Win a romantic dinner giveaway for a couple from Thiptara
I’ve been writing on Thailand in my last few posts and I can only say that I’ve never been so inspired on my travels as I have been on this trip. Apart from writing travel posts loaded with images and food thoughts, I wanted to continue this brilliant journey with my readers in Dubai. I just mentioned this once to The Palace Downtown and they immediately organised this romantic dinner giveaway for a couple from Thiptara, the beautiful Thai restaurant serving the most delicious and the most beautiful Thai food. Beautiful is perhaps not the usual adjective used for food. But in Thiptara, there is no other adjective that can be used! Thiptara has been shortlisted as one of the ‘most romantic restaurant’ in Dubai in Time Out Restaurant Awards 2013. It has also won the Time Out Restaurant Awards for the ‘best Thai restaurant’ in 2013, while it had been the winner of the ‘best restaurant’ in 2012. It had also been the first winner of What’s On Awards for the ‘favourite Thai restaurant’ in 2012. To enter the Blog giveaway from such a restaurant, all you got to do, is to read through the post!
Chef’s Table at Thiptara
According to Wiki, a chef’s table is a table located in the kitchen of a restaurant, reserved for VIPs and special guests. Patrons are served a themed tasting menu prepared and served by the head chef. Reserved for VIPs… ahem! I am not a VIP but my companion was definitely a diva – fellow food blogger, FooDiva and the treatment that we were met with while dining at the chef’s table at Thiptara was no less than any VIP treatment. As FooDiva writes about it – A glass-fronted door opens into the kitchen and a cosy chef’s table seating four people, or less if you like. You’re really in the hub of the kitchen here with woks sizzling away, yet the chefs working ever so quietly away at their stations. And if you nab the seat I did, you can even glimpse the magical fountain lake show…worth noting, this is the only restaurant whose sound system is inter-connected to the musical score. Opt for à la carte where you are encouraged to highlight any special requests and dietary restrictions, or just let the chef recommend a Thai feast which is what we did. Here’s what I ate, a rather divine black pepper lobster included, with fellow food blogger Ishita Unblogged.
The magic at Thiptara
Thiptara means ‘Magic at the Water’. That magic definitely lends itself into the kitchen as well. I am a great fan of Thai Cuisine and every time I visit Thiptara, it manages to touch a soft spot in my food radar. Each dish is created as if it’s a work of art – fragrant, aromatic and bursting with Thai flavours. Combining that with brilliant presentation, a trip to the restaurant can only be defined as an ‘experience’. With the majestic dancing fountains and the Burj Khalifa forming a brilliant backdrop to the wall to wall glass windows of the restaurant, the dining room seems to be right there on the water. The bronze artifacts in bronze shining in the glowing torches and the reflections of the fountain on the lake, Thiptara’s ambiance is purely magical. With so many accolades raising one’s dining expectations, its a nice feeling when the expectations are met. Dining inside the kitchen of Thiptara is again a very different experience altogether – it’s like fine dining meeting warm hospitality of a home invitation! The regular menu designed by Chef Chaiwat Kawikitpraphat (above left) can be customised further according to an individual’s taste and liking. The day we were at the chef’s table, Chef Chaiwat was off and the sous chef – Chef Thani (below) pampered us in a matronly way, personally serving each and every dish to us – almost like a Thai Mama hovering over us. She had prepared a few signature dishes and hoped that ‘we would like it’. Like it? As FooDiva and I tweeted later, almost simultaneously without each others knowledge – the evening surpassed all our expectations and imagination. 
The food at the chef’s table
We started off with a Starters Basket consisting of Thod Maan Pla or Thai fish Cakes that have been deep fried and served with a sweet Chilli Sauce; Gai Hor Bai Toey or the deep fried marinated chicken wrapped in Pandan leaves and served with Ginger Soy Sauce; Satay Gai or the grilled Chicken Satay marinated in a yellow curry; Ko Noum Jeehp Song Sagai or the steamed lobster and scallops stuffed in wanton and served with Sesame Soy Sauce. Interestingly, each starter was paired with a different dip. The Starter Basket also had the Som Tum Talay or the popular spicy Green Papaya salad made with fresh seafood, long beans and tomatoes. Next, we had the Tom Yum Goong. This is perhaps the most famous soup, internationally. Made traditionally with prawns that have been flavoured with Thai herbs, lime juice and mushroom (FooDiva’s came without the mushroom as per her liking), the soup had all the spices and the perfect combination of sweet and sour taste that was needed to heighten the food drama of the evening. And the drama was calmed down by the home made lemon sorbet to cleanse our palettes before the next round of Thai dishes engulfed us.
