West Lake Spring is an authentic, unlicensed Chinese restaurant near Nasser Square. Located in the African Bank Building near Jesco Supermarket, it is one of several Chinese restaurants to cater (almost exclusively) to the growing Chinese tourist industry in Dubai. Operators bring Chinese tourists in by the busload. The interior is modest, well-used, and stereotypically … Continue reading West Lake Spring – Baniyas
Zucca, a pizzeria at Café Court in Wafi Mall, has now become Pizza Station. The change seems to have brought nothing new but the name and signboard. Everything else looks exactly the same. Like most people I love pizza. Sadly Pizza Station isn’t the best example of a good, Italian pizzeria. The staff, both in … Continue reading
Kitchen Nation is an amazing concept. It basically acts as an incubator for culinary start-ups, offering them a base in JLT to take their first steps into the hugely competitive world of the restaurateur. Located on the ground floor of Lake Shore Building in Cluster Y, Kitchen Nation boasts one of the bigger kitchens I’ve … Continue reading Kitchen Nation – Cluster Y, JLT
Noor Al Mandi is a newly opened Yemeni mandi restaurant located just after the second fly-over on Umm Suqeim street in Barsha 2. It is a branch (the second) of famous mandi masters of the same name in Amman Street, Al Nahda. The interior is an all bright-and-shiny affair, with a narrow stair case leading up to … Continue reading Noor Al Mandi – Barsha 2
Thunder Road is an amazing, American themed restaurant, pizzeria and bar (rolled into one) at the Barracuda Beach Resort in Khor Al Baida, Umm Al Quwain. Its funky interior could be from a set out of an American sitcom, with cool touches, like a shipping container converted into its bar, adding to the appeal. The … Continue reading Thunder Road – Barracuda, Umm Al Quwain
Qinghaihu is an authentic Chinese restaurant in the China Cluster of International City, Dubai’s unofficial China Town. It’s located next door to Wenzhou, the famous Chinese speciality supermarket and one of my favourite Chinese restaurants in International City, Sun Tour. Like many of the Chinese restaurants in the area, Qinghaihu specialises in Xinjiang cuisine, the … Continue reading Qinghaihu – China Cluster, International City
Xiao Wei Yang is an authentic Chinese / Mongolian hotpot franchise with four branches scattered across Dubai, this most recent one in Barsha-1 included. The interiors are much the same; simple, for the most part clean, and in typical Chinese style, with common dining area in the middle and private dining rooms on the sides. … Continue reading Xiao Wei Yang Hotpot – Barsha-1
Yashar Palace is Dubai’s newest, authentic Persian-Iranian restaurant. Sandwiched between TGI Friday’s and the Turkish Village near the Grand Mosque beside Spinneys in Jumeirah 1, it is also one of the largest. The front half of the restaurant has a skylight ceiling covered with (plastic) vine plant creepers giving the room a bright, natural look/feel…a … Continue reading Yashar Palace – Jumeirah 1
Khoory Special (Khass) Kabab is a simple, old school, South Iranian restaurant behind the Ramada Hotel in Hor Al Anz. It has not one, but two unique selling propositions: amazing kababs, and fresh, on-site baked Sangak flat bread. The interior of the restaurant is…um, really red, and wouldn’t look out of place as a Chinese … Continue reading Khoory Special Kabab – Hor Al Anz
Indo Indo Seafood & Grill is a casual dining, Indonesian seafood restaurant in Cluster D of JLT. Located at lake level, it’s right next door to Mexican bad boys, Chalco’s. The interior is minimalistic (b-o-r-i-n-g), with a grey epoxy-style floor, blacked-out, exposed ceiling, and simple wooden tables and benches. A single life saver on the wall … Continue reading Indo Indo Seafood & Grill – Cluster D, JLT
