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Here you will find practical and informative articles connected to Living in Dubai. Articles range from how to sell a car to where to get your jewellery dipped. Find alternative ideas for where to take your visitors, other than a Mall. Read about my experiences of school life in Dubai as regards teenagers. Let me know what you find the most useful in this category; is there anything you would like me to research and include on the website?

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Monica’s Weekend September 30th feast on fabulous focaccia, powerful cool coffee and some edgy finds at the Urban market

This week September 30th feast on some fabulous focaccia at La Fabbrica Italiana, cool coffee at Kaffe Bloom and edgy buys at the Urban Market

Monica Kapila and Mark Lloyd broadcast every FRIDAY on DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm repeated on the Sunday Brunch at 1.15pm

Monica’s Weekend September 30th Focaccia Coffee and Edgy markets

Missed the live broadcast on Dubai Eye? Don’t worry just listen again here we’ll add the new podcast as soon it’s up, here’s last week’s in the meantime.

We’re eating some fabulous focaccia at La Fabbrica Italiana.

Real sourdough fermented for up to 72 hours makes for a perfect, light base for La Fabbrica Italiana foccacias. Well established Italian run eaterie based in Wasl 51 in Jumeirah 1 with an executive chef from Santa Margarita in Italy and a real Italian owner Maurizio on site!

We highly recommend any of their slices of foccacia with a coffee or a kombucha. Even if you don’t eat gluten or bready things too often, this is where you treat yourself! We opted for vegetarian toppings, classic tomatoes, burrata of course mushrooms and even a bit of truffle. But they do also have spicy salami toppings as well.

Monicas-Weekend-September-30th-Monica-Kapila-DoinDubai-Focaccia-at-La-Fabbrica-Italiana-1-1
FABULOUS FOCACCIA AT LA FABBRICA ITALIANA

A word on their tomatoes. Not only are they fresh, the marinade they use is so flavoursome and I think they don’t rush things so the depth of flavour is so obvious! They marinate their aubergines for days almost curing them before they add to their toppings! BUT it’s not just focaccia you can eat here, they’ve added a whole range of hot dishes including apparently the lightest, tastiest lasagne in Dubai we were told!

We also tried some of the fresh, pesto sauce they used on their pastas and again, you couldn’t look at a jar of sauce after eating here. The Italian hot dishes are part of new range called Nona’s Kitchen, so it’s how grandma would make. Everything is Italian in origin apart from the Kombucha which is an artisanal Australian brand called Remedy, very good!

KOMBUCHA WITH YOUR FOCACCIA GREAT FOR THE GUT

Did someone say pudding?! Choose from 3 if you have room! Their classic Tiramisu, any of the gelatos, pistachio is especially good or try the focacciatella! Focaccia with nutella in it, cinnamon and orange zest! Warm it or dunk in a flat white, honestly hard to beat even if you’re not keen on sweets! a huge slice for AED 25. Should be on a foodie tour of Dubai.

Open from: 11am to midnight every day.

Monicas-Weekend-September-30th-Monica-Kapila-DoinDubai-Tira-misu-and-a-flat-white-
TIRAMISU AND A FLAT WHITE

This Saturday October 1st is in fact International Coffee Day!

So go to a place called Kaffe Bloom and try some specialty brand Fritz Coffee and The Barn Coffee Roasters for half price on both Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd of October! As Kaffe Bloom is offering a flat 50% discount on their coffee menu. And if it’s too hot for you to have a steaming coffee how about a special Coffee Jelly Float ?

But before you have your coffee for half price do a little all South East Asian food shopping in the 1004 Gourmet emporium! Think everything you need to make Korean, Chinese and Japanese food or just buy some ready made frozen dumplings and your favourite sauces!

Need some inspiration on what to buy from 1004 Gourmet then see our post here on this originally Korean supermarket in Dubai By the way it was World Dumpling Day last Monday 26th of September!

KOREAN SUPERMARKET IN DUBAI DOINDUBAI Dumplings preparation
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR MAKING DUMPLINGS

Kaffe Bloom is located at the back of 1004 Gourmet supermarket in the Greens area of Dubai in Onyx Tower 1 on P2 level. Open from 9am till late every day.

This weekend visit the Urban Market at the Radisson Red hotel in Silicon Oasis

So while the main event on Saturday brings in a variety of vendors from all over Dubai often they’ve made their own products or they have a fair amount of edgy but thrift buys, don’t worry if you miss it.

There is a permanent shop operated by the Radisson Red hotel in Silicon Oasis that stocks a good range of products that you buy anytime. But they don’t have all the thrift gear, still very well priced from what I gathered when researching the Urban Market.

