Fifty Shades of Food

<a href="https://www.zomato.com/dubai/hqs-459-jumeirah-1" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about HQ'S 459, Jumeirah 1 and other Restaurants in Dubai" target="_blank"><img alt="HQ&#039;S 459 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18594341/minilink"  style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px;padding:0px;" /></a> Looking for affordable and delicious food then head on over to HQ's 459 at the Le Mer in Dubai. Once the challenge of finding a parking spot was over come (we opted for valet parking) finding the restaurant was easy. The welcome was cordial and the seating outside over looks the beach separated with a pathway for pedestrians. Le Mer is a busy place and if one can take the crowd walking past the outside seating the rest is all wonderful. In addition to the palm trees with their twinkling lights, its  good place to people watch a...

<a href="https://www.zomato.com/dubai/d-a-dhow-anchor-jumeirah-beach-hotel-umm-suqeim" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about D&A - Dhow & Anchor - Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Umm Suqeim and other Restaurants in Dubai" target="_blank" ><img alt="D&amp;A - Dhow &amp; Anchor - Jumeirah Beach Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/200167/biglink" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px;padding:0;" /></a> Visiting a restaurant a decade after the last visit gives one an excellent perspective on the changes. The Dhow & Anchor was a popular watering hole back then and one would not necessarily have gone there for a meal. The pub previously, was very dark and dingy.  Glad to see all that has changed with an openness and loads of light and a new feel. More of a pub bistro feel it has the advantage of outside seating with excellent ...

 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 f...

 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...

 The Kite Beach at Umm al Quwaim, not to be confused with the one is Dubai, slipped into out Google search. The first attempts to make a booking were a bit of disaster due to lack of response to emails, phones and WhatsApp messages. Thankfully 48 hours later this was resolved though on arrival noticed that the cabana we asked for was not booked. The very helpful lady at reception did apologise and explained in a few days their new booking system will be up and running. Once past this hiccup walking into the facility was a delight; clean facility, loads of beach seating, very well kept beach and pet friendly. Ordering the meal was a slight challenge as the girl at the meal counter was intent on multi tasking but other than a slight irritation the food was just very special. The kite beach burger was excellent, the sweet potato fries just done right and the milk shakes were refreshing. The menu had many choices for vegetarian clients and the carnivores were certainly well taken care ...

 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 ...

 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...