Talking of Tom Yums, I’ve just come back from Krabi province in South Thailand, where the Tom Yum has originated… so I’m now officially an expert Tom Yum taster, having tasted the original Tom Yum in the land of Tom Yum!
Following on the footsteps of the Starters, the Main Course too, was stunning. The Geang Kiew Wan Gai (second pic below) or the Chicken green curry with baby eggplants and sweet basil leaves, is one of the signature dishes of Thiptara. Along with this, the Ped Nam Ma Kam (below) or the barbequed Duck Breast cooked in a sour chilli sauce and served with crispy fried onion rings, is another signature dish that I’ve tasted before at Thiptara. Our quota of greens was diligently met with the Pad Pak Ruam Mit – a delicious dish prepared with seasonal mixed vegetables cooked in Oyster sauce and fried garlic. But the show-stealer was definitely the Goong Mung Korn Pad Grappao or the Black Pepper Lobster (above) – an exquisite presentation combined with an amazing taste. The sweet sign off came with a Dessert platter consisting of fresh fruits – Mangoes, Rambutans, Pineapples, Watermelons and some traditional Thai desserts like the Sang kha ya or the Thai Custard Cake, the Foi Thong which is a dessert made with egg yolk and the Khanom chan made with Pandan-flavoured sticky rice flour mixed with coconut milk.
Thiptara in The Palace Downtown – Thai fine-dining restaurant
Tel: +9714 888 3444 or Email: dine@theaddress.com
For more info: Facebook; Twitter or the restaurant Page in the hotel website
For the Chef’s table, the price is Dhs 1500/couple with a full set menu (starter, soup, main course and dessert)
including 1 bottle of house wine (red/white), water and soft drinks. Or, the guest may choose from the a la carté menu or can request the chef to customise a special menu.
Click here to enter the Blog Giveaway
A couple can win an invite for a romantic dinner in Thiptara (inclusive of soft beverages only). Friends on referral who join the contest must mention you (referrals could get you an extra point!). The contest closes Friday, 14th June, 2103. Facebook likes, follows on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest earn you points. If you are already following me, there are other ways to earn points (for example leaving comments on this blogpost as well as my other blogposts on Thailand). Please don’t un-follow me and then follow me again just to earn points – it really hurts me – after all, I do take a lot of effort in my blog just so that you have a good time reading my blog. And also, I do have a list of all my readers with me already!
My other posts on Thailand:
• Ruen Mai Restaurant In Krabi | A Tantalising First Experience Of Thai Food In Thailand!
• Koh Klang in Krabi, Thailand | A Photo Essay of An Island Life
• Baan Ma-Yhing Restaurant In The Fishermen’s Village | Recipe of Thai Red Curry As We Cook ‘fresh catch’ Baramundi!
• Kotung Restaurant in Krabi Town | A Taste of Thai Chinese
• Kayaking, Caves, Krabi Sightseeing… And Finally A Thai Spa!
• Island Hopping And Then Hong Island… Here I Witnessed God!
Recently, I had visited the Krabi region in Thailand on an invite from Tourism Authorities of Thailand Middle East. I was joined by bloggers and media personnel from different countries in Europe. I have been sharing about my experiences through Twitter, Instagram and a lot of write ups. I would love to know which Thailand post of mine has been your favourite? Do leave a comment on the post as well as this post (yes, it earns you points). Hoping that this blog giveaway and my blog posts will provide you with as much inspiration as I have got, while you continue to travel with me in my blogging journey!
Unblogging it all… Ishita
Disclaimer: The opinions stated here are my own and are independent of the dinner giveaway, kind courtesy of The Palace Downtown. Neither is there any collaboration between The Palace Downtown and the Tourism Authorities of Thailand Middle East. I hope you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals. Please do not use any material from this post. You can see more pictures of my travel and food journey here.
