The best places to have brunch in Dubai

When it comes to brunch, Dubai has elevated the concept to the status of an unmissable city tradition. Eat your way through our list of the best brunch places in Dubai.

Bubbalicious Brunch

If one word could describe the Westin Mina Seyahi’s Friday ‘Bubbalicious Brunch’, then ‘breathtaking’ would be an appropriate choice. What makes it so outstanding is that at Bubbalicious almost every imaginable food is on offer, thanks to the combined forces of the hotel’s three fantastic in-house restaurants. Blue Orange is responsible for both the buffet section and live cooking shows, serving food from Arabic mezze and pastas to Belgian waffles. Spice Emporium is the Asian face of the trio, and takes care of the noodle, sushi and sashimi dishes. Hunters Room is a traditional grill house placed in a tasteful contemporary setting. For those who like to be entertained during brunch, Bubbalicious Brunch provides Chinese acrobats, live bands, a PlayStation room and ‘kids’ corner’, and a petting zoo. Of course, such service comes at a price, but the Bubbalicious Brunch is definitely an experience to try.

Maya Mexican Kitchen + Bar

If you’re looking for a beachside brunch, then Maya Mexican Kitchen might be the place for you. Spearheaded by head chef Richard Sandoval, Maya offers a modern twist on traditional Mexican favourites. Based in Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, as part of their brunch package, guests have both pool and beach access. So while sampling a plethora of dishes, such as rib-eye steak fajitas and lamb chops marinated in adobo, guests can lounge on the private beach or take a dip in the pool. For a little extra, alcoholic beverages can also be provided. Maya Mexican Kitchen serves up a fantastic brunch with plenty of exciting flavours.

Toro Toro

If you fancy a taste of Latin America in Dubai, then Toro Toro is the restaurant to visit. World-renowned Latin chef Richard Sandoval has brought the hospitality and family-style dining of his native region to restaurants as far afield as New York, Las Vegas and now Dubai. At Toro Toro, he has offered the pan-Latin ‘Hola Hola Brunch’ since 2012, earning the attention and praise of many. The Hola Hola Brunch consists of 45 options of small plates filled with traditional food, including guacamole, yucca fries, chorizo, empanadas, beef-stuffed pastries and crispy calamari. Guests should try to save space for Toro Toro’s delicious churrasco chicken, lamb or beef.

El Sur

El Sur pushes the expectations of what can be done with traditional Spanish tapas. Using the only the finest ingredients, El Sur recreates traditional tapas meals with an artistic, sophisticated vision. With stunning views of the ocean and the opportunity to dine al fresco on their balcony, El Sur is one of the best places in Dubai to eat brunch. Dishes include classic Spanish cuisine such as patatas bravas (potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) and calamares a la romana con alioli (fried squid with alioli), alongside contemporary meals such as avocado cannelloni with tuna. There is an emphasis on seafood, but the menu also features the likes of Wagyu beef tartare and prime rib-eye steak. With on-site mixologists, there will always be a drink to your liking and guests can also enjoy premium cigars. Reservations at this exclusive restaurant is a must.

Jumeirah Al Qasr

Jumeirah Al Qasr serves up one of Dubai’s biggest Friday brunches. Guests can experience the atmosphere of three different restaurants: The Hide, Arboretum and Al Hambra. Al Qasr translates as ‘The Palace’, which hints at the style of service the hotel aims to deliver.  Al Qasr is an upscale brunch venue with a mighty reputation. It’s a must-visit for brunch fans in the city.

See more: Top luxury activities you should try once in Dubai

Source: Internet

Facts you may not know about Durian Fruit

If you’ve never traveled to Southeast Asia, it’s possible that you have never encountered fresh durian fruit. However, once you have tasted the stinky fruit, it is an experience you are not likely to forget.

It has a unique appearance and an even more memorable smell

Durian fruit is generally slightly oval, about a foot wide and covered in formidable looking spikes. The fruit can weigh between two to seven pounds, and this is heavy enough that in holding it in your hands by the body of the fruit, instead of the stem, it could potentially pierce the skin. However, its otherworldly appearance is dwarfed by another one of its attributes – the smell. Durians have a strong, rank smell that permeates the outer shell and lingers long after the fruit has been removed.

