What's On | December 2011

Issue 404

December 2011

UAE DHS 10 OMAN RO 1.000

DIFF 8

THE RETURN OF DUBAI’S KILLER FILM FEST!

ALSO INSIDE: XMAS & NEW YEAR’S EVE SORTED, COLDPLAY, 16 TASTY PAGES OF FOOD, GOLF’S DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PLUS ALL YOUR WHAT’S ON AWARD WINNERS + WIN! LUXURY MINI-BREAKS, FESTIVE FEASTS, HANDBAGS AND MORE! +

CONTENTS

December 2011

FEATURES 21 DIFF

As the Dubai International Film Festival turns eight, we chat with the stars and bring you the pick of the 171 movies being screened

45 Sade or East 17?

Life is full of tough decisions, so we have devised a foolproof questionnaire to help you decide if you’re more of a Sade person or an East 17-er

50 Christmas and New Year's Eve sorted

31

The festive season lovingly gift-wrapped for your convenience with events to help make you feel festive, 31 What’s On Awards 47 Culture Club where to eat on Christmas The big winners at our tenth Ahead of the band’s gig at the day, the best trees and annual food and drinks bash, Dubai Tennis Stadium, we have takeaway turkeys, plus a including the star prize, a chinwag with the infamous rundown of the top spots Dubai’s Restaurant Of The Year frontman, Boy George to be when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve

42 Coldplay

Coldplay – arguably the biggest band in the world – will be seeing in the New Year in the capital this December.

Find out what frontman Chris Martin has to say for himself ahead of the big gig

49 Dubai World Championships

22

Golf ’s Race to Dubai ends here. Meet the title contenders, and sitdown for a chat with fan favourite, Miguel Ángel Jiménez

42

55 49 DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 3

CONTENTS

THE ROUND-UP 14 Salaam

89 Art

18 Win win win!

101 Shopping

Happy National Day! Winding down 2011, in bite-sized chunks Boy, oh, boy, it’s prizes galore this issue – we’re giving away dinners, hotel stays, spa visits and more

62 Film

The traditional end-of-year blockbusters are back, with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Nicholas Cage in Trespass and the much-anticipated sequel to Sherlock Holmes

65 Eating out

Our verdict on Hakkasan, the hotly anticipated Table 9 By Nick And Scott and steak restaurants Gaucho and Terra Firma, plus how to cook a classic curry, the inside scoop on French wines and our columnist Gary Rhodes’ alternative Christmas meal

The art of creative gift buying, visual artist Babak Golkar and five must-see exhibitions Whether it’s socks, hats or a Martin Loofah King loofah, find some gift inspiration with our festive shopping guide. Also this season’s winter wardrobe and, finally, learn how to tie a bowtie

113 Mind & body

133 Music & nightlife

The low-down on Chris Brown’s impending gig, the UAE’s most tongue-in-cheek band, Puff Daddies, and a New Year’s club diary special

149 Travel

Spilling the beans on New York, our Gourmet Traveller reveals Armenia’s belated Christmas, plus this month’s travel news and deals

With type-two diabetes on the rise in the UAE, we find out how we can beat the disease, plus testing the best treatments to ensure you’re party ready

161 The hot list

125 Sport & outdoors

178 Backchat with… Catboy

Learn how to paddleboard, and catch up with all this month’s sporting news from fly-fishing to touch rugby

Wondering just what are Dubai’s best bars, spas, restaurants and brunches?

Wonder no more Our man on the radio discovers his festive side

90

65 128

107

4 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

120

SHARE THE SPARKLE

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This month we've been...

Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Group Editor & Managing Partner lan Fairservice Group Senior Editor Gina Johnson | gina@motivate.ae Senior Editor Mark Evans | marke@motivate.ae Deputy Editor Helen Spearman | helen@motivate.ae Features & Food Editor Gareth Rees | gareth@motivate.ae Features Editor, Abu Dhabi Adam Workman | adam@motivate.ae Staff Writer Matt Priest | matthew@motivate.ae Chief Sub Editor Iain Smith | iains@motivate.ae Senior Designer Olga Petroff | olga@motivate.ae Editorial Assistant Kamini Ghose | kamini@motivate.ae Picture Researcher – Gulfpics Wayne Fernandez | wayne@motivate.ae Contributors Naveed Ahmed, Victor Besa, James Brennan, Louise Browne, Stef Burgon, Annah Cuthbert, Roui Francisco, Vikram Gawde, James Houghton, Catherine Jarvie, Charles Pocock, Mark Powell, Conor Purcell, Irshad Qureshi ,Gary Rhodes, Farooq Salik, Simon Smedley, Paul Sterry, Jan Stoop Senior Production Manager Sunil Kumar | sunil@motivate.ae Production Manager Sudhakar Chandran | sudhakar@motivate.ae Production Supervisor Murali Krishnan | muralik@motivate.ae General Manager – Group Sales Anthony Milne | anthony@motivate.ae Advertisement Managers Varsha Bhatia | varsha@motivate.ae Violeta Botorogeanu | violeta@motivate.ae General Manager, Abu Dhabi Joe Marrit | joe@motivate.ae Senior Sales Executive, Abu Dhabi Hamdan Bawazir | hamdan@motivate.ae Annual Subscription GCC Dhs120 other countries US$70 (including Airmail charges)

Head Office: PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 282 4060, Fax: +971 4 282 4436, 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

Getting into the Christmas spirit, p50

Learning to paddleboard, p128

Celebrating Dubai’s finest, p31

Editor's note Ah, DIFF. Dubai’s annual big screen extravaganza is easily one of my favourite events of the year, catering to my inner film nerd.

I’ve always loved movies. When I was still in junior school my older brother used to work for a video (video!) shop, and used to come home with armfuls of cassettes of all the big blockbusters, which we’d devour in a weekend’s sitting. We’d also trawl our way through the not-so-big blockbusters – badly dubbed Hong Kong fight movies, trashy American horror flicks, bad comedies, that sort of thing. Pretty much most of my childhood is coloured in with memories of my brother and me spouting various film lines to each other, ad nauseum – “Monkey? MONKEY! I’m a gorilla, you clown!”, “Down!

Down! Stay down!”, “You lose, Carl Miller!” (a prize for anyone who gets all three there), while my uni days were equally movie-filled, studying film alongside my journalism degree.

