What's On | January 2011

8/8/2019 What's On | January 2011

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DHS10

JANUARY2011

ISSUE393

54 WAYS TO IMPROVEYOUR LIFE IN 2011

EXCLUSIVE!JAMIE OLIVER

ARRIVES IN

DUBAI

UAE DHS 10 OMAN RO 1.000


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3/92JANUARY 2011 WHATS ON 3

ContentsFeatures12Jamie OliverCeleb chef and TV starJamie chats exclusivelyabout his new Dubairestaurant. Pukka

16Backstreet curries

Weve scoured BurDubai and beyond forDubais spiciest secrets

21New year, new youYup, its that time ofyear again. Make yourresolutions and stick tothem with our essentialguide

p12

p34


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10SalaamEverything you need toknow about January,plus a chat with a

National Geographicphotographer

14Win win winYour chance to win anextra special night atZuma, on us. Bubblesand nibbles included

28

FilmsHeavy hitters from thesilver screen including

Black Swan, The GreenHornetand SimonPeggs latest offering,

Paul

31Eating outExciting Arabic atZaroob, the newfarmers market, avisit to Stay by Yannick

Allno, the latestopenings and more

40ArtBehind the scenes atShakespeare 4 Kids,five minutes with Syrianpainter Kais Salmanand the exhibitions youmust see this month

44Shopping

Our must-have buysof the month, plus thesartorially chic Sophiahelps out readers inneed

47Mind and bodyWe investigate at-homespas, visit the capital'sZayna Spa, check outthe new Talise spa andfind the best beautybargains

The round-up

p40

p52

55Sport and outdoorMr Fitness tackles yourJanuary issues, pluswe meet a triathleteand show you how toprepare for the Dubaimarathon

61Music and clubsMusician Jay Wud getschilly, plus which dancefloors you should behitting this month

65TravelSwiss bliss in Ascona,the top travel deals andgoing on holiday withthe founder ofLonely

Planet

73Hot listsWho will start the yearat the top of the table?

90

BackchatCatboy kicks off 2011with an anti-resolutionresolution


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incredible

iNDIA

InterContinental Abu Dhabi . Call 800 423463.



Editors note

This month weve been...

Completing our training, p55

Annual Subscription GCC Dhs120 other countries US$70(including Airmail charges)

Head Oce: PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAETel: +971 4 282 4060, Fax: +971 4 282 4436,

E-mail: [email protected]

Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor,Building 8, Dubai, UAE,

Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845

Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE,Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124,


London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road,London NW1 3ER, UK,


Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

Cooking with local produce, p36

OK, Im going to let you in on a secret Im actually writing this

before the new year.

I know, Im sorry, Im spoiling the magazine magic here, and I dont

want to go all Marty McFly on you, but the fact is New Year, New

You is still about two and half weeks away for me at this stage. So

while Id dearly love to extol the virtues of a sound mind and body,

as Team Whats On have done so beautifully from page 21, Team Whats Ons Editor

is busy eating Pad Thai and drinking a can of fizzy orange. But dont let my example

bother you come new year (which, er, is now for you), Ill be right there with you,

sorting both mind and body. We (and I say we, but I mean the team Im busy with

that Pad Thai, remember?) have come up with the definitive guide to a better 2011

and, ultimately, a better you. From finances to finding new friends, from getting in

shape to this years trendiest travel destinations, weve got you covered.

And, come January (for me weve already established thats now for you), Ill be

joining you and ditching the Thai food for carrots and all the rest of it. But for now,

keep that a secret.

Happy New Year, and all the best for 2011.

Enjoy the issue.

Editor-in-ChiefObaid Humaid Al Tayer

Group Editor & Managing Partnerlan Fairservice

Group Senior EditorGina Johnson | [email protected]

Senior EditorMark Evans | [email protected]

Deputy EditorHelen Spearman | [email protected]

Features EditorGareth Rees | [email protected]

Chief Sub EditorIain Smith | [email protected]

Senior DesignerSheila Lyn Carino | [email protected]

Editorial Assistant/Picture ResearcherKaren Sequeira | [email protected]

Picture Researcher - GulfpicsWayne Fernandez | [email protected]

ContributorsNaveed Ahmed, Victor Besa, James Brennan,

Louise Browne, Vikram Gawde, James Houghton,Catherine Jarvie, Russell Kempson, Richard Luck,

Conor Purcell, Farooq Salik, Thomas Shambler,Simon Smedley, Sophia Triantallou,

Adam Workman

CoverAntoine Corbineau/folioart.co.uk

General ManagerProduction and Circulation

S Sasidharan | [email protected] Manager

Sudhakar Chandran | [email protected] Controller

Murali Krishnan | [email protected]

General Manager Group SalesAnthony Milne | [email protected]

Senior Advertisement ManagerDale Isaac | [email protected]

Advertisement ManagerVarsha Bhatia | [email protected]

General Manager, Abu DhabiJoe Marrit | [email protected]

Advertisement Manager, Abu DhabiDarryl Wiley | [email protected]

Trying spas athome, p50



One month, two pagesSalaam!

Whats notThursdays

According to gures recently released byDubai Trac Police, 135 people died in tracaccidents in the rst ten months of 2010 27of those deaths occurred on Thursdays. Thetotal number of deaths declined by 30.4 percent, though, so its not all bad news. Just be

careful next Thursday.

Temperature complaintsIts not cold. Its still 20-odd degrees. The sun

is shining. Half of Europe is buried undersnow, with minus temperatures thats cold.

Quit your moaning.

Whats hotPhotography competition

To celebrate the 25th anniversary ofArabian Heritage Books

Motivate Publishing(thats us) is launching anationwide photography

exhibition. Send in your bestpics illustrating the culture,heritage and history of theUAE and, if you win, your

snap will be included in a coee tablebook plus youll receive US$1,000.

Deadline Feb 20.www.motivatepublishing.com

Eco-fridgeWe like to do our bit for the environment,

so we were mighty impressed with thislittle gizmo. The Eco-fridge doesnt useelectricity; instead, the polystyrene fridge

uses a dry ice compartment to coolperishables simultaneously saving your

frozen goods and the environment. Whatwill they think of next?

Carbonic International, Attar Centre,opposite BurJuman Centre, Bur Dubai,

Dubai, Dhs49

We're ocially part of the Twitterati.Follow us at WhatsOnDubai forexclusive updates on nightlife,restaurants and more around theUAE. Tweet yourself.

IS

TOCK

Guess listRumours doing the roundsin Dubai

90%MARCO PIERRE WHITEHaving own to London to interview thepurportedly fearsome chef in 2009, we endedup dining at Frankies in Abu Dhabi with theman (and, oddly, the Queen of Englandscousin) last time he was out to visit his UAErestaurants. So were looking forward to hisnext visit, which we hear could well be inFebruary.

35%EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

The art rock outt from Englands Manches-ter are being hailed as the next big thing intheir home country. Howard from Take Thatis a big fan, apparently. Were pretty tightwith the drummers sister, and she tells us theband is keen to pay us a visit in 2011.

This month were going toDUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVALChristmas is over and youre suering fromthe January blues. What better way to cheeryourself up than bagging some bargainsat the Dubai Shopping Festival? A few tips.Make sure you save some money (we alwaysforget DSF and spend all our money early inthe month), shop strategically and go early on the rst day, if possible. Happy shopping.Jan 20 to Feb 20, Dubai. www.

dubaishoppingfestival.com

PHARRELL WILLIAMS AND N.E.R.D

Oh, were good. We broke this one

months ago, and, indeed, hip hop/R&Bstar Pharell and his band N.E.R.D will per-form in the UAE, at the Gulf Bike Week,Feb 10 to 12.

MACY GRAY

We heard a rumour about this one earlylast year, and sure enough, American R&Bsongstress Macy Gray is coming to theUAE, and will appear at the Dubai JazzFestival, Feb 17.

We told you so...



Four nights to test your

general knowledge

THE BOSTON BARMake your way to the pre-8pm happyhour to make the most of the knockdownprices, but make sure your brain is stillfunctioning for the quiz. It s pretty hard,but there are some decent cash prizeson oer. The Boston Bar does somesurprisingly good pub grub, too. Weenjoy the burgers and the sh 'n' chips.Jumeirah Rotana Hotel, Al Diyafah Street,Dubai, 8pm to 11pm, free. Tel: (04)3455888. www.rotana.com

FIBBER MAGEESWeve participated in the Easy Tiger

Tuesday quiz on a couple of occasions,but weve never managed to win it. Prizesinclude drinks and meal vouchers andyoure always guaranteed a good time atone of our favourite Irish pubs.Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Tue from 8pm, free.Tel: (04) 3322400. www.fibbersdubai.com

THE UNDERGROUND PUBPub manager David hosts TheUnderground quiz and its always a good

night. Be warned, the maximum teamsize is four, so ditch your thick mates forthe evening and take along the cleverclogs. If more than ten teams turn up,rst prize is Dhs300, second is Dhs200and third is Dhs100. Fewer than ten andits two drinks for each member of thewinning team.Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa, Dubai, Monfrom 9pm, free. Tel: (04) 3995000. www.grandjumeirah.habtoorhotels.com

LAKE VIEWThe Lake View IQ quiz is going to set you

back Dhs159 to enter, but before you startguawing about spending that amountof money just to answer some questions,know that you get unlimited chicken, ribs,wine and Fosters beer for your cash. Yeah,now youre interested, arent you? Theprizes arent all that, mind.Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Deira,Dubai, Wed 8pm to 11pm, Dhs159. Tel: (04)2956000

Find us at

www.facebook.com/WhatsOnDubai

American photographer Ira

Block has been shooting

for National Geographicfor40 years, travelling across

the globe. This month he

is heading up the two

day Click and Stay digital

photography workshop at

Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort

in Abu Dhabi

Five Questions Ira Block

What can people expect from theworkshop?Its very hands on, a lot of shooting. Lastyears workshop was mostly wildlifebecause we were out at a game reserve,but this year were in the desert so Imexpecting desert scenes and theres a lotof architecture around, too. I will guide thestudents totally. When we reach the area wewill shoot together, a few of them will seethings and wander o on their own, but Imalways around for questions and to showthem dierent techniques to improve theirphotos.

