Japanese cuisine is already a special one, prepare it the genius molecular gastronomy way and you have something spectacular, eventful, memorable and delectable.

I have always been fascinated with molecular gastronomy. I even hoped to witness and dine at one Hong Kong restaurant, featured in BBC food network. I seriously did try to squeeze in a date with hubby when we vacay in Hong Kong, just didn't happen for some reason. 

Alas! When I thought all hope was lost and that the closest thing to see culinary magic is on Master Chef's competition, featuring Heston Blumenthal, a chance to go up-close and personal to the sorcery presented itself.

Umai in Nihonggo means delicious, that's according to fellow blogger Grace of www.sandierpastures.com, a fluent speaker of the language. The dishes are indeed delicious. Take away all the science hoopla that goes with it, Umai dishes are yummy-licious. From the dishes that went through some magic spells to a simple steamed dumpling, they were all beautifully prepared. They are concoctions that anyone will appreciate.

It's one thing to include theatrics in food preparation, it's another to keep each morsel off the plate... Umai's molecular tapas are just that. Delicious morsels.

The Oberoi Hotel's location is a little tricky for the time being due to construction going on. I still managed to find it through the saving voice of google map. My goodness! That was the first time I have ever trusted a strange voice, blindly. I just couldn't miss this chance to try out Umai and meet Chef Jeff Ramsey and see The Oberoi Hotel for the first time. The night was filled with a whole lot of firsts and adventure of all sorts.

As I entered the hotel, I saw Chef Ramsey's photo along with what's on offer at Umai until the 8th of November. I thought to myself, "this is definitely going to be a sold-out". (It is, by the way. I just tried to book yesterday morning and unfortunately all tables were already taken with a waiting list for the whole event. So glad I managed to attend the menu tasting event. However, the hopeful that I am still got my name enlisted for the waiting list.) 

While Umai team was prepping, we happily settled in the bar next door. It's like Christmas time before you open gifts, the excitement and curiosity were palpable. When we can finally enter the restaurant, I gazed at everything like a little child. Everything was still pristine, no experiment occurred yet. The place embodies the Japanese theme but with a modern twist. Simple setting with all the kitchen tech available today. 

In the middle of the restaurant is an interactive kitchen. We settled where Chef Chie was carefully yet happily maintaining the temperature of the caramel. We later found out that it is for Caramel Corn. Again, Grace was my insider, chit-chatting with the team in Nihonggo.

Chef Dirk talked a wee bit, Chef Ramsey gave us a little background about his culinary experience and where and when his passion started. Then, the chemistry begun! 

First off was the Caramel Corn. A process that resembles a Breaking Bad episode. I was wide-eye the whole time. The mousse came out of the nozzle held by Chef Chie, straight onto a freezing cold spoon submerged into the nitro. Once the mousse was frozen, Chef Ramsey took it, passed it through silk-thin layer of caramel to coat it. It then dropped into a popcorn powder for the finishing touches. Voila! A one-bite light-as-a-feather popcorn covered puff that has no resounding crunch but a lasting flavour in your mouth.

Then the Meat and Potatoes. It was pita bread filled with potato mousse, topped with perfectly sliced wagyu beef. Once you bite on it, you really taste that forkful of steak and mashed potato with the addition of the crunch of pita. 

On the same plate was a ceasar salad, find it if you please. The plate then means consists of the starter and the main. I'm thinking, lunacy! There's no way those small buttons will fool me into thinking it's a salad... but it did!

The one on top is a sort of crouton-ish texture, the one at the bottom is a frozen concoction, cold to the bite while the flakes surrounding it is parmegianno regiano. I closed my eyes and just got myself lost in the flavours and my oh my it is a definite ceasar salad! I opened my eyes and pooof! Reality set in, that craziness is really small... I wanted more but I won't dare ask since I knew there are so many to taste after it.

One after another came the dishes. They were served as and when it's ready. First off the marathon was a dessert. Truffle, Truffle. Truffle coated in truffle powder. Silky, sweet, just the right richness. 

196 Tempura. Tempura with hair-thin carrot shreds sprinkled with the frozen froth made by the team, it was one yummy dish. It's a fabulous place to be in watching the whole team in the interactive kitchen doing what they do best... create amazing food!

Chef Jeff Ramsey showed us the highlight of the night, raspberry pearls created through food engineering of course. We didn't get to taste it, it was just a teaser, naughty naughty!

As we enjoy the fruit of the spellbinding performance, more dishes arrived at our table. The offerings of their specialty Chef. A mix of Chinese and Japanese delicacies. Dimsums, traditional tempura, maki, spring rolls, vegetable crudites' with Japanese mayo (super light!).

Tea lady also came with her own theatrics. Waving it like a sword and doing all sort of tricks like as if she's just holding a baton. The pot was very hot.

The finale came and I was speechless. I think most of us were with "the look" going around. Chef Dirk said, please do not start eating until Chef Ramsey gives you the instruction on how to eat them. 

