Fifty Shades of Food

 Brunches, especially during the winter months, tend to get a reputation for being pricey and a bit of a glitz parade. Discovering the Hessa Street Kitchen brunch in Friday was as much coincidental and it was a pleasant surprise. The welcome was very warm, Jane, the waitress bumped into us in the lobby and escorted us all the way to the table. While the decor is minimal, and some of the snobs may not find it has the glitz of a five star hotel, it was functional and seating was amply spaced out.  The Dh 295 full alcohol package and a Dh 175 non alcoholic package was really reasonable, all the more considering there was a buy one get one free offering. That meant the two of us end up paying only Dh 295. The alcohol package while basic was by no means spartan. There were offerings of spirits, red, white and rose wines, beers and half a dozen cocktails, the negative being all but one were beer based. We would suggest the cocktails might well be revamped to include some of the more favourit

 When a close friend invited us to Mizu at Downtown in Dubai, we were not too sure if we were up for a night of sashimi and sushi. Within minutes of arriving we realised this was not your typical Japanese restaurant; this is something very special. Once you figure out the parking, (use Boulevard Parking 2 and take the lift up) you walk into a very down to earth decor of Mizu. The staff are very polite, the place is vibrant and every table was occupied. We decided to have a medley of starters and found there was nothing wanting in the almost two hour procession of food.  Mizu is a gem of a place and the food is its mainstay. Each dish was an explosion of taste, and you could feel there was considerable thought and effort in the offering that this restaurant presented. Starting from the Yellowtail Carpaccio till the final course of the Mochi Ice Cream there was not a single dish that was below par. There were adequate options for the veggie lovers and vegans amongst us. We enjoyed the st

 Mr Miyagi at Studio One hotel has been a regular haunt for us and while we have not attended each of the special nights they offer, the Thursday and Friday brunch have been special. If you have an affinity to Asian starters then Mr Miyagi will not disappoint you, indeed their dim sum and spring rolls would easily rank as the best on offer in Dubai. The starters come in a three waves with the final wave of Japanese sushi rolls which were simply divine. You have to be regular to figure out how you will pace yourself to leave room for the main course. The starters are more than adequate to be a meal in itself and should you still have an appetite for the main course the Thai curries will not disappoint. Our only beef would be that the high standard set  by the starters would create an expectation of similar gastronomic excellence for the main course. Don’t get us wrong the main course offerings are excellent but the starters steal the show. Mr.Miyagi is a happening place and is vibrant a