This year’s DIFF is particularly exciting for us nerds, with a section on classic German movies, led by Georg Wilhelm Pabst’s 1929 classic Pandora’s Box. A masterclass in early German cinema, it was way ahead of its time for a silent movie. If that all sounds a little too ‘arty’ for you, then there’s also the chance to see Tom Cruise running around the top of the Burk Khalifa in the premier of the latest Mission: Impossible movie (checkout our whatsondubai.tumblr.com site for footage of Cruise – not a stuntman, but him – performing the stunts. The man is a lunatic).

Away from movies, there’s our usual goodies in another packed edition this month, including all the winners from our big What’s On Awards bash, an exclusive interview with Coldplay’s Chris Martin, great giveaways and your festive season sorted. Speaking of which, anyone thinking of buying me a present this year, there’s one or two DVDs I need for my collection… (nerd!).

Enjoy the issue, and happy Christmas from everyone at What’s On.

Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 7

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Salaam!

Wrapping up the year

What’s hot

MOST DEVELOPED The UAE has been ranked as the top Arab country, according to the UN’s annual Human Development Index. It has placed 30th worldwide, ahead of countries like Poland and Argentina.

WADI ADVENTURE The Middle East’s first manmade white-water rafting, kayaking and surfing facility, Wadi Adventure, has opened in Jabel Hafeet. The park includes over 1,100m of rafting runs.

EMERGENT ARTIST Photography enthusiasts take note – the Emergent Artist Award is offering one local artist the chance to have their own solo exhibition at Dubai Art Week and the Galerie Oscar in Nice, France.

Focusing on contemporary photography, entrants must submit their works by Dec 31. emergentartistaward.com

What’s not

SHARK WATER Although not quite at the level of our front cover, the shark sightings off the coast of JBR caused enough concern for the police and lifeguards to call the swimmers out of the water. Eek.

BATH MONEY As we count our last dirhams, it is always encouraging to know that people with bags of cash are spending it wisely. So here’s a big thanks to the anonymous buyer of a Dhs6.4 million bathtub at Dubai International Jewellery week.

JET CRASH After last month’s Dubai Air Show, we were horrified to hear about the M-346 jet crashing off the coast of the Palm Deira as it was flying back to Europe. Luckily, the pilots managed to parachute to safety.

14 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Guess list

KAISER CHIEFS Lovers of free-flowing attacking football from South Africa are set for a big disappointment, as news reaches us that the upcoming visit by the Kaiser Chiefs isn’t that of the yellow and black-shirted football league team, but a similarly named indie rock band from Leeds, England.

When word of this gets out, we predict a riot.

The pick of the choicest fruits on the grapevine

23% 17%

55%

ARCTIC MONKEYS Terrible news for Alexa Chung fans, as the celebrity IT girl and model recently ended her relationship with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, meaning she won’t be present for the band’s rumoured upcoming UAE visit. Sure, the band, who scored a huge hit with the single I Bet You look Good On The Dance Floor, can do all that ‘singing’ and ‘playing instruments’ stuff, but, well, Alexa Chung, yeah? Sad times. Sad, sad times.

THIS MONTH WE'RE GOING TO...

WALDORF-ASTORIA The UAE’s sadly lacking hotel numbers are due to be given a much-needed boost, thanks to the Hilton Worldwide group, which is rumoured to be opening up branches of the WaldorfAstoria in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi next year. This will take the total number of hotels in the Emirates to four, an all time record.

(Where's that sarcasm font when we need it?)

MOVIES UNDER THE STARS Enjoy beanbags, barbecues and big screen blockbusters at Wafi’s open-air film night. This month’s movies include Yes Man and 2012.

Sun, Pyramid rooftop gardens, Wafi, 8.30pm, free. Tel: (04) 3244100. wafirestaurants.com

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Chris Dissanayake, Salsa instructor

OUTFIT The Meeting Garments store at Palm Strip Mall, next to Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa, is a good place for your salsa outfit – it has a great selection of flamboyant shirts and dresses.

Meeting Garments, Palm Strip Mall, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3461462.

LEARN Anyone can learn how to salsa dance. Get involved – there are loads of places at the Familia de la Salsa dance academy.

Familia de la Salsa, Dubai World Trade Centre Apartments, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Tues and Sat, 8pm, Malecon, Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa, Sat, 9.30pm. Tel: (050) 2777475. familiadelasalsa.com

GOING OUT The best event, without a doubt, is the Dubai International Dance Festival – it’s the biggest dancing event in the region. However, if you can’t wait until October, Familia de la Salsa is having a three-day festival this month with workshops and international music acts. dubaidancefestival.com; familiadelasalsa.com

EATING OUT I love eating at Mexican and Mediterranean restaurants. My favourite places are probably AZ.U.R at the Marriott Harbour Hotel and Trader Vic's at the Crowne Plaza.

AZ.U.R, Marriott Harbour Hotel & Residence, Al Sufouh Road. Tel: (04) 319795. emirateshotelsresorts.com Trader Vic's, Crowne Plaza Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road. Tel: (04) 3056399. tradervics.com

LAUGHTER FACTORY

POSHPAWS FUNDRAISING

This month the comedic crew welcome Gordon Southern, Markus Birdman and Owen O’Neill to the stage.

Dec 7 to 16, various locations, Dubai, 9pm, Dhs130. Tel: (04) 3551862. thelaughterfactory.com

PoshPaws Animal Sanctuary is having a fundraising event to raise money for vet bills and vaccinations for rescued and injured animals.

Dec 9, PoshPaws Animal Sanctuary, Sharjah, 10am to 3pm, Dhs10. Tel: (050) 2730973

GIRL ABOUT TOWN

Dubai 92’s Geordiebird gives us the heads up from the Dubai bar scene

THIS MONTH: AT.MOSPHERE What does it look like?

The most exciting thing about this bar is the view – and rightly so – you're hit with it the minute you get out of the lift on the 123rd floor. Sneakily, that's not the floor the bar is on – instead a staircase with floorto- ceiling glass windows on one side leads down to the bar on the floor below. Not recommended if you suffer from vertigo.

Who goes there?

I was there on Ladies Night, so, as you’d expect, there were quite a few ladies, as well as a sprinkling of couples. Curiously, there was also one older chap smoking a cigar. He looked happy enough.

Any bar nibbles?

The organic chicken burger was my favourite on the menu, but at Dhs200 you might want to share it. Want to go halves with me?

Drink recommendations?

If you're going to splash out on a trip to this bar you may as well go the whole hog and get a bottle of bubbly. You might want to double-check the price before you order.

