Jumeirah | February 2017

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Social set

Dubai’s hottest tickets in town

Behind the bench

Jumeirah Al Naseem’s leading chef Tobias Pfister

Work of art

Artist David Hockney exhibits in London

Andy murrAy The king of the court on his rise to the top spot

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February 2017

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Editor-in-Chief

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner & Group Editor

lan Fairservice Editorial Director

Gina Johnson Group Editor

Sophia Serin Senior Editorial Assiatant

Cecilia D’Souza Designer

Hiral Kapadia Picture Editor

Diana Bell-Heather Contributors

Gareth Rees, Faye Rowe, Claire Hill, Tahira Yaqoob General Manager – Production

S Sunil Kumar Production Manager

R Murali Krishnan Production Supervisor

Venita Pinto Chief Commercial Officer

Anthony Milne Group Sales Manager

Ziad Saleh ziad@motivate.ae For Jumeirah

Charlie Taylor

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Contents This Month 15 City watch Discover the most exciting events of the month 22 Monitor Essential news and previews

Head Office: Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 2331, Dubai UAE, Tel: +971 4 427 3000, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124, E-mail: editor-wo@motivate.ae London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

Featured 26 King of the court Tennis world number one Sir Andrew Murray on his rise to the top 30 Six decades of Hockney Iconic British artist on his latest exhibition and new book

February 2017

Contents 44

Lifestyle 38 Flower power The awe-inspiring Cactus de Cartier collection

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44 The fight to save the world’s oldest library Aziza Chaouni rebuilds an important piece of history 48 Finding the Fu How four Chinese tastemakers plan on spending Chinese New Year 54 Access all areas The VIP list of events in Dubai this month

Travel 60 Be my valentine Once-in-a-lifetime romantic experiences 70 Insiders guide to London Life with the locals of the British capital 76 Featured spaces Uptown Bar, Jumeirah Beach Hotel 78 The making of a chef Behind the bench with chef Tobias Pfister 82 The high life Pepper, Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait

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City Watch

Key dates for your diary

Dubai

Madinat theatre returns February 9 to 19 Kicking off a new series of family shows at the theatre hidden like a secret gem in the centre of Souk Madinat, follow the adventures of Aladdin in this adaptation of the classic story. Children and adults alike will revel in the journey of Aladdin and the genie, packed with thrilling circus acts and spellbinding music. aladdin, souk Madinat theatre, dubai. email: Madinattheatre@jumeirah.com. madinatjumeirah.etixdubai.com

soMething’s CoMing February 14 to 18 West Side Story makes its Dubai debut with a five-night run at Dubai Opera. The classic musical, based on Arthur Laurents, tale of two warring street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, in New York’s Upper West Side in the 1950s, features music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

West side story, dubai opera, dubai. dubaiopera.com

snap happy February 10 to 17 Dubai’s arts hub Alserkal Avenue hosts Gulf Photo Plus Week. The well-established photography festival, an annual highlight for both photographers and art lovers across the MENA region, comprises exhibitions, photo walks, workshops and seminars. gulf photo plus photo Week, alserkal avenue, dubai. gulfphotoplus.com

tennis tiMe February 19 to March 4 The newly-knighted world number one Andy Murray will head to

compiled by Gareth Rees Images: Getty

Food Fest February 23 to March 11

Dubai this month (FEB) to take part in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.The Tournament, which will take place at the stadium

In recent years Dubai has built a reputation as

next to Jumeirah Creekside Hotel

a must-visit destination for food lovers. The

from February 19 - March 4, marks

annual Dubai Food Festival celebrates the

its 25th anniversary this year, and

diversity of Dubai’s culinary offering, which

the current Wimbledon, Olympic

ranges from street food from almost every

Games and World Tour Finals

country on Earth to world-class restaurants

champion will be in the hunt to add

endorsed by celebrity chefs.

the prestigious Dubai title to his

dubai Food Festival, various locations, dubai.

ever increasing list of accolades,

visitdubai.com

titles and honours.

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MAXIMILIAN LONDON BOUTIQUE Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel, The Palm Jumeirah UAE, Dubai, P.O. Box 29792 +971 50 919 63 66 +44 77 95 888 888 www.maximilianjewelry.com

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Abu DhAbi/istAnbul

Graphic Art Until February 9 Warehouse421’s 100/100: Hundred Best Arabic Posters is an exhibition of the work of the Arab world’s best graphic artists. The show comprises the 100 best works entered into the gallery’s annual poster competition.

PrecIoUs carGo Until June 4

100/100: Hundred Best arabic Posters, Warehouse421, abu Dhabi. warehouse421.ae

Istanbul Modern’s Harbour exhibition explores the Turkish capital’s relationship with the sea and ports through the work of Turkish artists active between the 19th century and today. Harbour is inspired by the the location of the museum, a former dry cargo warehouse on the Bosphorus.

Harbour, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul. istanbulmodern.org

Poetic Licence Until March 4 Galeri Nev presents The Doors of Perception, Greek artist Maro Michalakakos’s first solo show in Istanbul. Taking its name from a phrase in English Romantic poet William Blake’s celebrated 1793 poem, Marriage of Heaven and Hell, the exhibition explores the way in which human beings perceive the world.

The Doors of Perception, Galeri Nev, Istanbul. galerinevistanbul.com

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london

aFtER PaRty February 23 to February 26 Following hot on the heels of London Fashion Week, one of the Big Four annual shows attended by anyone who is anyone in the world of fashion, London Fashion Week Festival promises catwalk shows, the opportunity to update your wardrobe with pieces from the UK’s hottest designers and talks by leading industry figures.

London Fashion Week Festival, the Store Studios,

Magic Motors

London. londonfashionweek.co.uk

February 23 to 26 The third edition of the annual London Classic Car Show, held in a vast 40,000 square metre exhibition space in Excel London, features more than 700 classic cars. A highlight of this year’s show is the Historic Motorsport International exhibition, which features more than 100 classic competition cars.

London Classic Car Show, Excel London, London. thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk

RoyaL WaRdRobE From February 24 The late Princess Diana was known as much for her immaculate sense of style as for her charity work or even her marriage to Prince Charles.

Twenty years after her death, Diana: Her Fashion Story, a new exhibition at Kensington Palace, her former home, celebrates her sartorial flair. diana: Her Fashion Story, Kensington Palace, London. hrp.org.uk

ModERn CLaSSiC February 22 to May 27 The Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End presents American playwright Edward Albee’s acclaimed 1962 play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which depicts the disintegration of a middle-aged couple’s marriage. Imelda Staunton heads up an all-star cast that also includes Conleth Hill, Luke Treadaway and Imogen Poots.

Edward albee’s Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? the Harold Pinter theatre, London. whosafraidofvirginiawoolf.co.uk

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frankfurt/Shanghai

X Factor February 26 Mercury Prize-winning British band The xx perform at Frankfurt’s Jahrhunderthalle.

Frankfurt is one of the stops on the European leg of the band’s I See You tour, promoting their album of the same name, which was released in January. the xx, Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, Germany. thexx.info

3d ViewinG February 15 to May 14 The Staedel Museum’s Into the Third Dimension exhibition explores how artists working in a two-dimensional medium from the Bauhaus to the present day have depicted the qualities that make up the third dimension. The exhibition features work by 13 artists, including Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Donald Judd. into the third dimension, staedel Museum, Frankfurt. staedelmuseum.de

On sOnG until March 26 Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum (RAM) hosts the first major exhibition this decade of the work of lauded Chinese artist Song Dong.

I Don’t Know the Mandate of Heaven features much of the work that made Dong’s name,

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Master Builders

as well as several lesser-known pieces and a

until February 26

number of works commissioned specially for

Art+ Shanghai Gallery’s Into the Heart of the City: Building the Future is an exhibition

the RAM exhibition.

of the work of of French photographer and Shanghai resident Nathalie Perakis-Valats.

i don’t Know the Mandate of Heaven,

Perakis-Valat’s photographs document life on the Shanghai’s construction sites,

rockbund art Museum, shanghai.

offering an insight into the world of the men who build the city.

rockbundartmuseum.org

into the Heart of the City: Building the Future, art+ shanghai Gallery, shanghai.

The legendary don giovanni It’s time to polish the binoculars. Classical music fans will be heading to Abu Dhabi this month to experience the Vienna State Opera performing a concert version of Don Giovanni on February 8 in Emirates Palace auditorium.

Words: Faye Rowe

One of the State Opera’s season highlights, Don Giovanni is widely considered one of Mozart's greatest masterpieces. First premiered in 1787 in Prague, the timeless tale tells the story of a libertine lover who is defeated by death, based on the legend of Don Juan.

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Deepen your appreciation by joining the pre-concert talk that unveils more about the opera’s history and its composer. The performance is part of the Abu Dhabi Classics Programme, which aims to bring some of the leading contemporary artists in the field of Arabic and Western classical music to the emirate.

Call +971 4 366 2289 or visit www.abudhabiclassics.ae

monitor

Celebrating Kuwait The country-wide festivities for Kuwait’s National Day and Liberation Day on February 25 inspire people to come together and celebrate, with cultural entertainment and firework displays taking place around the city. Traditional dress is usually worn and the city is dressed in coloured lights.

Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa will be joining in with a number of special activities for guests. All-day dining restaurant Garden Cafe is hosting a themed night especially for the occasion while Talise Spa will have exclusive packages on offer throughout the month. The 60-minute liberty massage involves a mixture of Thai pressure point and Balinese techniques, resulting in a stress-free experience that restores energy.

