The name says it all.... this food joint is a rebel in all sense of the word!

"Another burger joint!", one would say but this one believe me is SKIN DEEP.

I have not been to the area in awhile (which means a looooong time). Frankly speaking, I live quite a distance from it and there are so many foodie places in between, so when I received the invitation I thought, "it has to be a different experience", so different it was. I brought my two boys to the food tasting and it was very refreshing. 

Foodies like me sometimes get too caught up with our own complicated expectations. My kids, however, still love the basics. Sure they appreciate the adult palate and presentations but they do know good and tasty food when they bit on one. Burger Rebel had them the minute we entered the place until the time we left. 

The colourful sign, the hanging bicycle as a sort of art exhibit with its own story to be told and the corrugated steel for roofing used as a wall panel painted ala-DIY way. I had to think twice whether I'm entering an exhibit or a restaurant. It immediately hits you of how special it is.


*BTW if you have unused bikes which you would like to donate to be part of Burger Rebel installation, please let me know or contact them directly through their details below.

There I met Chef Adrian, a Mexican chap who's worked  all over Europe for so many years before giving the land of sunshine, desert and malls a chance. He gave us a little tour of the place and explained the reason behind the eccentric, playful and inviting décor that I and the boys just can't help but get curious and be so awesomely entertained. 

The graffiti were created by students from different Universities, the winner was from University of Wollongong in Dubai. 

I was so intrigued by each design trying to get into the artists' heads thinking what was going on in there when they were creating these pieces. What did they envision? Very curious indeed.

The interior exhibits gorgeous re-purposed furnitures,,, genius stroke a couple of times at Burger Rebel. Used banners, building metal I-beams, window louvers palettes, it's really something. Witnessing true commitment to preserving the environment, not just through their interior decoration but the whole place breathes around the concept of conservation. The iPad instead of printed menu, recycled take-away bags, the Naked Bar (because it's kept organically designed)... it's very inspiring. Makes me want to look at Pinterest and see other ways to re-purpose throw away items.

We sat down and gawked and drooled over their menu. Of course my boys checked their dessert's list first... and also checked if there's an internet connection in those iPad beauties. 

I wanted to taste all but given my current throat situation, I know I couldn't really munch much without tearing up so I have decided to focus on sliders. To be honest... they have amazing sliders selections. Throat pain or now, I will not let anything ruin a foodie treat with my kids. 

I ordered for myself dishes that I will probably not find in the usual burger places. Ceviche, Duck Confit and Burger Rebel Sliders, not to mention Beetroot Chips. My boys chose Burger Club with extra serving of chips. 

For drinks, I took the usual soda, my youngest went for the ever undying Vanilla Smoothie while my oldest opted for fresh juice. 

We were delightfully informed that everything was home-made, from the buns up to the tomato ketchup in the bottle.  We felt super special.

Oh we are coming back! 

It's a distance but it's not Abu Dhabi. I like the Ceviche although a bit soupy. The mango bits made the flavour rounder. In between citrus bites were kick of spice and a soothing tart sweetness.

Beetroot crisps were fun. Salty, sweet, dunk it in their home made mayo and ketchup and you're set to finish it all off! I'd prolly buy more next time, to-go. I can see myself just polishing the whole packet off while watching telly. I'm sure there are beetroot crisps in packets from supermarkets but home-made fresh ones are of a different level altogether. Yumminess through and through! 

My best bites were spent on Duck Confit Sliders which I love sooo very much. My youngest ended up eating some of my sliders as it was just darn soft and tasty. I really enjoyed it. I am the type who would buy those duck confit spread from supermarkets and slather it on crackers and just sit in one corner and eat at my leisure until I feel stuffed to last me a lifetime. 

I still have to taste their other dishes the next time I visit but definitely Duck Confit and Beetroot chips will be a staple.

My oldest boy ate everything in his plate! He said he loved everything. Sure I have to cut the whole Club into pieces as the bread, being home-made, doesn't hold quite well, but I couldn't care less,,, my boy finished off a man-burger all by himself!

He even had a bite of my Burger Rebel Slider (how awesome is he?). I thought he'll be squeamish as it is beef tongue, even I had to prepare myself mentally, I was a beef tongue virgin eater, he took it on a stride. He said, "mom, why wouldn't people eat it? It's still part of the beef, what's the difference between that and tenderloin or rib-eye part",,, hmmm the boy has a point.  

If I didn't know it was tongue, I wouldn't have guessed it... it was so tender that I felt more pain (bad case of throat condition) eating some of my boy's club burger than the sliders

I personally look forward to hearing more of Burger Rebel and it's wonderful mission to get the community (youth in particular) involved in meaningful activities such as arts, exhibits and competitions.

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

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!