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.

I started using the Zomato app just a couple of months back, after Mark has finally convinced me. Yes, Mark was also just relatively new, but he was the more active Zomato user between us two.

I believe I just had 3 reviews, if I remembered it right, when I was invited to meet with one of the Zomato staff to get my account verified, until I was eventually invited to my first ever Zomato Meetup. Everything came to me by surprise to which I felt excited and anxious at the same time.

Photo grabbed from Inna :)

I was caught up in traffic so I arrived past the 7:30 pm meeting time. They were already starting with some discussions when I made my most dreaded 'grand entrance'. I'm not a social butterfly, you know, and having to mingle with people I barely know, not to mention them coming from different races, is definitely not my cup of tea.

But I somehow felt a little at ease when I saw that Pallavi (who I already met when my Zomato account was verified) and Inna (Radisson Blu's PR & Marketing Director who I now consider as a friend, I hope she feels the same way too..haha!) were there. At least I know two persons in the group. Haha! :p

This refreshing peach and lychee iced tea was a good way to calm me down. :)

I got to know the rest of the group when we were asked to introduced ourselves (yes, I was able to talk. Yay!). Then our Chinese feast began. And when I say feast, I meant FEAST!

Shiitake mushrooms were served along with some dumplings and clear veggie soup for our starters. I loved the mushrooms that I totally forgot to take a photo of it. The soup didn't really appeal to my palates but I loved how there was a generous serving of vegetables which tasted fresh. Among the chicken, shrimp, and vegetable dumplings, the shrimp dumpling (har gau) was my favorite!

Clear Mixed Vegetables Soup

Chicken, Shrimp, and Vegetable Dumplings

Bamboo canisters of dimsum and dumplings, and plates of Chinese specialties came one by one until there was barely a space on the lazy susan. Food was overflowing! :D

Also part of the starters were the Crispy Cucumber Salad Tossed in Garlic, pickled cabbage and roasted peanuts. The cucumber with garlic was something new to me, which my palates definitely approved. The pungent flavor from the fresh garlic was balanced out by the refreshing taste of the thin cucumber slices. I remember it also had that tangy kick which I believe is from vinegar and lemon juice.

There's also this cute Char Siew Bao, in chicken of course, which I thought would be better if there was more filling.

Steamed Honey Chicken Char Siew Bao

I've already tried the Peking Duck Wraps during one of our brunches in Radisson Blu, but it was only during the meetup at The China Club when I got to appreciate them more. I love how the pecking duck meat was tender and didn't have that fishy/slimy taste. The nutty taste of the sweet sauce also brought out that distinct peking duck flavor. I also loved how the wrapper was just thin yet sturdy which kept the filling intact without having to overpower the flavors.

Peking Duck Wraps

The Deep Fried Prawns with Sweet and Sour Sauce were what I kept digging my fork into. Layers of textures play with my palates as I sink my teeth into the crispy batter coated in thick sweet and tangy sauce, down to the slightly sweet, supple, and juicy prawns. The sesame seeds added that nutty flavor and texture as well. This is one of my favorites!

Deep Fried Prawns with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Another personal favorite is the Black Pepper Beef Fillet. Thin slices of tender beef coated in a savory and well-seasoned sauce melt in my mouth in every bite. The distinct taste of black pepper was there but I loved how the dish wasn't that spicy at all.

Black Pepper Beef Fillet

The Chongqing Style Hot and Spicy Crispy Chicken was an eye candy, but it just tasted alright. Compared to the prawns and beef, this dish wasn't something to rave about. I loved how it wasn't oily but didn't like how it was on the dry side too. The chicken meat didn't have that juiciness. It's good though that it just had that spiciness which is still tolerable for my palates.

Chongqing Style Hot and Spicy Crispy Chicken

I'm not really a fan of fish dishes, let alone a steamed one, so the Steamed Black Cod with Supreme Soya and Spring Onions didn't touch my picky palates. I must admit though that the dish looked really tempting. I'm sure Mark will love this as he's a big fan of fish!

Steamed Black Cod with Supreme Soya and Spring Onions

We also had Wok Fried Broccoli with Garlic and Mushrooms. The vibrant color of the broccoli shouts out freshness. It was cooked to perfection, yet still maintaining that crunch which I like. The garlicky flavor was also evident and the mushrooms had that slight sweetness which was perfect with the well-seasoned sauce.

Wok Fried Broccoli with Garlic and Mushrooms

We were also served with Yang Chow Fried Rice to go with the delectable mains. There's a lot going on in this small cup of rice but I loved how the flavors complemented each of the ingredients.