The exterior of the property will be draped with the national flag of Kuwait and, along with the infinity pool, illuminated in the national colours of black, green, red and white.

Call +965 2 226 9600 or visit www.jumeirah.com

a deCade of good health Talise Wellness in Madinat Jumeirah is celebrating its 10th anniversary in February with an energetic line-up of activities and events to help guests look and feel their best. There will be complimentary yoga, workout classes and free fitness sessions, while ‘facereader’ Eric Standop is flying into Dubai to offer his insights into health, character and destiny. The DNA Centre for Integrative Medicine, Wellness and Bio-Aesthetics is marking the occasion by offering free heavy metal screenings and a lecture for women on hormones and preconception health. Talise Spa is also hosting a wellness photography exhibition from February 15 to March 18 in the lead up to Art Dubai, the leading international art fair in the region.

Keep an eye on social media where free spa treatments can be won daily. See facebook.com/talisespas and instagram.com/talisespa.

Call +971 4 366 6818 or visit www.jumeirah.com

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>>monitor<<

Featured 26 King of the court

Tennis world number one Sir Andrew Murray on his rise to the top

30 Six decades of Hockney

Image: David Hockney, Los Angeles, March 2016 Š David Hockney, Photo Credit: Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima

The Iconic British artist on his latest exhibition and new book

Text by Cezar Greif for Cool Hunt Inc / Edited by Faye Rowe / Photographer: Chai Lizeng / Stylist: Jia Huichao / Makeup & hair: Li Nuo /Producer: Bao Fang

travel

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featured: Andy MurrAy

King of the court World tennis champion Sir Andrew Murray shares the highs and lows of his journey to the top

Reaching the peak of a sporting career takes talent, discipline and unwavering dedication – something Andy Murray is all too familiar with. Last year, the Scotsman fought his way past several of the all-time greats of men’s tennis to become the world’s top-ranked male singles player. The achievement was topped off with a knighthood in the UK’s new year honours – a title he argued he was “too young” for – providing an extraordinary end to a glittering season, which brought him a second Wimbledon title and an Olympic gold medal.

There wasn't much time to reflect, however, as he was straight back to work in the new year to officially launch the 2017 ATP World Tour season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, playing a game of mini-tennis with Novak Djokovic on an elevated court in front of the Museum of Islamic Art. “It was an amazing view,” says Murray. “We are very lucky to visit some of the nicest places in the world and it’s a good way to start the year. Novak and I have played many big matches over the years, competing for the sport’s biggest prizes and hopefully it will be the same this year.”

At the time of going to press Murray's remarkable 28-match winning streak came to an abrupt end when he lost out to Djokovic in the final match.

“Obviously [I’m] disappointed not to win but I played pretty good the last couple of the matches,” said. “I think physically it was a good test to start the year and I did good there. My body feels all right just now, so that's positive.”

The tennis pro’s hectic schedule shows no sign of relenting. The 2017 ATP World Tour season spans 64 events in 31 countries, offering players record prize money of close to $120 million. Next stop is the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, while this month players will descend on

the UAE for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, part of the ATP World Tour 500, taking place from February 27 to March 5.

Great Scot February also marks the month Murray and his wife Kim will celebrate their daughter Sophia’s first birthday. Since becoming a father, family life has come to the fore for the star, who feels a special connection to the small Scottish town of Dunblane where he was raised.

“Although I only get to visit two or three times a year, it’s somewhere that holds some of my best memories,” says Murray. “I got married there to Kim and my grandparents and father still live there. I recently bought and renovated an old hotel there as well called Cromlix. My brother got married there a few years back and plenty of friends and relatives use the Albert Roux restaurant attached to the hotel, so that’s great. The support the town has given me over the years has been nothing short of incredible and I’ll always be grateful for that.” With everything he has achieved, it’s easy to believe that tennis was Murray's destiny, but a glimpse into his childhood reveals he could easily have chosen to be a football player. “I loved playing sport growing up, I’d play absolutely anything,” says Murray. “My grandfather was a professional football player and my mum was a coach and ex-professional tennis player so tennis was an easy route for me to pursue. I actually played a lot of football up until I was about 13 or 14 years of age. However, I eventually had to make the decision on which one I was going to try seriously. I had trials for Glasgow Rangers so if tennis hadn’t worked out, I would probably have tried hard to forge myself a career in professional football.”

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featured: Andy MurrAy

Aged 15, Murray left home to broaden his tennis education at the specialist Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona. “Leaving home is never an easy decision but again it was another moment in my life when I knew that if I wanted to succeed and seriously chase a career in professional tennis, I needed to ensure I had the best possible set up around me,” he says. “Sanchez-Casal is somewhere I had heard a lot about and a lot of the best tennis players in the world were training on clay courts every day, something which the UK doesn’t have. After a lot of talking to my parents, I decided if I wanted to be the best I had to go and train with the best, so I left home for Barcelona. The decision turned out pretty good.”

Game, set and match Revered for his determination and with his sights set on the victory, Murray appointed world former number one Ivan Lendl as his coach in 2011 in a move that raised eyebrows.

“I think people were surprised, because not many players at that time had many big name ex-players as coaches,” says Murray. “People kept talking about our differences at the beginning but a lot of people forgot that Ivan lost three or four grand slam finals before he managed to find the breakthrough. At that time I had lost a few finals and I was looking for someone who could help me get over the line. Ivan was an incredibly hard worker as a player and he knew straight away how to get the best out of me. He had some incredible matches during his career. He is probably one of the greatest players from that era of tennis so I definitely knew it was the right appointment.” The partnership was, of course, very successful and despite a brief split in 2014 due to scheduling issues, the pair reignited their relationship midway through 2016.

“Ivan is not really like anyone you’ll ever meet,” says Murray. “He knows how to work me incredibly hard but he also knows when I just need someone to listen to my concerns. He’ll always ask me if there’s anything I want to work, which he normally already knows about anyway. He’s a great guy and a lot of fun to be around, which makes the training a lot easier. He needs to work on some of his jokes though, most of which aren’t printable here.”

Star quality It's no secret that Murray isn't afraid to show emotion on the court – something many commentators believe has helped him along the way.

“I think it’s important to remember that every player is different,” he says. “It helps me when I show emotion on the court. In my opinion it’s not always good to keep those feelings bottled up, so let them out on the

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court. If I’m frustrated after a point, I sometimes let the emotion out but it’s vital that I am focused for the next point and don’t let the emotion affect that. You have to make sure you always believe in yourself and that comes from working as hard you can, especially when you’re not on the court. To be able to compete at the highest level, you need to train harder than anyone else and that’s something I think I do, which really helps me when I’m playing in a long and difficult match.” This authentic way of processing stress has endeared him to his fans.

“Pressure is good, it makes you want to always better yourself,” he says.

“People always asked me how I dealt with the pressure of the whole country wanting me to win Wimbledon and whether it affected me. If I’m honest, I enjoyed the pressure, in a way. It was nice to know so many people wanted me to succeed and cared about the result. It’s the same with nerves. I enjoy having nerves as it keeps me focused and on edge and ready to play my best.”

Taking aim Off the court, Murray is passionate about animal welfare and has worked with the World Wildlife Fund and United for Wildlife for years.

“A lot of my work with them focuses around conservation and putting a stop to the illegal wildlife trade,” he says. “We are incredibly lucky to live on a planet that has some of the most amazing species on it and we should do everything we can to protect them and not exploit them.

“I’m also passionate about protecting the children of the world, particularly those who live in areas that are dangerous or caught up in war,” he adds. “Unicef does some incredible work caring for and supporting child refugees who have been displaced through conflicts and being able to help reunite children with their families and provide them with shelter and food is really important to me.

"The images of the last few years have shocked everyone but it particularly hit home with me as a new father so towards the end of last season, for every ace I served, I made a donation to Unicef's efforts in the refugee crisis in Europe.” Murray is also hoping to find more time for family.

“The one tough thing about being a professional sportsman is that you spend long periods of time away from your family so I think as soon as I stop playing tennis, I’ll spend as much time as I possibly can at home,” he says. “Maybe after a break I could get into coaching as it’s something that interests me. I have also set up my own management agency, so working with young talent in other sports is of interest and I have plenty of knowledge to pass on. Right now, however, I’m pretty focused on being the best I can be as a player on the court and a father and husband off it.”

ATP Barclays Dubai Tennis Championship 2008

Andy Murray Wins Wimbledon 2016

Andy Murray Winning Barclays ATP Championship 2016, London

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Image: David Hockney, Los Angeles, March 2016 Š David Hockney, Photo Credit: Matthias Vriens-McGrath

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Six DecaDeS of Hockney As he approaches his 80th birthday, iconic British artist David Hockney is indulging fans with a retrospective exhibition and a limited edition book thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as heavy as an armchair

Art

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‘‘

Over the years, Hockney has frequently changed his style and ways of working, embracing new technologies as he goes. As such, the exhibition has been mapped out with precision to demonstrate how the roots of each new direction lay in the work that came before

Image: David Hockney, Los Angeles, March 2016 © David Hockney, Photo Credit: Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima

Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy 1968 Acrylic on canvas 83 1/2 x 119 1/2" © David Hockney

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As one of the most successful and recognisable artists of our time, David Hockney has always had an ability to ignite discussion. Those seeking a deeper insight into the mind of the celebrated artist can head to Tate Britain, which is hosting the world’s most extensive retrospective of his work to date from February 9 to May 29 2017. Designed to celebrate Hockney’s achievements over six decades, the exhibition is also one of the biggest in the history of Tate Britain. It comes as no surprise then that the planning process as been no mean feat.