There’s vintage clothing, wellness and some beauty products as well. The Saturday event is on from 2pm to 8pm but the shop is open via the reception at the hotel.

Monica’s Travel Tips

Another new route added by FlyDubai to a new short break destination. This time they’ve added a 3rd city to the 2 they already fly to in Uzbekistan! So you could already go to Samarkand and Tashkent, now you can also fly direct to new to me Namangan!

That’s the 3rd largest city in Uzbekistan, and a three and a half hour flight away, so definitely a new short break destination. Namangan has always been famous as a craft city. On its territory lived the best weavers, jewellers, blacksmiths and potters. It’s famous for a special kind of pilaf rice and apparently the fruit of the region especially the peaches are the best in the region!

The name Namangan comes from 2 words Namak Kan which is Persian for salt mine! I reckon it’s going to be a reasonably priced place to explore. Last but not least apparently no more masks required at Dubai Airport or on Emirates, Etihad and FlyDubai flights! After 2.5 years!

More travel tips on our Travel Tips page here.

And if you want to go further a field read our cool 48 hours in Miami where to eat, visit and sleep

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Monica’s Weekend – Posts

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Monica’s Weekend September 23rd Brilliant Business lunch at high end Hutong, a super Supper Club with new friends in DIFC and trying to Tango Argentinian style in Dubai.

This week we’re trying some business lunch Chinese style at Hutong, we’re chatting around a dinner table in DIFC at a new supper club called Break Bread and trying to get 2 to Tango at La Casa Del Tango in Gate Avenue, all on Monica’s Weekend.

Monica Kapila and Mark Lloyd broadcast every FRIDAY on DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm repeated on the Sunday Brunch at 1.15pm

Missed the live broadcast on Dubai Eye? Don’t worry just listen again here. Here’s last time’s till this week’s is uploaded.

Eating AT HUTONG in DIFC – Business Lunch

BUSINESS LUNCH AT HUTONG AED 110 – SOUP, 2 STARTERS AND A MAIN

This week we’re having lunch at Hutong in DIFC. Hutong actually means a little back street in Beijing that has single story houses built around a courtyard! Hutong Dubai also has a little courtyard but it’s got a super cool interior for an authentic style Business Lunch in this heat at the moment!

If I see Chinese lunch there has to be dim sum, well there is on the Hutong Business Lunch menu! But you get a good bowl of hot and sour soup before that!

After soup and 2 dim sums you get to choose a main course, I recommend the Yu Xiang tiger prawn dish served with rice. 3 gorgeous giant prawns, I requested a more spicy sauce than usual as my friend knows my taste she said it’ll be slightly on the sweet side for you!

We loved our crystal vegetable dumplings, one of the dim sums and my friend liked her mushroom and truffle bao, she told me it had 4 kinds of mushrooms in it! It even looks like a giant mushroom!

We also ordered some dim sum off the a la carte menu and we both highly recommend the tofu smoked tea dumpling, think fresh spinach and bits of smoked tofu wrapped up in a thin vegetable skin, like a Chinese ravioli. Gorgeous!

So 3 courses that’s a soup, a choice of 2 hot starters plus a main course so that’s plenty of food, remember the main is served with rice. All for AED 110, not bad for a fancy restaurant in DIFC.

If you’re pushed for time or want something smaller then pay AED 88 for the soup and a hearty main course. The mapo tofu was a great choice for a vegetarian main course and very authentic with Sichuan pepper too!

The chef is from Sichuan! Know any other Hutongs around the world? I know there’s one in Miami and I think London as well?

Outing with Break Bread – Eat, Meet and Connect over supper

FABULOUSLY FRIENDLY FOODIE FUN WITH BREAK BREAD SUPPER CLUBS

This week we’re chatting with new friends at a super Supper Club venture called Break Bread Dubai! Break Bread is an umbrella platform that brings together people who have a love of food, eating it and cooking it in a very social setting.

So supper clubs aren’t a new concept in other parts of the world. It’s often a home chef who shares their expertise in a private home setting over a table with good food and foodie led conversation mainly with people who’ve never met each other before!

I think this is a very good idea, we’re spoilt for choice when when it comes to restaurants in Dubai, but it’s great having this authentic, alternative experience around not just food but also having that opportunity to meet people with whom you already share quite a lot!

So how does it work? You go on to the Break Bread platform and have a look at all the foodie related experiences that are coming up to that appeal to you, see what dates suit you, book your places, buy your ticket and then you’re pretty much all set.

