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KOSHARI POINT

 

What is Koshari Point

Koshari Point is a cozy, contemporary café serving both traditional and modern Egyptian street food in the al Barsha side of town in Dubai.

It opened about a year ago but they’ve recently added some very contemporary twists to their classic Koshari menu. Already very popular with locals, the owners of Koshari Point want to spread the word further afield.

The inspiration to set up Koshari Point came from a trip to the UK where a small Koshari café in central London was doing a roaring trade!

Koshari Point DoinDubai classic koshari

Where can I find Koshari Point in Dubai

Koshari Point is located in Al Barsha, not far from the Mall of the Emirates. Here’s the Google Map reference showing the exact location.

What is Koshari Point?

Koshari comes from the Hindi word kicharee, which in turn means a mix of rice and lentils cooked together. The British brought kicharee to Egypt with them during the 19th century.

Apparently the Italian community in Egypt were responsible for the addition of pasta to the rice and lentil dish. But there is a version of Lebanese version of Koshari called Mujadara which consists mainly of rice and lentils and omits the pasta!

Now found on many street corners in Egypt, Koshari is still made of a mix of rice, lentils and pasta which is topped with a spicy tomato sauce and crispy, fried onions. The macaroni type pasta added to the dish makes it even more substantial than in it already is!

Koshari Point DoinDubai Basic elements of koshari

What should I eat at Koshari Point

Try some of the classic Koshari, you can customize it according to your liking or you try one of their new combinations. My dining partner tried the butter chicken  Koshari and really liked it. I had just the classic Koshari but omitted the pasta. There is a selection of fresh salads you can eat with your koshari.

To drink I recommend the very refreshing Karkade desert rose drink. It’s made from dried desert roses and is very popular during Ramadan. I recommend diluting with water. It reminded me very much of a dry cranberry or lingonberry type drink. I really liked it.

Koshari Point DoinDubai Karkade drink

Koshari Caters too

Koshari has a very good value takeaway box with a selection of eggs, salad, felafels, fouls, labneh with herbs and hot, fluffy Egyptian bread! Amazing value at only AED 48! Ask for the Point Box. Great idea for feeding hungry teenagers during the holidays!

They are also exhibiting at various street food markets in and around Dubai, including the Ripe market at Al Barsha park. You can treat your friends to Koshari from the Koshari Cart that can be hired if you’d like to cater at your home or venue.

Opening Hours
From Sat to Wed 8 AM – 12 PM
Thurs and Friday 8 AM – 03 AM
Tel 043944455

Koshari Point DoinDubai Whats it about

No need to book, but there is limited seating. I think the late opening hours make it a great place to head for if you’re still hungry after a late night out! No coffee served here as yet though! And if you really want to avoid the carbs, then the salads and foul are still substantial and tasty.

Here’s Mustafa, one of the owners of Koshari Point tellin you a bit more about it:

 

Thank you Monica.

Flowers in Dubai

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DUBAI PARKS AND RESORTS

What is Dubai Parks and Resorts all about

Dubai Parks and Resorts is a brand new complex of theme parks that is made up of 4 different attractions.  It’s an area that spans 30.6 million square feet and offers world class, state of the art entertainment in the middle of a desert!

Bits of it opened earlier this year, but it was officially opened by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on the 18th of December 2016.

I was invited to spend the day there as part of a media/press visit to find out what it’s all about. This review is based on my up close and personal visit of the park and the attractions.  We visited 3 of the 4 parks: Bollywood Park, Legoland Dubai and Motiongate. These 3 parks are all connected by Riverland.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Lego land Entrance copy

Where is Dubai Parks and Resorts located

Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR) is located at the border of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, right next to the new Outlet Village and not far from Dubai World Central Airport. With no traffic, it should take about 25 minutes maximum from most areas of Dubai to reach. I was dropped off at the Visitor Center for the Outlet Village then walked through a beautiful area that I think was called French Village that was part of Riverland.  It was a gorgeous recreation that looked genuinely like an old town! I think it’s FREE till you get to the turnstile of the first park.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai French Village Street View copy

It was easy to walk from here, along a section of waterway to the first park we visited: Bollywood Park.