It’s unwelcome on public transport

Due to its overpowering smell, durian has been banned on many types of public transport across Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong. In Singapore, the fruit is banned across all types of public transportation and even taxis have signs to let you know they refuse to carry passengers transporting the smelly fruit.

It’s a superfruit

Despite the stench, durian is extremely healthy, even more so than many other fruits. Naturally rich in iron, vitamin C, and potassium, durian improves muscle strength, skin health and even lowers blood pressure. Furthermore, one small durian contains 23g of dietary fiber which is nearly all of your daily nutritional requirement. However, it is important to not eat them in excess, as in 2010 Malaysian politician Ahmad Lai Bujang was rushed to hospital complaining of breathlessness and dizziness after gorging himself on durian.

There’s more than one type

There are around 30 different varieties of durian. The fruit is native to Malaysia, Indonesia and Borneo however today there are durian farms in Sri Lanka, Southern India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and the southern Chinese island Hainan. Thailand is in fact the biggest exporter of the fruit and home to many durian farms which produce more varieties than the original native locations.

It’s almost impossible to describe the taste and smell

For over a hundred years, travel writers have tried to describe the taste and smell of durian and still we’re nowhere closer to being able to describe it helpfully to someone who has never experienced its unique taste and smell. In 1856, Alfred Russel Wallace sent a letter to Sir William Jackson Hooker describing the fruit as: ‘A rich custard highly flavored with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes’. Anthony Bourdain, who actually enjoys eating the stinky fruit, colorfully describes the aftermath of eating it: ‘Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother’.

It inspires architecture

Singapore’s official fruit is the durian. The Esplanade building next to Marina Bay, started as two glass domes but when the design was altered to include covering the buildings with pointed aluminum shades, the buildings took on the appearance of a durian that has been cut in half.

See more: The most unusual fruits you can find in Asia

Source: Internet

Best hotpot restaurants in Shanghai, China

Shanghai might be considered southern China, but in the depths of winter the chill really sets in. This is when locals make a beeline for hot pot restaurants, where vegetables, thinly-sliced meats and other goodies are cooked in a boiling, soupy brew. Here’s where to find them.

Yan Gege (Yàn gégé, 焱格格)

Prominent Hong Kong actor and animal rights activist Lü Songxian founded this vegetarian Beijing-style hot pot restaurant to show off the beauty of produce and clear vegetable broths. Be sure to try the delicious fresh tofus, and the huge selection of mushrooms that take up a whole portion of the menu and tout various different medicinal curative properties. Also delicious are the crisp lotus roots and egg dumplings.

Hong Chang Xing Mutton Hotpot (Hóng zhǎngxìng, 洪长兴)

It’s impossible to miss the towering blue dome when driving on the Yan’an overpass towards the Bund that marks Shanghai’s oldest halal restaurant. Founded in 1891, this century-old restaurant is a family-owned mutton hot pot restaurant, where you’ll find tables huddled around a bubbling pots of clear broth, heated by a charcoal fire. You’ll dip in an array of thinly-sliced meats, vegetables and tofu for a long and perfectly warming meal. While there are other locations, this is the one where the atmosphere is just as interesting as the food itself.

Elixir Health Pot (Wú lǎo guō, 无老锅)

This hot pot serves soup that you could simply drink straight from the pot, as it’s a bubbling potion touted for its health properties and skin rejuvenation by celebrities across Asia. The white ‘collagen’ pot is particularly wholesome (and delicious), made from pork bones and knuckles that have been simmered for hours, until the resulting soup is thick and fragrant, somewhat akin to tonkatsu ramen broth. Later, Chinese herbs including goji berries, ginseng and other roots are added to impart their curative properties. This is a hot pot that rejuvenates as well as warms the belly. Be sure to order their special house made ‘ice cream’ tofu (bīngqílín dòufu, 冰淇淋豆腐), the light little egg dumplings (dànjiǎo, 蛋饺) and the special mushroom platter (蘑菇拼盘, mógupīnpán) to pair.

