed by the Espresso Martinis had at the end of our brunch. The cocktails are expertly crafted by mixologists, so we really appreciated that.

The Ambience

It’s lively and busy at brunch. If you want a table in front of the pool and the sea, then you need to arrive early at about 12.30 or so on Friday. Otherwise you’ll sit on the side facing the Dubai skyline. It seemed a little less noisy near the skyline side, but you maybe nearer the josper ovens and so it might feel warmer. Service was attentive and platters of food arrived at the right time.

Meet me at the Mandarin Oriental

Get a feel of the vibe of this place.

Prices for the Tasca Brunch

There are no Entertainer or Zomato type deals for this brunch, but it’s not too expensive at AED 450 for the alcoholic package and AED 350 for the non-alcoholic package. I’d highly recommend and definitely go there again.

Location

where is Tasca

at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Jumeirah 1

Four Seasons brunch in Jumeirah

You may also like Saturday Brunch at the FOUR SEASONS IN JUMEIRAH. See our instagram reel for a flavour, PLUS they are currently offering 25% off for all mums this weekend 19th/20th March 2022

This review was written independently of the restaurant, we paid in full for our brunch. The pictures are all my own.

Monica Kapila

Founder of DoinDubai

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Another Mandarin Oriental Moment

Christmas tea at the Mandarin Oriental in London.

January 2, 2022 by monica Leave a Comment

DUBAI FINE DINING RESTAURANTS – My shortlist based on real experiences

I’m always being asked which restaurants I’d choose for a special meal out so here is my pick of some of Dubai’s fine dining restaurants. Real pictures based on meals that we’ve experienced and paid for ourselves (unless stated)

Note the points about outside dining and location. Remember many of these high end places have good value Business Lunches that cost a fraction of what you’d pay for an evening meal so that’s worth remembering.

These restaurants are in no particular order. These pictures were all taken in 2021, please remember sometimes consistency of quality is an issue in Dubai.

Dubai Fine Dining Top Picks DoinDubai Monica Kapila Roka Business Bay — ROKA DUBAI – Business Bay

Roka Dubai

Located in Business Bay Roka Dubai has a large outside terrace and is in the ME hotel. We’ve visited for lunch and dinner and would definitely recommend the excellent value Business Lunch. Good choice for vegetarians too, generous portions at this Dubai Fine Dining Restaurant.

Sushi Samba

Opened in November 2021, the first Sushi Samba in the UAE, we loved our dinner here. Located at the top of the St Regis hotel in the Palm Jumeirah adjacent to the Nakheel Mall. Only open for dinner so far, it has a vibrant, chic ambience with incredible views of the Palm. Plse note we were invited for this meal but I would definitely go again with my own money.

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Lowe Dubai

A bit of an out the way location, this excellent restaurant is definitley worth a visit. We’ve visited twice for lunch and once for breakfast. High quality food prepared by accomplished chefs from New Zealand. Great outside seating. Lowe Dubai is located just beyond Al Barari.

Maineland Brasserie

A smart high end brasserie with chandeliers inside located in Business Bay. It also has an outside terrace for cooler months. We loved our snails and lobster rolls here. They also have branches in the Marina at the Hilton Double Tree and in Studio One hotel near Arabian Ranches.

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The Bay Mandarin Oriental

I’ve had lunch, breakfast and dinner a few times at this restaurant but this particular lunch (lobster salad and the mezze selection) was by far my favorite meal and I wold definitely recommend it. I had this meal with a friend who is a regular guest at the hotel so honestly I’m not sure if this is how they normally serve this dish, but show them it and say this is how you’d like your lunch! The Bay is best experienced sitting outside. There is a beautiful, large al fresco dining area overlooking a very cool pool. The Mandarin Oriental is located in Jumeirah 1.

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Dubai Fine Dining Top Picks DoinDubai Monica Kapila Akira bak W Hotel Palm Jumeirah — AKIRA BACK – W Hotel Palm Jumeirah

Akira Back

We visited this restaurant for dinner to celebrate a friends’ 50th birthday. We really liked all our food and there is excellent choice for vegetarians too. There is also a large outdoor terrace with great views of the Palm, BUT I found this restaurant quite dark. Their cocktails were good. Akira Back is located at the W hotel on the Palm Jumeirah, so it’s a bit of a trek from anywhere except the Palm Jumeriah itself.