Bollywood Park in Dubai Parks and Resorts

Bollywood Park is the only one of this kind of park in the world and as it’s name suggests it really does focus on all things Bollywood from the architecture of the buildings the attractions are based in to the food and beverage offerings and everything in between.


There is a mega theater that takes centre stage in this park called the Raj Mahal Theater.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Raj Mahal Theater press conference gallery copy

It’s a huge, gold and white themed building and has been designed to stage spectacular Bollywood style musicals complete with surround sound and dazzling sets. I’d think you’d need to pay extra ticket prices to see a production here but the street shows are free with entry to the park.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Sholay ride Bollywood Parks copy

Bollywood Park is quite loud with Hindi filmi music playing in most bits of it. They also have sporadic song and dance shows in this park, of course Bollywood style. If it’s thrills you want then both the Krish rides and the Lagaan  are must do’s. Hang on to your seats and DON’T do these if you’ve just eaten! The audience obviously LOVED this ride and wanted to do it multiple times. 

Legoland Dubai

Legoland Dubai is I’m assuming based on Legoland in Windsor in the UK but it’s not nearly as big, as yet! It seems like a happy kind of park and has a large shaded walkway from the entrance right down to the end of the park.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Customise Legoland gallery

It’s possible to buy lego by weight here just as you would frozen yoghurt! AED 45 for a small tub, AED 85 for a large tub!

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Lego by weight at Legoland Dubai copy

The most impressive, awe inspiring bit of Legoland for me was definitely MiniLand! An area filled with iconic building made from, you guessed it, Lego! We couldn’t spend much time in this section but it by far the most popular bit of Legoland Dubai the day that we visited.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Mini Land icons in Legoland Dubai copy 2

 

Everyone will want their pictures taken in MiniLand!

Motiongate Park

Motiongate Park is similar to Universal Studios but on a smaller scale. The whole theme of the Motiongate Park is of the art deco, 1920s jazz era with music to match! Look out for the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Cafe.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Food and Beverage Motiongate co

Little kids, and some older ones –  will LOVE the Smurf Village bit of Motiongate. We didn’t see any smurfs or smurfettes the day we visited!

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Smurfville Motiongate copy

The Transylvania castle part also seemed worth a visit, but the rides weren’t operational while we were there. It’s in this park you’ll find the Zombie ride that many journalists thought was the most thrilling despite it only lasting a few seconds!

I was screaming in the Underworld ride, much more tame but again you don’t leave your seats and yet you’re literally transported to an Underworld. The children seated next to us seemed to love this ride and had done it many times!

Thanks to Nadia and Zeenat for being excellent guides in this bit of the park.

Which bits of Dubai Parks and Resorts are open now

Some bits of all the attractions are open now, but for example Dreamworks, a large part of the Motiongate park is not yet open. Furthermore, some rides, although open may not be working in the parks due to technical issues, this is what we faced on our visit. I think these would be temporary, but it is worth checking before hand that all accessible rides are operational.

Dubai Parks and Resorts DoinDubai Motiongate Map copy

What are the food and beverage options at Dubai Parks and Resorts

We really didn’t get the chance to sample the food and beverage on offer, but there seemed to be plenty of choice at the mid market level. I didn’t see much in the way of higher end or healthy choices around. There was a Tom Aikens Deli though and you could opt for healthy options within menus. 2 of the food outlets are licensed at the moment, one is the Rock On bar in Bollywood. I’ll find out which the other is and add in a comment to the post.

What are the prices like at Dubai Parks and Resorts

It seems the adult entry ticket to each park is around AED 300, but at the time of our visit there were reduced ticket prices on offer. This was probably as some of the rides weren’t open.