The look of, Errrm-those-were-slices-of-citrus-fruits-and-I-believe-there-is-only-one-way-of-eating-them-at-their-state look.

Chef Ramsey said, "nibble on the small cherry bean looking fruit for a minute. Don't bite the seed, just the flesh around it." So we all did, feeling a bit silly to be honest. After a minute he told us to now try the lime wedges. Like a lamb to the slaughter, we looked at each other helplessly, squinted our eyes and bit on the sour lime and expected the worst.

It was sweet! Citrusy sweet! Like a candy. It was so good that nobody cared if the liquid were dripping, we indulged like a kid. I finished my whole plate in a jeef. I saw some even taking other's fruits.

It was a crazy sight, a fun-tastic one. 

Some started suspecting that they probably injected the fruit with some molecular thing, composed of sugary sweet substance and what-not. I was just so naive that I really didn't think about it that way.

When we were done being amazed, it was explained that the miracle fruit which we first ate causes our taste buds to function differently. Our tongue is coated with miraculin, which is used commercially as a sugar substitute. 

Sour becomes sweet and other taste becomes something else. Our taste buds were practically screwed for two hours :P

Then we were asked to try our vinos and coffee ... eeeew! Safe to say, the booze stopped the minute we had dessert.

I came home telling my two boys about the whole lab-like kitchen I have just been and the miracle fruit and even demonstrated how the effect was, I munched on the nearest lemon I can find. They were so thrilled!

Come brushing of teeth and I wasn't thrilled anymore. My teeth was so sensitive from all the citrus that I had a long time trying to finish. 

Albeit the pain, it was a wonderful night, happy crowd, it was FUN more than anything. An essential thing that we all need in our busy lives. Definitely memorable.

It's not hard to make me happy, I see good things in everything. I'd like to think I'm a half-cup-full type of person. It helps me enjoy life... no matter what.

However, very few impresses me to the point where I will say, it's an experience that I will speak highly of.

Dining way above ground is something I have always enjoyed, regardless of how awful the food in the airplane is, it's that altitude that gives me that kick. But dining on honest-to-goodness delicious food, be it on a high altitude or right here smack on the ground... it is going to be a memorable one for a pretty long time.

I think when you have no expectation about a restaurant and they just blew your socks off for being amazing, that's the kind of culinary experience one will say a pure treat.

Japanese food is not really something I crave for.. and I crave for a lot of different cuisines. When I had the chance to dine at ICHO's, I didn't know much about it but the mix reviews I read online (when it was still JAL Towers).

Not a pretty good start I say. I was preparing myself to be disappointed, I was hesitant, I was prejudicial to say the least. That is why I never read anyone's review when I go to a restaurant, whether I'll be dining as a paying guest or as a hosted guest. One way or another it will affect my outlook. In this case however, I was proven wrong.

Upon Arrival
Arriving at the familiar hotel of Radisson Royal Hotel brought me back to the time it was still JAL towers where we stayed for the night and had lunch at IndoThai. I remember almost everything from that day but mostly remember the feast we had, the special touches they have in the décor, the service, the beautiful orchid on the table we took a picture of.

I can still taste the dishes we shared, the Thai appetisers wrapped in banana leaves, the fall-off-the-bone beef, up to the sweet ending of tapioca pearls dessert and ice cream. See? It really isn't hard to remember delicious food, to think that I'm typing this post on my iPhone while waiting for a movie to start. Yup, I can't wait to write about ICHO that is all.

The staff might not think I had a blast because I'm normally extra composed when I'm super happy, just like how I'd be at an interview for a job I really really want. That's exactly how my demeanor was... my bad, because they have to read this to know I left on a high note that night. I must remember to let them know about this post. They deserve a huge thanks.

Up there
ICHO takes the 49th to the 51st floor of the hotel. The door opened to a décor that says we're at the right place. Minimalist beauty. Definitely less is more.

Exciting and overwhelming. Meeting Head Chef Song is just the icing on the cake. What a gracious and soft spoken host he was.

As we were seated to our part of the table, we couldn't help but admire the panoramic view Radisson Royal Hotel offers. Simply breathtaking. 

While some of the chefs were already hard at work entertaining guests with flinging, banging, flying and tossing their turner spatulas. Eggs were also tossed around, some ending up on the Chef's hats, some getting purposely cracked on the teppanyaki table as part of a dish, like our yummy Japanese egg fried rice, we sat there patiently, drinking every drop of the show while our own dedicated Teppanyaki Chef awaits for what dish we want to feast on.

Teppanyaki floor has three stations, each can accommodate 20 guests. I can imagine a party being held at this place and how fabulous will that be? Alive and kicking, flames bursting, smoke rising, wondrous aroma wafting through the air, it would be a blast for sure!