When should you go?

Ladies Night was fun and not too busy, but on Saturday nights they have a resident DJ playing, so that could be worth checking out.

How's the service?

The service was brilliant in the bar itself.

On the way up it was a little sketchy, if I'm honest. It felt a little like no matter what I said, the guys had their standard line to say back and weren’t allowed to deviate. A little personality never goes a miss.

What's the taxi situation?

Taxis a plenty.

Geordiebird verdict: I will be taking every family member, friend and old acquaintance passing through Dubai up there at least once, whether they like it or not. Not sure I'll be making it a regular hangout though – mainly because I couldn't afford to.

At.mosphere, Burj Khalifa. Tel: (04) 8883828. atmosphereburjkhalifa.com

Find us at

www.facebook.com/WhatsOnDubai DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 15

SALAAM

IN THE NEWS

National Day special

Our beloved UAE turns 40 on Dec 2. Happy National Day

BIRD

BAKE OFF

Perhaps the most self-rewarding way of celebrating national day is to tuck into the patriotic offerings from three of the UAE’s leading bakeries. Try them all this month and tweet us with what you think: @WhatsOnDubai, using the hashtag #UAEcupcakes

According to fossil traces, falconry has been popular in the Arabian Gulf since 10,000BC

Hey Sugar

National day cupcakes Dhs14-18 Tel: (04) 3448204

Magnolia Bakery

Kitsch Cupcakes

Six specialty cupcakes Dhs80 for six Tel: (04) 3505333

CAMEL

Six speciality cupcakes Dhs14 Tel: (04) 3956963

POPULATION

There are 250,000 camels in the UAE

279,000

EMIRATIS

estimated population in 1971

7.9million current estimated population of UAE

10.5million projected UAE population by 2030

Granted Independence December 2 1971

7

number of Emirates making up the UAE

16.5 per cent of the UAE population is Emirati (images: Ignacio Gomez and Blanca Lopez)

83,600

1,318

1,527

land area of the UAE

length of UAE coastline

highest point (Jabal Yibir)

sqkm

km

metres

THEN AND NOW

16 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

84.4

per cent of population in urban areas

51

MILLION

140

tonnes of crude oil produced annually in UAE in 1971

tonnes of crude oil produced annually in UAE in 2011

MILLION

(Sources: UN Population Division, UN Population Fund, Global Footprint Network, International Telecommunications Union, Human Development Index, World Health Organization, UAE Department Of Naturalisation And Residency, the Ministry Of Interior, the Ministry Of Labour)

WIN! WIN! WIN! Want to treat yourself and a loved one to a December to remember?

We have a couple of crackers

WIN! A STAY IN A KEMPINSKI SKI CHALET If you just can’t feel Christmassy while the sun is shining, then only a night spent overlooking the slopes can help. Luckily, we have a one night stay in one of the Kempinski’s fabulous ski chalets in the Mall Of The Emirates, worth a whopping Dhs5,500, to give away. Offering wintry charm in the desert, each multi-level ski chalet comes with a private butler to ensure your mini-break on the slopes is as pleasurable as possible. Want to win this amazing prize? Just answer this question.

What is the name of the ski slope in Mall Of The Emirates? a) Ski Dubai b) Skate Dubai c) Snowboard Dubai

To enter this fantastic competition, just e-mail

winwithwhatson@motivate.ae

with ‘festive buffet‘ in the subject line and the correct answer to the question

WIN! CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER AND SPA TREATMENTS FOR TWO AT THE ADDRESS DUBAI MARINA Toast Christmas Eve in style at Mazina, with its superb festive buffet, a la carte menu and vast dessert selection available on December 24. We have a table for two waiting to be won, as well as the Christmas In Harmony spa package, which includes 25minutes of scalp massage, 50-minutes of hot stone massage, a 50minute facial and 25-minutes of reflexology for you and a friend, all in the gorgeous spa. If you’d like to win this wonderful treat for two, simply tell us…

Which of the following are you unlikely to find at a festive buffet? a) Turkey b) Brussels’ sprouts c) Sushi 18 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

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DIFF Dubai International Film Festival

Another year, another chance to check out the latest releases, discover films never shown before in the UAE, enjoy free screenings and do a little celeb spotting…

A

favourite in the cultural calendar, Dubai International Film Festival’s eighth year looks set to be its biggest yet. From silent movies to blockbusters, children’s classics to foreign offerings, the schedule is packed. A peek at the highlights, including George Clooney’s The Descendants and a remastered version of 1929’s Pandora’s Box, filmed

in 1929 and screened on JBR beach with a live soundtrack provided by the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra, shows the diversity and scale we can look forward to.

An undeniably huge year for the city on the global cinema scene (who can forget Tom Cruise on Burj Khalifa filming the latest Mission Impossible?), and with the promise of movie stars jetting into town, the festival promises to end 2011 on a high. Pass the popcorn.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 21

WHAT’S ON

Dubai International Film Festival

The numbers that add up to blockbuster entertainment

6

Weeks it took to shoot M:I’s train chase

15

Months director Joe Carnahan spent working on M:I III before quitting the project

16

Number of explosions in Mission: Impossible III

26

Number of people that die in Mission: Impossible III

104

Number of people that die in Mission: Impossible II

210

SPY HUNT

Time in minutes of the original cut of Mission: Impossible II. It was cut down to just 123 minutes

830

Height in metres of Dubai’s Burj Halifa tower that Tom Cruise (rather than a stuntman) scales in Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol

As DIFF hosts the world premiere of the fourth Mission Impossible film, we look at super spy Ethan Hunt’s adventures MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

In which our hero is accused of murdering his IMF team (comprising Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Kristin Scott Thomas and an unbilled Emilio Estevez) and so dedicates himself to exposing the real culprits who turn out to be... er, Jon Voight and Emmanuelle Beart.

Features a spectacular climax in which a helicopter pursues a Eurostar train into the Channel Tunnel.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II

Ethan is forced to head down under to retrieve and destroy the genetically-modified disease, Chimera, that has the potential to decimate the world’s population. Because the first sequel is directed by John Woo, M:I II features plenty of doves, rainbows and slow motion action.

It also stars Dougray Scott, who passed up on the role of Wolverine in X-Men to trade blows with Tom Cruise.

22 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III

Although our man Ethan Hunt has retired from active duty, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s arms dealer still wants him dead. And if he can’t bump off the agent, he wants to kill his girlfriend (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’s Michelle Monaghan) and make his secret identity public knowledge.