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Dubai Fine Dining Top Picks DoinDubai Monica Kapila NETSU Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah 1 — NETSU – Mandarin Oriental hotel Jumeirah 1

Netsu – Mandarin Oriental Hotel

SItuated on the ground floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Jumeirah 1, Netsu is billed as a steak house. But there is plenty to eat for those like me (who don’t eat beef) and vegetarians. The setting is lovely especially on their terrace in the cooler months. It’s on the ground floor of the hotel. Cocktails are also good. Service could be a little better, if you order carefully, it’s good value. We’ve been 2 or 3 times for dinner.

December 30, 2021 by monica Leave a Comment

LEFTOVER TURKEY PIE – Easy tasty hearty one dish meal

We’ve all likely got some leftover turkey so here’s my slightly spicy idea for an easy and versatile leftover turkey pie.

Perfect to have as a meal in itself or add your favourite vegetables, leave off potatoes if you’re watching carbs the pastry will provide those! BUT you can also make this with any cooked shredded meat like chicken at any time of the year.

You can simply make this dish as a “bake” with a white sauce if you’d rather avoid the pastry all together.

3 stages to making your leftover turkey pie

Stage 1 Flavouring up the shredded turkey meat

Stage 2 Making your white sauce

Stage 3 The Pastry

No set quantities for this leftover turkey pie

I’ve left off quantities for this recipe as you know how much turkey you have left and I assume you or someone you know has some understanding of what I’m recommending. Basically you’re doing a type of “STIR FRY” with your shredded turkey meat using the ingredients below:

Fry some chopped onions and minced garlic

then add some

chilli oil

Soya sauce

Oyster sauce

Little parsley if you have like and fry a little more

Mix your left over shredded turkey into the above mixture so you’re kind of stir frying it.

Stir fry your leftover shredded turkey meat

The Pastry for the Leftover Turkey Pie or any savoury pie!

You can simply BUY READY ROLLED short crust pastry or my tips to MAKING YOUR OWN are below:

Half cold butter in pieces to flour (always spelt)

with some cold water to make this into dough

A little turmeric for some a nicer colour and a bit of salt

I roughly used 150 grams of spelt flour

75 grams of butter

50 grams of water

plus a little salt to make the pastry for the pie shown in the picture. It’s really easy making pastry in a few seconds in a thermomix if you have one. You can listen to a podcast on what a thermomix is here if you want to find out more.

brush the pastry with a little milk and egg wash if you like

The Magic Sauce

I used a basic cheese sauce so that’s using a little flour, butter, making a roux ball, then adding milk and water, BUT with preosaked cashew nuts vs cheese later on. Again no quantities given here as there are plenty of recipes for a white sauce. Again very easy in a thermomix.

LIGHTEN It up by using a combination of water and milk, not just milk.

FLAVOUR it well using generous amounts of DIJON mustard, chilli and salt and fresh black pepper. I like adding a little turmeric for interest.

Whiz up the presoaked cashews first then use these in place of cheese

Plenty of dijon mustard

Little chilli oil and salt n pepper

Use spelt flour not plain flour

Lighter milk and water combination not just milk

Little turmeric for some interest

Use presoaked and whizzed up cashew nuts if you’re avoiding cheese

ASSEMBLING THE DISH

Lay the prepared, stir fried turkey meat in your baking dish

Pour over your sauce

Arrange your pastry on top

THEN BAKE till the pastry looks golden brown and “done”

Eat with any vegetables you like or freeze for a cold night!

MORE GOOD RECIPES HERE. Need to shop for those Chinese Ingredients AND make an outing of your trip with a good meal? Then read this Chinese Supermarket in Dubai post!

April 23, 2018 by monica 2 Comments

ITS A FOODIE WORLD DUBAI

PIERRE’S BAR AND BISTRO Dubai Festival City

Fancy French food with entertainment at the week ends.

DINNER REVIEW

We’re in France first checking out a new born French bistro by the water. The high end Pierre Gagnaire restaurant on the waterfront level of the Intercontinental hotel (next to Fish House from last time) has had a complete make over and rebranding.