Holy Cow

Anthony Zhao, the founder of this hot pot spot, trained in some of Shanghai’s finest dining establishments before he broke off to pay tribute to his native Shanghai cuisine. At Holy Cow, the kitchen serves primo, pesticide-free beef from Dalian and vegetables grown on their own farms. They also serve frozen soup dumplings that go into the hot pot and come out fat and delicious. The soup itself also merits being consumed by itself, as it’s a clear meat consomme that’s bolstered with Chinese herbs. It’s a healthful, flavorful and delicious experience sure to satisfy a crowd.

Hai Di Lao (Hǎidǐ lāo huǒguō, 海底捞火锅)

This particular chain is from Sichuan and has made a killing not only for its spicy hot pot, but also for the service. During peak hours, there will generally be a wait for a table, but the staff will make it worth your while. In the lobby, you’ll find free fruit, manicures, shoe shines and more which will help make the time pass quickly. There are several locations around town – this is one of the more popular.

See more: The signature dishes that define Chinese cuisine

Source: Internet

7 must-try foods in Hualien, Taiwan

Surely you’re familiar with the usual Taiwanese must-eats like stinky tofu and papaya milk, but in this article, we cover some unique local eats travellers to Hualien simply can’t miss out on.

Steamed goose at Mr. Goose

Goose is typically served in most Asian establishments roasted, with a slightly crispy brown skin. At the aptly named Mr. Goose in Hualien, goose is served poached and sliced into thin slices, with a side of salty dipping sauce and raw julienned ginger.

Akin to Hainanese steamed chicken, the goose is tender and with a lighter, less gamey taste. Paired with the fragrant dipping sauce and raw ginger to balance out the oiliness, this is a unique dish you can be sure is on the list of every traveller coming to Hualien. Also worth trying are the deep-fried fish roe with Japanese mayonnaise and noodles in clear goose broth.

Fresh mochi at Tzen Chi Mochi

Don’t worry sweet tooths, we didn’t forget about you! Soft, sticky and sweet, the mochi at Tzen Mochi is perpetually raved about and is not to be missed when in Hualien. Choose from flavours like green bean, red bean, sesame, green tea, yam and sweet potato – all ingredients commonplace in Taiwanese desserts.

Make sure you buy as many as you can finish before they go bad (roughly 2 days)! In fact, there’s a well-shared stor of a Taiwanese F-16 fighter jet pilot who nearly got into trouble for carrying this infamous mochi in his aircraft proves just how popular this dessert is!

Juicy pork buns at Gong Zheng Bao Zi

A list of top things to eat in Hualien simply can’t be written without mentioning Gong Zheng Bao Zi. Their thicker and fluffier take on xiao long bao promises a unique experience of biting into what looks like a pillowy bun, only have it explode into juicy, meaty goodness.

Apart from their thick-skinned take on xiao long bao, make sure you try out all the other variations available as well such as the boiled dumplings (shui jiao) and steamed dumplings (zheng jiao).

Oyster omelette at Hai-Pu

Are you familiar with Or Chien? It’s an oyster omelette popular in Taiwan, made with oysters, eggs and starch. The addition of starch adds a slightly crispy, chewy texture to the dish. This stall is easily identifiable by the crazy long queues, but don’t let that deter you from giving it a try!

What makes this oyster omelette stand out from the rest in Taiwan is the generous slather of Hai-Pu’s signature sweet, tangy brown sauce on top. So make sure you don’t leave Hualien without trying it!

Pork Rib Noodles

For something a little more hearty, the pork rib noodles at Jing Xiang Pork Rib Noodles are something close to legendary, though you can expect shorter queues compared to places like Mr. Goose and Gong Zheng Bao Zi. Choose from the dry or soup version, but expect both to consist of ribs so tender they melt in your mouth, and chewy noodles swimming in a fragrant savory sauce/broth.

Another worthwhile mention would be Lai Cheng Pork Rib Noodles, who aside from their trademark noodles, also serve a terrific side dish of “golden eggs”. Perfectly boiled eggs braised in soy and with an impossibly creamy yolk!