There’s definitely quite a range in terms of speciality of cuisines and budgets. So for example you could opt for a fun, relaxed but gourmet pizza evening with a chef called Kamil Sayah, around AED 150 a head in what looks like a very elegant home setting, right up to the AED 400 a head which is what we tried giving you an 8 course Vietnamese themed dinner at Haus of Vo with Madame Vo in DIFC!

HAUS OF VO – A BREAK BREAD SUPPER CLUB VIETNAMESE STYLE IN DIFC

And that’s a proper sit down tasting menu with some beverages as well. But Madame Vo herself is super organized, knows how to do ice breakers to get conversational juices as well as the gastric juices flowing!

And you never know who you’re going to meet! We met Dave, his instagram is Food Fixes Feelings! Well it does, sometimes!

Have a look at Break Bread and try something new to eat and someone new to meet too! It’s a fun, friendly, foodie experience and Dubai’s better for it!

It’s also worth remembering if you’re doing a little celebration as well, take all the hassle out of hosting at your own home but you still have a home cooked, personal environment without the organizing and clearing up! I like it!

NOTE Madame Vo collabs with other foodies to bring you tasters of things like these delicious HAZLENUT MAPLE OAT brittle bars from Varak Dubai! Give them a try and buy a little jar of 8 bite sized bars for a mate as well as yourself using our discount code of MONICA10 for 10 % off! Use the code at the check out cart. Bet you can’t eat just one bar!

It takes 2 to Tango or does it? At La Casa del Tango this SUNDAY in DIFC

This Sunday why not try some tango dancing followed by an authentic plate of Argentinian snacks and a beverage. We’re at a place called La Casa del Tango in Gate Avenue bit of DIFC. I have been there and tried some drinks and snacks there.

It has a very warm but smart interiors, a bar, a restaurant bit and a small dance floor! So this SUNDAY go along anytime between 3pm and 7pm. So you get a proper 20 minute Tango lesson, assuming there are 2 of you as I reckon it takes 2 to Tango!

Then after your lesson you get to immerse yourself in all things Argentinian as far as food and beverage is concerned. So expect a nice Argentinian platter to share that’s got traditional empanadas, croquettas and calamari among other things.

And you get a classic Argentinian beverage each as well.

All of that for 2 people costs just AED 249! So that’s good value for your lesson, your snacks and a drink, go with some mates and try something new for a Sunday afternoon!

Not sure they give you a rose for between your teeth though! That’s at La Casa del Tango DIFC in Gate Avenue. Details for how to book below on their website and on the poster above.

La Casa del Tango

Thank you for reading this article, but do remember to look after your eyes!

Eye Health – TAKE A CLOSER LOOK some really quick and easy tips to keep your eyes as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

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Monica’s Weekend – August 26 delicious Indian food, sensory indulgence in a pottery class and your kid’s a powerful Super Hero!

This week August 26th on Monica’s Weekend try some deliciously different Indian food at Roobaru Downtown, get in touch with your tactile side with a cool pottery class and turn your kids into superheroes at the Courtyard Playhouse.

Monica Kapila and Mark Lloyd broadcast every FRIDAY on DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm repeated on the Sunday Brunch at 12.15pm

Listen again here – upload on Monday after show. Here’s last time’s podcast till then.

Contemporary Indian food at Roobaru Downtown – Been twice already!

Contemporary Tasty Indian Food at Roobaru

It was India’s 75th Independence Day on the 15th August so why not try a fresh, fun deliciously different Indian meal. We’re at a new restaurant called ROOBARU located in Downtown Dubai.

Named after a famous song from a movie called Rang De Basanti. We’ve been there twice already and I’d go again!

FOOD AT ROOBARU
They have a good selection of both vegetarian and non vegetarian food, well presented and reasonably priced too.

We really LIKED the following:

  • The Papdi Smash – larger, single papdi/crispy savoury base loaded with green lentils. onions, pomegranate and a type of Bombay mix.
  • The mutton seekh kebabs – these were soft, well cooked with NO FOOD COLOURING!
  • The aloo sabzi – a spicy blend of dry as in no gravy new potatoes
  • The Daal Tadka – yellow, home style daal to eat with rice or roti
  • Gorgeous tandoori rotis and roasted papads – shown in the picture

Monica’s Top Tip

  • Don’t leave without trying their contemporary kadak chai. Comes with a perfectly dunkable rusk type biscuit, pronounced biskoot!