We looked at the menu and we knew that the way to go about it is to share a set menu. There were so many dishes that I would have loved to try but I know I can only eat so much without flooding my senses. The ones that I will definitely come back for will be tofu, scallops and prawns. Oh and I won't mind having the meal we had as well. Yes, yes, yes, I'm a sucker for good food. I don't care if people look at me and think I'm insane (they usually do), I love my food. Period.

My guest and I settled for ICHO set and asked for extra appetisers. A wise decision it seems. 

Our appetisers consisted of tempura, beef tataki, crab salad and chicken nuggets. 

Tempura was coated with a super light batter, crispy, fresh and uber-tasty. I cook a lot and experiment a lot in the kitchen and this kind of batter is something I just, just, just can't nail! At least I can trust ICHO to frustrate me even more now.

Next in line was something I have never eaten in my life. Beef tataki, any tataki for that matter. I didn't know whether I will like it or not. I didn't hate it, that's for sure, however, it will not be the first thing that will come to my head when order time comes. Beef tataki is no beef carpaccio (which I love so much). It was more ceviche-tasting.

Beef tataki is very lightly seared, almost super rare. It's sliced thinly like a sashimi and marinated with citrus-soy sauce. The one we ate was rolled and plated with a little bit of salad, a perfect mini version of the regular tataki versions.

Chicken nuggets, which I was kinda of dreading thinking it's going to be uneventful, boring and so junkfoodish turned out to be not so bad at all. It's thinner and smaller than the usual nuggets from a certain food chain starting with an M plus the usual ketchup was replaced with something bolder and with a good kick. It took us by surprise that my guest had to dive into her crab salad to take the spice off. As for me, I loved it. 

The last piece of the puzzling yet pleasantly surprising start was the crab salad. Let's just say, I cannot stop thinking about its creamy and generous flavour. It doesn't hit you at first, it's simple and innocent looking then you'll realize you have enjoyed it more than you thought you will. Looking at the bowl that you're still scraping hoping you can still juice it a bit more. Deceitful looking salad, that's what it is.

The appetisers were well thought. Everything was in harmony, it's a happy tray. The spicy nuggets complemented by the cool crab salad while the neutral tempura was oomph-ed by the gorgeous beef tataki. The best part? it's just the first course!

Next in line was the mixed salad with apple sauce. Delicious but failed in comparison to the first course. Maybe mismanaged expectation? In my head it's supposed to be how movies work... succession of accumulating goodness until finale when the explosion of flavours happen. In this case, I would have presented the salad first before the four appetisers.

But thinking about the way the appetisers were presented and how well executed each component was, the salad might be the intermission of each scene. A palate cleanser if you may. If that was the intention then hats off! It did give us a fresh tasting start.

Then came the fresh seafood of the day, prawn and lobster meats garnished with asparagus and accompanied by tomato sauce. If you ask me which I prefer more, I will choose prawn. I felt that the lobster was over seasoned with salt thus overpowering the tartness of the sauce. The prawn however worked really well with the sauce.

For soup, of course we got Miso Soup. I normally don't like miso soup but what I had a ICHO is different from any Miso Soup I tasted anywhere. I wouldn't mind finishing the whole bowl. Maybe for some, they'd think it's weak or water washed but it's perfect for me. I'm not a big fun of strong sea or fishy essence and this miso is the first that is not too strong for me.

Came our grilled vegetables, like appetisers, it had different components making up to a vibrant dish. We got two types of mushrooms, carrots and eggplant, potatoes topped with fried garlic.

I enjoyed the mushroom more than anything. The combination of butter and a little bit of soya sauce gave it that unadulterated meaty taste. Carrots gave us a little crunch, while the eggplant submits beautifully. 

I get why potatoes were there, to give it a little starch but I felt that the fried garlic topping was unnecessary. Garlic has a very strong flavour that overpowers your palate once taken and so if the idea of the neutral starch is to keep the tastes in perspective, you'll lose it if you end up munching on those crunchy garlic bits.

Mains
Our mains consisted of Wagyu Beef Strips and Foie Gras with Garlic and Egg Fried Rice on the side. Sumptuous! Sumptuous! Sumptuous!

As some of you know by now, I love foie gras and I love steaks especially if it's Wagyu, combine them together? Hallelujah! Angels singing, rainbows shimmering, there's hope for this world kind of epiphany. Rich in texture, rich in flavour, rich in everything! 

I couldn't ask for a better combination than those two. Hands down, they make it to my fave list.

Last but not the least was the finale of the grand orchestra, fresh berries and kiwi combo with ice cream on the side, if I'm not mistaken, green tea flavoured ice-cream. 

It was a perfect ending to a glorious evening. 

I cannot wait to treat my husband and kids as soon as I get my first paycheck. Yup, the corporate world is beckoning and as the tradition goes, splurge the damn first paycheck to pieces I must. What better way to do that than to have a wonderful dinner, way up there, on the 50th floor of Radisson Royal Hotel? 