Do you host these workshops often?Im still active shooting for NationalGeographicand right now Im in the middleof a couple of stories for them. I havesomething coming up this month, actually,a local US story about an ancient NativeAmerican group in the States.You spend the rest of the year travelling?I used to be on the road seven or eightmonths a year, but now its six months.People always ask me where Ive been andI say its easier to ask me where I havent

been. As far as the major places go, Ive beeneverywhere in the world apart from India.

Thats one people always expect me to havebeen to, but I just havent been there forwhatever reason.You must have done a lot of memorableshoots?My last shoot is usually the mostmemorable, because its fresh, but everyshoot has its own great interest to it. In thelast few years Ive been working a lot in Asiaand South America. I like those continenets

because the cultures are really dierent tosay, Europe, where I used to work a lot. Theculture and tradition is visually dierentfrom Western cultures.And the UAE?Last year was my rst trip to the UAE, butotherwise Ive been to Egypt, Lebanon andSyria. Im looking forward to it.Jan 20 to 22, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, AbuDhabi, Dhs6,172 (including two nights, mealsand drinks). Tel: (02) 8862088. www.irablock.com

IRISH COMEDYFEST

Who doesnt like a laugh? Were going to ndone at McGettigans Irish Pub where the IrishComedyfest will welcome PJ Gallagher, JasonByrne, Dermot Whelan and Paddy Courtney.Man with a spade on his head? Doug. Manwithout a spade on his head? Douglas. Thankyou very much. Were here all week.Jan 6 to 9, McGettigans Irish Pub, BonningtonTowers Hotel, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai,

9.30pm to 12.30am, Dhs350. Tel: (04) 3560600

BLUES IN THE PARK

You wait months for some live music and anentire blues collective comes along at once.Going back to the Crossroads Deitra Farr,Angela Brown, Imelda May, Jimmy Thomas,Micahel Roach, George 'Jackie' Lee, BobbyParker, Johnny Mars, Danny McCormackand Paul Corry are set to perform at WaRooftop. And you get Cajun food included.Feb 1, Wafi, Rooftop Gardens, Oud Metha,

from 8pm, Dhs145. Tel: (04) 3244100

FOUR QUIZZESTO TRY



DUBAISTHE

PLACE!Since making his name asthe cheeky solo star of TVcooking show The Naked

Chef, celebrity chef Jamie

Oliver has become a bona

fide international star. In the

past few years hes auctionedoff his famous scooter, be-

come a social campaigner

and blubbed live on TV. And

now hes finally set to open a

restaurant in Dubai

We like to grill any passing culinarysuperstars who happen to open a restauranthere in the UAE, and its fair to say weve meta few famous chefs in our time.

Weve own to London to meet MarcoPierre White, who turned out to be a realcharacter unafraid to speak his mind, sure,but nevertheless, a true gent. Weve tangledwith philosophical French master PierreGagnaire, the modest and so-spoken Indianwunderkind Vineet Bhatia, Italian familyman Giorgio Locatelli, Mr Food Gary Rhodesand, most recently, the troubled but condentceleb chef Gordon Ramsay.

But there was one name missing from ourceleb chef hit list. One illustrious, but elusivechef who we had never managed to pindown until now. Jamie Oliver.

WHATSONEXCLUSIVE

Set to open his rst UAE restaurant in Dubaithis month, the 300-seater Festival Citybranch of his popular Jamies Italian chain,Jamie Oliver has been the missing ingredientin our UAE celeb chef salad. But why hasit taken the crusading Essex lad so long toarrive?

Its just been a case of waiting for the

right time, Oliver tells Whats On. Iwanted to make sure Jamies Italian was wellestablished in the UK before going overseas,and I have to say the British people havereally taken it into their hearts there arestill queues outside some of the restaurantstwo years aer we opened.

So what does he think of all the other bignames in Dubai?

Giorgios a great guy always friendly,always supportive of e Jamie OliverFoundation and hes a great, great chef,replies Oliver sincerely. Gary, Ive not seenaround for a while, but hes a good guy.

And Gordon and Marco Well, Gordonand Marco just seem to spend a lot of timeslagging me o for some reason

Its not surprising that Gordon andMarcos alleged put-downs perplex Oliver.e amiable chef comes across as a genuineguy, and negativity doesnt seem to be hisforte an attitude thats served him well in acareer thats spanned two decades.

Olivers cookery adventure began inthe kitchen of his parents Essex pub, eCricketers. en, at 16, keen and cocky,the youngster went to work for Italian chefGennaro Contaldo at Londons Neal Street

Restaurant before moving to e River Caf,where his likeable manner was spotted bybosses at the BBC who hastily signed himup for his own TV show, e Naked Chef, in1999.

Since then the chefs career has blossomedat a stellar rate. In 2002 he set up Fieen inLondon, where he trained 15 disadvantaged

youngsters to work in the kitchen (televised,naturally) now there are branches of therestaurant in Cornwall, Amsterdam andMelbourne. en, six years aer he had lethe kitchen at e River Caf cameJamiesSchool Dinners, the 2005 TV show thatheralded the beginning of Olivers campaignfor healthier school meals in the UK. Its abig leap from successful television chef to asocial campaigner, we ventured?

Id recently become a father and thatreally focuses you on what kids are eating,he insists. Once Id done a bit of digginginto what kids were eating at school, I knew

I could do better and so thats how it allbegan.

Five years on and Oliver is still scathingwhen it comes to parents who feed theirchildren a diet of what he regards asrubbish.

I believe its a form of child abuse, hedeclares. Ive said this before, but it doesanger me. If you feed your kids sweets andchips and takeaways every day then youredoing them no end of harm.

Should proof be needed that hes thechef that cares, Oliver supplied it by thehandkerchief full, bursting into tears on hisGE

TTY



JAMIE OLIVER

ID MUCH RATHER BE DOING THE

CAMPAIGNS AND WRITING THE BOOKS

THAT I PUT MY HEART AND SOUL INTO

AND DOING WONDERFUL FOOD AT

JAMIES ITALIAN, WHICH WILL NEVERGET A MICHELIN STAR

DICTIONARYOFOLIVERISMS

Phrases the chef has

made his own

PUKKAFrom the Hindi word meaning genuine orperfectly done. Used during Olivers TheNaked Chefat least 100 times an episode,but later replaced with delish, whichmeans something entirely dierent.

LOVELY JUBBLYStolen from David Jasons dodgy dealer

Del Boy from 1980s British comedy TVshow Only Fools And Horses. Oliver alsopurloined cushty from Del Boy.

WHACK IT INTHE OVENMeaning put that item in the oven inan enthusiastic manner and be quickabout it.

DELISHThose edibles look delicious and arecausing me to salivate and lick my lips.

GO ON, MY SONMeaning keep doing what youre doingin exactly the manner you are currentlydoing it in. This doesnt have to bedirected at your male progeny, thoughwe are sure Oliver says it to little BuddyBear Maurice Oliver on a daily basis.

US TV showJamie Olivers Food Revolutionbecause the tubby citizens of Huntington,West Virginia didnt take kindly to him orhis urges to eat healthier food.

e whole crying thing comes up a lot,

he sighs, resignedly. Its as if no one watchedthe rest of the series just the scene withthe crying. at was very early on, and Iwas getting grief all the time. I was missinghome and it all just got on top of me. But ifyou watch the rest of the series, it gets better,peoples opinions change, the kids and parentsare amazingly supportive and by the last showthe towns moving in the right direction.

But that wasnt Olivers rst success.As a result of an earlier campaign forhealthier school meals in the UK, theBritish government made a pledge to tacklethe issue. So while its tempting to take a

sceptical view and question whether thechefs motives are entirely pure and manyhave his obvious and ongoing passionmakes it seem unlikely that he simply startedthe campaign to prolong his time in the

limelight.It is perhaps harder to understand why an

obviously talented chef didnt wait to makea name for himself in the kitchen, like Garyand Gordon, before jumping in front ofthe TV cameras. Aer all, surely TV glorymeant losing the race for culinary glory,including the chance of the much-covetedMichelin stars?

I never regret that for a minute, heshoots back in an instant. Id much ratherbe doing the campaigns and writing thebooks that I put my heart and soul into anddoing wonderful food at Jamies Italian,

which will never get a Michelin star.Maybe not, but at just 35 Oliver seems to

be doing OK without one, and his love ofItalian food, and the fact that the his mentorGennaro Contaldo has had a hand in the

menu, should ensure that Jamies Italian is asbig a hit in Dubai as it has been in the UK.

As with everything I do, Im all overit menus, design, everything down tothe cutlery, he promises. What to order?Anything you like, although you must trythe anti misti planks and I know the fresh,locally caught sh cooked in the wood-redoven is going to be incredible.

