Another player in the Dubai brunch scene has just recently emerged and Mark and I got to sample their offerings in yet another remarkable #ZomatoMeetup. Special thanks to Zomato UAE and The Palace Downtown. Thank you for making Mark's first #ZomatoMeetup experience an awesome one! :)

I must admit that it took me a while before I finally grasped how Friday brunches are just a usual thing in Dubai. But although Friday brunches are mainstream, each restaurant still has its own way of making their brunch standout.

Another member of Dubai's brunch scene is the newly launched Tapas Fridays at The Huddle Sports Bar and Grill in Citymax Hotels in Bur Dubai. Conveniently located in Al Mankhool, Bur Dubai, just a few blocks away from our place, Mark and I sampled a Spanish-style Friday brunch.

One fine night, Cat and I got to explore the best of American cuisine at the sundeck of Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Special thanks to Zomato and JBH, we got to indulge on food, drinks, and desserts especially made by no less than the American culinary legend and celebrity chef, Chef Sammy Demarco.

For my first food trip in Dubai for 2016, we had it at Liwan Restaurant. Mark took me out on a dinner date to Liwan Restaurant one Friday night, special thanks to the dinner voucher that Al Ghurair Rotana gave him. :p

We've both been to the restaurant and have already experienced their buffet during Iftar, which we both liked by the way, so I was more than excited when Mark brought me back for another dinner buffet.

Friday brunches are a common thing here in Dubai for families, both locals and expats alike. I've been in Dubai for a little over year, and I have already observed how they take Friday (or weekend) brunches so passionately. And while almost all hotels here offer brunches, each still has their own way of making their brunch stand out.

Our Romantic Escape in Nour Arjaan came with a complimentary dinner at Murjan Cafe. Breakfast and lunch were also offered to us for complimentary during our stay.

We arrived at the hotel past lunch time and the almost two-hour travel surely made us hungry, so we went ahead to have our late lunch at Murjan Cafe after we got our things settled in our suite.

One fine Friday afternoon, Mark and I found ourselves indulging in a festive spread yet again, this time at Dusit Thani Dubai.

We arrived at the hotel a little past noon and were welcomed by the Thai musicians playing traditional Thai instruments, serenading us with a soothing music that filled the air.

Brunches seem to be a conventional affair for families in Dubai especially during weekends, Fridays more often. I must admit that I was overwhelmed during my first Friday Brunch experience which made me look forward to having to experience more of it. I have already experienced a couple of Friday Brunches, and each has its own way of making a lasting impression.

Got to experience another Friday brunch with Mark this time at Nosh Restaurant in Movenpick Hotel in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. When I knew that they will be offering Thai Festival for the Friday Brunch, I was more than excited since I haven't quite tried eating Thai dishes before.

Mark and I have been to a couple of Friday Brunches already, but we haven't been to Theme Night dinners yet. So when an invitation to try one of the Theme Nights from Arabesque Cafe came our way, we gladly welcomed it with big appetites. :p

Arabesque Cafe is the in-house restaurant at Arjaan by Rotana in Dubai Media City. It offers delectable worldly buffets in their special Revamped Theme Nights. We got to try out the Arabian Flavour which is every Thursday night.

Complimentary breakfast for two at The Gallery was included in our weekend staycation at Burjuman Arjaan by Rotana. Our luxurious and homey stay was coupled with a hearty international breakfast the following day.

The Gallery is easily accessible from BurJuman Arjaan by Rotana's main entrance and from the BurJuman Centre. The restaurant has that cozy and casually elegant ambience which was still at par with the hotel's facilities.

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.

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.

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.