I will be filming alright, mostly my boys' delirious faces as they get sucked into the entertainment trance of Teppanyaki Chef's sorcery and witchcraft.

Above is just a few of the video clips I stitched together. A little peak at what ICHO's teppanyaki is about. You will not just arrive, sit and eat but you will be entertained, you will see and smell every single dish that you will indulge in. You are not just watching the experience, you are part of the experience. 

Thank you ICHO for the memorable time.

Let me start this mildly, I am jealous, again JEALOUS of tourists who have an excuse to stay at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel which screams of Jumeirah opulence. From the cherry blossoms in the lobby, art pieces (more than four hundred of them all over the hotel apparently) I saw, the décor, the lay-out and most importantly, the nightlife they offer. Hard not to appreciate the grandiose gesture. I hear a strumming of Hotel California in my head... ♫ you can check-out anytime you like, but you can never leave" ... ♫ obviously not in that creepy way but you get my drift. You really have to hang-out there to understand the standard they set. 

I love Jumeirah but I think their Creekside Hotel has that home-away-from-home feel because of its more intimate size. You get the luxury of the big brother's facilities because you have access to them yet you get to keep the light environment. It's chic met traveler at home.

Now to the nightlife's launch... how awesome is the concept of inviting more than five hundred guests, media, bloggers, hotel execs and let them roam around and try everything to their heart's content? I say, pretty awesomelicously chic! I couldn't even believe but it hit me pretty quick. I smelled the aroma and saw beautiful people roaming around. It has to be THE PLACE.

Arriving at JCH, a tall and proud art piece will greet you. At night it's brightly lit with a muffled sound of water welcoming you.  On the nightlife launch, the water was accompanied by a blasting party music that doubled my excitement. It's like opening a present but this time, the present is encased in a huge glorious architecture called Jumeirah Creekside Hotel.

I was mesmerized by the flying carpet on the wall and the cherry blossoms!!! Love, love, love, love it! It doesn't hurt that I have a very close affinity to anything pink

Guests were welcomed by gorgeous ushers holding signs to the destinations of the night! Nomad, Blue Flame and Cu-ba. Of course I head straight to the nearest one... I can no longer contain my curiosity.

Nomad, is a Puccini designed restaurant which has four diverse dining experience: Asian Pool Grill, Asian Tapas Wine Bar, 24-H New York Style Deli, or ala carte / buffet dining. Asian Pool Grill is fab with it's modern take on bonfire at night and just a few steps away from the hotel pool. I can imagine it making loungers happy as a bee with their amazing treats at daytime. Not too far away is the other side of the pool with it's own cabanas, an extension to the enclosed Bar which on that particular night was serenaded by a wonderful Sax player.

(*For mom's like me... I'm happy to report that they are looking into movie nights by the pool, events for kids and prolly some romantic ones too! Watch this space!)

I tried Duck Burger at Asian Pool Grill and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I was so ready to write it off since I am a huge fun of Peking Duck and how much integrity it retains. Well, there are times like this one when I got it wrong. It was delicious and I won't mind having the regular size one.

There were also Beef Ribs which I heard were yum and tender, two good things you know you want in a meat. I saw it, it waved at me and was jumping up and down "pick me, you know you want to!". Heartbreaking to report that I did not give in. I had to eat smart otherwise I will not be able to survive the night.  The whole hotel was flowing with food and drinks and it's a matter of trusting your companions to tell you the awful truth. It's a joyous yet scary thought too that I'll be eating and drinking and merry making until 1 in the morning when we started at 7PM

The Edamame Tempura that was sitting next to the ribs were however, a very curious thing. I think it confused some of the diners because it was presented as a tempura which to be honest was not necessary if not a blunder. I know of edamame tempura but they're out of the pods so they're like popcorn balls, edible all throughout. But Some diners mistook the pod as edible and as far as I know it is inedible regardless of the method you cook it with. Unless of course I'm wrong again which I will appreciate a correction.

Next in the list of to-taste was the Polynesian Roasted Chicken and Singapore Noodle. The Roasted Chicken was okay but not a big fan of the Singapore Noodle. I found it too salty and spicy for my liking... but then again, I have not really had a Singapore Noodle that I liked, it just seems like the kind of dish that I will not personally order. Lucky for me, there are so many dishes to choose from, from the fusion and not, a sushi bar ready to create something delectable, the place was just buzzing with happy guests. The place sounded like the floor of Wall Street Stock Exchange.

As we move on to the next stop, we passed by a much quieter area by the entrance. It was the lounge next to Nomad's bar and I could see pockets of cherry blossoms inside the bar. Pretty happening place. 

The lounge is probably more like my place. There were shelves filled with cooking books, bottles of gourmet oils, herbs and other equally interesting treats for the cook in all of us. I can seat there and have coffee and admire the buzz and the view but I had to get moving if I want to complete my JCH nightlife experience.