Scallion pancakes at Lao Pai

Scallion pancakes are everywhere in Taiwan, and the Taiwanese love them especially for breakfast as a great way to start the day. In Hualien, no one makes these crispy treats as well as Lao Pai, where you also have the option of adding a runny sunny side up egg in the middle!

Operating out of an old van and with nothing more than a small banner as a sign, the complete Hualien experience is only fulfilled when you bite into the crispy, deep-fried pancake and savour the oozing yolk.

Coffin Toast at Chiang Family’s Coffin Toast

The Taiwanese food scene consists of night markets galore. And as you meander through the streets of Dongdamen Night Market, you’re bound to come across this popular stall selling Coffin Toast! Unique to Taiwan, these are thick slabs of white bread, deep fried and hollowed out, then filled with yummy fillings (mostly savoury) from the likes of seafood chowder to black pepper pork.

While you’re in Dongdamen Night Market, make sure you also sample the grilled BBQ corn, which is brushed with BBQ sauce and charred. The fruit juices are worth trying as well, as Taiwan is home to many local fruits such as sweet pineapples and tangy custard apples.

See more: Amazing themed cafés to stop by in Taipei, Taiwan

Strange foods you can find in Hong Kong

Hong Kong can be a minefield of strange smells and even stranger tastes. Below you’ll find a profile of weird Hong Kong foods that are worth trying.

Thousand Year Old Eggs

If you can brave a thousand-year-old egg, you can consider yourself an honorary Hong Konger – these things are potent! They are made from duck or quail eggs buried in a clay, sand and salt mixture for a couple of months.

The shell of the egg turns a browny, black, but it’s the inside where the real surprise awaits. The yolk turns dark green and boasts a powerful smell of, well, eggs that have sat around for a couple of months. The eggs can be picked up whole from street vendors around the city or found sliced up in noodle dishes.

Birds Nest Soup

One of Hong Kong’s most prized delicacies, Bird’s Nest Soup is a gelatinous mix of chicken broth and swiftlet’s (a type of bird) saliva. That’s right, you’re eating swiftlet's spit.

Swiftlets make their nests from saliva and each year, after the bird has left the nest, it’s harvested and added to the soup. Like many things in the city the soup is famed for its health benefits, though environment-minded eaters avoid it because the industry may endanger swiftlet populations.

If you’re still inclined to try some, visit a Cantonese restaurant to order large steaming bowls of bird’s nest soup – then dig in!

Chicken Feet

The Chinese like to say about themselves, “Beijing people dare to say anything, Guangdong [Cantonese] people dare to eat anything, Shanghai people dare to wear anything.” The Cantonese of Hong Kong prove this by turning a rejected part of the chicken into a cherished dim sum dish.

Your biggest obstacle to eating chicken feet is their appearance: these wrinkled, claw like tidbits look like something from a witch’s cauldron. Luckily, they taste better than anything else the wicked witch could cook up, if a little crunchy. Steamed chicken feet are a staple at dim sum restaurants across Hong Kong, one of the most affordable exotic items on this short list.

Chicken Testicles

A favorite at hotpot restaurants in Hong Kong, diners chow down on chicken testicles, or gai zi, for their supposed aphrodisiac properties. “The Chinese – especially Hong Kong Chinese – believe in 'you are what you eat',” the South China Morning Post’s Luisa Tam explains. “So you eat the organ to actually nurture your organ."

Before eating it, dip the gai zi in the hotpot broth; it’s ready when the exterior turns opaque white. The interior remains soft, exploding inside your mouth when you chomp down on the firm exterior. Have them with rice, or noodles and broth.

Turtle Jelly

Turtle jelly, or gwei ling go in Cantonese, is another naughty delicacy that doesn't impress any environmentalist. Powdered turtle shells and bellies are boiled for up to twelve hours, mixed with herbs and lotions and served up as a type of jelly-like soup.

Turtle jelly enthusiasts in Hong Kong swear by turtle jelly’s medicinal properties – it’s supposed to be a cooling food, helping with coughs, indigestion, and eczema; while beautifying the skin. Authentic turtle jelly – made from the ground-up shells of the Cuora trifasciata turtle farmed on the mainland – can be prohibitively expensive, costing about HKD 300 (or about US$40) per cup. Most of the commercially available turtle jelly in Hong Kong actually contains no turtle shell.

