Fifty Shades of Food

 We went to Maiden Shanghai, a much touted Chinese restaurant at the Five on the Palm in Dubai with much expectations. The Five is a busy location with a vibe that is difficult to define so getting through the busy entrance was a small achievement. The restaurant is over three floors with the first offering outdoor seating and the third with an outdoor terrace. We opted for the first floor though a narrow reception begged the question how would they handle a party of more than four arriving together? The welcome greeting was a bit cold and distant, though the girl who ushered us to the table was very helpful in finding a nice table. Our waitress Shama, was helpful and knew the menu well.  The menu was a bit confusing and one needed the waitress to explain the offerings.The spring rolls were amazing, fresh and crunchy, though would like a little more sauce. The dim sum platter was mixed, with the mushroom, beef and shrimp dumplings being exceptional, the turnip dimpling was a flop and t

 If you are a meat lover then Fogo de Chao is the experience you must have. Located at the Central Park Towers in DIFC Dubai, the restaurant offers a churrasco offering of various cuts of beef, lamb and chicken brought to your table. Having experienced the original offering in Dallas Texas, one had an idea on what to expect and perhaps gauge against. In terms of Dubai’s food offerings Fogo de Chao does stand out as a nonsense meat lovers spot to be at. The salad offerings and the polenta and sweet potato selections may give a vegetarian friend some excellent solace but make no excuses this is unashamedly a meat place.  Arriving through some navigation to the third level of the building the welcome was warm. The restaurant was well booked and busy. The service oscillated from below par to excellent and it all depended upon who came up to your table. For this class of restaurant some glaring missteps; no one offered to pour the wine or refill, then the ‘serve me’ tabs were green no one c