“It has been several years in the making, not least because of the complex process of securing more than 150 of Hockney’s most iconic works from around the world,” says assistant curator Helen Little. “Our premise is that behind the artist’s popular facade, there has been a serious intellectual and aesthetic question that runs throughout his work – one that continues to investigate the nature of visual perception and explore the pleasures and problems of translating the world of time and space into two-dimensional images.”

Presented as a chronological overview, the exhibition traces Hockney’s development from his first appearance on the public stage as a student in 1961 through to his iconic works of the 1960s and 1970s and on to his recent success at London’s Royal Academy of Arts.

“I can’t think of a better time to present a retrospective of his work that, for the first time, will present an overview of his achievement in painting, drawing, print, photography and video, allowing us to see how each phase of his work has informed the next and how this culminates in the most recent developments in his work,” says Little. “Hockney’s engagement with traditional and emerging image-making techniques runs throughout his 60-year career. His delight in making images using the Brushes app on his iPad, which for him solved the problem of depicting the constantly changing light and seasons of the Yorkshire landscape, is predated by works created with the aid of older technologies, including early fax machines and drawing software on the first Apple computer.”

Art Garden, 2015 2015 Acrylic on canvas 48 x 72" © David Hockney Photo Credit: Richard Schmidt

Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) 1972 Acrylic on canvas 84 x 120” © David Hockney Photo Credit: Art Gallery of New South Wales / Jenni Carter

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Image: David Hockney, Los Angeles, March 2016 © David Hockney, Photo Credit: Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima

A Lawn Being Sprinkled 1967 Acrylic on canvas 60 x 60" © David Hockney Photo Credit: Richard Schmidt

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An advance tour The exhibition aims to shine a light on Hockney as an intelligent and profound interrogator of art. Highlights of his first two decades of work include portraits of family, friends and the artist himself, such as Self Portrait with Blue Guitar (1977), as well as his iconic images of Los Angeles swimming pools. The exhibition also includes Hockney’s celebrated Yorkshire landscapes of the 2000s and work made since his return to California in 2013.

Over the years, Hockney has frequently changed his style and ways of working, embracing new technologies as he goes. As such, the exhibition has been mapped out with precision to demonstrate how the roots of each new direction lay in the work that came before. The radical ‘joiner’ assemblages of photographs, such as the famous Pearblossom Highway 1986, informed the paintings of his Hollywood home and the Californian landscapes that followed, for instance. Furthermore, his abstract works of the 1990s influenced his perception of the Yorkshire Wolds and the Grand Canyon. “As he approaches his 80th birthday, Hockney’s art and life feel as rejuvenated as ever,” says Little.

“Bold, affirmative, creatively adventurous and never afraid of taking risks, he has an infectious ability to inspire new ways of looking. His response in a television interview many years ago to the question ‘What makes you popular?’ has played over in my mind throughout the making of this show. He explained: ‘I’m interested in ways of looking and trying to think of it in simple

Red Pots in the Garden 2000 Oil on canvas 60 x 76" © David Hockney Photo Credit: Richard Schmidt

ways. If you can communicate that, of course people will respond. Everyone can look. It’s just a question of how hard they’re willing to look, isn’t it?’”

On a personal note, Helen’s favourite work in the show is Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy (1970-1), the life-sized double portrait of the artist’s friends, designers Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell.

“Tate acquired it shortly after it was completed in 1971 and it has since been regularly recognised as one of Britain’s best loved paintings,” she says. “It has for many years been the painting I stop to look at when I am wandering through the galleries. There is always something new to discover in its precision and the psychological tension between the couple.”

Following its time in London, the exhibition will travel internationally to Paris and New York in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, giving fans around the world the ultimate chance to gain an unparalleled insight into Hockney’s world. As the artist himself says: “It has been a pleasure to revisit works I made decades ago, including some of my earliest paintings. Many of them seem like old friends to me now. We’re looking back over a lifetime with this exhibition and I hope, like me, people will enjoy seeing how the roots of my new and recent work can be seen in the developments over the years.”

Art

A timeless tome

For those who can’t make it to the exhibition, an overview of Hockney’s work can be yours to display at home thanks to the new sumo-sized monograph devoted to his art. Titled A Bigger Book, this monumental volume provides a stunning retrospective of the artist’s paintings, drawings, photo-composites, multi-perspective collages, stage designs, multi-camera video works and iPad drawings. The limited edition tome weighs in at 35kg – as heavy as an armchair – and has 450 prints dating back to 1953. The volume is so vast that it comes with its own adjustable bookstand showcasing the artist’s trademark colours: blues, pinks, greens, Outpost Drive, Hollywood 1980 Acrylic on canvas 60 x 60" © David Hockney

and oranges. It costs $2,131 and is published by Taschen Books.

Visit www.taschen.com

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lifestyle 38 Flower power

The awe-inspiring Cactus de Cartier collection

44 The fight to save the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest library

Aziza Chaouni an important piece of history

48 Finding the Fu

Image: Getty

How four Chinese tastemakers plan on spending the New Year

Compiled by: Sophia Serin

Cactus de Cartier bracelet, 18-carat yellow gold, chrysoprases, emeralds, carnelians, set with eight brilliant-cut diamonds

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liFestyle: Style

Flower power Cult-brand Cartier shakes it up with the sculptural, sparkly and sensational Cactus collection All pieces from the Cactus de Cartier collection.

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Cactus de Cartier necklace, 18-carat yellow gold, lapis lazuli, set with 61 brilliant-cut diamonds

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lifestyle: style Style

Cactus de Cartier earrings, 18-carat yellow gold, emeralds, carnelians, each set with 11 brilliant-cut diamonds Cactus de Cartier ring, 18-carat yellow gold, emeralds, carnelians, set with a brilliant-cut diamond

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Cactus de Cartier ring, 18-carat yellow gold, lapis lazuli, set with 55 brilliant-cut diamonds

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LifestyLe: Style

Cactus de Cartier ring, 18-carat yellow gold, set with 6 brilliant-cut diamonds Centre Cactus de Cartier ring, 18-carat yellow gold, lapis lazuli, set with 55 brilliant-cut diamonds Cactus de Cartier ring, 18-carat yellow gold, set with diamonds All pieces from the Cactus de Cartier collection.

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Image: Getty

Feature: culture

tHe FigHt to save tHe worLdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oLdest Library How one woman fought for public access to the al-Qarawiyyin Library

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T

he world’s oldest library is the Al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco, part of a university and mosque deep within the ancient city.

It first opened 1,157 years ago and has long been known by scholars for its unique collection of ancient books and texts.

The library's collection of more than 24,000 books and 4,000 manuscripts includes a Quran from the ninth century, the earliest collection of hadiths and what is considered the oldest surviving collection about the Prophet Muhammad’s life and writings. Also within its walls are volumes from the famous Al-Muwatta of Malik written on gazelle parchment, ancient volumes covering centuries of knowledge in fields from theology to law, grammar to astronomy and logic to medicine. It has served as a cultural centre for historians from across the world who visit to study but while scholars have always had access to the materials, the library’s rapidly deteriorating condition meant it was closed to the public around 600 years ago.

Despite being of such historical value and several renovation's the library had fallen into a state of continual disrepair. But in 2012, Kuwait’s Arab Bank provided a grant for its cultural preservation to the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, who asked Fez-born Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni – a former student at the university - to restore the buildings and protect the materials. Chaouni, however, wanted to do more than just that and says: “For the client, my job as an architect was simply to restore the library and leave it as it was found. I disagreed with this approach."

Growing up in Fez, Chaouni would walk past the library but just like all the other non-scholar residents of the city, was never allowed past the exterior walls by the men who guarded the building. “What lay behind was a mystery to me,” the Harvard and Columbia university’s alumnus recalls. “I voiced my

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concerns, stating that restoring the library with the highest level of respect and architectural skill does not help in making the library once again a beacon of knowledge and culture for its foremost users: the inhabitants of Fez and Moroccans overall.” Once she was appointed the architect on the restoration project, she finally had her first glimpse of the interior and the level of disrepair that the building was in left her astounded. Rainwater was pouring in through the ancient roof and ceilings, leaving its deep-rooted cracks seeping with moisture. The walls were chipped and crumbling while centuries-old tile mosaics on the floors of the library’s courtyards were cracked and worn - their intricate patterns almost lost forever.

Over the centuries, the library had been expanded via a series of interconnected buildings, each one set on a different level of a steep hill. The mishmash of alterations had left the building in a poor state. Chaouni’s job was to unify and upgrade them all to the same standard. “Throughout the years, the library underwent many rehabilitations but it still suffered from major structural problems, a lack of insulation and infrastructural deficiencies like a blocked drainage system, broken tiles, cracked wood beams and so on,” she explains. A huge 300kg chandelier had crashed down from its holding in one of the reading rooms and even some of the building’s modern additions such as the electrical wiring, installed to help secure its most valuable contents, hung exposed from the walls after years of neglect.