Come the end of the month, ladies andgentleman, you can nd out for yourself nally.Jan 26, Jamies Italian, Festival Centre, DubaiFestival City, Dubai. www.jamieoliver.com/italian


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Win with Whats On

14 WHATS ON JANUARY 2011

CLICKON

WWW.WINW

ITHMOTIVA

TE.COM

TOENTERT

HISANDL

OADS

MORECO

MPETITION

S

WIN! AN EVENING ATZUMA WITH WHATS ONWere kicking o our new Saturday Sessions afternoon at Zumaand want you to be there. Starting on January 29, Whats Onsfavourite Japanese restaurant will be hosting us every monthfor a winning mix of jazzy, loungey beats and their award-winning setting from 4pm to 7pm. Theres a table waiting withchampagne and canaps for you and three pals and for yourchance to win, simply answer the following question correctlyZuma won what accolade at the 2010 Whats On awards?a) Favourite American pie

b) Favourite Japanese restaurantc) Favourite Scotch egg


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Fancy a curry? We ventured into the nooks and crannies

of Karama, Bur Dubai, Oud Metha and Deira to unearth

14 pocket rockets, all serving cracking authentic Indian

cuisine at bargain prices

LITTLE HUTSpecialising in Mughlai dishes andinuenced by the cuisine of the MughalEmpire, this cosy, no frills restaurant is ahidden gem. We love their tangy hot 'n' sourchicken soup, but you wont go wrong withthe lightly spiced Tawa mutton in a rich gravyor the impressive mix sizzler platter. Roundyour meal o with a milky and refreshingKul ice cream.Best dish: mix sizzler platterBill for two: Dhs135Al Karama, next to Family Supermarket, Dubai,

noon to 1am. Tel: (04) 3379993

DELHI DARBARThe comfortable Karama branch of thispopular chain specialises in Mughlai cuisine,but there are also a few Chinese disheson the menu. As you do. Regardless, theexpertly marinated chicken malai kebabmelts between your teeth and the soft, uyroomal roti is a delight.Best dish: roomal rotiBill for two: Dhs100Zabeel Road, near Karama Post Office, Karama,11.30am to 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 3347171

MIRCHI (DINE & DANCE)Popular with Bollywood actors and asponsor of Bollywood movies such asRajneetiand I Hate Love Stories, Mirchis wallsare strewn with images of celebs. Desi musicis pumped out seven days a week and therestaurant boasts themed evenings and adance oor. If that wasnt enough, they alsodo great food, too. Mini barbecue pits areavailable for your table and the chapattis are

just brilliant try them with a knob of butter.Best dish: chappatis (pulkhas)Bill for two: buet Dhs79Ramee Royal Hotel, opposite Al Maktoum

Bridge, near Splash, Dubai, 7.30pm to 11.30pm.Tel: (04) 3344088

KAMATThis family diner proudly declares itself "notjust another vegetarian restaurant", and weagree. Served on a piece of capsicum, their

paneer tikka masala is deliciously moist andtangy, the spinach-based biryani, unusuallygreen in colour, packs a real punch andthe rasmalai, payasam and gajjar halwa areoutstanding desserts. Clean, bright and nononsense, plus theres plenty of parkingspace, which is always a cheeky bonus inBur Dubai.Best dish: paneer tikka masalaBill for two: Dhs60Al Mankool Rd, Bur Dubai, Sat to Thurs10.30am to 3,15pm and 7pm to 11.45pm, Fri10.30am to 11.30am, 1.30pm to 2.30pm and7pm to 11.45pm. Tel: (04) 3595441

Little Hut

Delhi Darbar

Kamat



BACKSTREET CURRIES

MEZBAANOn the outskirts of Karama, Mezbaan oersan assortment of Indian and Chinese dishes,but specialises in Hyderabadi cuisine. Go for

the mixed tandoori platter, which is exactlywhat it says on the tin: moist chicken tikkakebab, mutton sheek kebab, resmi kebab,tandoori chicken with green chutney, biryanirice, bhagarey baigan and a soft rumali roti.After that lot, dont expect to have room foranything else.Best dish: mixed tandoori platterBill for two: Dhs80Al Musallah Road, Karama, Dubai, noon tomidnight. Tel: (04) 3517863

GAZEBOThe words 'extensive menu' seem to have

been created just for Gazebo, which boastsa huge menu. Always busy, theres a realbuzz about the place, with sta on hand tohelp you work your way through that menu,which includes a huge choice of superbdishes from Lucknow and Hyderabad. Themurg chettinadu in a spicy masala is prettyery if you like things hot, but dont miss thedum pukh biryani, which is cooked slowlyover a re and served in an earthenware pot.Best dish: dum pukh biryaniBill for two:Dhs100Al Mankool, Bur Dubai, noon to 3pm and 7pmto 11.45pm. Tel: (04) 3598555

AKBARSJust three minutes from Al Rigga metro station,Akbars serves a mean mixed kebab platterand a avoursome dum mutton biryani, but

the chicken kurchan is the star, displaying thebest traits of Indian home cooking. The menuis dominated by North Indian dishes, but thereare also Chinese oerings and, somewhatbrilliantly, a chat counter.Best dish: chicken kurchanBill for two: Dhs100Rigga Road, Deira, Dubai, noon to midnight.Tel: (04) 2288789

BOMBAY CHOWPATTYIt may be in a mall food court, but servingcuisine from both North and South India,including street food, mains, juices and

sweets, means Bombay Chowpatty is no runof the mill junk food stall. Kalli mirch chickenand chicken Manchurian with paratha arethe peoples favourites, but it was the chickentikka roll that reminded us of Mumbai.Best dish: chicken tikka rollBill for two: Dhs60Lamcy Plaza, Karama, Dubai, 10.30am tomidnight. Tel: (04) 3349489

RANGOLIStarting o with the cheese masala dosabefore hitting the buet is a good idea to stirup a massive appetite in preparation for the

array of vegetarian dishes at Rangoli. Asidefrom the South Indian delicacies, you must trythe chaat and the sweet and spicy best-sellingpani puri. The popular buet is just Dhs15.Best dish:pani puriBill for two: buet Dhs15Cosmos Lane, opposite ITL Building, Meena

Bazaar, Bur Dubai, 8.30am to 11.30pm. Tel: (04)3515873

VENUS VEGETARIANRESTAURANTHigh quality vegetarian food at budgetprices is a formula that guarantees Venusis always crowded, with long queues onFridays and Saturdays. The crisp paper dosais complemented nicely by sambar andseveral chutneys, a cauliower-based dishof dry gobi Manchurian is truly magnicentand the creamy Venus special curry is perfectwith a butter naan.

Best dish: dry gobi ManchurianBill for two: Dhs50 a la carteOpposite Dubai Central Laboratory, Karama,Dubai, 7am to 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 3352113

Gazebo

Bombay Chowpatty

Rangoli



BACKSTREET CURRIES

VIVA GOAViva Goa is one of those venues thats insuch an odd location, its a surprise anyonecan nd it. That anyone does is down to itsreputation as a lively, sometimes boisterous,venue that feels half underground club, halfbackstreet diner. Colourful murals grace

the walls, while attentive sta serve a widevariety of Goan dishes including deliciousGoan sausages marinated in spices, tomato,onion and green chilli, prawn curry and chillifried squid. Resident duo Conny and Vinnykeep diners entertained with a repertoireof Goan and Mandos songs, courtesy of asound system that would do itself justice inany nightclub.Best dish: Goan sausagesBill for two: Dhs150 and Dhs250Al Nasr Leisureland, Oud Metha, Dubai, from

7pm until late. Tel: (04) 3371234

LUCKYParkings a major issue here, so Lucky mainlyfocuses on deliveries and takeaway, butif you can bag one of the restaurants vetables, eating in is possible. Luckys forte isMughlai cuisine, but they also oer Chinese,albeit altered for the Indian palate. Theirbiryani is the most stand-out dish and canbe traced to Luckys main Mumbai branch,Bandra, opened, were reliably informed,in 1938.Best dish:biryaniBill for two: Dhs85Al Fahidi Street, opposite Mussalla Post Office,

Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai, noon to 4pm and7pm to 10.30pm. Tel: (04) 3534563

THE BOMBAYAs well as the vast meat and seafoodoerings, The Bombay oers plenty ofchoice for vegetarians and even has a Jainsection. The Omani lobster with saron isan indulgent treat, but the pulao rice withfruits and nuts is an unexpected star lacedwith not just the expected dried fruits andnuts, but also nely-chopped fresh kiwifruit, strawberries and grapes. The dcor isa strange mix of old and new, but there are

some beautiful old photographs of Bombay,with live music in the evening and classicBollywood hits playing throughout the day.Best dish:pulao riceBill for two: Dhs300Marco Polo Hotel, Deira, Dubai, 12.30pm to

3pm and 7.30pm to 2am. Tel: (04) 2720000

PARATHA KINGThe paratha is the epitome of cheap andcheerful Indian food, and none more so thanthose served by Paratha King in Karama.Although the restaurant oers only thebasic requirements necessary for eating (it is

primarily for takeaways), the purely vegetarian

fare is a treat for any fan of budget Indiancuisine. Flat bread stued with a wide varietyof llings (potato, cauliower, onion, spinach,cheese, green peas etc), oer a mouth-watering choice, but the paneer tikka parathais an instant hit, with the distinct Indian cheesemixing beautifully with various spices. If youopt for a meal deal costing a mere Dhs16 your parathas can be accompanied by dal, raitaor chick pea curry.Best dish: paneer tikka parathaBill for two: Dhs32Karama, Dubai, 10am to 3pm and 6pm

to11pm. Tel: (04) 3979110The Bombay

Viva Goa

Paratha King


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20/92

Mamma Mia!Filini, contemporary Italian bar and restaurant

serves authentic Italian food. Smart and modern

setting, an open-terrace and friendly service.

Italian Chef Thomas Marchi blends exceptional

ingredients with traditional cooking methodsto conjure an almost 100% Italian experience!

Youll find Filini at the

Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island

Yas Plaza, Yas Island, P.O. Box 93725, Abu Dhabi, UAE

[email protected]

Tel: +971 2 656 2000

radissonblu.com/hotel-abudhabi



NEW YEAR,NEW YOUTime to cast off the shackles of 2010 and start afresh.

Whatever your resolution, well keep you on track with

some expert advice

If youre looking for adventure in

2011, Open Skieseditor Conor

Purcell says you should buy your

ticket, pack your bags and take

off to one of these alternative

destinations

e real voyage of

discovery consists not inseeking new landscapes,but in having neweyes. at was MarcelProust, who was right,up to a point. ere are,however, landscapes so

breathtakingly beautiful that your currenteyes will do just ne. Happily, many of theseplaces are within a few hours ight of theUAE, so you have no excuse not to begin yourown voyage of discovery.