Blue Flame, Grand Grill and Restaurant is on the mezzanine floor. For that night alone, the fine dining section of the restaurant was almost emptied to give way to the DJ's apparatus and some more leg room for the fabulous crowd who were really dressed to the nines. I was starting to think I was a midget in the midst of all these runway models. 

The have a display screen which I totally dig. It projects an illusion of the sea view and the underwater which speaking of ambiance, next to it is the oyster bar. If you are into oysters, then the smoked oysters is a must to try. Why? I had a foodie pal with me who had a second helping, perhaps third, not too sure but also because it took me ages to get a clear shot of the bar. People just won't leave! I almost wanted to yell, "people this is a tasting event, don't hug the bar!" but it was indeed entertaining seeing how much everyone love the food.

I have to confess I didn't try it because I'm not accustomed to the taste and texture of oysters. A short deets about me? I had an extreme allergic reaction to seafood as a kid and have been working my way back into appreciating what the sea offer. So far, I managed to reach crabs and mussels but have not reached the comfort level with oysters just yet. Such a shame since I practically grew up in a place known for uh-maze-balls seafood.

Anywho, what I tried was their delectable grilled beef. That, was my heaven for the night. They served it in taster sizes but I saw a guy balancing 4 or five taster plates which is either greedily going to be consumed by him or for his friends. All I knew was that it took me some weaving through to get to the point where I can reach a plate. It's like a fort that the meat lovers were guarding. 

*you see how Julie's husband was stuffing his face with this scrumptious dish... imagine him lost in Blue Flame's beef...

The other bonus I enjoyed was the various mustards they have on offer. You name the flavour and they have it. It was like a parade of highlighters that sure add to the experience without clouding that meaty greatness the beef offered. Of course they have other condiments but I'm all about the mustards. Ever since I discovered it, I never enjoyed beef without it and I certainly appreciate a restaurant that understands how monumental mustard's role is. (Okay, got carried away a bit)

Drinks, I'm a red wine kind of gal and I got to taste their house wine. Well, a house wine is a house wine, it's not a bad one but it's better than the wine I ordered from the wine-list of a not-to-be named hotel. Obviously, if you will be enjoying a mighty good piece of meat, you should order a really good wine and from their wine list, they have some pretty nice ones that they will recommend.

As if I've seen it all, right smack in the middle of Blue Flame is a somewhat futuristic looking room which I will only assume is were the cooking classes are held. I didn't have the chance to take a picture of it because the place was just choc-a-bloc.

Up we go to the rooftop. CU-BA! I have not been to the country though I plan to. For now, JCH's rooftop venue is a pretty great place to be. Beautiful lap pool, panoramic view of the city and beyond, a choice to hang out in the lounge or chill out under the moon in the cabanas and enjoy the weather. Either way you get to enjoy the rockin' beats by DJ Jodie Lee, Cu-ba's very own rockin' resident DJ.

Posh setting befits posh guests. Cu-ba is not short of great things, they also offer large cigars and infused rums, so for the cigar and rum lovers? it's the place to be. As for the rest of us? Everything that is on offer in Cu-ba is too good to resist!

The night ended on a very high note and we went back to Nomad's Asian Pool Grill to soak up the now jam packed area and talk more about food and the awesome night we had. 

It was a fabulous night, one which I wish my husband was well enough to have enjoyed it with me. I felt so guilty coming home past midnight waaaay too happy. I spared him most of the details but now after reading this? He might sulk a li'l bit for missing out :(

If you are coming to Dubai, I do hope you stay in Jumeirah Creekside Hotel. You will not be disappointed to get the best of both worlds. You are close to the airport and are probably 50 steps away from the Irish Village and Century Village which also happens to be the home of ever popular and talked about Dubai Tennis Championship. If you are into golf, you can practically have it as your view because right across the hotel is the view of Dubai Creek, Gold and Yacht club, of course getting there is a totally different discussion but if you can see it, it's closeby. 

The hotel is right smack in the middle of city center strategically located along Garhoud street, which is  the least crowded area in city center. As guests, you have the option to enjoy the ocean which Jumeirah group boasts off but with the intimate setting this hotel offers.

As for Dubaians and fellow UAE residents, we don't need an excuse to enjoy a fabulous night or a lovely meal (do I hear DATE NIGHT?!), don't take my word for it... head down there and have fun!

-AcousticChef, cookin' one tune at a time!

Know more about what JCH offers by visiting their website. They offer three more restaurants (which they hid from me): Biscotti, Crimson Gallery and Plumeria. Sample menus are available to dream about, be warned, you will be hungry. Please don't hurt me if you do. 

For more details
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel's website

An offer to join a Master Class by Hakkasan's Head Chef, Chef Pang Pin Lee is one of those foodie fortunes that I am most certainly glad have found me. 

It was a day of absolute fun surrounded by certified foodies. I'm talking Ahlan Gourmet, Gulf News, Arabian Woman, a Professional Chef, an ex-TV broadcaster, just a plethora of amazing people who are far more experienced in the foodie arena than I am. 