Click the picture below for our Instagram Reel

Roobaru kadak sugar separate and not too milky – a must try

WHERE IS ROOBARU?
Ellington Building Ground Floor Downtown Dubai.
Park on the street or call the restaurant beforehand for access to building parking then go down in the lift or walk. Say you came from Monica’s on Dubai Eye!

Get tactile and see how it feels to handle clay at Yadawei Pottery

Yadawei pottery classes special offer on till October 31st

We’re at Yadawei pottery studio in Al Quoz, very near Al Serkal avenue. Try your hand at some pottery this term.

So you can try EITHER Wheel or Hand building pottery, but both involve you handling, shaping and getting very tactile with fresh, soft, creamy clay that’s totally natural.

Classes or lessons last for 1.5 hours and EVERYTHING you need is provided.

There is a PROMOTION on at the moment that lasts till 31st October for ADULTS and KIDS but in separate classes. The classes cost you just AED 200 as opposed to the nearer AED 300 which is the usual price.

That price also includes the glazing of your finished item (which could be a bowl or a cup) as well. They have got classes both on the weekday and weekend.

The pottery studio was going to close but luckily one of regular members decided and was able to buy it so it kept going! Well Done Reem! Yadewei means Hand Made in Arabic by the way.

Where is Yadawei Pottery and ceramic studio ?

Warehouse 30, First Al Khail Street – Corner 19 Street – opposite Al Serkal Avenue – Al Quoz 1 – Dubai

Diary Date for a fun family show 3rd September

Mark your calendars for the 3rd of September and actually for every Saturday after that for an improvised kids story time show at the Courtyard Theater.

In ‘My Kid’s a Superhero!’ the children in the audience create three Superheroes with special abilities, powered by their favourite animals.

The children guide their hero through their beginnings, surviving the obstacles of being different at school, saving the world and finally overcoming their biggest hurdle, their Villains!

‘My Kid’s a Superhero!’ will have the children talking all week about Super Chicken Boy, Giraffe Man, Goat Girl and how they saved the world!

Improvised Kids Storytime is ideal for ages 4-11 but is hilarious, made-up-on-the-spot fun for the whole family.

Tickets cost AED 75 for both adults and kids, it’s quite limited space as it’s bean bag seating so you’re up close and personal.

You can get yearly membership for AED 500 which means you could go every Saturday!

Monica’s Travel Tips

Emirates has announced a very cool code share with Greek airline AEGEAN! So what? So that means Emirates passengers from Dubai can now easily access eight new Greek cities via Athens in one single ticket with consistent baggage policy too!

Destinations include:

Kerkyra, Chania, Irakleion, Mikonos, Thira, Rhodes, Thessaloniki and Alexandropoulos. I think I’ll Go Greek next holiday!

See all our useful, relevant and newest travel tips on our dedicated MONICA’S TRAVEL TIPS PAGE here.

By the way Emirates have also added some very tasty sounding Jackfruit Biriyani to certain classes of cabin! Very progressive and cooly local as well, so I look forward to trying when it gets to Economy!

Never miss a post, tried and tested places to eat, activities off the beaten track and choice events

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Monica’s Weekend July 30th Lovely Lunch at Lucia’s downtown, cooling down in Salalah and beautiful jazz at TODA

This week on Monica’s Weekend July 30th indulge in a lovely lunch at Lucia at the Address Sky View downtown, cool down in sultry Salalah and get lost in some beautiful jazz at TODA at the Madinat Jumeirah.

Monica Kapila and Mark Lloyd broadcast every FRIDAY on DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm repeated on the Sunday Brunch at 1.15pm

Missed the live broadcast on Dubai Eye? Don’t worry just listen again here. The podcast to accompany this show will be below on MONDAY after the show, in the meantime listen to last week’s podcast.

Lovely Lunch at Lucia – Address Skyviews

Treat yourself and family or friends to this excellent value posh BUSINESS LUNCH in a really special setting! Felt like we were in Italy, not Downtown Dubai!

We’re on the ground floor of the Address Sky View having lunch Italian style. The setting is very lemon grove themed with large windows looking out onto a pretty terrace and views of the Burj Khalifa. It’s smart but has a relaxed vibe at the same time. This is not a place to hurry your lunch, you chill, chat, relax, eat a bit, eat a bit more La Vita es Bella kind of lunch.

So we tried:

Their 3 course business lunch at Lucia and recommend : Seabass carpaccio or the tomato and sourdough bread salad to begin with. I had the mozzarella and tomato baked gnocchi to follow and my friend had the king prawns with cherry tomatoes, garlic and chilli. Of course it has to be tiramisu for dessert or wait for it, 3 scoops of your favourite gelato! We managed one scoop of chocolate between 2 of us!

