With only a couple of weeks left before Ramadan, aside from our Muslim brothers getting ready for this holy month, restaurants and hotels alike are also gearing up for their Iftar and Suhoor offerings—ranging from traditional feasts to lavish and extravagant ones.

Being the social butterfly that I am NOT, I usually just go out when I'm with Mark. :p And considering our crazy schedules, Saturdays are the only days that we get to go out. That's also the same reason why I accept an invite only if it falls on a Saturday.

I haven't been to a lot of Iftar feasts this year, too bad my schedule didn't permit. I had no choice but to turn down Iftar invitations, but I also made sure not to miss one that has always been close to my heart. And so for our last Iftar this Ramadan, Mark and I got back to where we first experienced an Iftar like no other—a Royal Iftar in no less than Radisson Blu in Deira.

Ramadan is about to end in a little over a week from now. What seemed to have started just a couple of days ago is actually more than halfway through. While I do not observe fasting and abstinence, I make sure to embrace the Ramadan season by joining Iftar invitations. Apart from the feeling of togetherness during Iftar feasts, with generosity being a basic tenet of the month of Ramadan, I enjoy it even more if it's an Iftar for a cause.

While Iftar dishes are undeniably delicious—from starters and Arabic mezze to sumptuous mains and decadent desserts—there's also no denying that most of the yummy ones tend be the unhealthy ones too. But imagine if you can indulge into an Iftar feast minus the guilt...seems impossible, eh?

Ramadan Kareem! It's the time of the year again, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the holy month of Ramadan. A month-long observance of prayer, fasting, charity work, and of course, Iftar and Suhoor feasts.

A couple of weeks back, I got to indulge into another lavish Iftar buffet, this time at Liwan restaurant in Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana. I was actually invited to the Iftar night for bloggers and media, but it's a weekday and my schedule didn't permit. Good thing Ferry was able to arrange a night for Mark, Cherry, and I on the following weekend.

As part of the hotel’s 40th anniversary celebration, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek invites guests to enjoy the vast buffet for Iftar. Mark and I have already tried their Friday Brunch and we enjoyed it, so we obliged when we got another invite for their Royal Iftar on the second night of Ramadan.

We already had our Friday Brunch at The Fish Market and Shabestan (will share more details on my next post), so we chose to have our Iftar at Minato this time. Minato is one of Radisson Blu's restaurant which takes pride of their unsurpassed hospitality and their authentic Japanese cuisine including hand-crafted sushi and teppanyaki.

Just when you think that Iftar always has to be an Arabic dinner, Eataly has created a special menu for breaking your fast during Ramadan with an Italian twist . Cherry and I were invited to grace the Iftar preview in Eataly at the Dubai Mall a few weeks back.

We were served with breads and a glass of Jallab while waiting for our orders to be served. As I've read and as what Mark has also been telling me, fasting during Ramadan is usually broken by eating dates first, so I thought having it in a form of a drink was a brilliant idea.

Ramadan is drawing near and is expected to begin in barely a couple of weeks from now. Although we have Filipino Muslim brothers back home, I never really knew anything about Ramadan, except for them having to fast and pray for the whole month. And I, being a Catholic and a first-timer in the UAE, am very much excited to finally get to witness and have a first-hand experience of Ramadan.

I only knew of Ramadan as having to fast for hours until sundown, when everyone then gets to go to prayer, break their fast, and eat. It was only until I got an invite for a pre-Ramadan Iftar (Arabic term for breakfast; the evening meal when Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset) that I knew that breaking the fast would also mean having a feast, an extravagant feast I must add, and that almost all hotels and restaurants here offer sumptuous and lavish feasts for Iftar.

PRESS RELEASE

Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre is ready to nourish you and your loved ones with a variety of offers to enjoy this Holy month of Ramadan.

Gather your family around the table and relish the Ramadan feast for Iftar and Suhoor prepared by Executive Chef Andreas and Chef Mama’s pan-Arabian delights, traditional sweets and savoury delicacies with a Moroccan twist. With its mouth-watering buffet and best family- friendly setting in town, Medley is the ideal place of choice to experience the true spirit of the month.

Prolong your experience at Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre’s Azure lounge by choosing your favorite flavour of Shisha from 13 different options while gazing over Old Dubai’s skyline.