DJIBOUTIAfricas North East coast is spectacular pristine beaches, world-class diving andamazing food. Tourists are thin on theground so prices are cheap and you canenjoy the sights in peace. Chief amongthese is the awesome Lake Assal, the lowestpoint in Africa and a bright white salt flatringed by black volcanic rock. Close byis Lake Ghoubert, home to the youngest

volcano in the world, near rock so hot youcan boil water on it. This is Africas GroundZero, jagged, raw and thrilling.Flydubai flies to Djibouti from Dhs2,200

SEOULLess hectic than Tokyo and cooler thanBeijing, the South Korean capital is about asgood as an Asian megalopolis gets. Its recentembrace of design (everything from bus stopsto oce buildings are being created withaesthetics in mind) has tied into a burgeoningarts and culture scene. Add an amazing arrayof food, great hiking, wonderful temples,

reasonable prices and a world-class transportsystem and Seoul should be on everyonesAsian to-do list.Emirates flies to Seoul daily from Dhs4,500

THE PANJSHIRVALLEY

Yes, its in Afghanistan and yes, its safe notto mention beautiful. e Panjshir risesfrom the Shomali Plain and continues morethan 100km north before morphing into theHindu Kush. e valley oers white waterraing, swimming and trekking along its

banks. e locals are welcoming and thereare one or two restaurants by the waters edgewhere you can gorge on mutton and naanalongside ageing Mujahideen ghters.Flydubai flies to Kabul daily from Dhs650. FromKabul book a driver and a guide through AfghanLogistics for the three-hour drive north toPanshir. www.afghanlogisticstours.com

ALEPPOForget Beirut, Aleppo in Syria has faded charmin spades, without the tacky renovation thathas seen central Beirut turn into an outdoorshopping mall. Aleppo has always been animportant trading stop, attracting everyonefrom eodore Roosevelt and Kemal Ataturkto Agatha Christie and T.E. Lawrence. eyall stayed at Hotel Baron, now slightly shabbybut still full of character. Many of Aleppossouqs are covered and a Friday morning strollthrough the deserted tunnels, the smell offresh bread in the air, is a magical experience.Flydubai flies to Aleppo from Dhs900

Travel more

THE EXPERTOpen SkiesConor Purcell



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

SURVIVOR

CHALLENGE

Weve already completed the SurvivorChallenge and weve just signed up todo it again. Thats how good it is. Forthree months, three times a week formerice skating champ Alena Pask directed

her early morning shout at us, emittingsuch motivational gems as "milk is forbabies!" and "the weights arent heavy,you guys are!". And it worked. We lost 5kgand would have lost more if we werentso slack. The sessions combine boxing,kickboxing, strength training and circuitswith prizes throughout the programmeand a nutritional regime, essential gearand regular weigh-ins are included.KO Gym, Dream Tower, Dubai Marina, Dubai,Sun, Tue and Thurs 6am, ladies only 8am,Dhs2,300. Tel: (050) 2861673.www.kopromotions-dubai.com

Take up a

challengeSEVEN EMIRATES

CYCLE

Why travel abroad to challenge yourself?Climbing Kilimanjaro is so 2010 (in fact weran a feature on it). Sign up to the Gulf ForGood cycle challenge and you will be ableto raise money for charity, see the whole

of the UAE from the saddle and meet arather challenging challenge. You have tobe in pretty good shape to go the distancefrom Al Ain across endless tarmac, bumpymountain tracks and desolate desertpaths to Dubai, but you have plenty oftime to turn yourself into the next LanceArmstrong and G4G will provide you witha training schedule, equipment advice andfund-raising ideas.Nov 27 to Dec 2, Gulf For Good, Dhs2,200,minimum sponsorship Dhs12,000. Tel: (04)3680222. www.gulf4good.org

WADI BIH RUNAlthough various members of theWhats On team are going to berunning both the Dubai Marathonand the RAK Half Marathon in thefirst two months of 2011 (some arerunning both), were still tempted bythe Wadi Bih run. Were just that keen.

But what fool wouldnt want to campon the beach at Dibba before wakingextremely early and running up WadiKhab Shamsi. Sign up with a team offive and run about 15km each or, ifyoure stark raving bonkers, run the full72km on your own. Registration closesJanuary 25.Feb 11, Golden Tulip Hotel, Dibba, from 4am,Dhs150. www.wadibih.com

Three ways to challenge yourself in 2011

Meet new peopleIn a town more transient than Heathrowairport, your social group will inevitablyswell and wane; some weeks are a festivalof fun, while others are barren of banter.If youre going through something of afriendship dry spell, or are just a bit sickof your mates, then take some action with

our pick of the UAEs best social groups

DUPLAYS

Meet fellow sporty sorts at DUPLAYS, whichorganises leagues for everything frombowling to ultimate Frisbee.www.duplays.com

WWW.MEETUP.COM

Wowsers. Organised by city, thismammoth website allows you to set upand join groups, as well as contribute toa calendar for your city. The topics arediverse, ranging from the cultural (such as

Dubai Indie Film Group) to the downrightbizarre (see The Carpet Appreciation MeetUp Group sorry lads).www.meetup.com

WWW.SOCIALCIRCLESUAE.COM

With over 5,000 member and plenty of

events, this is a good one if youre new intown. The forums are friendly and you canjoin (very) special interest groups, suchas Social Fire Circles, which meets up topractice playing with fire. Other groups justlike to go out for a nice dinner.www.socialcirclesuae.com



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Our resident social smoker

braves hypnotherapy in an

attempt to kick the ciggies

Put your hand up(the one withoutthe cigarette init) if you enjoy acrafty smoke or 20on a night out orafter dinner anda few glasses of

something pleasantfrom Argentina.Im imagininghundreds of digitsreaching for the

clear blue desert skiesright now, and one of them is mine.

Ive been promising to quit social smokingfor some time. Probably about three years.Ive tried will power, but when it comes tothis little problem it seems my will is not thatpowerful. Now its time to take drastic action.Im running a marathon this month.

So, despite my fear of being made to

quack like a duck or something worse,I called up Synergy Medical Centrespersonal development trainer and certiedhypnotherapist Eileen Meehan and asked foran appointment.

ere are various professionals at Synergythat can help with this particular problem.Martine Nates, for example, employsacupuncture techniques to help you quit andDr Parviz Rashvand a computer programmecalled QXCI to reduce cravings, which maywell appeal to the more scientically minded.But Ive always fancied being hypnotised so Iwent for that.

First things rst, though. is is not magic.You have to be prepared to work with yourtherapist to achieve the result youre hopingfor.

e most important thing is that you dowant to quit as we cant inuence anyoneto do anything that they dont want to do,warned Meehan.

e good news is that if you do really wantto give up smoking, it should take just one ortwo sessions to do the job.

I conrmed that I did indeed want to quitand went o to write a list of reasons whybefore our session.

Give up smoking

THREE OTHER WAYS

TO RID YOURSELF

OF THAT FILTHY

HABIT

NICOTINE GUM AND PATCHES

If youre going to use the force to quit,its best to have a trusty lightsaberon hand to help you beat your DarthVader. For the quitter, nicotine gum

and patches are your versions of LukeSkywalkers mighty whooshing weapon.Super-Care Pharmacy, Dubai Mall, gum Dhs15,

patches Dhs76. Tel: (04) 4341687.www.thedubaimall.com

CHAMPIX

This non-nicotine tablet is the trendyquitters method of choice at the moment.

The hipsters method reduces cravingsand makes the whole process a lot morecomfortable, apparently.Super-Care Pharmacy, Dubai Mall, Dhs198. Tel:(04) 4341687.

www.thedubaimall.com

ACUPUNCTURE

Dubai Herbal And Treatment Centreprovides a consultation with a doctor(Dhs300) and tailor acupuncture sessions tohelp you quit smoking. One session will setyou back Dhs200 or you can wage a full onassault on your habit with a package of vesessions for Dhs750.Dubai Herbal And Treatment Centre, Dubai,

Dhs500 to Dhs1,050. Tel: (04) 3351200.www.dubaihtc.com

GARETH

REES

THE VERDICT

I was keen, both to try something I hadnttried before and, of course, to quit theciggies, but I have to admit I was nervous themorning before my session. I didnt like theidea of losing control. But let me bust onemyth right from the o hypnotherapy willnot leave you in a zombie state in thrall toyour therapist. And you will not be made tobark like a dog. If I was, I could have said no.

Its like that state youre in in the morning,when youre not asleep but youre not quiteawake, explained Eileen during our pre-

treatment chat. It was, indeed, just like that.I was asked why I wanted to give up social

smoking and how much on a scale of one toten. en Eileen explained the purpose of thehypnotherapy and how it would rid me of mylittle problem.

To put it simply, the reason I was a socialsmoker is that I associated smoking cigaretteswith having a good time and feeling relaxed,because when I smoked I was with friendsand in a positive state of mind. e purposeof the hypnotherapy was to break thatconnection to condition my subconsciousmind not to associate smoking with having a

good time, but rather see it as the disgustinghabit it truly is.

Next time I go out for a drink with myfriends, I simply wont want to smoke,according to Eileen.

So what exactly went down in that smallroom at the Synergy Medical Centre?

Well, aer our initial conversation, I sat ina reclining chair (all a little bit Freud, but ofcourse it would be), put my feet up and closedmy eyes while I was covered with a blanketto protect me from the A/C. You have to feelcompletely comfortable.

First I was asked to imagine a ball of energy

travelling through me and relaxing my wholebody, from head to toe. en came the timeline therapy. Essentially travelling back intoyour past and telling your younger self notto take up smoking, then into the future tosee yourself in a situation where you wouldusually smoke, not smoking.

I dont want to give the whole game away,because its quite an individual experience.But you should wake up full of energy andin a positive frame of mind. Did it work? Sofar so good; Ive been smoke-free ever since.Synergy Medical Centre, Al Wasl Road, Dubai, Dhs500.Tel: (04) 3485452. www.synergyctrdubai.com



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Sort your financesINVEST YOUR

SAVINGS

Martin De Waal, headof investment advisoryat Emirates NBD AssetManagement, answersa few FAQs aboutinvesting your hardearned cash

Whats the minimumamount we need tostart investing?For monthlycontributions Dhs1,800is a good start. Regularsavings tend to beaordable and easily

accommodated withinyour overall budget.

What is diversifyingyour portfolio?Diversication is theprocess by which aninvestor distributes hisor her investible wealthacross dierent assetclasses [eg cash, bondsand stocks] in order toreduce risk and improvethe quality of returns byproviding more stable,less volatile long-termreturns.

We hear investing ingold is a good idearight now?If concerns about thehealth of the globaleconomy remain high,then gold shouldcontinue to performwell. However, astrengthening globaleconomy could leadto signicant falls asinvestors rotate out ofthis safe haven asset. Webelieve that the priceof gold is no longerattractive at these levelsand the downside risk is

quite high.