IshitaUnblogged 
Having being following your trip to Thailand via your FB posts and was extremely envious 🙂 🙂 Thank you for the most fantastic giveaways…love your blog…looking forward to many more culinary journey’s with you Ishita..all the best 🙂
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Thanks Del for being one of the earliest supporters:)
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Hi Ishita, can you tell me are you self hosted or on wordpress.com domain? Trying to add a competition package to my blog, but WP.com doesn’t support it. Do you monetise your blog? Am based in Dubai, Arabian Ranches, would love to meet up if poss? Thanks Monica http://www.doindubai.com
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Hi Monica, thanks for dropping in! My domain is from wordpress.com and I haven’t monetised my blog. So probably I wouldn’t be able to help you much:)
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Hi Ishita!….Loved the detailed description of the Thai dishes which you sampled at Thiptara. Your scintillating comments evoke the smell of Kaffir leaves and makes me want to book a table for a romantic dinner with the Husband when he comes over next 🙂
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Thanks Tina for entering! Honestly, I would have sent you an email if you hadn’t. This is a brilliant giveaway honestly – something that the foodie couple that both of you are, would absolutely love:)
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I’ve wanted to try Thiptara for the longest time! Perfect timing!…if I win, that is! 😉
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Thank you for entering Grace! Fingers crossed with the randomiser:)
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Hubby and I went to Thiptara for the Taste of Dubai sampling and it was delicious! We longingly looked at the Chef’s table on our way out and thought, would be nice to do that some time… we will hopefully soon! Love how you tempt all of us into trying it out! 🙂
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Thank you Nina for dropping by! Exactly the same time FooDiva and I had been ogling at the Chef’s table… so there goes the history behind the post:)
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Loved this post. Thiptara is so pretty, have had an excellent time there whenever we’ve been.
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Pretty, beautiful – words to describe the place as well as it’s food. Thanks Mishti for dropping by:)
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OMG” so jealous of all the fun your having!! Well done! So much in awe of you!! Love reading through your posts..its like experiencing it all just by sitting at my desk
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Awwwee Dina! Thank you so much for the warm comment… well I do try to put in as much as I can, glad that it’s pulling off nicely:)
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Sounds wonderful! Have only heard fantastic things about the place, so will definitely look to check it out 🙂
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Thanks Chirag for dropping by! Best part of Thiptara is that we’ve never been disappointed so far. Food is beautiful:)
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wow its cool , i m in touch usually on FB with u , but shall be touch here on this blog 🙂 wiish to be lucky
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Good wishes Fatema! Depends upon the Randomiser:)
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Your blog takes me to places and long to be there also. You describe the food and the place so vividly that I can actually picture it in my imagination. Your passion for food is really amazing. I am not very good in cooking but I love food so much :-). I wish someday I could learn a little bit of cooking that my friends and family will truly enjoy.
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Thank you for such a warm feedback! If you cannot cook your way through, then eat your way through for sure!
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Very informative food and travel blog.
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Thank you! Hope to see you around:)
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Great coverage. Hope to go there sometime.
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You must Aditi – it’s really such a brilliant place for a vacation. The food is incredible:)
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What more to ask for when one gets an ideal mix of great yummilicious food and a jaw dropping ambience. Particular this cuisine – reading about it transports you to the krabi islands of Thailand. Setting sun, lapping wave kissing the shore, the caves and islands just mesmerise you and the food transports you to the eclectic world of food lovers. Knowing that sane experience is now in Dubai makes is lucrative to the innocent tongue which simply longs to taste good food. Kudos to the chef and the team for giving this to the people of Dubai. It’s time – when one residing in the desert land can simply taste Thailand by just dropping in to this fabulous restaurant. Thanks chef !
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Thanks Debanjana for dropping by! And the best part is Thiptara does keep up to all the accolades. It’s probably got the best view of the fountain as well – so you get both Thailand and Dubai in one shot:)
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Love the photos that accompany the posts, really gives you a sense of things 🙂
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Thank you Kamla:)
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Nice one. Absolutely loved the post. The pictures are so tempting.
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Thank you Vinka:)
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It’s always interesting to read your blog. Keep up the good work!
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Thank you Anita! Do look forward to your feedback:)
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Yey!Finally reading your post in a big screen. 🙂 Reading your post is like dining with you and your family, always a yummy read.