Directed by Lost creator JJ Abrams, M:I III costars Simon Pegg in a role that was created with Ricky Gervais in mind.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE  GHOST PROTOCOL

When the IMF (the Impossible Missions Force, not the International Monetary Fund) is blamed for a terrorist attack upon the Kremlin, the organisation is immediately disbanded, so leaving Ethan and three other rogue agents to restore the agency’s good name.

Not that the Impossible Missions Force is that good a name, but you get the picture.

3000

Number of cinemas in which Mission: Impossible played during its first week on release

$80 million

Budget of Mission: Impossible

$125 million Budget of Mission: Impossible II

$140 million Budget of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

$185 million

Budget of Mission: Impossible III

WHAT’S ON

Dubai International Film Festival

GEORGE

CLOONEY could turn the tables on Ferris Bueller would be someone special to work with.

Gorgeous George on his film, The Descendants, showing at the fest

How hellish was it working in Hawaii?

Oh, man – it was appalling.

I put a call in to Amnesty International asking whether they were aware of what the studio was putting us through, but they weren’t interested. But, I’m a pretty courageous person so I just bit my lip and pushed through the hardship.

There's a rich vein of comedy running through The Descendants is directed and co-written your career. Is humour important to you?

by Alexander Payne. Are you a fan?

I think the key word there is ‘career’. For me, I think anyone with a passion for cinema is the fun of what I do is having the opportunity a fan of Alexander’s. The first picture of his I to play all sorts of characters and make all was really taken with was Citizen Ruth, which sorts of films. While I wouldn’t in any way, dared to find some humour in the abortion shape or form dare to compare myself with debate. After I saw that I thought, ‘Well, here’s him, I was always very drawn to Cary Grant a guy with a unique voice and unique things to because one minute he could be making say.’ I also loved Election, his film about a class a screwball comedy like Bringing Up Baby election in a high school. I thought anyone who and the next he could be starring in an

Alfred Hitchcock thriller like Notorious. To be able to do one and then the other, that’s what appeals to me. In the UK this year, my political thriller The Ides Of March came out shortly before we premiered The Descendants, which is a comedy drama. To have two wildly different movies released within a matter of months, that’s very exciting to me.

The Ides Of March harks back to the great political pictures of the 1970s. Is that a particularly special era for you?

I don’t think you can seriously consider yourself a film fan and not have a love of movies like All The President’s Men and Network and The Parallax View. When I made From Dusk Till Dawn, I remember Quentin Tarantino going to great lengths to defend the 1970s in press interviews. This was before books like Easy Riders, Raging Bulls came out. Back then, everyone seemed to have a downer on the 1970s. Quentin went to amazing lengths to take on those critics who saw it as a moribund period for movies. Now, of course, everyone seems to have cottoned on to the fact that it was perhaps the greatest decade for American film since the 1930s. We have to thank Quentin for helping to amend that oversight.

You’ve mentioned that versatility’s very important to you. Your next film, Gravity, is very different again, isn’t it?

Sure, it’s very strange. It’s just me and Sandra Bullock in outer space. There’s just the two of us in the entire movie. There’s no monsters, no action, just two people dealing with being alone in the middle of nowhere. If there’s another film it’s like, it’s probably Stanley Kubrick’s 2001. That’s not to say that Gravity will reinvent cinema the way Kubrick did – that’d be a real tough ask. But, yes, it’s another movie that’s distinct from anything I’ve made before.

Dec 10, The Descendants, Madinat Arena, Dhs30, 7pm. Tel: (04) 3633456. dubaifilmfest.com

Five of the great man’s finest films Out Of Sight The picture that turned the ER actor into a bona fide movie star.

As bank robber Jack Foley, Clooney gives a masterclass in movie charm while having the class to allow costars Steve Zahn, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez steal as many scenes as they please.

Good Night, And Good Luck

Widely acknowledged as a directorial triumph, Good Night also sees our man deliver a wonderfully understated supporting turn as Fred Friendly, the TV news producer who helped reporter Ed Murrow bring down fearmongering US politician Joseph McCarthy.

Syriana The Cloon sports a beard and a belly for this ace political drama. Playing a role loosely based on real-life CIA agent Robert Baer, George suffered a severe head injury while shooting Stephen Gaghan’s thriller and received an Academy Award for his truly impressive efforts.

The Good German

Michael Clayton

A hugely underrated movie from Steven Soderbergh (director of Out Of Sight and the Danny Ocean films), Clooney stars as an American journalist in post-war Berlin, investing the part with the same integrity Joseph Cotten brought to the notdissimilar The Third Man.

Perhaps Gorgeous George’s greatest turn to date. As a legal fixer in the worst kind of fix, the man who’s so often looked confident on screen reveals a vulnerability that might have won him a second Oscar had he not been up against Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood).

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 23

The man behind the 15-hour odyssey, The Story Of Film, screened throughout The festival

MARK COUSINS

The Story Of Film runs to over 900 minutes. How long did it take to make?

Five years. We shot it like an indie film, for very little money. We probably could have got a bigger budget but then we’d have been compromised – if a studio had invested in the picture, then even at a sub-conscious level we might have felt obliged to place special onus on their films. So we did it on the cheap and kept the project pure.

How do you set about telling such an epic story?

For me, it was important that I took a hard and soft approach to the subject, particularly when it came to deciding which film-makers to include. The hard approach involved being rigorous. Almost the first question I asked was, who actually influenced who? Who were the influential people? Even if their influence was delayed, like [Yasujirô] Ozu – it took the West almost 20 years to realise that Ozu had been making the most sublime movies in Japan. So that’s the hard approach, and that gives you a kind of skeleton. But then there’s the soft approach that comes after that, which is more personal. If Ozu is great, why is he great? There are things that you can show that prove he was influential, but in other ways you can’t prove it, but I argue it anyway.

24 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

desire to describe something beautiful which is the history of the movies.

You have a great fondness for American musicals. Was it a great thrill to interview Singin’ In The Rain director Does it upset Stanley Donen?

"There’s a sense you that people of course! Talking to Stanley was of wonder about But more readily just wonderful – he’s a lovely man and, associate without him, we might not have the films such as film with musical as we know and love it today.

Singin’ In The entertainment I know it’s easy to laugh at musicals Rain that is sorely – “Hey, I bet you know a song about rather than art?

That was a big this” – but I think they’re a truly great lacking from reason for making American art form on a par with the today’s American Western and jazz. Just look at the The Story Of Film.