Snake Soup

Snake soup is considered somewhat of a gourmet dish and a famed winter warmer. Most of the city’s snake meat is now delivered chilled or frozen from China, but to try the meat and the soup at its best you need to have it fresh.

This means braving the handful of live snake restaurants that still exist in Kowloon. Here, you pluck your favourite python or cobra from behind a cage and watch him slither to the chopping block, with more unusual snakes attracting heavier price tags.

The soup comes with the snake shredded inside, although, if you’re braver, you can try sliced snake in a host of other dishes. As it seems with almost all exotic meats many say it tastes like chicken.

Sea Cucumber

The Chinese prize four seafoods above all, christening them “the four treasures”: sea cucumbers, shark fin, abalone and fish maw (swim bladders). Sea cucumbers are perhaps the least likely to end up as food, but the Chinese love it nonetheless, eating it in soup or stir-fried.

You’d think sea cucumber would be slimy and slightly rubbery and you’d be right. Beginners should try it fried as this takes away some of the slippery texture, or on a bed of noodles or rice with an accompanying sauce. Demand for sea cucumber has devastated many far-flung ecosystems, so avoid if the environment matters to you.

See more: Top 9 Asian daring delicacies

Source: Internet

Top Christmas foods in the Philippines

With 80% of the population are Roman Catholic, Philippines is one of the Asian countries that celebrates Christmas the most. Consequently, the country has a lot of traditional dishes for the festive season.

Puto Bumbong

Puto bumbong is an icon in the Filipino Christmas holidays and it’s a breakfast staple for people who go to church to attend the Misa de Gallo, the Catholic mass held during the early mornings before Christmas day.

The dish is a type of purple rice cake that is baked inside a bamboo tube. It is served on a pre-cut banana leaf and then topped with other ingredients like butter, thin strips of coconut, and sugar.

Lechon

Roasted whole pig is no stranger to Filipino celebrations and in Christmas, preparing this very special food makes family members excitedly look forward to Christmas every year. One whole pig can feed an entire family, but the best thing about lechon can be experienced after the holidays.

The leftover roasted pig can be re-cooked and transformed into a Filipino after-holiday favorite: lechon paksiw. Basically, it’s chopped meat that is slow-cooked in the concoction of coconut vinegar, garlic, onion, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Paella

The dish is a reminder of the enduring Spanish influence on Filipino cuisine and festival celebrations. This very special Christmas food, however, is not that easy to make because of its long list of ingredients including fresh seafood.

Preparing paella in earlier times signifies the wealth of a family or clan because the ingredients are usually expensive. While it’s still true nowadays, anyone with the recipe and the ingredients can experience the delectable and unique flavors that paella has to offer.

Queso de Bola

Literally translates as a “ball of cheese”, keso (or queso) de bola is a staple Christmas food for Filipinos all over the country. This particular cheese variety does not have a strong flavor like its other cousins. However, just like other types of cheese, it’s creamy and salty. It also has a unique sweetness to it – and its appearance is also one-of-a-kind: it’s covered in red, edible wax.

Embutido

Embutido is a local name for the Filipino-style meatloaf that is often prepared during special occasions like town fiestas, birthdays, weddings, and most importantly, Christmas. Just like any meatloaf, it is made of ground meat, added with other ingredients like carrots, raisins, cheese, garlic, etc.

Aside from the fact that it is easy to prepare, it does not take a lot of effort to cook embutido (bake or fry). Moreover, several commercial meat vendors even offer pre-made embutido so you won’t go through the hassle of starting from scratch.

Leche Flan

Leche Flan is one of the most popular Filipino desserts and is also a top item in the list of the most delicious Christmas food in the country. It is made with ingredients that you can easily find in the kitchen: eggs, milk, and sugar.

Leche flan is like a Filipino v ersion of the European crème caramel. It is basically an egg custard with a soft caramel on top. Unlike other Filipino desserts, it is easier to make and it usually has a longer shelf-life so it can just be stored in the fridge even after the holidays.