Despite leading the project for the vast site’s massive three-year restoration job - which involved not only rejuvenating the crippled structure but also upgrading its entire drainage system, a requirement only discovered during the overhaul - the Fez-born engineer was met with resistance from those set on maintaining its policy of allowing only students and scholars inside. The library - which is part of a university and mosque buried deep within the

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FeAture: culture

packed ancient city – was first created through the generosity of local woman Fatima Al-Fihri. Raised in the city as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, she invested her entire inheritance in the library, wanting to provide Moroccan people with a place of knowledge. Chaouni want to honour that ideal.

Well aware of its history, Chaouni took this on in her quest to make its learnings available to all, refusing to accept the responsibility of overseeing the upgrade of the building if the finished product could not be enjoyed by those living in the city, like for the last six centuries, but faced a familiar problem. “I won't hide from you that being a woman demanded that I doubled my efforts into being heard, but heard I finally was,” Chaouni says, adding: “The general view of the rehabilitation of buildings in Morocco is one which is maybe 50 years old. They just have to be restored for the sake of restoring them we enter, fix things as we see and leave it as such.

“There is no will to take risks and find the deep root of these problems. It is a general mentality, ingrained, but also there is this fear of the unknown, not knowing what's behind every wall. I am trained as an engineer so being that as well as an architect gave me real confidence. Secondly, I am naturally adventurous. I wouldn't want to have taken on the job if it was just about putting a veneer on top. You can give a person an Aspirin but that's not going to fix them if they are badly unwell.”

After lengthy negotiations with the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, which manages the library, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which owns the building, the Historic Building Commission and stakeholders working and using the library, Chaouni managed to finalise her building programme for the new look premises. She says: “One of our first calls was to think how to attract visitors and allow them the chance to experience the library's architecture and

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Growing up in Fez, Aziza would walk past the library but just like all the other non-scholar residents of the city, was never allowed past be exterior walls by the men who guarded the building. “What lay behind was a mystery to me

see some of its famous manuscripts. Our strategy was to create an attractive destination. We proposed a small cafe and two exhibition rooms in which the library's manuscripts would be shown to the public for the first time.

“In addition, the library had just received a gift from Kuwait of several machines to digitise the manuscripts and restore them. So we proposed to convert the basement of the reading room into a state-of-the-art lab for book restoration and digitisation.

“We had to imagine how the Al-Qarawiyyin Library - as an historic monument with such a strong symbolic value for scholars and others - could retain its soul.” Under Chaouni's terms, the new manuscripts restoration lab, an exhibition room, cafe, modern administration offices and study rooms for visiting scholars were all installed. Each of the site’s ancient water fountains - of which there are hundreds across Fez - was restored to its former glory, running filtered rainwater. After all the reconstruction and work, which has taken more than three years to complete, the library will finally open again in January and perhaps more significantly, it will reopen to the public for the first time in more than 600 years.

“By far my biggest pride in this project is to have made it accessible to the Moroccan public, letting them discover this unique space, its history as well as its beautiful centuries old architecture and manuscripts,” Chaouni proudly announces. “I sincerely hope that by opening the library doors to the public that I did justice to the visionary mission of the library's founder and patron, Fatima Al-Fihri, who had wanted to make knowledge available to everyone in her city.”

Aziza Chaouni was speaking at the Index Design Series

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Image: Getty

featured: Culture

Finding the Fu four tastemakers around the world share their aspirations for the Year of the rooster and how they are wishing for fú – fortune and good luck – in 2017

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Chaoqiu He

“One year Older and a little bit wiser” Designer Chaoqiu He is the creative mind behind QIU Fine Jewellery and regularly travels between her showroom in Shanghai, where she is based, and the company’s main office in New York.

She’s also an avid collector of contemporary art.

“The Chinese New Year is kind of a big deal in Shanghai and my family always celebrate with a traditional meal that allows us to spend some quality time together talking the night away. I’m constantly travelling between New York, where I used to live, and Shanghai for work, so it’s rare for me to take time off. When I do I really cherish it.

“The Year of the Rooster holds a special significance for me. I was born in the Year of the Dragon and the Rooster is a complementary zodiac sign so I hope this year will bring me some surprises, although I try not to set my expectations too high. I am hosting my first jewellery exhibition in New York in May, which is a big

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step for me career-wise. I usually host an exhibit twice a year in Shanghai and this will be my first international event so I’m wishing it’ll go well. I’m handcrafting 10 to12 pieces featuring emeralds specially for the showcase. The entire collection reflects my signature style, inspired by art deco design, but with a modern twist.

“Personally, I want to tick off some travel experiences. I’ve always wanted to visit Istanbul, Beirut and the Amazon rainforest, as these are the destinations that inspire my designs. I’m definitely an adventurous person and, while my schedule is hectic, I get my energy from exploring new places.

“While my goal this year is to achieve a lot more international exposure for my jewellery brand, it’s always at the forefront of my mind that the new year is an opportunity to take a fresh look at myself.

I always strive to be a better version of myself and, as I grow one year older, I hope to be a little bit wiser too.”

Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/qiuqiu_he

featured: CulTure Culture Xini Wei

“The golden roosTer will bring good news” Xini Wei is the women’s team captain for Dubai Flying Dragons, an amateur, non-profit dragon boating club. She works in digital marketing in Dubai. “The Year of the Rooster should be good for everyone. There’s a saying that ‘the golden rooster will bring good news’ so this is what my friends and I hoped for as we celebrated on Chinese New Year's Eve with a traditional meal. I made dumplings and hung decorations of the Chinese character Fu on the front door, which signifies fortune and good luck and that happiness is coming.

“I’m lucky that my life as an expat in the UAE is already bringing me joy. I grew up in Shanghai and moved to Dubai for work in 2013, where I quickly became involved in the dragon boating scene. I had never tried it before as, although the modern dragon boat sport originated in Hong Kong, it’s not very widespread in China as not many people live near the water. A colleague who was

taking part asked me to come and try it out and I loved it straight away. There are 10 to 20 people in a boat and everyone makes a synchronised effort to work together. When we pick up speed it feels exhilarating. We train three times a week from 5.30am to 6.45am. It’s early but watching the sun rise over the city helps prepare the mind for the day ahead.

“This year, I hope that my dragon boating team will grow stronger with more team members. We need to concentrate on our focus and commitment if we are to perform better in local and international competitions.

“Personally, I do all I can to keep fit and while it can be difficult to get up early in the morning sometimes, the team keeps me going. We have people from all different cultures and backgrounds and we’re all good friends. I’m looking forward to seeing how we progress.”

Visit www.dubaiflyingdragons.com

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Wonho Chung

“I choose experIences over possessIons” Wonho Chung is an award-winning stand-up comedian, actor and television personality who has been living in Dubai for 13 years. “My dad is South Korean and my mum is Vietnamese but I was born in Saudi Arabia and raised in Jordan, where I grew up speaking Arabic as my first language. My heritage is a bit of a mixture but it means I get to join in all the holidays, including Chinese New Year, which my mum celebrates with lots of cosy family time.

“Last year seemed tough for many people. I lost my father in 2016, which was incredibly sad, but I’m now feeling more positive about moving forward while keeping his memory alive. I’ve recently discovered the appeal of the desert and spending time there admiring the natural beauty. One of my Emirati friends is accomplished in falconry, so I get to see firsthand how he feeds and handles the birds. It’s think it’s also important to appreciate nature in the destination you’re in – watching the sun set over the sand dunes is just as beautiful as being in a lush green forest, for instance. “Many of us fall into the trap of striving to earn more money to buy things but I believe the experiences we have are much more important than possessions. I love travelling and I’m lucky that I get to visit different destinations for my work and experience different cultures and cuisines. Losing a parent makes you realise life is very short, which is why I’d like to spend more time this year exploring the world.

“On the work front, I believe it will be a year of change. I am steadily moving away from stand-up comedy and more into TV presenting and acting and I have co-written my first feature film, which is exciting. I’ve also got a talk show on the cards, which would be similar to the comedic late night shows that are popular in America, as well as two more seasons of my travel show Around the World with Wonho, to film. I am knocking on doors to see what 2017 will bring. “So much can change in the space of a year – especially in Dubai – but the pace is exciting and it’s inspiring to be an expat in a city that I feel I can call home.”

Visit www.wonhochung.com

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Shan Liew

“It's the year to be patIent” Shan Liew is a London-based property entrepreneur and founder of 88 Estate Agency, a property firm targeted toward investors from Asia. She is also founder of Hearts in Harmony, an arts-based charity which aims to combat heart disease. “Last year brought many changes to the global stage but I strongly believe the Year of the Rooster is set to be a great one. I’m Chinese-Malaysian so to mark the Chinese New Year I spring clean and de-clutter the house, give a red envelope containing money to all the children I know and stock up on festive food such as mandarin oranges, which symbolise gold, as well as fish for prosperity, dumplings for wealth and noodles for longevity. I also usually host a Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner for friends and loved ones. London is a vibrant city and I have friends from all walks of life whom I find fascinating due to their different cuisines, cultures, beliefs, experiences and priorities.

“I know this will be a year to be patient and wait for the right opportunities to come along but that I’ll need to act swiftly when they do.

During the Year of the Rooster there are three stars that shine on me: the star of prosperity, which means there will be lot of opportunities bringing in fortune, the star of happiness, indicating celebrations and the star of blessings, which implies when challenges arise they will be easily resolved and that the people around me will assist in achieving my goals and visions. I am focusing on creating a dedicated website for my clients in Hong Kong and China who are looking to invest in property in the UK. On a personal level, I want to practise my singing and piano-playing, taking inspiration from my musical heroine Rachel Platten. It’s my dream to learn how to salsa and do the tango, with the ultimate aim of performing in front of an audience.

