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It is on this page you will find the opportuniity to enter a competition or collect a discount voucher from a posted article.

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BEST AFTERNOON TEA SPOT – Winners have been decided

Where’s the best afternoon tea spot in Dubai ?

Hotels apart, I can highly recommend TWG tea as a best afternoon tea option. A Singaporean brand serving tea from over 30 different countries. It’s a quality spot for a catch up, a cup of tea and some classy cakes. We first spoke about them on Dubai Eye 103.8 Food News on the Ticket.

Best Afternoon Tea Spot DoinDubai

Want to try this Best Afternoon Tea?

Then you can as TWG Tea has given us a generous prize of not 1 but 3 Afternoon Teas to give away, each worth AED 220! If you don’t live in Dubai, don’t worry as one of their outlets is based  in Abu Dhabi.

Best Afternoon Tea Spot in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

TWG Tea is based in the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. There are also branches in Dubai Mall and Dubai Festival Centre. Expect to find Green, Black and even Blue tea, all carefully sourced from over 800 tea estates around the world!

We loved tea blend number T6018, the Silver Moon tea from their Exclusive Tea Blend list. It’s the owner’s favourite too!

Watch the video to see the beautiful tea caddies available at TWG.

I was familiar with countries like China, India, Sri Lanka and Turkey producing tea, but have found it’s grown in the UK too! Yes it surprised me too, as did learning  that New Zealand, Mozambique and Iran also produce tea.

Sutton seeds UK  offer you some advice on growing your own tea.

Recently I found James Wong’s blog where he talks about growing your own green tea; have a look. 

His latest book: How to Eat Better: How to Shop, Store & Cook to Make Any Food a Superfood is on my shopping list whilst in the UK this summer. 

What can you eat with your best afternoon tea?

The tea snacks included in the set teas sound exotic and traditional at the same time. Remember many of the dishes will have used a fine blend of tea in some way. For example a TWG Croque Monsieur consists of a toasted sandwich with french gruyere cheese, turkey ham and a side salad tossed with a 1837 Green Tea vinaigrette. There are pretty pastries too and don’t forget the TWG macarons !

best afternoon tea spot DoinDubai

Best Afternoon Tea Spot – How to WIN an afternoon tea worth AED 220

20th May 2017 THIS COMPETITION IS NOW C L O S E D – and the WINNERS are:

Jackie

Gilbert and 

Malavika 

Well done to all of you, emails of how to book your tea are on their way to you! 

Follow these steps to Win

  • Answer the question – entering your answer into the comment box below
  • Choose which venue you prefer –  Click on ONE of the pictures below representing a link to the Competition and Subscription entry page
  • When you have entered your name and email then complete your entry by opening the confirmation email  to confirm your subscription has been added to the WIN Tea for Two competition list.

*Clicking one of the pictures 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. It is from the Subscribers list associated with this competition that we choose our winner 

NAME 4 COUNTRIES

THAT TWG SOURCES IT’S TEA FROM 

Double your chances of Winning by

  • Sharing this post on Facebook to D O U B L E your chances of winning Tea For Two worth AED 220 each
  • Liking DoinDubai on Facebook and Follow us on Instagram

We’ll let the randomiser pick a winner on the 19th of May 2017

best afternoon tea spot DoinDubai TWG DFC

*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

 

 

 

We LOVED this tea caddy from Amazon! Great present..that’s around AED 30, amazing value!

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

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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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WIN DINNER AT MISS LILY’S DUBAI

Miss Lily’s Dubai from New York City is now open on the 1st floor of the Grand Sheraton Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Want to try it for dinner, for FREE, then read on.

Miss Lily's Dubai DoinDubai competition

Food at Miss Lily’s

Try some ackee hummus with chargrilled scallions and the tropical fruit plate. We LOVED our ackee hummus. Ackee has the texture of an avocado but is bright yellow in colour. It’s native to Jamaica and used extensively.

There is a real Jamaican, reggae type feel to this place. They have a live dj most nights too. We loved chatting to Adam Schop the exec chef from New York City.

Miss Lily's Ackee DoinDubai

Don’t miss the shisito peppers and hot pepper shrimp either, great for sharing! They have a great a la carte brunch which is great if you don’t like having to eat large, set amounts of food.

Miss Lily's Food

Drinks at Miss Lily’s

Expect expertly mixed rum cocktails and mocktails. I recommend my Natural Mystic cocktail with Hendriks and Elderflower!