What should we investin for 2011?Income generatingassets should providesome support forinvestors in 2011 soour focus would be onhigh yielding corporatebonds and highdividend paying stocks.

START AN ART

COLLECTIONFollow managing director of Du-

bais Meem Gallery, art historian

and collector Charles Pockocks

beginners guide to art investment

I genuinely believe that people should buyart because they love it. ats the mostimportant thing of all.

You need to go to a number of advisers.Make sure they have a good, clean reputation

in the market and access to a referencelibrary.

ere are problems in the region relatingto provenance. Is the work original?

Its important to focus so you becomean expert in your own eld. If you arecollecting, you should specialise.

To understand the art of today you needto have knowledge of the art of yesterday.Remember that. Its vital.

If youve got Dhs5,000, go and buylithographs limited editions prints.ey wont appreciate as quickly in value asoriginal works of art, but we have Mona Saudi

prints, one of the great modern sculptressesof the Arab world, for Dhs3,500.

Go with recognised artists. Is the workheld in a major international museum? Is thework published in independent, recognised

journals and books? What books have beenwritten about the artist?

Get a collective of three or ve or tenfriends together, put in $10,000 each, buythe work collectively then ip it in three orve years and share the prot. is works.If you want to get involved as an investment,this is the best way.www.meem.ae

We spoke to an expert at

Mashreq bank for a five-stepprogramme to staying in

control of your finances

1LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS,

PLAN METICULOUSLY AND

PRIORITISE PURCHASES

Your living standards should be defined byyour income; its as simple as that. Grab anotebook, scribble down your income andyour outgoings and set out how much youcan save for investments and the balance is

what the experts ca ll your comfort corpusand what we call your fun fund.

2LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CREDIT CARDS

YOU HAVE, MAKE PAYMENTS BY THE

PAYMENT DUE DATE, KNOW THE INTEREST

RATES AND DONT EXCEED 80 PER CENT

OF YOUR CREDIT LIMIT

Its hard to keep track of multiple paymentdates and missing payments will cost youmoney and lower your credit score. Chooseone card and cancel the others. And dontlet anyone persuade you signing up to a newcard is a good idea.

3PAY BILLS ONLINE

If you set up automatic payments onlineyou will never be charged for late payment.You will also avoid processing fees.

4KEEP ALL THE PAPERWORK

You should hold onto all of yourstatements for two or three years. It willmake it easier to manage your expensesand act as a useful reference should anydiscrepancies arise.

5KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS

You can find out all about this onlineat www.consumerrights.ae and if youhave any trouble with your bank, you cancontact UAE Central Bank Control andInspection.UAE Central Bank Control and Inspection.

Tel: (04) 3939777

INVEST IN

PROPERTY

Before you startsearching for theperfect investmentproperty check outthese price comparisons

One-bedroomapartmentDubai Marina

September 2010Dhs1,137,105

December 2010Dhs1,080,626

One-bedroom

apartmentDowntown Dubai


December 2010Dhs1,628,291

Studio apartmentInternational City

September 2010Dhs281,726

December 2010Dhs243,947

One-bedroomMotor City

September 2010Dhs681,264

December 2010Dhs645,768

Three-bedroomvilla The Springs


December 20101,974,350

Statistics provided bywww.propertyfinder.ae



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Get fitJoin one of our three

favourite classes and sweat

in good company

KINETIC ZOOBilled as the anti-boot camp, KZ is run by our

very own Mr Fitness James Houghton andWhats On marathon guru Chris Miller. e ladspromise that the group tness programmes willchange once a month (so you wont get bored),

boost metabolism, increasestrength and generallymake you feel better. esessions are just 45 minutes

and you will be providedwith fat burning meal plansand recipes, recovery andregeneration strategies anda weekly body fat analysis.

ese guys dont mess about.From Jan 2, Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum AlMaktoum Sports Hall, Street 25A, off Al WaslRoad, Dubai, Sun, Tue and Thurs 6.15am to 7am,Dhs800 per month. Tel: (050) 4762704. www.theantibootcamp.weebly.com

TRXEver fancied becoming a Navy Seal? OK,pretending to be a Navy Seal? Well TRXwas created by one of those sea-going hardmen who wanted a way to train at any time,wherever he happened to be. Weve triedit. Its a strange, springy contraption thatcan be used to work out any part of yourbody, anywhere, any time. Or, at one of eAviation Clubs three weekly sessions.The Aviation Club, Garhoud, Dubai, Sun, Monand Wed from 6.15pm, Dhs50 per session. Tel:(04) 2833071. www.aviationclub.ae

CONTENDER MMAMixed martial arts (MMA) is the in thing at themoment, probably due to those angry chapsripping chunks o each other on the TV in theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC). eContender Mixed Martial Arts Training Centrein Dubai oers you the opportunity to unleashyour mean streak in a controlled environment.Pay a one o Dhs100 joining fee and you canenjoy MMA, Muay ai and boxing sessions for

just Dhs80.Contender Mixed Martial Arts Training Centre,Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, joining fee Dhs100,Dhs80 per session. Tel: (04) 3469990. www.contendermma.com

DetoxIts the classic resolution. Cut back on your bar bill, give

your liver a rest, have the tin of Quality Street wrenchedfrom your clammy grasp and get healthy. Frankly, we

cant be trusted to do it alone, so here are a few

programmes to kick-start 2011 the right way

THE ULTIMATE

WELLNESS

RETREATIn order to break out of your couch potatoroutine, a change of scene will help. e UltimateWellness Retreat includes six days and ve

nights at Bab al Shams desert resort, then a nalnight at Meydan racecourse hotel. Your staywill include full board (with nutritious food,of course), health assessment, use of the pooland spa facilities, group tness sessions, dailypersonal training, yoga, tai chi and meditation,private mentoring, inspirational talks, cookeryclasses, activities including archery, horse ridingand falconry, plus star gazing and astrology. isweek of wellness aims to see you shed 3 to 5kgand introduces you to health and tness expertsfrom PTX who will tailor your programmebased on the results of your assessment, givingyou the know-how to carry on with good diet

and regular exercise once you leave the hotel.From Dhs9,000 per person (based on twopeople sharing a double room). Tel: (056)7894026. [email protected]

THAI DETOXe lazy option, this one-hour treatmentinvolves massage and warm herb and mineralcompressions to relax and detox muscles. Muchmore enjoyable than drinking wheatgrass, andmore comfortable than colonic irrigation.Biolite Skin Clinic, Healthcare City, Oud Metha,Dubai, Dhs250. Tel: (04) 2096802

ELECTRO-DERMAL

SCREENINGIt sounds complicated, but this simple test isone of the most accurate ways of nding outwhich foods youre intolerant to. Your skinselectrical activity is used as a marker for howyour body responds to external stimulation,and aer a pain-free hour you will have a listof what you should avoid.The Dubai Mall Medical Centre, Dubai Mall,Dubai, Dhs550. Tel: (04) 4495111

RECIPE

Avocado Iced Tea byJimmy at Zuma

Gently detoxifies the liver, with natural sugarfor an energy lift

IngredientsHalf an avocadoOne lemon20ml of organic agave syrupGreen tea

Method

Start by steeping the green tea in hot water,making sure to leave it for no more then 30seconds to avoid a bitter taste. Once infused,

allow it to cool down.

Peel the avocado, then place it into a mixerglass - muddle it with a wooden spoon (donot blend as you want to keep the thickconsistency of the avocado).

Add the juice of a freshly pressed lemon, thenthe cooled green tea and the agave syrup.

Shake with ice cubes, then pour into a longglass.



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Learn

A MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTRemember that guitar that sat in thecorner of your teenage bedroom until youle home? ose dreams of becoming thenext Jimmy Page? Well, its never too lateand Abu Dhabis AKM Music Centre oersguitar, piano, drum and bass lessons. Aer

eight, 45-minute sessions and youll becaressing that axe like Hendrix.AKM Music Centre, Hamdan Street, Abu

Dhabi, Dhs400. Tel: (02) 6219929.www.akmmusic.net

A LANGUAGEParlez-vous Franais?Well you should. Andtheres no better place to learn than DubaisAlliance Franaise. ere are various courseson oer throughout the year from beginnerto intermediate. e rst course in 2011starts January 8, with further courses startingin March, May and June.

From Jan 8, Alliance Franaise, Bur Dubai andMall of the Emirates, Dubai, Dhs1,500. Tel: (04)3358712. www.afdubai.com

PHOTOGRAPHYGulf Photo Plus oers all manner ofphotography workshops, but if youre juststarting out visit their website and sign up toDigital Photography Level 1. Courses start inAbu Dhabi January 7 and Dubai January 14,but they run regularly throughout the year.From Jan 7, Gulf Photo Plus, various locationsDubai and Abu Dhabi, Dhs730.www.gulfphotoplus.com

ACTINGIf youve always fancied yourself as anactor, sign up to e Desert Monologuescourse and test your mettle. e workshopsdeal with scripts, improvisation andcharacterisation and at the end of the courseyou will be given the chance to record yourmonologues in a studio with professionalsound, lighting, make-up and costume.From Feb 10, Drama Workshops Dubai,DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates and The Fridge, AlQuoz, Dhs1,500 to Dhs2,000. Tel: (050) 9861761

Move houseWe know moving house in this part of the world can be a giant

headache (deposits, connections, movers, lost Allen keys) but for

a new lease of life in the UAE, it could be just what you need. And

prices are looking good. Heres the best bargains and latest trends in

property for 2011

JUMEIRAH LAKE

TOWERS

Many of us swapped a few letters last year andrelocated from JBR to JLT. However, the nextfew months are set to see this area blossom(while prices are staying low) with the Metronow open, more shops and hotels on the

horizon, and hopefully the lake in JumeirahLake Towers being sorted. You can pick upa studio for around Dhs40,000, a furnishedone-bed for Dhs60,000 and a two-bed foraround Dhs75,000.

