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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

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Monica’s Weekend – Posts

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Monica’s Weekend Eat British at Gordon Ramseys Hell’s Kitchen Dubai, Octogenarian art in DIFC and the 21st edition of Sharmilas Dance extravaganza

This week June 3rd we’re eating British classics at Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace, taking in some iconic art by “M” now in his 80s and dancing all the way to Mall of the Emirates for Sharmila’s 21st Dance Extravaganza

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

Eat British at Gordon Ramseys Hell’s Kitchen Dubai

How about a Big British Lunch to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee!

Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen Dubai at Caesars Palace in Blue Waters island is the place to go for this Big British Lunch!

So Hell’s Kitchen was opened back in 2019 and Gordon himself opened the restaurant.

Together with his executive chef Damien, he’s  still very involved with the menus. So nothing more Gordon Ramsey than his Beef Wellington Mark! Followed by some classic Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen Dubai does has a set lunch menu and that’s a 3 course Signature lunch menu where you’d start of course with a Creaser Salad, followed by none other than the Beef Wellington followed by Gordon’s Sticky Toffee pudding! That’s Gordon’s Signature Lunch menu.

There are other options available but it’s not cheap at AED 325 BUT it’s more reasonable doing it this way as just the Beef Wellington alone would set you back AED 295 alone!

Available every day and does some with some carrots and mashed potatoes on your plate too. Or you could pop in any day of the week for a Big British Breakfast from 7.30 am to 10.30 am. Apparently there is large terrace overlooking the pool areas and it is just about cool enough I’m told to sit outside for an early breakfast or later in the evening for drinks and dinner.

Awesome Octogenarian Art from Sotheby’s Dubai in DIFC

Chow Down to DIFC from now till 1st in July and head to the Sotheby’s Dubai art gallery, originally and of course still in Sotheby’s London’s New Bond Street. They are auctioneers for art, watches, jewelry and even handbags! You’ll see 2 floors of art produced by a  very creative Chinese icon now an octogenarian apparently known as M! Do you know who I’m talking about? Nothing to do with James Bond HQ!

We’re talking about Mr. Michael Chow the celebrated and well known owner and founder of Mr Chow the high end Chinese restaurant based in London’s Knightsbridge opened back Feb 1968!  He had very European interiors, but was serving Chinese food and the waiters were all Italian!

So Mr Chow, M wasn’t only creative in the kitchen, he was very instrumental in the design and architecture of his restaurants too. And Mr Chow soon become frequented and a fave of many a celebrity, he opened branches in Las Vegas, New York, Beverly Hills.

But his first passion was painting and he’s now come back to him in his 80s! Expect to see 2 floors of 2 distinct types of art, mixed media using gold leaf, acrylic and a floor on works on paper, I get the feeling it’s quite abstract in design and I think it’s going to be quite cool place to linger for longer and take in the vibes. From now till July 1st

Giorgio Armani was so impressed with the interiors of the NYC branch of Mr Chow, he gifted M specially designed Armani tuxedos for the waiters! And in turn Mr M designed the interiors of Giorgio Armani’s boutique in Rodeo Drive in Bev Hills! So live among the legends! Entrance to the exhibition is free.

21st Dance Extravaganza by Sharmila at Mall of Emirates

Another anniversary Mark, it’s the 21st edition of Sharmila’s Dance Extravaganza at Mall of the Emirates. Performers aged 7 to adults and apparently it’s a mixture of ballet, tap, breakdance and Jazz. I know these kids work very hard thru the year practicing to carefully choreographed routines so a shout out if your child is in this show, 21st edition of Sharmilas Dance Extravaganza!

Been teaching dance in the UAE since 1999 but came here from the UK before that having been to the The Legat School of Classical Ballet, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK.

It’s on this weekend, on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of June with a matinee on Sunday. Tickets start at AED 160 and show in the evenings begins at 7.30pm

Thinking of a trip to London this summer? Then get 10% off if you’re a Middle Eastern resident at this iconic London hotel

UAE and all Middle Eastern residents, not only citizens can avail 10% off their stay at the St Pancras Renaissance hotel in London’s Kings Cross. Just use the CODE E81 when you book directly from their website.