For desserts, we had this little orange balls. Unassuming as it may seem, these balls of goodness have more to offer. I forgot to take note of the name but it's fried glutinous rice with sweet potato mash or pumpkin mash filling, at least that's what my taste buds say. They were actually more like the butchi that I used to grow up with, just with fewer sesame seeds.

Another simple looking dessert, China Club's Ba Si is definitely not to be missed. With the same outer crust as the orange balls above, encapsulating some ripe plantain chunks, this caramelized banana fritter became my instant favorite! The vanilla ice cream was also a nice addition.

Famous China Club Caramelized Banana Fritter Ba Si with Vanilla Ice Cream

The China Club not only boasts of its authentic Chinese cuisine, but also its authentic Chinese cultural heritage which is evident in their interiors. I must also say that Radisson Blu's commendable customer service has been very consistent in all their restaurant that I've been to, now including The China Club.

In between bites, stories on food, travel, life, and laughter filled the air as we went along with our gastronomic feast. It was indeed an amazing night. The social butterfly in me somehow got to spread its teeny tiny wings as I became more at ease knowing that there are people who I share the same interests with, and that is no less than our love and passion for good food. :D

For updates about Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, you can visit and like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RadissonBluDXB, or follow them on Twitter: @RadissonBluDXB, and on Instagram: @radissonbludxb. You can also visit their website at www.radissonblu.com/hotel-dubaideiracreek

THE CHINA CLUB
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
Bani Yas Road, P.O. Box 476
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone +971 (4) 222 717
www.radissonblu.com/hotel-dubaideiracreek
Nearest Metro Station: Union (Green Line connecting to Red Line)

We were guests at The China Club and our meal was complimentary, but as always, this post is sincerely written and all views and opinions are my own.

      sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       @kriskamarie   @kriskamarie

They say that first love never dies. They also say that love is lovelier the second time around. Wait, what? Where did that come from? Oh sorry! Kindly pardon the hopeless romantic in me. :p

It's just that I can't help but feel all giddy when I got another invite for a dinner cruise on board Radisson Blu, Dubai Deira Creek's Old Lady, the Al Mansour Dhow. I had fun during our first time, so Mark and I felt privileged trying it out the second time and gracing the launch of the newly-renovated Al Mansour Dhow a couple of weekends back.

Just like before, we immediately experience the Arabic hospitality and warmth as we mounted the vessel. We were served with welcome drinks and canapés as we were ushered to our seats.

SPONSORED POST

As the holy month of Ramadan is a time of sharing, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek has yet again came up with another offer which will surely allow guests to enjoy all the comfort a Royalty deserves.

Photo by: Alex Jeffries | Instagram: @alexjamesjeffries

Along with a not-to-be-missed Iftar promotion at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, they have also created a special campaign for social media.

A few stuffed toy camels took a break from roaming the desert to join the sharing spirit of Ramadan. I received mine a couple of days back and named her Cammie. :)

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.

Mark and I had such a fun experience during our dhow cruise dinner care of Radisson Blu Hotel in Deira. So when I got another invite from Radisson Blu, I knew that it would be something not worth missing out on.

We were again invited by Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai Deira Creek a couple of weeks back to try out their Kids Are Kings Family Brunch at the Fish Market, which offers a delectable sea-worthy selection inspired by Fish Markets of Thailand.

Mark was still nursing an injured leg, so I had to walk him through the buffet spread first so he can choose. I was only expecting plates of seafood not until I saw the rest of the spread. The brunch is apparently a collaboration among Radisson Blu's restaurants and Fish Market is just one of the hosts.

Mark and I do not really go out on "romantic" dates. You know, all the dressing up, dinner  by candle light, slow soothing background music, and a romantic setting, it's just not our thing. Although I, I mean the hopeless romantic in me, must admit that from time to time I'd picture ourselves in that setting too. Ehem! Ehem!

It was also only once that I decided to arrange a "romantic" dinner for us via a dinner cruise along Manila Bay when Mark and I were still back home, but it was postponed once until it was finally put to a halt and never materialized because of the bad weather. You can read the story about it here and here. :) And since then, I decided to just let go of the idea and just stick with our usual dates. But I'm still not closing my doors. Hi Mark! Hahaha! :p

So imagine my delight when I got an invite from Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, for a dinner cruise on board their Al Mansour Dhow. And of course, the hopeless romantic in me suddenly awakened and got more excited too!

So there, last Friday, Mark and I finally experienced a dinner cruise that we never got to have back then. Seeing the Al Mansour Dhow as we were nearing the Dubai Creek already got  me all giddy, more so when we mounted the vessel.