Our pick:

Furnished one-bed in Indigo Tower, 792sqft,Dhs60,000

OFF THE BEATEN

TRACK

We all claim to be here to save money,but hows that working out for you? Ah.ought so. If youre really serious abouttightening your belt, then moving to cheaperaccommodation will have a massive impacton your bank balance. International City willremain popular next year (where you canget a studio for less than Dhs22,000), as willDiscovery Gardens, but the buzz in 2011 willbe about Al Quoz. Yup, the land of labourcamps and art galleries is getting residential.

Our pick:

One-bed in Al Khail Gate, 650sqft, Dhs28,000

including DEWA

SERVICED

APARTMENTS

eyre furnished, you pay rent monthly,short and long-term contracts are available,bills are usually included, and you get a maidservice thrown in. Whats not to like? In thepast, it was the price, with one-bed hotel and

serviced apartments nearly double the cost ofregular one-bed accommodation. With a glutof them on the market, landlords have gotrealistic and you can live in luxury without abillionaires bank balance.

Our pick:

Furnished one-bed in The Greens, 800sqft,Dhs8,000 per month

HIGH-END

NEIGHBOURHOODS

Viewings in areas that have previously beenperceived as out of most peoples price range areset to soar in 2011. e end of last year saw OldTown and Palm Jumeirah jump in popularity,with people biding their time to get the bargains.While Dubai Marina was the big daddy of 2010,renters are now looking for buildings with highquality nish and the cache of living in iconicareas, be it at the base of Burj Khalifa (and in thebuilding itself) or on the Palm.

Our picks:

One-bed in 8 Boulevard Walk, Old Town,938sqft, Dhs65,000 per year

One-bed in Royal Oceanic, Palm Jumeirah,800sqft Dhs55,000 per year



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

If you open your

wardrobe each

morning with a

sinking feeling,

then a bit of expert

advice might be in order.

La Vie en Mode helps you

chuck out those clothes you

should have given up yearsago, assists on buying key

items, sources tricky to find

pieces and offers personal

styling. The beauty and brains

behind the operation Sonia

Sheikh shares her top tips for

sorting out your image

THREE TIPS FOR REVAMPING YOUR

EXISTING WARDROBE

1Reorganise your closet so you can literallysee it differently and therefore pair items

together like never before. Reverse-engineeryour organisation method: if it was by colour,

consider organising by type of article; if it wasby type of article, consider organising by casualversus glam.

2Develop new ways to wear old items. Uselong pearl strands as belts, wear an ankle-

length skirt as a belted strapless dress, tuck flarepants into boots to create a parachute look... Letyour creative juices flow.

3Let go of your fashion fears. Pair itemsthat you may not have combined before,

like denim shorts with tights and purples withgreens. If it feels daring, go for it.

THREE ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR EVERY

WOMANS WARDROBE

1BLAZER The beauty of this item is that itdoes a tango between the masculine and

feminine, the formal and the casual, the preppyand the trendy, the smart and the sexy. Buyit oversized or unconstructed to maximise itsfashion value.

2LBDThere is the classic LBD, and then thereis the avant-garde black dress. Own one of

both. The first should be a body-hugging AudreyHepburn sheath style, and the second should becrafted of something utterly unexpected like lace,corduroy, beaded chiffon or leather.

3STILETTOSThis shoe combines theemotions of euphoria, admiration, panic

and justifiable credit card debt. You can neverhave enough. The right pair will help define thecurvature of your leg, offer height, confidenceand sass.

THREE MUSTHAVES FOR MEN

1

TAILORED SUIT NAVY OR GREY

Even if you only need a suit a couple oftimes a year, youll be glad to have it on handwhen those occasions arise. Navy or grey suitsare classic and neutral and can be dressed upor down. You can wear the jacket with jeansfor a more casual look, so this is an item worthspending some money on.

2WHITE DRESS SHIRT The quintessentialwhite shirt can be worn a number of

ways and goes with everything. Well worth theinvestment of having it tailored to your size.

3A TIE COLLECTION WHICH

REFLECTS YOUR PERSONALITYFrom Herms to H&M, bold colours topaisleys, wide to skinny (think Don Draper inMad Men), you can make this item the staplein your wardrobe and something that peoplewill associate only with you.

La Vie en Mode, Dubai, wardrobe revampingDhs200 per hour (minimum of two hours). Tel:(056) 6916950. E-mail: [email protected]

Improve

your image

BecharitableWhat can you spare?

AN HOURRiding for the Disabled are alwayslooking for volunteersto help with sessions.You dont need anyexperience with horses(although it helpsif youre condentaround them) as

volunteers simplylead the horse or walkbeside it, oering

assistance to the students.There are morning sessions at 9am and10am and afternoon sessions at 4pmand 5pm on various days through theweek.www.rdad.ae

FOODHelping Hands regularly puts togethercare packages for labour camp workersso next time you do your weekly shop,pick up the following; ai, Jasminor Biriyani rice, canned sh, tea bags,

1kg of sugar, Nido milk, tomato paste,noodles, cans of lentils, sunowercooking oil and a packet of sweetbiscuits.Tel: (050) 5671434.www.helpinghandsuae.com

JUNKWell, maybe not total junk, but i f youhave furniture or electrical goods thatare no longer wanted, then Take MyJunk will collect and redistribute tothose who need it.

Tel: (050) [email protected]

BOOKSGet yourself, and assorted possessions(books, toys, DVDs and clothes ingood condition), to the Holy TrinityThrift Store where they are sold for agood cause.Holy Trinity Church Compound, OudMetha, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3374947


28/92

FILM

28 WHATS ON JANUARY 2011

WHO?

TAGLINE

ONCE UPON A TIME...

IDEAL IF YOURE IN THE

MOOD TO...

WATCH THIS IF YOU

LIKE...

TOP TRIVIA

WHATS ON TEN WORD

REVIEW

RATE OR SLATE?

Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis,Vincent Cassel, BarbaraHershey, Winona Ryder, DarrenAronofsky (director)

From the director ofeWrestler

Top ballerina Nina Sayers (Portman)found herself in line for the lead rolein a production ofSwan Lake. But

fellow dancer Lily (Kunis) also hasher eye on the prominent dual partof the Black and White Swans.

Watch a superb celebration ofdance thats also a sublimelytwisted psychological thriller.

Previous Darren Aronofsky lmslike the awesome drug dramaRequiem For a Dream andeWrestler, aka the movie that restored

Mickey Rourke to high estate.

It took a decade to knock theBlack Swan screenplay into shape.

e lm of 2011 might havealready arrived.

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, JasonBateman, Kristen Wiig, SethRogen, Greg Mottola (director)

Prepare to meet Paul

Sci- convention nerds Graemeand Clive (Pegg and Frost)run into a real genuine extra-

terrestrial (essayed byKnockedUps Rogen).

Watch the new Morecambe andWise strut their wonderful stu.

Shaun Of e Dead, Hot Fuzzand Spaced, the ace Pegg/Frostsit-com that could been createdwith guys like Graeme and Clive

in mind.

Keen to get the part of Paul the aliendown, Seth Rogen consulted theprince of performance capture AndySerkis, who played Gollum in theLord Of e Rings lms and thegreat ape in King Kong.

Can our favourite Britssucceed in alienterritory?

PREVIEW

Jack Nicholson, Owen Wilson,Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd,Mark Linn-Baker, James LBrooks (writer-director)

A new comedy from writer-director James L Brooks

Former athlete Lisa Jorgenson(Witherspoon) became onecorner of a love triangle when

she fell for both ageing corporatetype Charles (Nicholson) and topbaseball player Matty (Wilson).

Remember what a goodromantic-comedy looks like.

As Good As It Gets, a lm whosesimilarity to How Do You Knowmight have something to do withit also being written and directed

by James L Brooks.

If being an Oscar-winning lm-maker wasnt impressive enough,James L Brooks also helped createe Simpsons.

Its nothing new, but its hard tofault the execution.

Black Swan PaulHow Do YouKnow

Black Swan How Do You Know The Fighter



FILM | NEW RELEASES

Max Thieriot, JohnMagaro, DenzelWhitaker, Zena Grey, NickLashaway, Wes Craven (writer-director)

Only one has the power to savetheir souls

Serial killer e Riverton Ripperreturned from the dead tomurder seven teens born the

night he died.

Watch a once great horrordirector destroy the legacy of hisgreatest creation, the sweater-wearing, talon-twirling FreddyKrueger Esquire.

Poor slashathons such as I KnowWhat You Did Last Summer.

Rogue Pictures sought topromote My Soul To Take byorchestrating a fake stabbing atthe lms premiere. Amazingly,no one lost their job over thistasteless asco.

Heres hoping Wes Craven hasan encounter with Mr Krueger.

Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz,Edward Furlong, ChristophWaltz, Jay Chou, Michel Gondry(director)

Cant you feel the buzz?

Suave newspaper publisher BrittReid (Rogen) decided that writingabout crime wasnt enough. His

plan? To tackle the problem headon neath the guise of e GreenHornet.

See a superhero movie thats inno danger of taking itself tooseriously.

e Iron Man pictures, sincetheyre also lms in which thehero is unlikely to collapse underthe weight of his own worthiness.

Jay Chou, who plays Reidspartner Cato, is a hugely popularsinger in his native Taiwan.

e actions hum-drum, but thejokes have some sting.

Jason Statham, DonaldSutherland, Ben Foster, MiniAnden, Tony Goldwyn, SimonWest (director)

Someone has to x the problems

Veteran assassin Arthur Bishop(Statham) decided that the bestway to get back at the men who

killed his boss Harry McKenna(Sutherland) was to train up hismentors son Steve (Foster).

Spend a couple of hours ndingout whether Jason Stathammeasures up to Charles Bronson,star of the originalMechanic.

Previous Statham slugfests suchas the Transporterand Crankpictures.

e Mechanic is based on thatrarest of things, a MichaelWinner lm thats actually quiteentertaining.

Could e Mechanic secureStathams position on the actionA-list?

PREVIEW

My Soul ToTake

The GreenHornet

The Mechanic

Mark Wahlberg, ChristianBale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo,Frank Renzulli, David O Russell(director)

A new lm from the director ofree Kings

Irish Micky Ward (Wahlberg)found himself transformedfrom journeyman to world title

contender by his half-brotherDicky Eklund (Bale).