A yummy recipe for you to try this weekend

CHOCOLATE CAKE

No flour, nuts or sugar, really easy recipe for your Jubilee weekend or anytime

Chocolate brownies no flour or nuts DoinDubai with strawberry slices
CHOCOLATE CAKE NO FLOUR NUTS OR SUGAR REALLY EASY
Monica’s Weekend – Posts

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MONICA’S WEEKEND an awesome offer at Zighy Bay luxury resort, indulge in Scandinavian style breakfast in D3 and classical mellow cello music at Dubai Opera

This week May 20th we’re telling you about an awesome offer at Zighy Bay luxury resort Six Senses in Oman, celebrating World Baking Day with some Scandi style Cinnamon Buns and relaxing listening to some classical music at Dubai Opera.

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

Missed the live broadcast on Dubai Eye?

Don’t worry just listen again here. We’ll add it as soon it’s uploaded by Dubai Eye, usually MONDAY.

Scandinavian Style Breakfast at new cafe in D3 Bageri Form

It was World Baking Day on Tuesday 17th of May so to celebrate we were invited to a cool, new Scandi Style bakery in D3! It’s called Bageri Form and Bageri is Swedish for bakery.

Expect pretty authentic cinnamon buns, cardamom buns and even saffron buns with perfect flat whites at this new D3 outpost. We liked the large open plan kitchen counter where you can watch the bakers at work while you wait for your order.

You can also get savoury as well as sweet items with feta cheese, eggs and salmon. I recommend one of the Swedish buns, but my friend had an egg bun! some egg, pesto, tomato, a bit of melted cheese topped with some spring onions, all encased in a softly toasted cottage bun!

So if you want everything in one bite, then order this! Buns cost AED 23 to 25 while breakfast bun costs AED 45. Open every day from 7.30 during the week, 8.30 at the weekend till mid evening so combine with a good browse around D3 at whatever time suits you. And if this post has got you in the mood for all things Nordic then check out post on how to do a holiday in Norway here.

CINNAMON BUN AT BAGERI FORM IN D3

An awesome offer at Zighy Bay – SEE OUR WEEKEND EXPERIENCE AT ZIGHY BAY

A MAGICAL MEMORABLE WEEKEND

A well established luxury resort, but more barefoot than high heels luxury here! A big and genuine emphasis on sustainability with it’s own on site organic farm for vegetables and herbs. Seafood is also sourced as locally as possible. This is a high end luxury resort, so deep pockets required BUT if you’ve always wanted to go there then this awesome offer is something to take advantage of because why pay more?

From now till 14th October there’s an Eat with Six Senses at Zighy Bay offer on, and it’s a Six Senses hotel. Basically you get automatic half board so that’s free breakfast AND dinner along with your room rate. And you can actually have dinner in a variety of locations even half way up a mountain, in your villa room, on the beach, so it’s not all the same if you were to spend more than 1 night. There are some restrictions of course so you get a substantial credit towards whatever you choose for your dinner.

It’s very conveniently located for us just 2.5 hours drive from Dubai and on booking, the PRO of Zighy Bay sorts out Border Passes for you so no hassles with visas either, you do have to take your passports with you. How to get there.

And for kids they have something called the Earth Lab, going back to sustainability so if it’s too hot on the beach they can try making their own soaps! Check the link for all the details here before you book but book, because Life is for Living! It looks like there are lot’s of different things to do and all in all a very chilled out, posh break. Yes please..worth saving up for.

AWESOME OFFER AT ZIGHY BAY BREAKFAST AND DINNER INCLUDED IN ROOM RATE

Listen to some mello cello at Dubai Opera

I love the sound of the cello and this weekend at Dubai Opera you can listen to a Saturday Cello Pilgrimage with works by Shor, Saint-Saëns and Dvořák as part of the The InClassica International Music Festival. Critics’ Choice at the Classic BRITS awards and CBE recipient, British cellist Steven Isserlis is playing. This concert also features Berlin Symphony Orchestra.

Timings: 8:00pm onwards Tickets: From AED 150 Link to the Tickets 

On Sunday 22nd May some piano by Dejavu , the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, welcomes french pianist Remi Geniet for a programme by Alexey Shor and his well-recognised Childhood Memories series. This concert takes place as part of the InClassica International Music Festival.

Timings: 8:00pm onwards Tickets: From AED 150  Link to the Tickets 

SOME MELLO CELLO ON SATURDAY AND PIANO ON SUNDAY AT DUBAI OPERA

Location of Dubai Opera

This weekend cook yourself and your household a yummy vegetarian TOFU PAD THAI.

Click the link to find out how.