It’s now known as Pierre’s Bar and Bistro and serves mainly French cuisine. So yes you can expect Frogs Legs and Oysters on the menu! We tried the oysters but not the Frogs Legs on this occasion.

We also tried the Lobster tortellini, which while not strictly French is highly recommended.

The vibe here is contemporary fun, vibrant, grown up in a pretty sort of way. Check out the flamingoes on the ceilings and I think there is entertainment with a dj at the week ends. It’s only just opened, early April 2018, so it was still a little quiet inside but quite lively outside with the music show.

All our table gave a unanimous Thumbs Up to the tuna tataki so thanks for making us try that one! Stand outs also included the tortellini we spoke about and interesting vegan aubergine caviare type dish that would have great to have with a few drinks.

I also really liked my baby squid starter with mushrooms and spinach in a French sauce that with their bread “course” is a meal in itself. Forget being Gluten Free here, it won’t work at all!

Do leave room for the puddings here, because the chocolate souffle is superb, but at AED 95 with the pistachio parfait with some pretty berries will be enough for 3 to share, so that’s around AED 30 each for some French desserts.

Lobster Tortellini AED 85

Tuna Tataki AED 80

Aubergine AED 60 (vegan)

CARINE Emirates Golf Club

High quality, contemporary Mediterranean food sensibly priced.

Great terrace.

DINNER REVIEW

Chef Izu from Nigeria named this new restaurant after his French wife Carine. So while the way to a man’s heart is via his stomach, maybe the way to every woman’s heart is to have a restaurant or boat named after her? But seriously good food here, reminiscent of La Serre and La Petite Maison, not surprising as Chef Izu worked at both places.

Try the burrata and fried calamari with courgettes. These are both dishes I would order again. Perfect to have as a light meal in themselves with some bread and the olive oil and balsamic combination.

Or have as starters before a main course. We had the roasted fillet of seabass with tomato sauce and sumac rice and the excellent lamb cutlets.

We also ordered and loved the rigatoni with truffles.

All of which I would order again. Get a table on the terrace. A great bar but no happy hour, drinks with those artisanal Fever Tree mixers are a bit pricey. I envy the people that live in the Lakes, Meadows, Springs, Emirates Hills development for this restaurant on their door step! When are you coming to Arabian Ranches chef Izu?

Burrata AED 55

Calamari and courgettes AED 30

Roasted seabass fillet AED 145

G and T with standard mixers around AED 55

NB The Tarte Tatin costs AED 95 and does take at least 35 to cook from scratch, but then there is enough for 3 people at least.

VIETNAMESE FOODIES JLT Cluster D

VERY GOOD VIETNAMESE – Authentic and tasty Vietnamese food by the water in a cafe type setting. Great prices.

LATE LUNCH REVIEW

We’re in JLT eating by the waterside while it’s still not too hot. This time it’s naturally healthy Vietnamese food, so think summer rolls wrapped in thin rice paper pastry and bowls of steaming pho (pronounced fur) with chicken or vegetables.

A reasonably priced neighbourhood cafe that’s worth trekking out to even if you don’t live in JLT.

A Turkish man marries a a very well spoken Vietnamese lady chef who used to teach Vietnamese cooking lessons and the eaterie was the natural progression. Welcome to Vietnamese Foodies! We recommend you try the Chef’s signature prawns and those summer rolls and some honey roasted chicken buns!

Finish with a cool, sweet but not too sweet glass of iced Vietnamese coffee.

You could still sit outside, but there is some seating inside, although this place is popular, despite it just being open 2 months (Feb 2018)

We’ll let you know if they are going to be open during Ramadan. And if this has got you in the mood for Vietnam, then check out these Vietnam travel posts. Hanoi is Foodie Heaven!

ARMANI HASHI Downtown Dubai

Make a wish under the Cherry Tree at the Armani Hashi for Sakura Season.

DINNER REVIEW

You don’t have to fly to Japan to see a cherry tree in bloom! Go to the Burj Khalifa, walk to the back of the Armani hotel and go to the W for Waterfront level in the lift and write a wish to tie on the cherry tree at the entrance to the Armani Hashi restaurant.