“I also hope to link up with more artists and volunteers for my charity, which has already connected many talented people through its events, for which I am deeply grateful. So far we’ve raised thousands of pounds for Great Ormond Street Hospital and in 2017 my goal is to double or even triple the amount.”

Visit www.88ea.co.uk or www.heartsinharmony.co.uk

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Image: Getty

LifestyLe

Dubai Duty Free tennis Championships

Access All AreAs Dubai’s social season hits a peak in February. Make sure you’ve got the best seats in the house thanks to our five-star round-up of the hottest tickets in town

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is serving up a thrilling fortnight of action with an all-star line-up led by world number one Andy Murray. The championship will commence with the exciting WTA event taking place between February 19 and 25 and will be followed by the actionpacked ATP tournament, which commences on February 27, with the finals being played on March 4.

Seven-time Dubai champion Roger Federer will also be back to delight the fans, along with defending champion Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych and Gael Monfils.

The women’s line-up is equally impressive with eight of the top ten players, led by Angelique Kerber, heading to Dubai to contest the coveted title. Take a stroll through Irish Village on the south side of the stadium, which will be buzzing with activities and entertainment. It is located adjacent to the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel.

Vip: It might be time to call on your contacts, as VIP seats are available for sponsors and via invitation only.

When: February 19 to March 3.

Where: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. how much: Tickets cost from $20.

Contact: Tickets are available from the box office in the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud, which opens from 9am to 9pm daily.

Visit www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com omega Dubai Desert ClassiC

The biggest names in golf will be battling it out to be crowned the winner of this PGA European Toursanctioned event, which has been running since 1989 and carries a cool $2.5 million prize pool. The tournament is held early every year on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club, with past champions including Danny Willett (in 2016), Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, who is the most successful participant of all time, winning three out of the 12 competitions he has played there.

The hottest ticket will be for the final round on February 5, which tees off at around 7.30am with the prize presentation taking place on the 18th green immediately after close of play at around 4.50pm.

Vip: Book a place on the outdoor terrace to enjoy the best views of the practice putting green and first tee.

Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea will be served and you’ll also have easy access to the Dallahdrome – the venue’s newest grandstand.

When: January 30 to February 5.

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Image: Getty

LifestyLe

Where: Emirates Golf Club.

How much: Hospitality tickets cost from $189. Regular tickets cost from $20 for the Pro-Am Tournament on 1 February and $48 for each

tions. It’s a great opportunity to see the latest wares from local and regional designers, with Amato Couture, Dar Maha Al Fayez and Maison Al Johara Fashion among those who are participating.

round thereafter (from February 2 to 5). A season pass for the full five days is priced at $184.

viP: For an A-list experience, attend as a VIP guest, which will provide

Contact: +971 4 380 2112, www.dubaidesertclassic.com

access to an exclusive lounge with live entertainment and the chance to mingle with designers, celebrities and fashionistas in a more intimate

EmiratEs airlinE Dubai Jazz FEstival

environment.

Live music fans can look forward to an impressive line-up to celebrate the jazz fest’s 15th anniversary. The organisers have pulled out all the stops to entertain the crowd with three main acts. Sir Tom Jones will be headlining the opening night and will be followed the next day by the best-selling female artist of all time, Mariah Carey. If that’s not enough star power, the biggest Latin recording artist in music history, Enrique Iglesias, will wrap up the show. Plus, there will be many more jazz, classic rock, indie rock, pop and urban acts to enjoy besides.

When: February 15 to 18.

viP: Rise above the crowds with VIP deck tickets, which cost from

Where: Dubai World Trade Centre.

How much: Standard tickets cost from $6 in advance while VIP tickets cost from $48.

Contact: +971 4 336 5161, www.thebrideshow.com/dubai Dubai intErnational boat sHoW

Ocean adventurers can soak up the glitz and glamour of the marina, tour the super yachts and check out the jet skis, gear and gadgets at this top boating and marine event drawing visitors from around the region.

$353 and include food and drinks. Business groups can consider booking a private box with a terrace for great views of the concert plus the luxury of a separate entrance, washroom facilities, private bar and waiter service.

When: February 22 to 24.

Where: Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.

How much: Regular tickets cost from $88.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the festival, which runs alongside Dive Middle East Exhibition (DMEX) and will be fun for all the family, thanks to the cool line-up of events such as live entertainment and breathtaking stunts on the beach and hands-on experiences including fishing, sailing, paddle boarding, windsurfing, kayaking and jet surfing, jet skiing, kite-surfing and scuba diving, as well as the chance to shop for the latest nautical fashion.

Contact: +971 4 391 1196, www.dubaijazzfest.com viP: Draw on your connections to get welcomed into the invitation-

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briDE Dubai

only VIP zone where you can brush shoulders with royalty, ministers

Those set to wed can find everything they need to create a ceremony of their dreams at Bride Dubai, which has emerged as a top diary date for wedding planners, stylists and fashionistas in the region. The event, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is rolling out a number of new features including runway shows, hair and beauty demonstrations, abaya design awards and the Pop-Up Couture gallery for big-name designers to showcase their crea-

and ambassadors.

When: February 28 to March 4.

Where: Dubai International Marine Club How much: Tickets cost $16 (available on the door). Children under the age of 12 go free.

Contact: + 971 4 308 6430, www.boatshowdubai.com

Level Kids, City Walk 2 Dubai Mob: +971 55 3258940 Tryano, Yas Mall Abu Dhabi Tel: +971 2 2054641 info@luiolei.com +971 4 4579266

A TRUE DESERT EXPERIENCE WITH PLATINUM HERITAGE AND BALLOON ADVENTURES

Discover the spectacular Dubai desert and its remarkable wildlife from above and below. Start your adventure with a flight with the world’s most experienced hot-air balloon Pilots who pioneered Ballooning in the UAE over 10 years ago. Glide gently over pristine desert dunes and spot the once endangered Arabian Oryx or the super fast Arabian gazelle along the way. Upon landing, drive to a traditional Bedouin camp to feast on caviar, hand-cut smoked salmon, freshly prepared Eggs Benedict, a delicious bread selection, and fresh fruit. Enjoy an amazing wildlife safari in museum quality, open top 1950’s Land Rovers with your knowledgeable Safari Guide. It is the perfect way to experience the desert from two unique perspectives.

Platinum-Heritage.com | Ballooning.ae +971 4 388 4044

Winner of the 2013 - 2016 Certificate of Excellence Award

Middle East’s Leading Desert Safari Company

>>monitor<<

travel 60 Be my valentine Once-in-a-lifetime romantic experiences

70 Insider's guide to London

Life with the locals of the Bristish capital

82 The high life

Image: Getty

Pepper, Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait

Jumeirah Vittaveli, semi-submarine

Be my VIP ValentIne Words: Faye Rowe

Ditch the dozen red roses in favour of a once-in-a-lifetime romantic experience that will feed your heart and soul

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Travel

Image: Getty

Palmengarten, Frankfurt

Shipwrecked in the Maldives

Let love bloom in Frankfurt

Sunken shipwrecks are hauntingly beautiful and keen divers can combine romance and adventure by exploring the five wreck sites near Jumeirah Vittaveli on Bolifushi island in the Maldives. Adventurous types can plunge deep into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean to discover an underwater world among exotic sea creatures and blooming corals. If your diving skills aren’t up to the challenge, simply board the resort’s semi-submarine for a tour along the vibrant house reef, which is one of the healthiest and most abundant in the South Malé Atoll. Couples can improve their skills thanks to the dive centre that offers everything from snorkelling and scuba diving for beginners, through to courses for professional dive instructors, with expert trainers speaking English, Russian, Arabic and Chinese.

Keep it sweet and simple with a romantic stroll around one of the prettiest parks in Europe – Frankfurt’s dreamy botanical garden known as Palmengarten. It features flora from all over the world, housed in a picture-perfect, climate-controlled glass conservatory.

The details: Located a short 20-minute ride on board a luxurious

The details: Stay at Jumeirah Frankfurt Hotel. Palmengarten is open seven days a week between 9.00am and 6.00pm, closing at 4.00pm during the winter.

Contact: www.palmengarten.de Book it +49 69 297 2370, www.jumeirah.com

motorised catamaran from Malé, Jumeirah Vittaveli comprises 89 villas and suites each with their own swimming pool and direct access to the beach or lagoon, with a choice of four restaurants and bars.

Book it: +960 664 2020, www.jumeirah.com

There are more than 20 hectares of blossoms throughout the garden which was first established in 1871 with the purchase of the Duke of Nassau’s private tropical plant collection. Since then it has become a beacon for arts and culture and hosts international exhibitions and festive events such as an acclaimed summer musical programme and the Rose and Light Festival in June. Loved-up couples can take a slow walk on one of the many tracks or, in warm weather, rent a row boat for a private cruise around the lake.

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Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, romantic moonlight swim

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The romantic moonlight Swim experience at Talise Spa at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah invites couples to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime private swim in the infinity pool

Be poetic in London

A moonlight swim in Dubai

The life and works of famed English poet John Keats is brought to life at his old home in Hampstead, North London, which is now a museum and literary centre.