See more: Top 5 popular Christmas dishes in Japan

Source: Internet

The best restaurants in Genting Highlands, Malaysia

One of the best ways to enjoy your trip to the Genting Highlands is to savour various cuisines amid great atmosphere, beautiful sceneries, and cool weather. Here are the best restaurants to try in Genting Highlands.

Ming Ren Restaurant

The lamb dishes are Ming Ren Restaurant’s specialty and are cooked and prepared very meticulously. The aroma makes your palate itch to have a taste of it. This meal is prepared via extraordinary Cantonese cooking methods, complete with traditional spices and seasonings. This restaurant has an extensive menu of lamb delicacies, including cold dish, Braised Lamb with Radish, Lamb Kut Teh Soup, Roasted Lamb Ribs, and Lamb Ice Cream drizzled with pistachio sauce and topped with almond slices.

Hou-Mei Noodle House

Slurp delicious noodles at Hou-Mei Noodle House right outside the casino at First World Plaza. Their portions are big enough to share with your friends and family. They even have monthly special dish offers. We recommend eating Curry Laksa Noodle, Beef Brisket Noodle, Assam Laksa, and Ipoh Hor Fun Noodle. If you prefer having rice, there are also porridges as well as various meat served with rice such as Hainan Chicken Rice. It’s the perfect place to have lunch after taking the cable car ride to Genting Highlands Resort.

Chuan Kie Restaurant

Stop by at the Chuan Kie Restaurant in Gohtong Jaya to have lunch before heading up to Genting Highlands Resort via cable car ride. Enjoy the cool breeze while relishing Chinese delicacies. The price is reasonable for four to five dishes served in portions to a group of four people. We suggest eating Stir Fry Vegetables (eggplant, French beans, and winged beans), Wild Boar Curry, Steamed Tilapia Fish, Salted Vegetable Soup, Crispy Pork Belly, and Honey Ginger Chicken.

Hou Wan Restaurant

Hou Wan Restaurant serves simple home-cooked Chinese dishes for you to enjoy lunch in Gohtong Jaya. The price of these tasty delicacies is affordable. Order stir-fry noodles to go with meat and vegetable dishes. Try the Dry-fried Prosperity Noodles, Steamed Frog Legs, Hokkien Mee, and Fresh Water Prawns Braised Noodles. If you plan to have seafood, ask the waiter for the price and weight of seasonal dishes. You can have meals outside the restaurants to feel Genting Highlands’ cool weather.

Good Friends Restaurant

Relish mouthwatering dim sum and Hakka cuisine in Good Friends Restaurant’s relaxing and family-friendly ambience. The restaurant is decorated with detailed Chinese elements, including the grand entrance (red doors and dragon carvings). Their dishes are suitable for people of all ages. Try their signature Hakka dishes – Home-Style Braised Streaky Pork with Preserved Vegetables, and Braised Sliced Pork with Chinese Wine in Claypot. Satisfy your dessert cravings by having Almond Bean Curd Jelly served with almond syrup and topped with longan.

Coffee Terrace

Coffee Terrace is a buffet restaurant with a large dining area, serving a wide range of cuisines to choose from. There are four sections in the restaurant – Private Room, Lanai Bar, Nyonya Baba Corner, and Al Fresco Terrace. Choose your favourite food at the Flavours of Malaysia, Chinese, Western, Japanese, Western Asian, Dessert and Fruits Corner. You can have as many as you want until you are happily full. The restaurant is open during breakfast, lunch and dinner hours. Prices vary depending on the time of day.

Burger & Lobster

London’s Burger & Lobster established their first outlet in Southeast Asia at SkyAvenue, Genting Highlands. You will need to be patient with the long queue to get a table, but it is worth the wait to savour the Lobsters (from Nova Scotia, Canada), Lobster Rolls (juicy lobster meat served in toasted brioche rolls with Chilli, Original, or Seven Samurai sauce) and Burgers. Dig into their signature dish, the Chilli Lobster (only in Genting Highlands), served in a claypot with brioche, which you can dip into the spicy sauce.

See more: Top 10 things to do in Cameron highlands, Malaysia

Source: Internet