These are just some of the tantalizing dishes we feasted on. Hakkasan has so much more to offer on their menu and of course their venue is as exquisite as the food they serve. Nothing was short-changed.

The Kiwi and Lime drink I had at Ling Ling Lounge was refreshing to the bone! I thought I can easily re-create it because it looks pretty easy? How hard could it be, it's Kiwi and Lime. Let's just say,  I'll wait for the inside scoop on the method used. 

Their Tofu is home-made. It was awesome-licious! I have never in my entire life eaten a tofu as silky as Hakkasan's. I want to go back with my family just to show off this amazing melt-in-your-mouth tofu. Silky inside and nice crunch on the outside. Blown away.

Tofu, aubergine and shiitake mushroom claypot in chilli black bean sauce is one of the dishes that Chef Lee demonstrated. Silky tofu, meaty shiitake (which I lurve soooo much) and aubergine drenched in a fusion of flavours. The chili is not at all overpowering, it is such a beautiful dish where nothing is competing and everything is complementing. A simple dish that resembles a choir in perfect unison.

Another dish in the menu which Chef Lee demonstrated was Prawn Har Gau. What a combination of art and skill! Chef Lee showed us how skilled a Chef has to be, to be able to fold har gau dough. Six to seven folds in one dumpling means you are a decent dumpling maker. More than that means you are skilled. Hakkasan's Dumpling Chef? Superman. He made 13 folds in seconds!!! And don't get me started with the dough. The only time I realized it was a dough (and not a super white cloth) was when Chef Lee formed the casing for filling. No. I'm not even gonna try to re-create it. I'll leave it to the experts to feed me. The filling was combined just right. The prawn still chunky and fresh. This process made my jaw drop! 

As if we're not impressed enough, the team served one of their UAE signature dishes, Jasmine tea smoked Wagyu beef ribs. This dish is not even available in Hakkasan London, Miami or other internationally located branch. Ha! Aren't we super spoiled? 

One bite, foodnomenal! We all have to ask how it was made (prolly smugly thinking we'll do this at home, I know I did!). Chef Lee explained and counted the ways it was cooked. Five ways. Huwat now? 5 WAYS?! A resounding no in my head. No way high way will I be spending probably a whole day slaving in the kitchen to make this dish. I'll book a table for 5 please, thank you very much! 

If there's one dish that didn't shine amongst the spread, albeit a decent one, it's the Spicy prawn with lily bulb and almond (I think that's what it is, sorry it was lost in the commotion). Just didn't wow me the way the rest of the dishes did. I treat it as a teenager mingling with the veterans.

The last dish Chef Lee demonstrated was Stir-fry rib eye wagyu beef with black pepper sauce. He made it look so easy with all those wok-frying technique. While he was doing it, I was thinking, that'll be an alright dish, nothing special, it's just a stir fry beef. Ehrrmm Boy was I wrong?! 

Beef were precisely cut, perfectly fried and the sauce lets the meat shine. If you watched (I will end you if you didn't!) Julie and Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon scene... that was me, secretly dying and resurrecting over and over again in every bite. In case you don't know what I mean, watch.

Now that you're curious enough from all those food displayed to tease you, the master of it all, Chef Lee! He was awesome. He reminded me of Jackie Chan every time he apologizes for his English, which was by the way not bad at all! He's so humble, so approachable, just super nice. You! Celebrity Chef (GR), I'm talking to you, you should take lessons from him. 

Just to let you in a little secret, he actually called his dumpling chef to do a demonstration of har gau. He felt we need to see har gau made the right way. Now that humbleness earns him more than a 5-star (where 5 is the highest). 

His kitchen team has this really friendly camaraderie which I doubt is common. The psych in me was working over time, competing with the foodie in me. It was such an enjoyable atmosphere, I wanted to volunteer as a slave for a day or a fly on the wall just to see more of them well oiled friendly machines. They're not competitive at all! It's just really hard to put into words. I was in definite awe. 

Entering Hakkasan's kitchen, I was transformed into this little 5-yr old who just entered Disneyland. What a dream to work in. Shiny worktops, mise en place, squeaky clean utensils, fire ablaze under the well used woks. It's just amazing.

Chef Lee's woks in particular made me think of how many dishes it made, how many patrons it bowled over, just a never ending fantastic stories weaving in my head. If only Woks could talk! I want the first interview please! 

I don't know how old are those woks but it reminded me of one particular sauce pan I have. We don't scrub it to death because for some reason, the dishes we cooked over the years in that pan renders a wonderful flavour in succeeding ones we make. And no, I don't care if the inside looked identical to the bottom, I AM NOT REPLACING IT!

It's not just the food that makes Hakkasan exquisite. The restaurant is meticulously designed to match the outstanding service and delicious dishes served out from their pristine kitchen.  