See a corking sports movie whoseimprobable storyline is that muchmore remarkable for being true.

Priceless pugilism pictures such asRaging Bull. And if you enjoyedDavid O Russells Gulf War comedyree Kings, youll long to go 12

rounds with e Fighter.

Boxing fans should keep an eyeout for cameos from Sugar RayLeonard, Roy Jones Jr and GeorgeForeman.

e Fighteris Mark Wahlbergsbest movie since Boogie Nights.

The Fighter

The Green Hornet The Mechanic


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31/92

EATING OUT

JANUARY 2011 WHATS ON 31

When it comes to what we put in our

stomachs we at Whats On dont do

new year resolutions, especially when

were eating out. We deserve to treat

ourselves after securing an exclusive

interview with Jamie Oliver (p12),

after all. So in this, our rst Eating

Out of 2011, we have changed not

a sausage. We ate a lot of dessert at

multi-Michelin starred chef Yannick Allnos new

French restaurant Stay By Yannick Allno (p32),

devoured plate after plate of meat heavy Middle

Eastern grub at round the clock restaurant

Zaroob (p34) and visited Souk Al Bahars

wonderful Farmers Market (p36). Plus The Critic

on the foodie trends hed like to see in 2011 (p38)and what we thought of the burger at BoHouse

(p39). Happy new year to you all. And remember,

if seconds are oered, always accept.

Gareth Rees, Features Editor



EATING OUT

Stay by Yannick Allno

Michelin-starred chefYannick Allno bringsanother Frenchrestaurant to Dubai.But can it compete?

ere are already a lot of Frenchrestaurants in Dubai. Goodones at that. So one would think

that opening yet another Gallicculinary emporium to do battlewith the likes of Reets par PierreGagnaire, Traiteur and Whats Onfavourite La Petite Maison wouldbe a prospect to daunt even themost self assured chef.

Add to that the fact that Stayby Yannick Allno, or rather thelavish new One&Only hotel it callshome, sits a good 15 minute drivedown the trunk and around theWest Crescent of e Palm andyou begin to see how the odds were

stacked against the multi-Michelinstarred chef from the get-go.

But thats just it; YannickAllno is no run of the mill onionchopper. Chef at Le Maurice, theParisian restaurant awarded itsthird Michelin star in 2007, he isone of the most touted talents ine City of Light. And he doesntdo things by halves.

Allno has had a hand inall three of the One&Onlysrestaurants. Zest serves up MiddleEastern fare, 101 is a more relaxed

Mediterranean aair, while Stay

In tweet form Dubais newest Frenchrestaurant just about competes withthe big boys offering some of thebest desserts in the UAE. Follow us atWhatsOnDubaiand WhatsOnAbuDhabi

followme

Need to know

Location: One&Only, ThePalm, DubaiTel: (04) 4401010Web: www.thepalm.

oneandonlyresorts.comOpen: Tue to Sun 7pm to 11pmCuisine type: FrenchMust eat: smoked eel andpotato saladBill for two: Dhs600(without alcohol)

THE STEAKS ARENT HIGH

Few things warm the cockleslike a carvery. A traditionally

English feast, forget theroadside restaurants sosadly associated with themeaty meal and havelunch at The Exchange

Grill, where you can pileyour plate with wagyu

beef rump or the daily special(roast lamb, chicken, tuna orsalmon), carved at your table.Youll also get a house salad andyour choice of garlic mashedpotato or jalapeno creamed corn,all for Dhs99. And if you go onSunday or Monday, its buy onecarvery get one free.

The Exchange Grill, The Fairmont,Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Sun to

Thurs 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Tel: (04)3118316

WINE FOR DHS39We love Terra Firma, but it hascompletely stolen our heartswith this grape-soaked oer. Visitthis top-notch steakhouse for atwo-course meal during Januaryand February and you can addfree owing red or white winefor an extra Dhs39. Yup, you readthat right, less than Dhs40 forunlimited vino.Until end of Feb, Terra Firma,Al Badia Golf Club, FestivalCity, Dubai, Sun to Tue 7pm tomidnight. Tel: (04) 7011127

FELIZ CUMPLEAOS

SEVILLES!

To celebrate its tenth birthday,

Sevilles isnt just having acake it s sharing the love withyou guys. Throughout Januarythe lovely Latinos are oeringselected Torres wines for Dhs10per glass, Spanish beers forDhs10 and a selection of tapaspriced at Dhs10. Do you seea pattern yet? Even better,everyone who dines there thismonth could win a trip to Spain.Sevilles, Wafi, Oud Metha, Dubai,daily from noon to 1am onSat, Sun and Mon and 2am on

Tue, Wed, Thurs and Fri. Tel: (04)3244777

A trio of tasty

morsels to fill yournew year belly

On themenu

the only one of the three thatcarries the Frenchmans name ishis pice de rsistance.

e interior is certainlyimpressive. Done out in blackand white with silver chairs andpurple velvet booths decked withcushions and boasting a pastrylibrary Stays speciality it rivalsPierre Gagnaires Reets in thefancy pants stakes. But does the

food measure up? And is it worthtravelling to the farthest reaches ofe Palm for?

Well, it all started o nicelywith a delicate eel and potatosalad consisting of a handful ofdiced beetroot, several pieces ofpotato and too few cubes of thedeliciously smoked sh. Smokedeel is one of the most delectableavours known to man, you haveto agree and this was drizzledwith a beetroot mousse, which wasmore of a thin sauce, really.

e modern riviera saladwas a traditional salade Nioisepresented slightly dierently orbrought up to date, dependingon your perspective, by sittingthe ingredients on three halves ofcrunchy gem lettuce rather thanthe customary bed. Otherwise all

the usual suspects were present ripe cherry tomatoes, olives,potatoes, green beans, hard-boiledegg and canned tuna (seared loinwould have given it an edge).

Mains, we have to say, were alittle disappointing. A roasted duckbreast cooked rare wasnt bad byany stretch of the imagination, yetit lacked that silky richness thatcharacterises the best of birds. Butendives soaked in an orange saucegave it a little extra zing. en therewas the Dublin Bay prawn raviolithat sounded so promising. epasta was cooked to perfection, but

there wasnt a trace of lemon in thelemon butter sauce and as a resultthe dish tasted solely of butter.Simply too rich.

ankfully a jolly sommelier,friendly waiter and dessert, orrather desserts, saved the day.You can visit the pastry libraryand see your meals nale beingprepared. We just sat back untilpresented with a yard of the nestlooking puddings weve seen ina long while. eyre only Dhs45each and the best of them were a

meringue snowball lled with coldfruit sorbet, a sweet quince conttart, a Pims (a giant Jaa Cake) anda mille feuille boasting beautifullybrittle pastry. Worth the trip alone.Stay. Should you go? Yes.


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EATING OUT

Zaroob

Need to know

Location: Jumeira Tower,Sheikh Zayed Road, DubaiTel: (04) 3276060Open: daily 6am to 4amCuisine: LevantMust eat: Kofta manousheBill for three: Dhs180

We can imagine the boardroommeetings when a new hotelarrives here. We want an Asianrestaurant. Yes sir, well put somebamboo up and maybe someChinese characters on the wall.Very good, Id also like an Englishpub. No problem sir, some darkwood, stained glass and old signagecoming right up.

In a land where so much of ourdining out takes place in almost

always ve-star hotels, when anindependent spot opens it is wortha visit. We went to Zaroob withtwo pals on a ten-hour stopoverin Dubai (Just show us around,theres nothing we particularlywant to see. Awesome) who hadnever sampled Arabic food beforeand one admitted that meat feastpizzas had been a staple for the lasttwo years. Tough crowd.

Luckily, upon entering wewere collectively wowed by thedcor vast walls covered in

grati murals, raw wood shelving,gorgeous fabrics and an impressiveopen kitchen with various ovensroaring. eres dining upstairs, acasual bar set-up on the groundoor and a nice little spot onthe pavement nestled betweenskyscrapers, which is where weheaded.

Torn between wanting to showthe newbies some old faithfuls(lemon mint and cheese saj) andexploring the extensive Levantmenu, we ordered far too much

from the bandanad waiter andwatched as platter aer platterarrived. Hummous and haloumiobviously made an appearance,with the show stolen by manousheatbread with lamb, herbs andfreshly squeezed lemon, whichwas initially ordered to keep themeat feast lover happy. Falafel withtahini, cheese saj, meat shawarmawith pomegranate molasses,paper-thin pastry lled with creamcheese and honey, foul with addyour own tomato, red onion and

spring onions, saj with nutella and

In tweet form One of the most uniquerestaurants to open for ages. Arrive hungry andprepare to leave Zaroob a loyal fan. Follow usatWhatsOnDubaiandWhatsOnAbuDhabi

followme

caramelised bananas, all burstingwith freshness and enthusiasm,

and each dish impressing morethan the last. Its fair to say the out-of-towners were stunned.

Aer being a little, well, gung-howith the ordering we were bracedfor a stonking great bill. Not so. Amere Dhs5 for ve falafel, Dhs6 forshawarma, Dhs16 for a plateful ofsalty grilled haloumi, and that lambmanoushe for Dhs16. In fact, themost expensive item on the menuwas the Zaroob cocktail (Dhs39),which we were recommended asboth a drink and a dessert, an

explosion of avocado, strawberryand mango juice topped with theentire Spinneys fruit section thatsucceeded in terrifying our guestsas they tentatively picked grapesfrom it while exchanging fearfulglances.

Dont get us wrong, the food isknockout, the prices superb and

KABABS & KURRIES

We love kebabs. We love curries.Were not fans of bad spelling,but will put that aside in favourof a plateful of spicy goodness.

Adding to the vast array of outletsin The Souk at Abu DhabisCentral Market development, thisplace will fuel your shopping ortempt you out of the house for anIndian feast.