The listed building features exhibits of original manuscripts and artefacts that tell the story of how the young poet found inspiration, friendship and love, giving visitors the perfect opportunity to recite some of Keats’ most famous lines such as: “I love you the more in that I believe you had liked me for my own sake and for nothing else”. The venue plays host to special events throughout the year, including live poetry performances and visitors can even create their very own love poems.

Get your very best bathing suit at the ready for the most romantic moonlight swim of your life in a private pool filled with rose petals.

One of Dubai’s most exclusive packages for proposals and romantic celebrations, the romantic moonlight swim experience at Talise Spa at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah invites couples to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime private swim in the infinity pool, which offers stunning views thanks to its location 150 metres above the Arabian Gulf.

The details: Admission to Keats House and 10 Keats Grove costs around

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$8 per adult. Volunteers run guided tours of the house at 3pm. Tours last around 30 minutes and are included in the admission price, subject to availability. The venue is also available for private hire. Stay at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel or Grosvenor House Suites.

The experience starts with a relaxing one-hour aromatherapy massage followed by a secluded swim, champagne and strawberries.

You’ll also be gifted monogrammed Burj Al Arab Jumeirah bath robes as a keepsake.

Contact: +44 (0) 20 7332 3868, email: keatshouse@cityoflondon.gov.uk

The details: $1,900 per couple. Starts from around 7pm until midnight.

Book it: www.jumeirah.com

Book it: +971 4 301 7365, www.jumeirah.com

Travel Royal Jet

Enjoy a meal on a private jet

Stroll along the Bund in Shanghai

Sweep the object of your affection off his or her feet with a trip aboard a private jet. The Dinner in the Sky concept by Abu Dhabi-based Royal Jet comprises a three-hour flight on one of its new Global 5000 aircraft, which includes a three-course gourmet dinner service. The journey begins at the Royal Jet VIP terminal at Abu Dhabi international airport – a limousine or helicopter can be arranged to transport you directly to the lounge or aircraft steps, if needed – and passengers will be airborne within 15 minutes of their arrival. The sky’s the limit when it comes to adding some bespoke touches to the experience. From screening an iconic romance to having your favourite music playing in the background, the team will go to lengths to ensure the flight is a special event.

Get to know each other better while discovering the best of Shanghai, by taking a walk along the Bund. The city’s iconic waterfront area is awash with buildings displaying an amazing array of architectural styles, with notable landmarks including the 1,700-metre long Lover's Wall – an old flood control wall decorates with plants and flowers that was once considered the most romantic nook in the city.

You could even recreate your very own Sleepless in Seattle moment at the Shanghai World Financial Centre Observatory. The observation deck, located on the 100th floor, boasts stunning vistas of downtown and the Huang Pu River below.

The details: Stay at Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel. To visit the Bund, take

The details: $28,000. The aircraft can accommodate up to 12 guests.

Stay at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.

metro lines 2 or 10 to East Nanjing Road station and walk for five minutes towards the Huangpu River.

Contact: +971 (2) 5051 500, www.royaljetgroup.com

Contact: +86 21 3858 0888

Book it: +971 (2) 811 555, www.jumeirah.com

Book it: www.jumeirah.com

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travel

Aim And shoot For Ken Kochey, photography is all about the people. Following his recent collaboration with Jumeirah al Naseem in Dubai, the american travel photographer gives a rare glimpse into his life and work

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Ken Kochey’s are worth a story. From assisting fashion photographer Bruce Weber in New York to photographing cannibal tribes in the South Pacific, Kochey’s journey to the peaks of travel photography is as colourful as his portfolio. Born in Philadelphia, raised in Hawaii, Kochey’s arrival in Dubai marks his first visit to the Middle East. In the city to photograph the newly opened Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel, the American photographer and regular Conde Nast Traveller and National Geographic contributor is enthralled.

“I’ve never been to the Middle East so for me it’s been eye-opening,” he says. “I’m stunned by the scale of the hotel, the attention to detail and how much it took to put this together and make it work.” On the first day of shooting, however, there’s a sandstorm. “What are the chances?” laughs the seasoned photographer. “It affected us a little bit in the afternoon but we got a lot under our belt quickly so it wasn’t so bad.”

Free rein is pretty much a prerequisite when working with Kochey. “For me there are two types of photographers: ones that create imagery and the ones that capture.

I capture things. I don’t like to create from scratch. I walk into a place like Jumeirah Al Naseem and things are happening naturally. So I’m like, ‘these guys look great over here’, click, click, click. You might move a lamp and style it a little bit but you let it happen naturally and that is what I like and that is what is so nice about this job.

Jumeirah is letting me do what I do, which is rare.” Whether it's a place or a person, how do you capture a scene in a single still image? “I don’t know if I can articulate that,” says Kochey. “It’s so innate and such a gut thing. It’s not cerebral. Actually when I overthink shots they’re not the shots I like. It’s the instinctual ones where I walk up, snap it and boom, I know it’s there.” This is Kochey’s second job photographing a Jumeirah hotel. In 2008 he spent a few days shooting Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa in Mallorca, a job he reflects on proudly. “I just roamed around with my cameras and I got so many shots,” he explains. “All I needed was access and permission – I didn’t need anything else. And that was the beauty of the hotel manager at the time – the team saw that was how I liked to work and they let me roam. It takes courage for Jumeirah to try this and I’m really grateful for the opportunity to shoot with them again and to have free rein.”

For someone who started out in fashion photography, Kochey has carved out an impressive career clicking and capturing some of the world’s most breathtaking – and bizarre – places. “I moved to New York about 25 years ago and I started assisting fashion photographers such as Bruce Weber,” he says. “I got out of that and started shooting on my own for teen fashion magazines. I worked constantly for a couple of years and then I shot a story for J Crew. It was atmospheric – [imagine] fall leaves up in Vermont – and it wasn’t just models. I sent those pictures to Travel + Leisure and they asked to see my portfolio. I went in and they kept me busy for a couple of years.” At first the magazine commissioned Kochey for its US-based content before they swiftly entrusted him with bigger stories.

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As Kochey reflects on his work to date – which spans multiple cultures, continents and decades – he is quick to point out that it’s not about the travelling for him, it’s about the people. “The scenics are part of it but what gets me going is the people – meeting people, shooting people and seeing the grace and beauty of each person, whoever it may be,” explains the photographer, who prefers capturing “people in the moment” rather than styling the shot. “I’ve been to the nicest hotels in the world and they’re beautiful but it is the human factor that makes it come to life. With this project we have models but we’re having more fun pulling staff and shooting with them – and they’re great. They’re better than models because they’re all having fun, they’re throwing people in pools, swimming, carrying the wardrobe. We’re very much a commando unit.”

For his latest assignment with Jumeirah, Kochey says he took around 10,000 shots. Admittedly he says the edits will take forever – “that’s the problem with digital” he adds – but he also says: “The beautiful thing about digital is you have control of the end product whereas before you would have to send it to a lab where they would do prints for you. Now you can do it on your computer and it comes out how you visualise it. You’re not relying on a lab to interpret your pictures.” Kochey wasn’t always this enthusiastic about going digital. “I used to shoot with Pentax 6x7 – a huge camera; it was like a tank.

It’s a beautiful camera but I would need an assistant for that and someone was always loading the film because you would get 10 frames per roll. With digital – and I was one of the last converts – I don’t need assistants. Generally it is me walking around with two camera bodies and a couple of lenses and I’m floating around. It’s ideal. Yes, it was a hard transition. I hated it but now I’ve totally embraced it and it gives me total control.”

Similarly, in a digital-first world where images are accessible freely and easily on social media, how can emerging photographers build a viable business? “There’s a lot of noise out there but there’s a lot of good photography out there,” says Kochey, who advises aspiring photographers to “put yourself in situations where you can get a great picture” rather than get caught up in buying the best equipment. “From a purely aesthetic level shoot true to your vision. Really discover what your voice is and stick to that. Don’t try to be a Jack-of-all-trades. You’re not going to be right for every job but you’ll be right for the right job.”

“My portfolio built up because of all that travelling and I realised how much I loved it – much more than fashion. It is much more natural for me. I’m an editorial photographer, I’m not really based in advertising. I shoot off the cuff, I shoot quickly, I use natural light and authenticity is a really big thing for me. I don’t overthink shoots and things aren’t overproduced.”

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Looking ahead, where next for Kochey, who is currently living in Canggu, a buzzing beach area in South Bali and fitting place for the laid-back Phillyborn photographer and his “surfer” family to reside. “In the last two years I’ve spent time shooting more intense stories, more adventurous stories and more experiential and immersive stories in places that are hard to get to,” explains the father-of-two. “That took my travel to another level. Next I’m going to Myanmar – that’s going to be cool – and I’m doing some stuff in Bali. Also the Middle East has been eye-opening for me and I’d love to come back.”