I interviewed credits for any MGM musical and cinema" Lauren Bacall for they’re quite unlike anything else in the BBC’s Scene By Scene series some years ago film. These are films with a real magic about and she said to me: “The industry is s**t, it’s them. There’s a sense of wonder about films such the medium that’s great.” She was quite right. as Singin’ In The Rain that is sorely lacking from If I ask myself what’s my motivation, yes it was today’s American cinema. to defend cinema in a certain way. But, also, I was in Amsterdam recently What do you hope people will take from looking at Van Gogh’s The Story Of Film? paintings and thinking about I’ve tried to make the film moving and how he liked to paint the seductive, and if it seduces people and gets them fields around the sanatorium, to love the films I talk about then that will be and my main reason for great. If I was 16 or 17 and someone gave me making The Story Of Film is the box-set of this I would have loved it because because I find film beautiful it’s full of all sorts of flavours; it’s like a tasting and I want to describe it. menu – have a bit of this, try a bit of that.

More than trying to redress Dec 8 to 14, MOE Gold Class, Mall Of The Emirates an imbalance, it was the Dhs30. Tel: (04) 3633456. dubaifilmfest.com

WHAT’S ON

Dubai International Film Festival

VORSPRUNG DURCH TECHNIK This year’s ‘In Focus’ strand focuses on the finest films currently coming out of Germany

FW Murnau, Fritz Lang, Werner Herzong, Rainer Werner Fassbinder – the list of great German directors is as long as it is impressive.

But while many of the country’s modern-day greats ply their trade in the US (Wolfgang Petersen, Marc Forster), there’s currently a clutch of homegrown film-makers producing work that is the envy of the world. And what’s more, much of it can be enjoyed during this year’s DIFF. With documentaries so in vogue at the moment, it should come as no surprise that German directors have also embraced nonfiction film. After The Silence sees filmmakers Julie Ott and Steffi Burger head to Palestine where they plan to introduce an Israeli woman who lost her husband in a suicide

1

2

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bombing to the family of the man who carried out the attack. As you can imagine, what follows doesn’t make for easy viewing.

However, like the large number of critics who’ve been raving about the film, don’t be surprised if you find yourself both gripped and moved by this profound tale of love, loss and forgiveness.

The Education Of 5 Auma Obama is another tremendous Teutonic doco. This time the subject is none other than the older sister of the incumbent President of the United States. Every bit as impressive as her sibling, Auma Obama studied dance and linguistics at Heidelberg University and made a home in the UK before heading to her native Kenya to help educate the upcoming generation of political activists and social workers. A woman whose passion is only eclipsed by her charisma, come the end of The Education Of Auma Obama you’ll be wishing you could cast a vote for her.

Such scintillating true stories will leave some moviegoers wondering why we even bother with fiction.

Three Quarter Moon, however, should destroy such notions at a stroke. The hugely popular German actor Elmar Wepper stars as an ageing taxi driver who looks after – then falls in love with – a young Turkish girl. A small film that addresses all of life’s biggest issues, Three Quarter Moon also provides a wonderful opportunity to gauge the relationship between modern-day Germans and the country’s sizeable Gastarbeiter (‘guest worker’) population.

And in addition to the best of modern German film, this year’s festival always presents 4 an opportunity to acquaint yourself with some of the country’s bona fide classics.

Although he was born in Austria, Georg Wilhelm Pabst shot his masterpiece Pandora’s Box at Berlin’s Nero-Film Studios. Inspired by the Jack

The Ripper killings, the film is remarkable for its imagery and for a truly astonishing performance from its American leading lady Louis Brooks, aka the woman who launched a million haircuts.

Silent classics, captivating documentaries, endearing comedies – the DIFF’s ‘In Focus’ season offers films to suit all tastes. And there you were thinking that German film began with Fitz Lang’s Metropolis and wound up with Bruce Willis (born Walter Bruce Willis) in Idar-Oberstein.

For details, check the schedule (page 27)

Who's who: 1) Rainer Werner Fassbinder 2) Stanley Donen 3) Werner Herzog 4) Marc Foster 5) Auma Obama

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 25

The Best Of The Rest The pictures you’d be stupid not to see

And still you demand more entertainment! Well, thankfully DIFF 2011 offers a range of films that’s every bit as impressive as the number of pictures on offer.

For example, music lovers are sure to warm to The Girls In The Band, an American documentary championing lady jazz musicians. While the list of male jazz greats could fill several phone directories, it’s rare to find people raving over women players with the same passion that’s reserved for John Coltrane and Charlie Parker. If there’s any justice in the world, Judy Chaykin’s cracking film will correct this longstanding wrong.

With the documentary strand as strong as it’s ever been, one can imagine many DIFF attendees will make a beeline for Death Of A Japanese Salesman.

Tomoaki Sunada is a model Japanese citizen. Hard working, devoted to his family and his job. After a lifetime of good service, it comes as an appalling shock when, shortly after his retirement, Tomoaki is diagnosed with stomach cancer. Not one to go gently into that good night, Mr Sunada makes a list of things he’s never done and his daughter films him doing them. The end product is every bit as ennobling as the initial diagnosis is awful.

Fiction fans, meanwhile, should seek out Restless City, an American independent picture about a young African trying to make a go of things on Manhattan Island.

Featuring a cast of largely unknown performers, the picture also features an untried – but immensely talented – director in the form of Andrew Dosunmu. Already a hit on the festival circuit, if you’re lucky enough to catch Restless City you might just be seeing the next big thing in US indie film.

‘But what about the kids?’ we hear you cry. ‘Isn’t there anything for them?’ Indeed there is. In fact this year DIFF has the pleasure of premiering The Muppets’ first big screen outing in over a decade. Already being described as Kermit and co’s finest film since the original Muppet Movie, we recommend parents buy their tickets sooner rather than later as the picture Idar-Oberstein, which features cameos from Ricky Gervais, Jack Black and The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis – is sure to prove massively popular with younger fans of the festival.