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Really love this! ‘Reading your post is like dining with you and your family’ – what greater compliment can I wish for Abigail? Thanks very much:)
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i have always wanted to try out this restaurant since i have heard crazy raves about it from the food to the ambience.It could not get any more romantic.definitely a win win situation.a gastronomical feast for me and my hubby while we take in the lovely surroundings
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Good wishes Mel! The best part is that Thiptara does keep up to all it’s expectations:)
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Thai food is my favourite food. Pictures and its discription including this one and thailand visit makes me feel and experience it at my desk. You are a beautiful writter !! Kudos to you and all chefs doing their jobs wonderfully.
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I’m so glad that you entered Ashwini… I remember you telling me that you love Thai food. Well, then right now Thiptara is definitely the ‘best Thai’ restaurant in Dubai. Good wishes:)
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Loving your blog/unblog Ishita! Your reviews and conversations are colourful, interesting and I love them. You should write a book! Recipes and such would be a lovely read. Do love the technology but a book with your pictures and thoughts, memories and anecdotes really do make fantastic reading. x
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Thank you Kate for dropping by! Do appreciate my Breeteeshhh friends to give me feedbacks as well. I do intend to write one – but right now I guess it’s important that I travel the world, meet people and learn from all these journeys. And share what I learn along the way. Good wishes to you!
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Well Congrats Kate! The randomiser chose you…. enjoy your Thai dinner at Thiptara:)
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Sounds great. On the (ever growing) list of places to try. Thanks
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Probably a break from some financial advising is needed too. Didn’t delete this comment with the hope that you’ve genuinely left your comment.
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This looks like a great place and it would be even better to with the prize too. Great site, keep up the good work. Thanks
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Thank you for the lovely feedback! Good wishes to you:)
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Hey Ishita, read your blog and its awesome and exciting just like you 🙂 many congratulations to you!!
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Thanks Nicky for dropping in! Always a pleasure to find friends’ leaving their sweet comments… hope to see you dropping in again:)
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Hi Ishita,
Just wanted to say you write so well! As a reader I can almost taste the food and feel its texture. Your writing has a way of actively involving the reader in your culinary experience.
Neda
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Thank you Neda… blushing but all smiles… I’m so happy that you feel that I can involve my readers in my culinary experiences… Mission accomplished ‘a bit’!
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Was at the Palace Hotel’s Terrace outlet recently for a corporate event and it would be lovely to take the wife to that near sybaritic setting. You write from the heart and your ‘tongue’ speaks sincerely. Lovely posts to relish at leisure.
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I’m sure it would be – after all the restaurant does look lovely with the Dubai fountains in the background. Good luck with the randomiser!
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Thank you for sharing your wonderful culinary experience at Thiptara. Your delicious food descriptions and beautiful pictures makes me want to experience the amazing cuisine at Thiptara. I have put it on my list of restaurants to try.
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Thank you for your lovely comment. It is a very lovely restaurant indeed:)
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Ishita, another beautifully written piece about a beautiful restaurant. I could almost taste the dishes!
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Darryl! Thank you for dropping by… and thank you for leaving such a lovely comment. I’m glad that you entered the contest – you are one of the ‘foodie’ friends that I love having around. Good luck with the randomiser!
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Had booked marked this post…and now had a good read…wow a fabulous experience indeed to be dining at a chefs table at Thiptara..Infact all the Thailand posts are amazing and I’m almost contemplating packing by bags to visit Thailand…perhaps in the winter this year…Look forward to reading your posts as always;))
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Thank you Shy! I love having you around as a blogger friend – you’ve always been so encouraging. Thanks for being there:)
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you are so generous. wish to win with you.
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Good luck:)
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Hi Ishita, lovely write up and gorgeous pictures! But cannot imagine spending that much for a dinner for two even if I could afford it!! Keep writing and sharing your exotic experiences 🙂
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Thank you Sangita for your feedback. Yes, the Chef’s table is expensive – but then it’s the exclusivity that you are paying for. It’s much more romantic when you sit in the regular dining area, listening to the music and being surrounded by the elegant decor. But if one is a foodie and likes the noise of pots and pans, then there is atleast an option via an expensive option.
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