Travel

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The InsIders’ GuIde To…

London

Image: Getty. Interviews by Gareth rees

Inside the lives of London’s most talented tastemakers

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travel Joe Dunthorne

NAME: JoE DuNthorNE, 34

Writer

I was born and grew up in Swansea, Wales. Before I moved, I always said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I could never live in Londonâ&#x20AC;?. It always seemed too big, too intimidating, too impersonal. And it wasn't even by the sea so why bother? But then some good friends of mine moved here and offered me a spare room in their flat. That first year was possibly the best year of my life. I remember vividly cycling across town, building a map of the city inside my head, finding something unexpected every day. That was 10 years ago. I live in Clapton, north-east London, mainly because my friends are here. But it's also a fascinating area, full of weird and surprising corners. My favourite cafe is Pacific Social Club where you can get mean toasties that are how I like them: brutally toasted, dripping gungy cheese with little blackened bits scraped from the grill. My favourite bar is Biddle Brothers, a great long-running dive bar, with fruity local characters and weird live music and a parrot (though I think the parrot has recently squawked its last. RIP.). I've just finished my first London novel.

It's called The Adulterants. It's a coming-of-age novel about 33-year- olds in east London. It comes out early next year. London has changed a lot since I first moved here. Everyone I know is in the steady process of being pushed further and further out of the city by the house prices. But it's still got the capacity to surprise and amaze. It's a cliche but I never tire of the mix of cultures here. I just recently discovered a Congolese corner shop up the road.

It's like landing in Brazzaville. It stays open late and everyone hangs out chatting. You can get manioc batons in banana leaves and barbecued goat and little pots of terrifyingly fierce red chilli. If somebody was visiting London for just 24 hours, I would advise them to start north, head south. Morning swim at Hampstead ponds, lunch at Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch, afternoon walk along the river, dinner at Padella in Borough, in the evening see something very loud at the Brixton Academy. My favourite place in the city is the ponds on Hampstead Heath. There's a wonderful eccentricity to these bathing ponds. In the men's changing rooms, old gents play badminton between swims. And it's an exhilarating escape from the city to suddenly be swimming among coots and ducks.

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travel Nicholas Lander

Broadway market, London

Nick Hayes

Southbank of Thames, London

Nicholas laNder, 64

restaurant critic, Financial Times

I moved to London from Manchester in 1976. Back then there was no comparison between the two cities. Manchester was pretty unexciting in the 1970s, although today it is very different. My wife and I have just moved into an apartment in King’s Cross, everything is on one floor and we are close to the centre of London. We haven’t had time to discover the neighbourhood yet – it’s only been five weeks – but we love our views. London has become far more cosmopolitan since the 1970s and the restaurants have become much more fun. The food, service and wine on offer today are much better and the level of hospitality has increased significantly. I think the London restaurant scene is now the best in the world. The sheer range of styles of cooking on offer beats every other city I have been to. Because I am always on the lookout for copy, I don’t have favourite restaurants as such but if pushed I would have to say our son’s three restaurants The Quality Chop House, Portland and Clipstone.The best thing about London is that it is still a city of small villages that are easy to walk around. Only a long-time resident of London would know that getting from north to south London and vice versa is actually very easy. If somebody was visiting the city for just 24 hours, I would advise them to walk along Southbank.

Nick hayes, 34

illustrator and writer

I was born in Berkshire, a county to the west of London. I grew up there in a small country village on the River Thames. I moved to London after university, with a whole stream of friends, for whom it just seemed like the next obvious step. I had started a magazine at uni and London seemed the best place to try and make a professional go of it. When I first moved to London, the diver-

sity of people was a wonder – that 20 new faces could appear in front of you every time the Tube doors open was brilliant. I live in the East End in a tower block that overlooks the Square Mile of London. It’s a hipster paradise where all beards like me gather in flocks for safety and symbiotic affirmation. I spend most of my time listening to live music: Green Note in Camden for rootsy folk, Jamboree in Limehouse for brilliant New Orleans Jazz, Ain’t Nuthin' But in Camden for electric Chicago-style blues. Since I first moved to London it has undergone a process of gentrification. What makes London special is how easy it is to get around. The rail and bus networks are good but also it’s a very cycle-friendly city, which makes it all so close. There are pros and cons to living and working in London. Rents are prohibitively high because the city is being manufactured as a real estate wealth generator rather than a conurbation of citizens. But there are millions of people, which means there is loads of opportunity to work and collaborate. Albion is good for breakfast, great scrambled eggs; anywhere on Broadway market is good for lunch (theres a huge variety from Argentine steakhouses to sourdough pizza places) and for dinner, it has to be tapas at Laxeiro on Columbia Road. Mile End Cemetery is a great place to let the city disappear. It’s a deconsecrated graveyard crawling with vines and wild flowers, 33 acres of green surrounded by tower blocks with Canary Wharf in the background. The biggest misconception about London is that people are cold. Yes eye contact on the Tube is rare but that’s more to do with the amount of people at any one time. Step off the tourist or commuter highways and people are just people, warm and open. The best thing about London is the outdoor swimming pools, such as the London Fields Lido, which is heated and under spotlight at night. It's gorgeous. London influences my work a great deal I think.

My last graphic novel, Cormorance, was set in London, between the swimming pool and the reservoirs in Clapton. I do linocuts of the city all the time, recently one of the gas tower by Broadway Market. Also, I think the exposure to to many different types of artistic endeavour cannot help but stimulate the mind. foghornhayes.com

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TRAVEL Annie Nightingale

ANNIE NIGHTINGALE, 76

DJ for BBC Radio 1

I was born in southwest London. I took London very much for granted growing up. Now I appreciate it much more. I now live in west London. London is cosmopolitan. It is broadminded, it doesn't snoop, it lets you get on with your life without being judgmental. So there's a lot of freedom. You don't have to conform. People are drawn to the capital. It is east and southeast London which are now hosting the new generation of innovators, start-ups and techies. Ridiculous rents have driven young people eastwards very similarly to New York, where the creatives moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

But it’s interesting to feel how the city moves and changes shape. My favourite London book is Kill Your Friends by John Niven. It’s a shockingly violent story but with wonderful black humour about the music scene in London in the 1990s. Some of my favourite London films are the Beatles films, because they were made at Twickenham Film Studios, in the next street to where I grew up and Blow Up, which captured the 1960s London music scene very well. I also like modern music videos of the grime scene, which put across how former industrial areas become important culturally. I love London because it allows original music to develop, grime being a very good example. I play a lot of this music, much of which has been created and nurtured in London, on my radio shows on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Artists such as Wiley, Skepta and of course originators such as Dizzee Rascal.

London was very much reborn in 1990s, thanks to club culture. It is so sad that many clubs have closed down due to developer greed. But I believe in the underground. It will always find a way to spring up somewhere between the cracks in the pavements.

LUCY KUMARA MOORE, 35

Owner-director, Claire de Rouen Books

I was born in London and have lived here ever since, apart from brief spells in San Francisco and Sydney. I live in Dartmouth Park which is just north of Kentish Town, right on the eastern edge of Hampstead Heath. It’s one of the areas I lived in while growing up and I have very fond memories

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Lucy Kumara Moore

of it. I feel very at home here. The heath is one of the things I treasure most about London. I can’t imagine living in this city without my regular walks to Kenwood House and swims in the ladies’ pond in the summer. I like to go up to Highgate for dinner at The Flask pub. They have fabulous food and the pub is divided into lots of little areas, so although it is quite large, it feels intimate. I buy flowers in Highgate, too, every weekend, from a place called Village Flowers. I can never have enough roses at home. I also like Kalendar for eggs on toast in the morning with my mother, before or after a walk on the heath. London is a non-judgmental city. You can be who you want to be without others judging you. You conform to London by not conforming at all. Because fashion designers, photographers and artists from all over the world are always passing through London and bring me their books and magazines to sell, I’m lucky enough to have a totally international collection of the best fashion photography and art publications for sale at Claire de Rouen Books. In addition there is a very strong publishing culture in London itself and I sell titles produced by so many local creatives that you can’t find for sale anywhere else in the world. I think the tours along the River Thames are wonderful if the weather is good. Regent’s Park in the autumn is beautiful. St John restaurant is delicious. I like Phoenix Gardens, a tiny little garden right in the middle of London, just minutes away from the bookshop. It’s peaceful despite being surrounded by traffic and noise. The biggest misconception about London is that it’s a busy city - there are so many peaceful parts. The best thing about London is the creative energy of so many people who live here. The worst thing about London is the rising rents.

My favourite London book is the Diary of Samuel Pepys. My favourite London film is Repulsion by Roman Polanski. If somebody wanted to discover London through photography, they should check out London 1958-59 by Sergio Larrain, Punks by Karen Knorr and Olivier Richon and London Youth by Derek Ridgers.

EXPERIENCE A LUXURIOUS STAY AT ONE OF THREE JUMEIRAH HOTELS LOCATED IN LONDON: Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel and Grosvenor House Suites. For more information visit www.jumeirah.com

REDISCOVER DUBAI...

JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO MADINAT JUMEIRAH — NOW OPEN Jumeirah Al Naseem is anchored on Dubai’s longest stretch of private beach, bringing fresh energy, exuberance and excitement to the award winning Madinat Jumeirah resort. Inspired by sand dunes, blue skies, sea breeze and Dubai’s heritage of pearl diving and Bedouin traditions. Perfect for those who like to explore and for whom Dubai might be a new experience.

For reservations call +971 4 366 8888 or visit jumeirah.com/alnaseem

JN_Brand_FPC_Advt_Jumeirah Magazine_Feb2017.indd 1

1/12/17 4:51 PM

featured SpaceS Uptown Bar, JUmeirah Beach hotel, DUBai Without a doubt, one of Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-kept secrets, Uptown Bar, is the leading venue in town for a sophisticated sundowner. Perched atop the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, this intimate terrace has spectacular views of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and Dubai skyline.