Monica's weekend 30th July
Gorgeous dessert at Lucia’s part of the Business Lunch

So how much is all this?

This is a sweetest part of the Business Lunch at Lucia’s.. price for 3 courses is AED 140, but there is a supplement for those giant king prawns of extra AED 49. In fact for seafood elements there is a little supplement.

BUT the portions are so generous you should order 1 business lunch and share between 2 people. Maybe add on a special favourite from the a la carte menu, I suggest the excellent Lucia’s bruschetta with stracchiatella and pistachio, a large bottle of water and then split the bill, coming to just over AED 100 each but you’ve eaten like kings!

Such good value in such a beautiful place, as some of those dishes on the main menu for example the prawns, and we got 4 huge prawns with all the sauce etc, cost AED 250! The tiramisu also is more than adequate for 2 people and who eats 3 scoops of gelato after a lunch like this!

Share and share alike, Business Lunch at Lucia’s is definitely a favourite place for me, great to celebrate a special occasion or just because it’s August! Hashtag Luxury for Less at Lucia’s!

Monica's weekend 30th July
Business Lunch at Lucia Address Sky View – Real Find

Cool off in Sultry Salalah where temperatures are much lower than Dubai

Monica's weekend 30th July An hours flight from Dubai
Sultry Salalah just over an hour’s flight from Dubai

An easy 1 hour 20 minute flight and free visa on arrival for many passports will see you in SALALAH in Oman. Perfect time to visit during the special season of Khareef where temperatures drop dramatically relative to the rest of the Middle East!

We stayed at a cool new hotel called the Alila Hinu Bay, full review of our stay here. Think wild, rugged coast lines, fresh coastal walks and lot’s of Nat Geo earth type photo shots. Stick to swimming in the hotel pools (there are 2 of them) no swimming in the sea in this season.

ALILA HINU BAY SALALAH DoinDubai Monica Kapila bikes for you Monica's weekend 30th July
Alila Hinu Bay Pay One Stay 2 nights deal

You can explore the historic town of Mirbat just near the hotel and further a field, suddenly the landscape changes to mountains, cows crossing the road and a mist falls all around you! Very cool, literally.

The most well known waterfall is Wadi Durbat but there’s also Ayn Athom, well worth a look. Sultry Salalah if you want a quick, very different kind of short break. NOTE a great buy one get one free offer on stays at the ALILA HINU BAY right now, that’s definitely worth it.

Get lost in some beautiful jazz at TODA Madinat Jumeirah

Forget the tv for an evening and make a trip to TODA to listen to some beautiful live jazz this weekend.

monica's weekend july 30th A treat for Jazz lovers
Surprise treat for jazz lovers this Saturday 30th July

We are at TODA at the very easy to get to Madinat Jumeirah and this weekend depending on your tastes take in some Jazz at their JAZZ MUSIC NIGHT FRIDAY 29TH AND 30TH OF JULY from 8 to 9.30 pm or listen to some classical classical music accompanied by a stunning digital art show by Soren Lyng Hansen.

He’s a famous talented Danish cellist, double bassist and pianist.

Don’t miss this unique combination of classical live music and digital art show. That’s on SUNDAY 31st July at 9pm.

NOTE tickets start from AED 150

BUT there is a special new ticket that includes beverages at AED 230! Sounds like a plan to me. 2n Note.. a cool jazzy surprise for anyone who’s going to the show on SATURDAY 30th July, maybe we’ll see you down there!

TOP TIP TO STAY COOL THIS SUMMER

Try these cute perfectly portioned home made style ice creams in bite size cones from AL HALLAB We love these and the cool Middle Eastern style desserts they’ve got to eat on site or to have delivered. The ice creams come in a variety of flavours but go for those pretty pink Levant berry or the Aleppo Pistachio.

cutest cones form Al Hallab good value too

Perfect portions to keep the kids cool but not over hyped during these hot summer days! AED 44 for 1/2 a kg of ice cream! Eat those pictures or buy some ice cream!

Impress your guests with delicious desserts from Al Hallab

and that’s a wrap from MONICA’S WEEKEND for a while as we’re taking a break over August, we’ll back in September.

Have super summers wherever you and thank you for your continued support. Lot’s of ideas for you to eat out at cool places, outings for the whole family and unmissable events around the city.

So stay tuned. Don’t forget to spread the word about Monica’s Weekend, check out our earlier posts and do follow along on Instagram to know what we’re up to!

Have a super summer see you in SEPTEMBER on Monica’s Weekend

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