My recommendation is to buy a combined ticket to all the parks. I think this would cost around  AED 500 that you could use over 2 days. This would be the best value by far. Check this page for the celebration offer of AED 295 for entry to all 3 parks in one day.

If  it’s not busy, and it’s certainly not too busy yet, it’s entirely possible to do all the parks in one day. It’s about a 5 to 7 minute walk from one park turnstile to the next. We walked between parks all day when we visited! Ask for discounts or look for combination deals. But do wear the most comfortable walking shoes you have and take a cap or hat even in winter in Dubai.

Is it worth going to Dubai Parks and Resorts

Yes absolutely, great for adults and children alike! It’s a feat of very impressive engineering that really does provide world class entertainment. Has to be experienced to be believed but try and get a look at all the parks in part at least to get value for money. Also go now while it’s cooler and less crowded as bits of the park aren’t entirely complete.

I recommend the following rides

The Underworld ride in Motiongate, scary stuff but thrilling nonetheless. The Lagaan ride in Bollywood Park will make you feel like a cricket ball being hurtled across the world and the Krrish ride in Bollywood Park will have you fly through the air like an Indian Nemo from the Matrix all from the comfort of your seat!

Let me know if this was helpful and add your experiences or comments here. I’ll try and secure some tickets for a competition to welcome 2017! Wishing all our readers a very happy time over the Festive Holidays!

Thank You Monica.

DPR Monica Kapila DoinDubai Smurfville for insta copy

 

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LETEN DUBAI MALL

Leten Dubai Mall is a real find 

A great addition to our choice of mall eateries: Leten Dubai Mall. I really liked the ambience of Leten Dubai Mall, but I thought it would come with an expensive price tag to match! I was wrong. Welcome to good pan Asian food, sensibly priced in a very smart setting.

Leten Dubai Mall DoinDubai Ambience

The Food at Leten Dubai Mall

We had dinner at the mall early on a Friday evening and we knew it was good as it seemed to be popular with smart Chinese shoppers! Expect modern pan Asian dining options here that span China, Thailand and Singapore. In fact Leten is an outpost from an original branch in Singapore. We LOVED our duck pancakes especially as they shredded up the duck at the table. That’s not so common here in Dubai, but it’s how we’re used to eating duck in London.

Leten Dubai Mall DoinDubai Shredded duck

We also liked our Siam glass Thai noodle salad to start with. This had dried shrimp, peanuts and cherry tomatoes all tossed in a spicy lemon dressing with glass noodles as the base. This is a great choice is you’re avoiding meat or going gluten free. You can easily omit the shrimps if you’re vegetarian.

Leten Dubai Mall Glass noodle salad

But we also had to try the Singaporean noodles as it was a speciality of the restaurant and a Singapore chain! We weren’t disappointed!

Leten Dubai Mall Singapore Noodles

These were served with prawns, chicken and lime and good value for AED 45.oo

Where is Leten located

Leten Dubai Mall is located on the second floor of the Mall in Fashion Avenue. Tel: +971 (0)4 3253244

Special Offers at Leten Dubai Mall

Leten Dubai Mall has some really good value meal deals as well, with options that range from just AED 49.00! That beats even food court prices. I liked the fact there are plenty of vegetarian only choices as well. So you might want to try a vegetarian noodle meal that consists of classic chow mein, stir fried morning glory with garlic and some stir fried edamame and garlic. All for AED 49! That’s not all, the combination meals (combo meals) are all served with complimentary soft drinks or water.

Leten Dubai Mall Paintings

Thank you Monica.

 

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VISIT EDINBURGH

The best bits for when you visit Edinburgh 

We LOVED our visit to Edinburgh and based our trip on lots of research, so read our honest account of the best bits for when you Visit Edinburgh, whether it’s purely for pleasure or like us you need to check out the university area.

Visiting Edinburgh DoinDubai Edinburgh Castle

Where to stay when you visit Edinburgh

Without doubt, stay at the very historic Balmoral hotel when you visit Edinburgh. We LOVED it and I would definitely stay there again. This heritage building is managed very professionally by the Rocco Forte group. The location is superb for all the major sites of Edinburgh, and it’s a few minutes walk from Edinburgh Waverly station.