Not a newcomer to the show here’s what we said about the Armani Hashi last time, but very appropriate to mention as it’s cherry blossom time in Japan and visitors flock there to experience the atmosphere. The Armani Hashi has created a Cherry Blossom promotional menu and they’ve put the best sellers of their menu into one elegant, 4 course offering.

The starter course whets the appetite with the smell of truffle and pretty morsels of seabass carpaccio, shallots, edible flowers and ume mint dressing. The second course is all about tempura and the rock shrimps I think are a favourite of our region. Then the mains, really liked our Miso chilean seabass and the chicken and leek skewers. Of course all the cameras will come out, not just to take photos of your food, but for capturing those “look what you missed out on” moments when

a. the fountains start to dance in time to the music (and you are right in front of them)

b. the Burj Khalifa lights up!

Dessert, well just take a look at what the dessert is..

The Armani Hashi Cherry Blossom promotion is running from 10th April till the 11th of May, it costs AED 450 per person, great for a memorable night out. This menu is designed for a minimum of 2 people, but I think you could ask them if 3 people could share the menu for 2, making it excellent value.

You MUST BOOK though as it was packed on the terrace when we visited. Everyone of course wants to sit there.

Try one of their signature beverages – a Kumquat Caipirinha, I highly recommend it. Or take advantage of the half price drinks offer on the terrace from 5.30 to 7.00 before you eat.

Kanichiwa Cool at the Armani Hashi.

WE ALSO HAD A BITE AT

MASTI at La Mer – it’s also licensed. An Indian that’s a bit different down in Jumeirah 1, try the beetroot croquettes and the mushroom and burrata pizza, but the decor is delicious too! And if that’s put you in the mood for more Indian then read our Delicious Reader Offer for a Wellness Vacation in India just 2.5 hours away from Dubai.

NEW SHANGHAI – a new Chinese all the way from Australia, now in Dubai Mall

CRAZY FISH is now open in DIFC.. as is CRAB MARKET.… as it a new Mexican called LUCHADOR at the Aloft hotel, also on the Palm, all as yet to try.

F O L L O W on the DoinDubai Instagram page to FIND OUT FIRST

Talking of restaurant food, which restaurant trends do you think need to go – for good? Fabulous article from The Independant January 2018.

Previous posts with lot’s of good foodie ideas are here..

DoinDubai Eating Out in Dubai

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Thank You Monica.

Special Occassion

EATING

TASCA BRUNCH AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL

THE TASCA BRUNCH UPADTED MARCH 2022

The Food

The Puddings

The Drinks Package

The Ambience

Meet me at the Mandarin Oriental

Prices for the Tasca Brunch

Location

where is Tasca

at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Jumeirah 1

Four Seasons brunch in Jumeirah

MOTIVATION

Subscribe to our newsletter

FOR FRESH INSPIRATION

Another Mandarin Oriental Moment

Roka Dubai

Sushi Samba

Lowe Dubai

Maineland Brasserie

The Bay Mandarin Oriental

Akira Back

Netsu – Mandarin Oriental Hotel

3 stages to making your leftover turkey pie

No set quantities for this leftover turkey pie

The Pastry for the Leftover Turkey Pie or any savoury pie!

The Magic Sauce

IT’S A FOODIE WORLD IN DUBAI…What’s NEW on the global cuisine scene

Dubai Eye The Ticket Radio Show

APRIL 24th 2018

PIERRE’S BAR AND BISTRO Dubai Festival City

Fancy French food with entertainment at the week ends.

DINNER REVIEW

CARINE Emirates Golf Club

High quality, contemporary Mediterranean food sensibly priced.

Great terrace.

DINNER REVIEW

VIETNAMESE FOODIES JLT Cluster D

VERY GOOD VIETNAMESE – Authentic and tasty Vietnamese food by the water in a cafe type setting. Great prices.

LATE LUNCH REVIEW

ARMANI HASHI Downtown Dubai

Make a wish under the Cherry Tree at the Armani Hashi for Sakura Season.

DINNER REVIEW

WE ALSO HAD A BITE AT

MISSED THE LIVE BROADCAST?

DoinDubai.com

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