Arriving via Emirates Towers The Boulevard, I had to do a double take if I entered a restaurant because the hallway was so serene with its bricked wall and marble flooring. It almost confused me into thinking I'm approaching a spa. To top it off, the reception was adorned with lovely orchids. Yay! fash.

First stop was Ling Ling Lounge where apparently I have to order Hakka drink the next time I come around. While waiting for the rest of the group, I had the chance to have a chit chat with their GM, Mr Amit and get a little of history of the restaurant. He got me in "Michelin star" and "one of the 50 best restaurants in the world". I am definitely impressed and obviously felt very privileged to be invited to such a wonderful treat. 

The tour of the restaurant showed off the Asian décor that practically completes the whole landscape which creates a dining experience, rather than just the usual meal. 

If you use the Hakkasan Entrance which is the side closest to World Trade Center, you can valet your car and enjoy the garden path to the covered area of the restaurant. As you enter the garden, you hear the splash of water coming from the waterfall on your right and the shuffling of leaves which is everywhere. A brief moment that will make you forget you are in the middle of the busy Sheikh Zayed area.

Mind the path though, seems like some diners assume that the water next to the marble path is covered by glass. So mind your steps and please don't go swimming. 

There are 88 available seating outside and 155 inside. 

All areas are beautifully arranged to suit different types of privacy required by diners. The Garden certainly makes one feel as if you are just having a meal in your own garden with a dish that just so happen to be prepared by fantastic chefs. Also a perfect place to chill out with the night sky as your view.

Inside dining is equally elegant but with a bit more drama, the lighting, the intricate walls, even the ceiling fan, it's private and yet not claustrophobic. Their own 14-seat VIP rooms have see-through walls. Though the walls still speak for itself and impose on keeping the area private, it doesn't scream boxed in. A superb venue for office's private dinners/lunches or special meals with friends & family.

If you are not really dining in and don't feel like staying in the lounge, they also have a separate bar just right after the reception. Perfect for that brief drink or catching up with your buddies. 

So before I bid you adios and let you tour Hakkasan via my shots below, I leave you with a short video of how Chef Lee demonstrated how to cook Stir fry beef in black bean sauce... the unedited one is in detail with lots of secrets revealed but will leave it for next time if I'll be permitted to publsih :) ta-ta!

*menu's available below too... have fun browsing!

Awesome day with lovely people, Amit and Alina!

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My dad has a habit of travelling all the way from Abu Dhabi to treat us and grandkids to meals and movies. The last one he asked me where I want to have lunch and it didn't take me long... I said Japengo.

"Why?" You might ask and there's no complicated answer. It's simple. Japengo is one of the few great restaurants around that one can rely on to deliver a promise of variety, value for money and surprisingly... yummy-liciousness. Very rare would you find those three combo in one place. Very rare would I have a sentence that has all those three together if I say so myself.

Japengo is a place where if you venture out to a new resto and it miserably failed, you'll say, "I wish we went to Japengo instead". Lucky for us, we live just next to a mall that has Japengo in it. We can dine in or order in, either way, we know what we love from Japengo and it's almost everything in their menu.

I ordered Insalata Caprese, just because I love caprese in general. I always say that this salad is hard to screw up. Japengo, however, elevated it to the next level. It's not just a salad for me, it's a main course. There is no star of the dish because each component competes for the limelight. The thick yet creamy bufallo mozarella, firm slices of tomato, rocca leaves, pesto and balsamic vinegar reduction. It's freshness to perfection.

The photo doesn't capture how bright my plate looked like. Sadly we didn't have a camera and we had to make do with the mobile camera. Just imagine Italia... it's the brightest green and the brightest red in contrast to the white mozarella stained by the pesto and balsamic vinegar.... what a delicious painting... I tell you.

My sister ordered a salad of rocket leaves and fresh tomatoes drizzled with generous amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and finished off with a topping of shaved parmegiano reggiano. Italians, they really are something. Unadulterated food presented in all its simplicity is an art, to make the flavours gel together... just genius! Rocket and caprese salad is also delicious at pizza toppings... I'm telling ya... genius!

Salad, it's not easy to fail... but the way Japengo interpreted this dish is just a wowzer. Amazing marriage of flavours.

I think my parents were the first ones to open my palette to scallops. If memory serves me correctly, it was in Abu Dhabi Mall in one of the restaurants in the food court... they have closed now I think. Ever since, I have always considered scallops as a treat. It's a pricey silly small thing but it's all worth every penny. 

It's a delicate little bugger. You can't serve it raw, it'll be eeeew and you can't serve it overdone... it'll be chewy. Japengo does it just perfectly cooked!

My sister and dad ordered grilled scallops and I know I shouldn't fret,,, I have  not just one but two plates I can dig into when I finish my caprese. And so I did! It's a balance between the tender scallops and crunchy vegetables married by the drizzled butter sauce. It's that kind of dish you want to just greedily put all in your mouth but you know that you only have very few pieces of star component and so you have to just savor each bite. It's divine!