Miss Lily's drinks DoinDubai

Location of Miss Lily’s Dubai

Miss Lily’s Dubai is located on the 5th floor of the Sheraton Grand hotel on Sheikh Zayed road, you’ll see the Novikov hoarding from the road. Valet parking is available.

Here’s Miss Lily’s groovey website

 

How to win dinner at Miss Lily’s Dubai

Want to WIN DINNER for 2 at Miss Lily’s? Just sign up to the DoinDubai Newsletter AND

Like the DoinDubai Facebook page

  •  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 dinner for 2 at Miss Lily’s competition list.

We’ll let the randomiser pick a winner on the MONDAY 14TH NOVEMBER

Good luck from Team DoinDubai

*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

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. 15th November 2016. And the winner is Mohit Dukle! Well done Mohit your voucher is on it’s way! THANKS to all those that entered, more competitons on the way!

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ARABIC COOKING CLASS

What kind of dishes would you make at an Arabic Cooking Class in Dubai

We really enjoyed our Arabic cooking class at the Al Maeda restaurant and learnt about stuffing courgettes with spiced meat, frying spicy vegetables in a tomato broth and all about the cheese you need to make a traditional sweet vermicelli kunafa dessert!

AL MAEDA HILTON DOUBLETREE DOINDUBAI MENU (2)

Where was the Arabic Cooking Class I attended held

The class is held every Tuesday till the end of 2016 at the Al Maeda Levantine restaurant on the first floor of the Double Tree Hilton hotel. That’s the JBR branch on Jumeirah Beach in the Marina side of town.

Google Map

What did we make

This wasn’t one of those cooking classes you watch and then the chef brings out a “here’s one I made earlier version”, you get your hands dirty and do the cooking yourself! Everyone get’s an apron and a recipe sheet to take home as well.

So we made 4 different things, a starter, 2 main courses and a dessert. The chefs are from Syria, Morocco and India, and are all very knowledgable about their craft. The emphasis is on food from the Levant and variations of it from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Morocco. I liked making the stuffed courgettes called Kousah Mahshi best I think. We learnt how to remove the bitterness, score the courgettes, hollow them out and then stuff them.

Arabic Cooking Class DoinDuai stuffed courgettes

So the class that way is very versatile as you can take away the techniques and apply these to your own cooking. I also liked the idea of sandwiching the courgettes in between thick layers of fresh herbs for extra flavour, again an easy tip and very easy to apply at home to many things you might make.

What do we eat at the Arabic Cooking Class

You get to eat what you’ve made of course at the end of the class but you are also able to snack on fresh manakeesh while you work! We had a nice welcome lemon/mint drink and could order coffees as well.

How do I book this Arabic Cooking Class

You can email to reserve a place or call this number: 055 166 8092 or email [email protected]

The classes happen every Tuesday from 12pm till 2pm and you must book at least 24 hours in advance. It costs AED 199 to do the class and that includes the food and drink you consume. For an extra AED 50 you can also avail of pool and beach access too and your kids can be entertained in the kids club on site!

Arabic Cooking Class DoinDubai

But that’s just what I thought, why don’t get some more details and some more views of how the class went from my fellow food bloggers who also attended the session! Then make your own mind up about whether this Arabic Cooking Class is for you!

The Vegetarian Soul’s Viewpoint 

Engineer with Flair’s Viewpoint

Om Nom Nirvana’s Viewpoint

Meggs Blogges Viewpoint

Niggi Phulwani’s Viewpoint

COMPETITION

DoinDubai will randomly choose 2 SUBSCRIBERS to win a FREE spot at the Arabic Cooking Class

  • Enter your answer to this question into the comment box at the end of the post.

 

Name 2 countries that are connected to Levantine cooking

 

  • Pressing the pink button below will subscribe you to the DoinDubai Newsletter at the same time.  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 an Arabic Cooking Class  competition list

 

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Want to DOUBLE your chances of winning ?

Then LIKE the DoinDubai Facebook page and share this post on FACEBOOK or TWITTER    

and I’ll call the winners on Friday 23rd of September and in the meantime Eid Mubarak and Happy Cooking!

And if you’d like to hear us talk about this class in Food News then click on the PODCAST link here.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED 24TH SEPTEMBER 2016

And the winner is Aakriti Mahindra, well done Aakriti, I’ll email you details of how you can avail your free class!