The Souk, Central Market, AbuDhabi. Tel: (02) 6282522

BURGERFUEL

New Zealand favourite Burgerfuelwill be opening a mammoth 15restaurants in the UAE, addingto its outlet on The Walk at JBR.Serving grass-fed, meat burgers,malt shakes and signature spud

fries this chain has clearly gotits sights set on overtaking FatBurger for our aections. Well letyou know how it gets on.Burger Fuel, The Walk, JBR, Dubai. Tel:(04) 4458220. www.burgerfuel.com

SUGAR DADDYS

Thought the cupcake crazewas on the way out? Wrong.If anything, 2011 will seethe diabetics enemy furthercovering the UAE in candy-coloured frosting. The latest isSugar Daddys stall in Iconic, theawesome concept store in DeiraCity Centre. Buy some jeans,pick up some homewares, havelunch at Wild Ginger and a takecupcake home.Sugar Daddys, Iconic, Deira CityCentre, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3448202

Hotter than a

sizzling plate of

fajitas, heres our

pick of this months

new openings

A taste ofthings to

come

A stylish new star on

Sheikh Zayed Road

service winning, but what charmedour socks o was Zaroobs style.

Simply unlike anywhere else inthe UAE, its blend of regionalinspiration, touches like themetal buckets for bathroom sinksand casual air means this bijourestaurant shines like a little beaconof hope for other independentsfrom the base of yet anotheranonymous skyscraper. Oh, and itwill be open 24 hours soon. oseve-stars better look out.


35/92



EATING OUT

Market dayThe Baker & Spice

UAE Farmers Market

at Souk Al Bahar is

back, offering local,

seasonal produce

from farms across

the Emirates. We

spent a morning

sniffing fresh basil

while,Yael Mejia,

the woman behindthe market told us

why its madness not

to eat local

Why did you start the FarmersMarket?Two years of sitting here andcrying over the stu peoplewere eating. Watching what thesupermarkets were selling mademe realise that people place no

value on produce that is grownhere in the UAE. A farmer sellinghis produce like this is an old wayof life that needs to be broughtback to remind people where theirfood comes from. It doesnt growin plastic on a supermarket shelf.Why do you think that is?Urban societies are so removedfrom food and where it comes

from that theyve forgotten whenit grows. So theyre happilybuying plums in the supermarketthat are six months old at the

moment and the apples are ayear old. People dont know thatso the supermarkets can do whatthey want.People just arent thinkingabout these things?e Internet is there. Informationis there. How can you not thinkabout something you are forcedto do three times a day? But somepeople dont, and supermarkets arethe result. Simple as that. Peoplehave ceded responsibility for theirhealth and their daily bread to

global business with an innocence

and complete abandon and thoseglobal businesses have then goneon to abuse it.So why should people be

eating local?For their health, for the avour.e produce at the FarmersMarket gets picked at the rightmoment because the journeyfrom eld to plate is reducedby a factor of 1,000. So nothinghas to be picked unripe then gothrough picking, packing, storing,shipping; 3,000 hands witheveryone wanting a cut. It leavesmore money in your pocket.Isnt that a good reason? Its goodfor the environment. Isnt that a

good reason? Do you have to eat

strawberries that come here on anaeroplane? No.Is it possible to eat regional allyear round?

You could only eat regionalproduce, yes. An area called eFertile Crescent, just north ofhere, is where agriculture began.Local, no. e season runs fromDecember to April or May andthats it. en it all dies down.But then the rest of the regionstarts producing. So India, Iran,Afghanistan, Lebanon and Syriaall burst into bloom.And right now?e winter season is wonderful.Now everything is available. e

rest of the time I buy from Oman,

Yael Majia at her stall

Going shopping with

Rivington Grill's Liz Stephenson



EATING OUT

Time to

cookRivington Grill head pastry chefLiz Stevenson shows us what

to do with our fresh, seasonal

ingredients

WHATS ON'S SHOPPING

BASKET

Two tomatoes (Abu Dhabi

Organics, Dhs2) Bunch of chives (AbuDhabi Organics, Dhs10)

Six eggs (Abu DhabiOrganics, Dhs10)

Mixed peppers (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs30) Purple spinach (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs9) Granola (Baker & Spice, Dhs18) Laban (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs20) Award-winning honey (Abu Dhabi Organics,

Dhs100) Box of dried dates (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs20)

OMELETTE

INGREDIENTS

One tbsp olive oil, four eggs,one tomato, three or fourchives, salt and pepper

METHOD

Blanch the tomato in boiling water for 30 secondsand submerge in ice water. Peel o the skin,quarter, remove the seeds and dice into smallpieces. Chop the chives and set aside. Break theeggs into a bowl and season with the salt andpepper. Do not over mix the eggs, as this will be

done in the pan. Heat a small saucepan over amedium heat with the olive oil. Add the eggs andmix with a fork, moving quickly. Allow the base toset slightly and place the tomatoes and chives ontop. Fold half of the omelette on top of itself andcontinue to cook until the centre is just set (notrunny, but nice and loose).

SALAD

INGREDIENTS

150g mixed peppers (red, yellow, green, purple ororange), ve leaves of torn fresh basil, 20 to 30gm

purple spinach, 30g goats cheese, cut into smallcubes, pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepperto taste.

METHOD

Slice the peppers in half and remove the seedsand inner white esh. Cut into large cubes. Placein a bowl with the basil. Tear the basil, rather thanchop it, as this will spare the leaves from bruising.Wilt the spinach in a steamer, microwave, or ontop of a small cooling rack placed over a pan ofboiling water. Remove from heat, cool and placein the salad. Add the goats cheese and drizzlewith olive oil. Season with sea salt and crackedblack pepper.

GRANOLA

INGREDIENTS

100g (one cup) of granola,150g (just over a cup) of laban,one tbsp honey, 20 to 30g (four to vepieces) chopped dried dates

METHOD

Place the granola in the base of a bowl, pour thelaban over top and drizzle with honey. Add thechopped dates.wonderful agriculture there. I

buy from India, Lebanon, Syriaand Jordan. Why do I have to buyfrom the USA and Australia?

And how should regularconsumers shop?

People should go to marketsinstead of shopping clinically.In the Deira fruit and vegmarket youll nd regional food.Carrefour does a lot of regionalstu. e French love their foodand these guys have done theirhomework. And read the labels.Simple.Fridays, UAE Farmers Market, next toBaker & Spice, Souk Al Bahar, Dubai,

10am to 5pm. Tel: (04) 4252240.

www.bakerandspiceme.com



James Brennan knowsfood. Having written oneverything from bhajis

to burgers for a string ofinternational publications,James is now the

Middle East chairmanof the Worlds 50 BestRestaurants judging panel.Dont miss his monthlymusings every issue.

THE CRITIC

A year ends and another begins,and the restaurant world girds itsmetaphorical loins for another12 months of grub. It wouldnt bean act of clairvoyance to predictwhat chefs and restaurateurs have

got in store for us this year. Buthere are ve food trends that Idlike to see in 2011.

1The abolition ofculinary foamYes, yes, we all know that

its used to bolster the avourof a dish without bulking it upwith thick sauces and heavyreductions, but does it have tobe used on every plate? Foammay have been developed bymolecular genius Ferran Adria,

but hes been copied for far too

long by seemingly every two-bitchef from Jumeirah to Jakarta.Its no longer innovative orimpressive. Besides, it looks vile.At best its like the scum le ona beach aer a chemical spillage;at worst it looks like something

hocked up by a Jebel Ali docker.Lets call it a day, shall we?

2Go easy on thetuilesIn case you dont know

them by name, tuiles are wafers,which these days appear toadorn every single dessert on theface of the planet. I have nothingagainst them in theory, but theyare oen badly executed andtotally superuous. Biscuit tuiles,when used appropriately, I can

tolerate. But all too frequently Ind sticky, stodgy tuiles madefrom sugar or nougatine, stickingout of a scoop of perfectly goodice cream, like a ap of peeledpaint thats fallen o a dampceiling. And if I really want toclog my teeth up with gunk, Illchew on a tube of superglue.anks.

3The correction ofoverly attentivewaiters

ey perform a vital service, but

I want them to wait on me, notchat me up, sit on my lap andthen spoon-feed me. Wire themup to some kind of electric shockequipment and give me a button.As soon as they come too close,or ask me if Im enjoying my meal

the second I place a huge forkfulof steak into my mouth, zap! Afew well-placed volts should putthings right.

4More localingredientsSounds so simple, doesnt

it? But something odd is goingon with locally grown ingredientsfrom the estimated 40,000farmers in the UAE. Most oftheir produce is exported, whilethe majority of the food we eat

is imported. I understand thatsome items cant be grown here,but until we start promoting andrespecting the locally grown stuwell have a carbon footprint likeSasquatch in moon boots.

5Lay off thehammourIts overshed and over-

used, so isnt it about time somehigh-prole restaurants gavethe poor hammour a bit of abreather? Make it your new years

resolution not to eat hammourfor at least 12 months, andperhaps theyll get the message.Knowing my luck, the newcraze for 2011 will be Peruvianhammour in culinary foamwith a nougatine tuile wedgedup its backside, delivered by apsychopathically over-familiarwaiter, but you can always hope.

ITS LIKE THE SCUM LEFT ONA BEACH AFTER A CHEMICALSPILLAGE; AT WORST ITLOOKS LIKE SOMETHINGHOCKED UP BY A JEBEL ALI

DOCKER



BoHouseA surprisingly

good late openingrestaurant with an

arty streak

ere are a few decent places tograb a bite to eat on e Walk,but even if there werent, everycaf, burger joint and coeehouse would still be overrunwith hungry punters.

e kilometre-long stretchrunning roughly from Le Royal

Mridien hotel to the SheratonJumeirah Beach Resort backson to JBR; prime real estate forthose living the Dubai dream.e Walk is where you go fora twilight stroll, pre-beachbreakfast or a convenientevening nibble.

So why, with a few notableexceptions such as e ButcherShop and Grill and, at a push,Pizza Express, is it so dicultto nd good food outside of thehotels?

We dont have the answer,unfortunately, but we havefound another establishment toadd to that short list of notableexceptions.

BoHouse looks like a trendycontemporary art gallery on theinside very white, lots of shinyplastic but you should take atable on the sizeable outdoorterrace, despite the regrettable

view of the beach car park.Of the two appetisers we

enjoyed, the shrimp cakes were

the real surprise. Light andspringy and not at all rubberyas they oen can be. e veg

What's On | January 2011

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