Tofu Pad Thai recipe final dish DoinDubai Monica Kapila
TOFU PAD THAI MAKE IT THIS WEEKEND – EASY WHEN YOU KNOW HOW
Monica’s Weekend – Posts

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MONICA’S WEEKEND Try a terrific new thali meal at Raj Mahal then let’s dance off your calories at Emirates Golf Club and wander around the new indoor Ripe Market at Times Square all this weekend

This week 13th May we’re eating a terrific new thali meal at Raj Mahal in Bur Dubai, Let’s Dance off the calories with Sasha at Emirates Golf Club and then have a wander around the new Ripe Market at Times Square.

Monica Kapila and Mark Lloyd broadcast every FRIDAY on DUBAI EYE 103.8 at 1.45pm repeated on the Sunday Brunch at 1.15pm. LISTEN to the podcast for this show below, under 10 minutes.

Terrific new thali meal at Raj Mahal behind Bur Juman in Bur Dubai

I’ve had many a thali in Dubai, but this is my favourite so far. We’re at Raj Mahal, quite a new place just behind Bur Juman shopping centre in Bur Dubai. A full blog post coming soon but the highlights are here!

Over 10 different savoury and 4 sweet dishes included in this vegetarian thali so come hungry! The food is a well matched blend of Rajasthani and Gujerati regional cuisine and everything is super fresh. We liked the fact that everything had a distinct taste and there was a good choice of both dry and gravy type dishes.

We also liked the mini Inidian Street Food counter at the front of the restaurant. I recommend the gol gappas or pani puris from here. But don’t eat too many as there is a lot of tasty food on your thali.

Open for lunch and dinner everyday Raj Mahal is definitely a place to check out if you want to try a thali meal for the first time or if you’re a bit of a thali guru! Either way this is a good one so make a note for when you have visitors in town too.

Comfortable, spacious place to sit, not very cramped. Location details below oh and perfect if you’re treating your family or friends as it’s about aed 40 all in! AND we love that they let kids aged 10 and under eat for absolutely free. Well Done Raj Mahal.

Ground floor of Pearl Residence hotel apartments just behind Bur Juman. Tel 058 504 7000

Open every day 12. to 3.30 for LUNCH and then 7pm till 11.30 pm for DINNER.

Monicas Weekend Terrific Thali DoinDubai
RAJ MAHAL VEGETARIAN THALI AED 42 ALL IN

Outing

Let’s Dance off the calories and have fun at the same time. A friend of mine alerted me to this activity after she tried a dance class with Sasha King the teacher. So Sasha’s danced since she was a child and got a normal day job and has been in Dubai for about 5 years. But recently that pull of being a dancer made her decide she wanted to teach others about how therapeutic dance can be and get you healthy physically at the same time.

So she decided to offer dance lessons at 3 different venues in Dubai to anyone who cares to dance. No prior skill, no choreography skills, no knowledge at all, you just want to want to dance! So Let’s Dance Mark!

The 3 overall styles of dance she teaches are LATIN AMERICAN, BALLROOM AND SOCIAL DANCE. But within those are 16 different types. So I think I’d choose Social Dancing and apparently within that there’s Salsa, Meringue or Tango. Have a go! Your first trial class of 45 minutes is FREE!

Go alone or with your partner or some friends, maximum of 4 people per class. Emirates Golf Club, Jumeirah Golf Estates or Creek Golf Club, every weekend. Tel 058 658 1162. So long as it’s not Murder on the Dance Floor, see you there!

Monicas Weekend DoinDubai Let's Dance
LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE FOR FUN

Events

Get along to Times Square next to Mall of Emirates for an all new indoor Ripe Market! On Sunday 15th May from 10 am to 7pm. Lot’s of arts and crafts, home decor, accessories and some food retail too that you won’t find in a shop. While you’re there go to the organic shop and stock up on some supplies.

Have a coffee at one of the many coffee shops and buy a piece or two of some very exotic and authentic Turkish sweets from the shop called Loqum also in Times Square.

And if you’re with your kids get them a session on the well supervised Climbing Wall at Adventure HQ! Remember Saturday is the Arte market at Times Square and Sunday is the Ripe Market so it’s definitely a Market Day this weekend!

RIPE MARKET NOW INSIDE AT TIMES SQUARE ON SUNDAY

Something for you to COOK this WEEKEND

Try these delicious Air Fried pakodas for your evening drinks snack or tea time savoury. Never be stuck for what to make for dinner with our easy, healthy always TASTY RECIPES here.

Air Fried Pakodas DoinDubai Monica Kapila almost ready
Monica’s Weekend – Posts
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