WHAT’S ON

Dubai International Film Festival

SCHEDULE

Wednesday December 7 FIRST GROUP THEATRE 8pm Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol MADINAT ARENA 8pm Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Thursday December 8 FIRST GROUP THEATRE 5pm The Price of Kings – Yasser Arafat 7.30pm J Edgar 11pm Corrode JBR 8pm Pandora’s Box MADINAT ARENA 8pm Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl MALL OF THE EMIRATES 1 6pm A 7 hour Difference 9.15pm Restless City Midnight Kill List MALL OF THE EMIRATES 10 5pm Surviving Progress 9pm Le Havre MALL OF THE EMIRATES 11 4.30pm The Beginning 7.45pm Amal 10.30pm Crossfire MALL OF THE EMIRATES 12 4.15pm Gulf Voices 5.15pm Muhr Emirati#2 7.30pm Life Is A Game 10.45pm Do Not Forget Me Istanbul MALL OF THE EMIRATES 2 4.15pm Warriors Of The Rainbow Seediq Bale 8pm Final Whistle 10.30pm Taxi Ballad MALL OF THE EMIRATES 5 5.45pm Sector Zero

8pm Halabja – The Lost Children 10.15pm No More Fear MALL OF THE EMIRATES 6 5.15pm Bachelor Mountain 8pm Realtor 10.30pm Imam and I MALL OF THE EMIRATES 7 6.45pm Old Dog 9.45pm Otelo Burning MALL OF THE EMIRATES 8 5.30pm From The Heart 9.45pm Burnout MALL OF THE EMIRATES 9 7pm Romeo Eleven 11pm The Woodsman And The Rain MOE GOLD CLASS 6pm Story Of Film (1) 7.45pm Story Of Film (2) 9.30pm Story Of Film (3) Friday December 9 FIRST GROUP THEATRE 2pm 7th August 5.15pm Palas In Bloom 8pm WE 10.30pm Laptop JBR 8pm Silence: All Roads Lead To Music MADINAT ARENA 3pm The Muppets 7pm Terraferma 10pm Peter Gabriel New Blood – Live In London MALL OF THE EMIRATES 1 4.15pm Mexican Suitcase 9pm Blind Valley Midnight Kotoko

MALL OF THE EMIRATES 10 2.45pm Lagaan. Once Upon A Time In India 7.30pm The Disintegration 10pm Surviving Progress MALL OF THE EMIRATES 11 5.15pm Arabian Shorts 8.15pm Shoji & Takao MALL OF THE EMIRATES 12 2.30pm Jai Bhim Comrade 7pm Life Is A Game 10.15pm Boiling Dreams MALL OF THE EMIRATES 2 3pm A Letter To Momo 6.15pm Goodbye 9.30pm Cut MALL OF THE EMIRATES 5 6pm Imam And I 9pm At Night, They Dance MALL OF THE EMIRATES 6 3.30pm Policeman 5.30pm Our Beloved Sudan 8pm Gate#5 10.30pm Marcedes MALL OF THE EMIRATES 7 4.30pm Burnout 7.30pm The Education Of Auma Obama 10pm Man On Ground MALL OF THE EMIRATES 9 6.15pm Le Havre 9.15pm Come Rain, Come Shine MOE GOLD CLASS 3pm Story Of Film (1) 4.30pm Story Of Film (2) 6pm Story Of Film (4) 7.45pm Story Of Film (5) 9.30pm Story Of Film (6)

Saturday December 10 FIRST GROUP THEATRE 11.30am Chubby Drums 2.30pm Laptop 5.45pm The First Man 8.45pm A Cloud In A Glass of Water JBR 8pm Neil Young Journeys MADINAT ARENA 2.30pm Arthur Christmas 7pm The Descendants MALL OF THE EMIRATES 1 12.15pm Restless City 2.45pm Taxi Ballad 5.30pm Wickie And The Treasure Of The Gods 9.30pm Love In The Medina MALL OF THE EMIRATES 10 12.30pm Surviving Progress 5.30pm Tatsumi 8.30pm Burnout MALL OF THE EMIRATES 11 1.45pm Otelo Burning 5pm Old Dog 8.30pm Corrode MALL OF THE EMIRATES 12 11.30am Palas In Bloom 2.30pm 7th August 6pm Habibi 9.15pm Muhr Emirati#1 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 4 12.30pm The Price Of The Kings – Yasser Arafat 3pm Carriere 250 Meters 5.45pm Mexican Suitcase 8.30pm Warriors Of The Rainbow Seediq Bale MALL OF THE EMIRATES 5 Noon Realtor

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 27

WHAT’S ON

DIFF Schedule

3.15pm The Sound Of Old Rooms 5.45pm The Land Beneath The Fog 9.30pm Kotoko MALL OF THE EMIRATES 6 3pm Halabja – The Lost Children 5.30pm 1/2 Revolution 7.45pm Settouz Ad My First Passion 10.15pm Born On The 25th Of January MALL OF THE EMIRATES 7 12.15pm Bachelor Mountain 5.30pm Gulf Voices 6.30pm Muhr Emirati#2 9.30pm Fable Of The Fish MALL OF THE EMIRATES 8 12.30pm Here We Drown Algerians – October 17th 1961 3.30pm Blind Valley 10pm A Simple Life MALL OF THE EMIRATES 9 11.30am Do Not Forget Me Istanbul 2.30pm Romeo Eleven 5pm The Disintegration 7.30pm August Drizzle

MOE GOLD CLASS 11.00am Story Of Film (3) 12.45pm Story Of Film (4) 2.30pm Story Of Film (5) 4.15pm Story Of Film (6) 6pm Story Of Film (7) 7.45pm Story Of Film (8) 9.30pm Story Of Film (9) Sunday December 11 FIRST GROUP THEATRE 6.15pm Heels Of War 9.30pm Life Without Principle JBR 8pm Inni MADINAT ARENA 8pm A Whole One MALL OF THE EMIRATES 1 1pm The First Man 4pm Muhr Arab Short#1 7pm Under Snow 10pm Beautiful Miss Jin MALL OF THE EMIRATES 10 6pm Final Whistle 9.15pm Corpo Celeste MALL OF THE EMIRATES 11 2pm The Woodsman And The Rain

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

Tickets are available at dubaifilmfest. com and box offices. Dhs30 for regular screenings or Dhs10 with a valid student card. Tel: (04) 3633456

WIN! Tickets to Diff

We have ten pairs of tickets to any DIFF screening. For your chance to win, simply e-mail winwithwhatson@motivate.ae with DIFF in the subject line and the answer to this question…

What film is opening this year’s festival?

1) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol 2) Mission Possible – Easy Peasy 3) Mission Impossible – Spooky Stuff 28 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

7pm Che Guevara Died In Lebanon 10.30pm Nice To Meet You MALL OF THE EMIRATES 12 1pm Boiling Dreams 4.15pm It’s All In Lebanon 7.15pm Mother’s Soul 10pm The Last Friday MALL OF THE EMIRATES 4 Noon Cut 4.15pm Our Beloved Sudan 7pm Muhr AsiaAfrica Short #1 10pm Muhr AsiaAfrica Short #2 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 5 11.30am The Education Of Auma Obama 2pm Andalucia 7pm Uncle Nashaat 9.45pm Aspirin And A Bullet MALL OF THE EMIRATES 6 Noon Marcedes 2.30pm Gate#5 6.45pm Grey Matter 10pm P-047 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 7 2.15pm Shoji & Takao 7.15pm Tahrir Liberation Square 10.15pm Death Of A Japanese Salesman MALL OF THE EMIRATES 8 1.45pm Goodbye 5pm Yamo 7.30pm Muhr Arab Short #2 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 9 9.45pm Westwind MOE GOLD CLASS Noon Story Of Film (7) 1.45pm Story Of Film (8) 3.30pm Story Of Film (9) 6pm Story Of Film (10) 7.45pm Story Of Film (11) 9.30pm Story Of Film (12)

Monday December 12 FIRST GROUP THEATRE 6pm If You Die, I’ll Kill You 9pm The Awakening JBR 8pm God Bless Ozzy Osbourne MADINAT ARENA 8pm Three Quarter Moon MALL OF THE EMIRATES 1 Noon Arabian Nights Shorts 2.45pm 1/2 Revolution 5.15pm La-Bas A Criminal Education 8pm Habibi 10.30pm Combat Girl MALL OF THE EMIRATES 10 Noon Tatsumi 3.15pm Love In The Medina 7.45pm After The Silence 10.15pm The RIF Lover MALL OF THE EMIRATES 11 12.15pm Settouzad My First Passion 3.15pm Sector Zero 6pm Man On Ground 10pm The Sound Of Old Rooms MALL OF THE EMIRATES 12 Noon A Letter To Momo 3.30pm Muhr Emirati#1 6.30pm Once Upon A Time in Anatolia 10.30pm Beirut Hotel MALL OF THE EMIRATES 4 1pm A Simple Life 4pm Undefeated 7.15pm Here We Drown Algerians – October 17th 1961 10.15pm Muhr Arab Short #3 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 5 Noon Crossfire 3pm Fable Of The Fish 6.15pm Planet Of Snail

9.45pm Amal MALL OF THE EMIRATES 6 1.15pm No More Fear 4pm The Land Beneath The Fog 8.30pm This Is Not A Film 10.30pm Muhr Asia Africa Short #3 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 7 3pm The Light In Her Eyes 5.30pm Cinema Jenin – The Story of A Dream 8.15pm Policeman 10.30pm Turtles Do Not Die of Old Age MALL OF THE EMIRATES 8 11.00am Jai Bhim Comrade 3.45pm Under Snow 6.45pm Grimunho 10.15pm Magic Valley MALL OF THE EMIRATES 9 12.30pm Westwind 3.45pm August Drizzle 8pm Las Acacias MOE GOLD CLASS Noon Story Of Film (10) 1.45pm Story Of Film (11) 3.30pm Story Of Film (12) 6pm Story Of Film (13) 7.45pm Story Of Film (14) 9.30pm Story Of Film (15) Tuesday December 13 FIRST GROUP THEATRE 5.30pm 99 Unbound 9pm Into The Abyss JBR 8pm The Girls In The Band MADINAT ARENA 8pm My Week With Marilyn MALL OF THE EMIRATES 1 12.15pm Heels Of War 3pm If You Die, I’ll Kill You

7pm Three Quarter Moon 10pm A 7 Hour Difference MALL OF THE EMIRATES 10 12.15pm After The Silence 3pm Once Upon A Time 7pm The RIF Lover 9.45pm Mother’s Soul MALL OF THE EMIRATES 11 12.15pm Planet Of Snail 3pm Uncle Nashaat 6pm Death Of A Japanese Salesman 9pm Aspirin And A Bullet MALL OF THE EMIRATES 12 2.30 This Is Not A Film 4.30 When Santa Fell To Earth 9pm A Whole One MALL OF THE EMIRATES 4 12.15pm Silence. All Roads Lead To Music 3pm Muhr Arab Short #2 6.15pm Yamo MALL OF THE EMIRATES 5 1.30pm Muhr Asia Africa Short #1 4.15pm Muhr Asia Arica Short #2 7pm Muhr Asia Africa Short #3 9.45pm P-047 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 6 11.30am Muhr Arab Short #3 2.30pm Born On The 25th Of January 6pm The Last Friday 9.30pm Andalucia MALL OF THE EMIRATES 7 2.45pm Cinema Jenin – The Story of A Dream 5.30pm Che Guevara Died In Lebanon 8pm It’s All In Lebanon 10.15pm Nice To Meet You

MALL OF THE EMIIRATES 8 1pm Las Acacias 4pm Carriere 250 Metres 6.45pm Beautiful Miss Jin 9.45pm Muhr Arab Short#1 MALL OF THE EMIRATES 9 2.30pm Fitzcarraldo 6.30pm Corpo Celeste 10pm Beirut Hotel MOE GOLD CLASS Noon Story Of Film (13) 1.45pm Story Of Film (14) 3.30pm Story Of Film (15) Wednesday December 14 FIRST GROUP THEATRE Noon Life Without Principle JBR 8pm Muhr Arab Feature winner MALL OF THE EMIRATES 11 11.30am At Night, They Dance 3.30pm The Light In Her Eyes MALL OF THE EMIRATES 12 11.45pm Into The Abyss MALL OF THE EMIRATES 4 Noon Combat Girl 3pm Undefeated MALL OF THE EMIRATES 5 11.30am Grey Matter 2pm Magic Valley MALL OF THE EMIRATES 6 11.30am Turtles Do Not Die Of Old Age 2.15pm Tahrir Liberation Square MALL OF THE EMIRATES 7 11.15am The 99 Unbound MALL OF THE EMIRATES 8 11.15am Come Rain, Come Shine 2.30pm Grimunho MOE GOLD CLASS Noon Story of Film (14) 1.45pm Story of Film (15) ZABEEL SARAY 4pm Award Ceremony

All screenings are subject to change. dubaifilmfest.com

It has been a hectic year of dining, drinking, dancing and deliberating, but the votes have been counted and we can now reveal the winners of the What’s On Awards 2011. From your favourite watering hole to the chef of the year, it was a wonderful night, full of fun, food, friendly competition and celebration

WHAT’S ON

CHEF OF THE YEAR

WHAT’S ON

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

WHAT’S ON

BEST NEWCOMER

Official sponsor Dubai First’s CEO Ibrahim Al Ansari, and Table 9’s Scott Price

Chef Franck Detrait

Franck Detrait, Traiteur

Park Hyatt Dubai’s Traiteur has long been a favourite restaurant of ours. Never off the What’s On Hot List, it is one of the city’s most popular and reliable French restaurants. The man behind a menu that is constantly evolving but never in danger of losing its classic Gallic roots is Franck Detrait. A very talented, and very lovely, man indeed, and our Chef Of The Year.