The perfect venue to host family and friends alike, sipping drinks in the UAE winter is truly heaven on earth. Share some light snacks as the world-class bartenders and mixologists whip up any drink you can think of in a matter in minutes.

With weekend happy hours and themed nights throughout the week, the Uptown Bar is also available for group bookings and private affairs.

Words: Sophia Serin

Serving from 5pm to 2am daily. All guests must be aged 21 or above and may be requested to present ID on entry. For reservations call +971 4 432 3232 or email â&#x20AC;¨restaurants@jumeirah.com

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travel

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The mAkiNG oF A cheF From manning military kitchens in Germany to running the show at Jumeirah Al Naseem, chef Tobias Pfister provides a glimpse into his rise to culinary success

With a career spanning more than two decades, chef Tobias Pfister has sharpened his skills at prestigious venues around the globe and boasts a CV that reads like an international fine dining guide. Considering his very first job was at a Michelin-starred restaurant, it’s clear to see how the German-born chef’s high standards have characterised his professional journey.

Pfister is currently leading the culinary development and operations at Jumeirah Group’s newest hotel, Jumeirah Al Naseem, which is the fourth and final addition to the Madinat Jumeirah resort in Dubai. He is tasked with overseeing the kitchens, culinary concepts and 145-strong team at the property, which is home to 11 restaurants and bars, seven of which are operated by the hotel: the Moroccan-inspired Al Mandhar Lounge; beachfront Signature seafood restaurant Rockfish; Summersalt Beach Club; The Palmery, which offers a classy but casual take on a buffet; pool bar, Kalsar; rooftop bar, Ambar and al fresco hangout Sugarmash.

If that’s not enough to think about, Pfister also oversees room service for the property’s 430 rooms and a small banqueting facility that fits around 60 guests. Further to his innate ability to champion innovation in the kitchen, his understanding and appreciation of the hotel brand’s Arabian roots is what drives him in his role.

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food

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“Our hallmarks and our vision are focused on the people and the guests,” says Pfister. “We are not just a hotel group that has built another hotel. We are Dubaiborn and practising the culture of Dubai and Arabia and we want to spread this not just throughout Jumeirah Al Naseem but to our properties around the world.”

To incorporate Arabian flavours into the culinary journey, the team sources the best products available on the market from around the world and then incorporates spices, sauces and flavours from the Middle East, such as tahini sauce or ras el hanout, to differentiate itself.

His passion for bringing this unique vision to life underlines Pfister’s strength in the leading role but then he was always destined for great things. His career began in 1995 when he joined Alfons Schuhbeck’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Kurhausstuberl in Waging, Bavaria, as a young chef. After a year, he returned to his home city of Ulm to complete mandatory military service in the German army, where he worked for 10 months in the army kitchens. From there, he worked in Switzerland and London learning the intricacies of fine dining before arriving in Dubai in 2002 to join award-winning seafood restaurant Al Mahara at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah as chef de partie. Following a series of promotions and more high-level postings – including a stint at Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel in Shanghai – Pfister returned to Dubai in June last year to join the pre-opening team at Jumeirah Al Naseem. He has since played a vital role in implementing the creative culinary concept at the property.

“The location, of course, is a highlight and having the Madinat Jumeirah resort attached to us is another advantage, as it means we can get hold of any kind of product fairly easy,” he says.

“We are a brand new addition to Jumeirah with a completely different feel compared to the other hotels,” he says. “Looking at Jumeirah Al Qasr and Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, the interior design is inspired by the palaces and traditional architecture of Arabia, whereas the design of Jumeirah Al Naseem reflects the contemporary nature of the Dubai of today. From a culinary point of view, the hotel has quite smartly taken all the outlets and created one Arabian explorer theme that bonds with the hotel. As a result, we have a great new product with some very unique concepts in place.”

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The result is a gourmet experience like no other. “The people who are checking into hotels of this calibre are well-travelled,” says Pfister. “However, those people are most likely travelling to four or five five-star properties per year and are experiencing similar foods. This is the mould we are trying to break, especially with our beach and pool venues, where we have achieved serious differentiation between us and other hotels.”

Indeed, the Summersalt Beach Club and Kalsa Pool Bar stand out for focusing on the wellbeing of guests with menus tailored around the modern lifestyle with a healthier approach in terms of food.

“More broadly, we are moving away from the fine-dining concept where you have minimalistic portions on oversized plates,” says Pfister. “Guests want yummy food that comes as close as possible to what they have at home. We want to give guests a great experience when they are in our restaurants. If a guest dines at Rockfish for example and orders a two-course meal, I will make sure they are having the best experience they can get where the food is simple but executed to perfection.”

food

summersalt beach club A culinary concept themed around the spice route, the Summersalt Beach Club was one of the trickiest restaurants in terms of menu writing. It took me weeks to get it right. I needed to segregate the menu around the four main categories of spices – herbaceous, warm spices, earthy spices and sweet spices – and write a menu around this, which was quite challenging. Another challenge was the fact that Summersalt is a pool-beach venue with an upscale food concept. This made it twice as tricky as you still need to have easygoing food for lunch when people come to your restaurant in their swimwear and order a burger. I think we’ve created a rocking menu. the Palmery The Palmery is our 320-seat capacity buffet restaurant with a lot of live cooking stations. We wanted to move away from displaying masses of food and cook as much as possible from fresh instead.

EclEctic tastEs

We have an industrial cooking unit that has been cladded so it fits the restaurant as the backdrop to those live stations. In addition, the buffet size is not very big. From the culinary side this means that we

chEf tobias PfistEr sharEs his takE on somE of thE gourmEt

can focus on showcasing quality products. Some of the highlights

highlights at JumEirah al nasEEm

include produce from organic farms in Dubai, a charcoal barbecue grill, which isn’t very common in a buffet operation, two large pizza

al mandhar lounge

ovens, a tandoor oven where we cook our own tandoors and a fairly

For our Moroccan-inspired lounge, the seating area is more

large dim sum carousel.

like a coffeeshop concept, which is different to our other hotels where we have a lobby lounge with sofa seating. From a culinary

kalsa Pool bar

point of view, to put this into scale, we have introduced more

The idea has been to focus more on a healthy lifestyle with an

snack items such as sandwiches that are popular in Morocco. We

emphasis on grain bowls, which are a highlight of the menu. We

have included a selection of five pastillas – a popular Moroccan

don’t do pizzas as such but offer flatbreads instead as well as the

dish – that we are serving as a light bite. Furthermore, all our

pizza fritti – a popular street food in Sicily.

cookies and pastries feature Moroccan and Middle Eastern spices and flavours.

ambar Although the food concept is secondary at Ambar rooftop bar we

rockfish

have been very elaborate with the menu. We have taken Arabic

What is very unique at Rockfish, our beautiful seafood restaurant,

classics such as the shawarma, manakeesh and kibbeh and given

is the crudo bar – an open bar serving raw seafood. Not many

them a twist. For example, instead of offering just regular lamb

people are familiar with crudo, which is an Italian-Mediterranean

kibbeh we have made it with lobster and crabmeat.

interpretation of marinated raw fish similar to the ceviche in Peru.

At Rockfish, we marinate the fish to order and then dress it up

sugarmash

nicely on the plate. The counter is in the middle of the restaurant

At this pool venue the food is easy going and edible with just a fork

so the chefs can prepare and serve the dishes directly to the

or even better, with your hands. With the menu we have categorised

guests. Also at Rockfish, we feature Mediterranean seafood with

everything with the letter ‘s’ to celebrate the name, as starters,

Arabian flavours, which no one else is doing.

snacks, skewers and sliders. jumeirah.com

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The high life:

Pepper, Jumeirah Messilah Beach hotel and Spa, Kuwait

THE LOWDOWN: You know you are in a wonderfully decadent steakhouse

rosemary bread is baked in-house and comes with three homemade but-

with one sniff inside the doors at Pepper. The aroma permeates the restau-

ters including corn, carrot and beetroot. The appetisers are a good size

rant and allows British chef Daniel to entice you with his American-style

– try the seared scallops or beef brisket tortellini. The restaurant’s signa-

barbecued creations.

ture brisket is tender, moist and delicious and is served with homemade barbecue sauce and beans. Add the truffle mashed potatoes to complete

THE ATMOSPHERE: This mid to upscale steakhouse is all rustic glam.

the dish. If you want to try surf and turf, the Omani lobster is sweeter than

Wooden tables, faux leather banquettes and textured walls co-exist with

Canadian lobster and comes de-shelled. The striploin is delicious with some

sculptural glass panels and murano-style lighting fixtures. The light is low

fat adding to the flavour.

and moody (but the menus have built-in illumination, eliminating that awk-

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ward fumbling of your mobile phone flashlight) and jazz music adds to the

INSIDER’S TIP: If you can, book a table on the upper level for a view of the

atmosphere. An open kitchen takes up one whole wall and opposite, the

beautifully lit pool area. Otherwise book a table early to have the place to

glass windows overlook the beautiful pool area. The service is attentive,

yourself before the late-night diners arrive. There is a private dining room

knowledgeable and friendly.

on both levels that accommodate eight people each.

THE FOOD: In three words: wonderful, smoky and rich. The menu is a mix

BOOKING DETAILS: To book, call +965 2226 9666 ext. 7425

of different flavours that compliment the meat selections. The potato and

or email jumeirahrestaurant@jumeirah.com