Fifty Shades of Food

 Any foodie needs no introduction to the highly successful TV program Masterchef. The restaurant with the same name inspired an eager visit indeed. At booking it was no surprise to know they were almost fully booked for their Friday brunch. The arrival was welcoming and a pleasant surprise that the outside seating was well enclosed and very comfortable. Our waiter Robin was a delight and very helpful. The menu is a combination of their own creations and offerings from different Masterchef winners from around the world. There were five starters on offer with the Crispy rice cakes and Rillettes clearly being the best. The Prawn Bhaajis with Avocado  were excellent followed by the Lemongrass and Ginger Meatballs on a skewer offering an explosion of flavours. It would have done more justice to the quality of the starters if they were not brought to the table all at once but gently rolled out one by one in intervals of ten odd minutes. With eight main courses on offer there were ad...

 Arriving at the West 14th for dinner one cannot but help notice the lovely view of the sea and the skyline that greets you. While casual in setting there was clearly a busy feel about the place. Dorothy, the hostess who greeted us was professional and helpful throughout the evening. While a tad bit warm there were fans around, though would have liked our drinks to arrive a shade earlier, one settled in comfortably. The menu was uncomplicated, while pricey, and was well set and balanced. Would like to see more vegetarian offerings and the waiter who took our order needed to be prompted by our questions to explain the food in more detail. The beef carpaccio starter was simply divine. Personally one would have preferred a slightly larger helping given the price. For the quality of the starter one could not fault it, it melted in one’s mouth with the crispy Parmesan giving it nice crunch. The main course of grain fed rib eye steak was well prepared, we opted for the blue cheese sauce ...

 Our friends, Claire and Alex, kindly invited us to a belated birthday dinner at the City Grill at the Atrium at Al Habtoor City, Dubai. one often can rate Grills as either moderate or as exceptional; the City Grill was exceptional. The welcome was warm and we were ushered to the table instantly. The ambiance was was cosy and the striking images on the walls gripping, the only change one would like would be to have a lightening a few watts stronger. Our waiter, Vitali from Zimbabwe, had an infectious smile and a professional demeanour that was a welcome start to the evening.  The menu was well presented with an emphasis on the meat offerings. Positioned as a South African grill there was a larger  presence of South African meat offerings, though there were some selections of Argentine and Australian meat too. This restaurant is a meat lovers paradise and a vegetarian would certainly struggle for a main  course though the many side orders could pacify a grumbling vege...

Gordon Ramsay's Hells Kitchen at Cesar's Palace in Dubai offers a Friday brunch, which is carved with his signature all over, from the decor to the food offerings. There is an option of seating outside and it was no surprise that place was soon filled up. The booking experience, while efficient was a tad misleading with the lady insisting that no beach wear, and certainly no shorts or slippers. We did see a few men in shorts and slippers, and upon asking the staff about the dress code were informed that it applies to the dinner service only and not the brunch. Attendance at arrival was warm, cordial and very welcoming. The staff clearly knew their job and our waiter, Jassab from the India, (we may have the name spelled wrong), was very helpful and attentive. During the course of the afternoon Ryan, (from South Africa) also came up and was a delight to talk to. The drinks offerings were balanced and while for a non alcoholic customer an additional mocktail to the two on offer ...