Alex loves pasta and he's go-to dish whenever we go to Japengo is no other than Penne in Alfredo Sauce. It has chicken and mushroom in cream sauce. I will normally have a hard time telling him to finish his food but this one... I can just enjoy my food and I know when I look up, it'll all be gone. It did disappear quickly... equals happy mommy!

Tori Katsu Karee is one of my faves as well... but sadly I can only eat so much. My nanny, Ate Jasmin ordered it. This chicken is juicy, tender and just tasty. It's golden fried chicken topped with Japanese curry sauce served with Japanese steamed rice.

I replicated this dish from time to time at home and yes I cheat... I use the packet Japanse curry mixture... I does taste good but still not as yum as Japengo's ... I'm getting there though... practice makes perfect :)

My dad ordered Grilled Tuna Steak. I got my passion for food from him, though he's not as adventurous as I am. As he grows older, he's more mellow with his choices... maybe trying to eat healthy... possibly. I tasted his dish though.. it's nyummy... if it's lean eating... I didn't taste it. :P

It's served with baby potatoes, grilled vegetables and tomato salsa.

My youngest, Jason loves food as much as I do. He loves this dish so much that sometimes he doesn't order the usual pasta. This tempura has a super light butter, crispy and super tasty!

This branch is located at China Court Ibn Battuta Mall, 043669910. For menu and other information http://www.atninfo.com/menu.php?groupno=170733

Telephone: +9714 3080000
Radisson Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Last year I joined so many competitions and won quite a handful of freebies. Yeah, whatever! I'm a sucker for competitions.

One of the many generous gifts I got was an overnight stay at Radisson Royal Hotel Dubai (formerly JAL Hotel Dubai) and a lunch for two at Indo Thai Restaurant.

The overnight stay experience was of course fanta-bulous. We had breakfast in bed, went for a little tour of the hotel, didn't really go swimming because of the weather, plus, pool wasn't appealing as it's next to an unfinished building, construction workers going woot woot? no thank you very much. Swimming pool aside, we had a great time.

The dining experience was equally memorable. It's a shame that when we went for lunch, it was just us and another couple who were there. The server said, they're pretty pack in the evening, hmmm. It's a real shame that the hotel location is along the strip of hotels and of equally amazing restaurants. Diners have gazillions to choose from if you ask me.

Let's just say, it's human nature to choose convenience next to the quality and taste of food. The hotel is not located in a straighforward area of the hotel strip. You have to weave your way around to access it, so yeah, when we went there, even with the promotions happening, it's a bit desserted, however exquisite the food was.

The worst thing is... these diners don't know what they're missing!

The restaurant setting is modern asian which I love. We can see orchid's, bamboos and just warmth Asian hospitality in its décor.

For appetizers we ordered Vietnamese Beef Salad and Chicken Pandan Leaves. Delectable is the word. The salad has fresh mint, vermicelli noodles and julienne veggies cooked to perfection. It also came with skewered beef which has a good flavour of dark soya sauce and lemon grass. Chicken was marinated and wrapped in pandan leaves, maybe steamed, maybe baked, I didn't care much for the method of cooking because however it was cooked, it was moorish. We loved every bit of it!

For the main course, J went for the obvious, Red Curry Beef Cheek while I went for the chef-y sounding dish, Cod Fish & Pak Choy Cambodian Pot-Au-Feu. Sometimes being adventurous pays for a fantastic discovery, sometimes, it's better to be safe. This time around, J won. His Beef was to-die for! The meat was so tender, it practically pulls away and it melts in your mouth while the curry sauce gives it a bit of kick. It was served with steamed rice which for us is just a cherry on top. I wouldn't mind eating all of it by myself. J is obviously more generous than I am, so he shared his dish with me.

As for my chef-y sounding dish? it was,,, non-committed eeeeh. It says in the menu that it's pan-fried cod fish served in beef consommé scented with lemongrass and garnished with pak-choy. It didn't impress me. I didn't feel any character from the dish. The consommé smells better than it taste. It was salty and I can't really taste much of the beef essense there... more like buillon-y type. The fish lost it's flavour because the consommé overpowered it. In short, I won't be ordering you again my fishy friend.

Dessert? It once again redeemed itself. J ordered Banana Passion Caramel Custard, banana and passion fruit in a caramel custard with fresh pomelo... once again, safe. It was yum. As for me and my food quest, I ordered something I have eaten separately but never together in Coconut, Sago and Lychee Cake. Let's just say, thank goodness I took the risk. Even J was a little envious.

It was a steamed cake, made of sago pearl, lychee and coconut flavour sort of cream custard served with pandan leaf ice cream. Every spoonful was exciting and I wish it never ended. That's how yummy-licious it was.

This meal happened almost a year ago and I can still taste the dishes in my mouth. Believe me, that's a good thing. Hope to dine back with our kids in tow!