Aside from Filipino food, Filipino-themed gastro-pubs and night clubs have also been one of the most effective coping mechanisms of our fellow Filipino expats here in Dubai. You'll most likely find Filipino clubs, either in Deira or Bur Dubai, bustling with Filipinos (and other expats alike) during weekends.

Downtown Cafe (DTC) got me really excited and curious at the same time when an invitation to try them out was sent to my email. With its namesake, I initially thought that a Burj Khalifa view or a Downtown Dubai view might be part of what the restaurant has to offer.

With Dubai's sprawling selection of culinary destinations, it's really hard to pinpoint which is the best. Some claim that they are, while some say otherwise.

Our month took off with a good bao and slider fix when we dined at London Slide for dinner, a couple of weekends back.

Nice ambience, good food, excellent service, and great views—I found them all at Walnut Grove's newest branch in Dubai Mall. Oh and their huge cake slices; I think I'm in love!

We had a hearty dinner at Bambooda for Mark's birthday last week.  Haven't had Thai food in a while so I was very much excited for this night, too.

I've been seeing and hearing about Raju Omlet for quite some time. I've heard a lot of good feedback about their food, especially from my Indian friends. However, I haven't really had the chance to pay it a visit until recently.

Dubai has a thriving night life. There are a lot of pubs and lounges here, most of which are in New Dubai. There are also some in Old Dubai (Bur Dubai) but only quite a few can boast about being classy. Estrellas is one of them. Mark and I have opposing opinions, but I totally loved the look and feel of Estrellas!

Mark and I visited Qwerty a few weekends back to try their new menu. They have appointed a new chef, thus the menu revamp. It's our first time here, so we never really got to try their previous offerings, but I've heard a lot of good feedback about this restaurant and we were very much excited to try out their newest offerings.

Filipino cuisine is probably one of the most underrated cuisines in the world. I don't wanna sound biased here but there's really a lot more to Filipino food than being salty, oily, or icky (as others may perceive).

After the Play House Brunch, Erick and I met up with Nikki and Grace for some catching up over desserts. It's as if we didn't get to have desserts and weren't full from our brunch that we still got room for dessert. :p

While the dining scene in Dubai is at its height on weekends because of brunches here and there, weekdays don't come far behind. Most of the hotel restaurants offer theme nights on weekdays—which is sort of a mini version of a weekend brunch and is mostly focused on a specific "theme" or cuisine each night.

While there are a lot of brunch choices here in Dubai, only a few caters to the whole family, especially the kids. Some have dedicated kids' play area, yes, but nothing like the one that the Play House Brunch offers.

Winter in Dubai is just around the corner and the brunch season has already started. It's been ages since I last experienced a Friday brunch and I've also never had the chance to catch up with Tonnee, a friend from high school, who's been here in Dubai for almost a year already; so when an invitation for a Friday brunch came my way, I immediately said yes and tagged my friend along.

Located at the heart of the heritage hub that is Al Seef, is a place which coffee and tea lovers will surely enjoy—Kava & Chai. A specialty coffee shop serving up freshly brewed coffee and tea, they also offer some healthy blends and bites, and pastries and desserts.

I've always been in charge of our meal preps. From planning and grocery shopping, to cooking and packing—I do them all every single day. Yup, even on weekends.

Indian food, let alone Indian street food, tend to be too oily; at least that's what I observed. So as much as Mark and I enjoy having Indian food, it's not always our go-to cuisine if we're trying to eat healthy. And admittedly, though I was very eager to try Roti Rollers for our Saturday cheat meal, I was also hesitant since I knew Mark wasn't up for it.

I had been having this huge craving for dim sum for weeks! I guess the universe heard my pleas when an invitation from Long Yin popped up on my email.

I'd been to the Medley Restaurant before for Iftar, and just a couple of weeks ago, Mark and I were back at Medley to experience their Indian themed night. Dubbed as the "Art of Spice", the theme night offers a buffet spread of authentic Indian dishes with ingredients and flavors inspired by the North Indian region, all curated by the award winning chef Sweety Singh.

A relaxed dining venue, Wosaki is a wok and salad kitchen located at Al Karama, Dubai. It is a small kitchen (which I think can house around 20 pax) with modern industrial interiors, communal tables benches, complete with some funky wall accents and murals. You can also witness how your food is made fresh from their open kitchen.