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai The Balmoral View

We took the Virgin trains service from Kings Cross, that was about a 4.5 hour scenic journey. Do look for special tickets. The convenience to the station and the sites was a major factor for us booking The Balmoral. There are a variety of room types but if you can afford it opt for one with a view of the castle. We had a superior deluxe castle view room that comfortably slept 3 adults. We really appreciated our welcome strawberries and Scottish shortbread on checking into our room.

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai The Balmoral Welcome Strawberries

The hotel has a great gym and pool too. Edinburgh can be cold even in high summer, but the hotel will keep you warm in both body and mind! Don’t leave without trying a whisky in the award winning Scotch bar and learn about how to drink the best whiskies in the world. I knew about the Talisker brand but I didn’t know there were 10 different kinds! Did you know that dark chocolate brings out the sweeter notes in whisky while salted almonds bring out the saltier, peaty notes?

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai Scotch Bar Balmoral

Where to eat when you visit Edinburgh 

Our top meal in Edinburgh was definitely dinner at the Number One restaurant at The Balmoral. I wasn’t sure if we were doing the right thing eating at a Michelin starred restaurant, I thought it would be too formal and stuffy, but I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai The Balmoral Tonic

It’s the signature restaurant of the hotel and it’s literally a few steps away from the main entrance. We had a 6 course menu that focused on first class Scottish produce at all times. Even the tonic for my excellent Botanist gin was produced specially for the Balmoral by Walter Gregor.  It’s made in a small distillery called Summerhouse Drinks in Pitsligo and has quinine, cinchona bark, citric acid and some botanicals. The excellent sommelier Emma introduced me to this combination and ordered my wine.

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai The Number One restaurant

Emma and the rest of the staff made me feel completely at ease. They selected an amazing combination of food and drink based on MY TASTES but at no point did they make me feel my own paltry knowledge was inadequate in any way. I really appreciated that. Expect to eat smoked salmon with lemon butter, quails egg and caviar to start with and I recommend the wild turbot to follow, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t recommend from this menu. It’s been put together by head chef Brian Grigor.

What to see when you visit Edinburgh

Walk down Princes street outside your hotel and just stop where you feel like, there’s always something going on, walk down the road parallel to Princes Street, that’s Queens’s street and take in the atmosphere of George street too.  Pop into Harvey Nichols or Louis Vuitton if you feel like!

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai The Golden Mile

Walk to the Golden Mile area and look at all the historical sites but just outside the hotel is the National Gallery. Have a browse around here and walk in Princes Gardens after. I bought some beautiful greetings cards here to use throughout the year.

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai The National Gallery

We loved our walk in the Royal Botanical Gardens. It’s an easy 15 minute taxi ride away and has an impressive display of orchids and greenhouses. It’s not one of those things you see on many tourist guides to Edinburgh but a friend from Dubai who now lives there said it’s a must see. She was right! We only had 2 nights in Edinburgh and packed in as much as we could. I think we’d have gone down to the sea if we’d had more time.

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai The Botannical Gardens

University tour if you visit Edinburgh 

Edinburgh has an amazing university that’s been established for many years.  It has a worldwide reputation to match. Call them up and book ahead to say you’re coming. We spent a few hours attending 2 tours, one especially for international students, the other specifically that took us round all the facilities.

visit-edinburgh-doindubai-edinburgh-university-mcewan-hall

 

We walked to the main student accommodation area, The Pollocks to get a good feel for how far it was located from the college. We also wanted to understand about the facilities on offer. Do wear comfortable walking shoes, and take a mac incase it rains.

Visit Edinburgh DoinDubai Edinburgh Uni area

We used Uber extensively on our trip to Edinburgh without any problems. If you’re going to London after or before, you should check out these great London cafes.

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