Home World is an authentic Chinese restaurant specialising in Cantonese cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine. Based in the China Cluster of International City its interior will simply blow you away, the contrast is so great with its exterior and surroundings. It’s what we call a sleeper in the automotive world. Basically, it looks plain … Continue reading Home World – International City
Rivas, which means Rhubarb in Persian, is a Persian-Iranian restaurant franchise with very strong ties to the now-closed Niloo’s. Where Niloo’s targeted top end casual/borderline fine dining, Rivas brings quality Persian-Iranian food to the mass market through food court outlets in al-Barsha Mall, Academic City and this one in Dubai Knowledge Park where their central … Continue reading Rivas – Dubai Knowledge Park
Calicut is one of the oldest restaurant-cafés in Ras Al Khaimah. It’s maybe 40 years old, my local host, Abdul-Latif told me. Located in Sidroh, one of the original parts of town, Calicut is distinguished by a big yellow Lipton sponsored signboard and a small, very popular veranda on the outside. Inside it’s a classic, … Continue reading Calicut – Sidroh, Ras Al Khaimah
The Freemasons Arms is an upmarket gastropub on Downshire Hill in Hampstead. Its handsome interior, split between dining area, lounge and bar, has boutique written all over it. It’s an interior which could have quite easily have been designed by Ralph Loren. On a sunny summer day or even a warm breezy evening (as we … Continue reading The Freemasons Arms – Hampstead
3 Fils is one of those darling restaurants which I find difficult to write about without pissing people off. And that’s because, although I think it’s good, I don’t think it’s nearly as good as all the hype. Located in the picturesque Jumeirah Fishing Harbour off Jumeirah Beach Road, you’ll easily walk past 3 Fils’s … Continue reading 3 Fils – Jumeirah 2
Sangeetha is a South Indian, 100% vegetarian restaurant franchise from Chennai. This al-Nahda branch on Amman Street is the forth I have visited and carries on in the same slightly fuddy-duddy, in definite need of an upgrade, corporate uniform. Why they don’t upgrade all branches to look like the fabulously funky al-Ghurair branch is a … Continue reading Sangeetha – al-Nahda
Nur Malaysia is an authentic Malaysian restaurant on the fringe of Oud Metha, near the Malaysian Trade Center. It’s where Rasa Sayang used to be. Its interior doesn’t look very different from Rasa Sayang; it’s simple and homely but in this incarnation, not particularly Malaysian. Nor was it very clean; our table had crumbs all … Continue reading Nur Malaysia – Oud Metha
Bestoon Samad is the original Iraqi Semeç Masgûf (Arabic: سمچ مسگوف) specialists from Kirkuk in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan). This fifth branch of theirs is located in the Al Ghurair Shopping Center beside Xiao Long Bao masters, Din Tai Fung, and follows the same unique (and much copied) inside-of-a-castle, stone and wood corporate uniform. Masgûf (freshwater … Continue reading Bestoon Samad – al-Rigga
Kishmish, which means raisin in Persian and Dari, is a boutique Afghan restaurant unlike any other in Dubai today (other than my favourite Wakha in al-Barsha). Located in the upmarket Dar Wasl mini-Mall on al-Wasl Road, Kishmish is all about presenting Afghan cuisine in a modern, trendy way and as such, its interior is more … Continue reading Kishmish – al-Safa
China Sea is an authentic Chinese restaurant (from Tsingtao in the Shandong Province) in Deira. Located in a two-story stand-alone building on Al Maktoum Street just past the Clock Tower (behind Emirates gas station and car wash), China Sea has been around for ages and is today nothing less than a Dubai landmark. Its stereotypical … Continue reading China Sea – Al-Rigga
