• Fresh catch at Kovalam beach in Chennai
    Chennai,  Recipes,  Travel

    Kovalam Beach | Buying fish at the seashore and a recipe of Beer Battered Squid

    Buying fresh fish from the fishermen straight off the seashore in Kovalam… this was kind of an ultimate ode to fish lovers like us. The warm glow of the rising sun, the fresh breeze and the excitement of the buyers added to the bustle of the morning. It was already 6:30am on a Saturday morning and we hurried. We had to reach Kovalam beach to catch the morning haul directly from the fishermen. Although the beach was very close to where we live, I feared that if we reached late, the fresh catch would be dispatched to the adjoining Kovalam fish market and the surrounding fish markets in the city.…

  • Bu Qtair Fish Restaurant
    Dubai

    Bu Qtair In A New Avatar | A New Year, A New Location

    I don’t understand why the press is so interested in speculating about my appearance, anyway. What does my face have to do with my music or my dancing? ∼ Michael Jackson The above quote stands true for Bu Qtair too. What has the new look of Bu Qtair got to do with the taste of the fish it serves? The charm is still all in the fish, the fresh fish, the deep fried fresh fish, the deep fried spicy fresh fish. Specially the shrimps, although I miss the old Bu Qtair very very much! Bu Qtair is no Michael Jackson. But it is Dubai’s only celebrity-eating-hole that has managed to…

  • Omnia Gourmet by Silvena
    Dubai,  People & Chefs

    Omnia Gourmet by Chef Silvena | Decadence, Deliciousness & A Lot of Expectations!

    Everybody in Dubai knows celebrity chef Silvena Rowe right now. Solving weekly kitchen problems as the Domestic Diva in the popular Friday Magazine and doling out scrumptious exotic-do-able-at-home recipes, she is probably the only resident celebrity chef in Dubai. She is also the only celebrity chef on my speed dial. I have been following her journey in the UAE since last year when I got the first phone from her, that took me to Capital Club that very night to experience her magic. Earlier this year, I had tasted the exclusive ‘Taste of Organic Arabia’ three course meal featuring 98% local organic produce at her pop-up restaurant at the Dubai Food…

  • Dubai

    Eat Greek | Kadaifi Jumbo Prawns Or Flamed Grilled Whole Calamari?

    It’s after a long long time that eating in a Dubai restaurant felt like a dream. Not because of the sun rays that reflected off the blue sea waters over the terrace or the dreamy, lit-up white nests hanging from the ceiling cast magical shadows on the distressed wooden floors. But simply because of a few stunning dishes that we ate at Eat Greek. Kadaifi Jumbo Prawns – a beauty, a must have… Jumbo Prawns wrapped in Kadaifi filo (very popularly used in Arabic sweets like Kunafa), fried and served with a dreamy pink strawberry dressing and chopped pieces of fruits, deliciously called the fruity ratatouille. We almost didn’t order…

  • Dubai

    House of Curry | Keep Calm and Curry On

    PLEASE NOTE THAT WHEN I WROTE THIS REVIEW, MY FAMILY AND I HAD A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE. RECENTLY, I HAVE BEEN HEARING COMPLAINTS FROM MY FRIENDS AND READERS WHO HAVE VISITED THE HOUSE OF CURRY ON MY RECOMMENDATION. I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE RESTAURANT AND THEY HAVE RESPONDED AND LOOKING AFTER THE ISSUE. Being an Indian I am very skeptical about Indian restaurants. I can never explain to myself what price is a *good price* to pay for food that can be cooked at home. I love going to Ravi’s or a Karachi Darbar (these are Pakistani restaurants but treads on the similar subcontinental North Indian flavour), because I cannot…

  • Dubai

    Seaview Restaurant In Jumeirah | A New Year And Visiting A Brand New Restaurant!

    Hoping that the New Year is treating you all well. This is my first post of 2014 and I am wondering where do I begin? A round up of the year that went by – a year that had been overtly generous to my culinary travel blog? Or should I make a fresh new beginning? Let me start my blogging year with a brand new restaurant that has given me a lot of solace. I visited the place for the second time today when Dubai was under the wraps of heavy clouds and pouring rain – within a week of my first visit. My Ma who is visiting us, wanted…

  • Thailand,  Travel

    Island Hopping And Then Hong Island… Here I Witnessed God!

    This was a day of island hopping. White sandy beaches, crystal clear water, stark green islands echoing with deep humming of crickets, chirping of birds and fish nibbling at my feet, shades of emerald green turning into shades of sapphire blue as one looks into the horizon, spectacular limestone cliffs and rock formations – it was a vision of a dream. Long tail boats garlanded at the helms, the brazen stare from the innocent Thai kids, a sense of solitude pervaded my soul and gratitude engulfed my heart. I felt utterly thankful for having been able to see what I have seen. To be able to feel what I have…

  • Thailand,  Travel

    Kayaking, Caves, Krabi Sightseeing… And Finally A Thai Spa!

    Taking a slight detour from the previous food posts of my Thailand trip, this is a breather post so that all the Thai food that I had been talking about in my earlier posts can settle down. Permanently, in my senses! It was the last day of our inspiring stay in Koh Klang island, the small fishing village in the Krabi region of South Thailand. After breakfast, we all arrived in Baan Ma-Yhing restaurant, the same floating restaurant where we had our elaborate lunch the previous day. This was also the same restuarant where Debbie, my blogger friend from Dubai who had accompanied me for the Thailand Academy trip, and…