Motivate Publishing’s Ian Fairservice and the LPM team

La Petite Maison The past few months have seen the

opening of a rash of quality new dining establishments, but one restaurant has ruled this city. LPM provides one of the most pleasant atmospheres you could ever wish to dine in and some of the most consistent and delicious dishes in town. Ladies and gentlemen, the restaurant of the year, La Petite Maison.

Nick Alvis and Scott Price

Table 9

By Nick And Scott

Winner of our Chef Of The Year award in 2010, Scott Price and his talented partner, Nick Alvis, have dealt with mentor Gordon Ramsay’s departure from the Dubai dining scene in fine fighting style, opening up what is the city’s most exciting new restaurant. Our best newcomer, Table 9 By Nick And Scott.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 31

FAVOURITE THE AMERICAS

Asado

“As the What’s On Awards are the readers’ choice, it makes all the more special and to win three years in row, goes to prove that we are on the right track.

Thank you What’s On, and thank you Dubai”

It’s a broad ranging title, The Americas, encompassing two continents and a surfeit of vastly different cuisines. But it is Latin America that has really come to prominence on the city’s dining scene in the past few years, and it is no shock to us that Argentinean restaurant Asado walked away with this year’s award for best restaurant from The Americas.

AJAZ SHEIKH, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, ZUMA

“Thank you for inviting me to join you last night!

Fabulous, fabulous evening.

Quite frankly, the best awards ceremony I’ve been to in terms of entertainment, set up, crowd and of course winning wasn’t so bad either” Chef Norberto Palacios, Ian Fairservice and Alex Cale

KIRSTEN SPENCE, JUMEIRAH

Chef Norberto in action

FAVOURITE BAR

Barasti

Come the cooler months, Barasti is packed to the palm frond rafters with revellers keen to capture that holiday feeling, so it’s no surprise the public voted it their favourite bar. A classic choice for wowing visitors or just kicking back on a Saturday afternoon, Barasti retains the crown for being the most popular watering hole in town.

FAVOURITE BRUNCH

FAVOURITE EUROPEAN

The Grand Grill

A Dubai institution, the Friday brunch has become an expensive habit in the past few years, with prices tags pushing up to and beyond the Dhs500 mark. But The Grand Grill is the public’s favourite because of its casual atmosphere and staff infused with the party spirit – all for less than Dhs300.

Stewart Selbie, Stephane Buchholzer, Atul Kundra and Philip Hardie

Rivington Grill

European is the toughest category in the awards, with many of our personal favourites battling it out for votes. Any one of them would be more than deserving of the prize. But none more so than our favourite spot to enjoy a Saturday roast. We know it as the RG or The Riv. It is, of course, Rivington Grill.

The Grand Grill takes the gong

Scott Stokes and Dee Kyriakides

32 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

FAVOURITE FAR EASTERN

FAVOURITE CAFE

Jones The Grocer

Lemongrass

Following the popularity of Jones the Grocer in the capital, Dubai’s very own outpost was eagerly awaited. Plentiful salads, takeaway sandwiches, fresh pasta and delicious desserts abound, not to mention the tasting stations and deli. If the queues for breakfast at the weekend are anything to go by, Jones will be a favourite for a long time to come.

Anyone who loves Thai food has Lemongrass on speed dial and we’re no exception.

Authentic flavours, fantastic service, an unpretentious air and prices that won’t break the bank have earned this loveable restaurant and takeaway a place in Dubai’s heart. We’ll have a panaeng chicken curry (medium spicy), pad thai and some tom yam soup, please.

Mohamed Al Noori presents the Jones team with their award

FAVOURITE INDIAN & PAKISTANI

Indego By Vineet

Jaideep J Bhatia

With vast Indian and Pakistani communities here in Dubai the city is awash with quality restaurants, both independent and within hotels. When What’s On featured the Best Curry In Dubai, earlier this year, it was one of the toughest calls we’ve had to make, but the inventiveness of chef Vineet Bhatia’s team shows what Indian cuisine can become in the hands of a genius. Indego is our favourite in this category, and you, the public, wisely agree.

Lemongrass’ main man

FAVOURITE ITALIAN

BiCE

Over the past year we’ve eaten some superb Italian food in Dubai – clever, well sourced and created with pride to a dish – but Italian cuisine is about clean, honest flavours infused with love and shared with family and friends. And nowhere does it better than the Chef Cosimo ever-popular Danese BiCE.

The BiCE team with their award

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 33

Uwe Micheel with the Teatro team

FAVOURITE INTERNATIONAL

Teatro

Refai Bin Othman, Shabnum Rajput and Ajah Sheikh

Zuma chef Refai Bin Othman

With a cracking location overlooking Sheikh Zayed Road, a host of loyal diners and a menu so diverse you can cover the globe within three courses, Teatro continues to delight Dubai’s food fans.

While many restaurants bill themselves as international, it’s often a get-out clause for a clueless chef. Not so here, with Japan, Italy, India and more represented in style.

FAVOURITE MIDDLE EASTERN

FAVOURITE JAPANESE

Shabestan

Zuma

Unsurprisingly, there are some wonderful places to enjoy this region’s cuisine in Dubai, from the abundance of quality Lebanese restaurants to Turkish, Syrian and, in recent years, an increase in traditional Emirati venues. But it is the Radisson’s Persian favourite that retains a special place in people’s hearts. Once again, ladies and gents, we give you, Shabestan.

We have consistently named this restaurant ‘the best Japanese restaurant in Dubai’, and it’s no stranger to a What’s On Award or two, having taken home a glut in the past two years. There are several good enough to challenge it, but, as yet none quite good enough to beat it. The favourite Japanese is, of course, Zuma.

Ian Fairservice, HE Easa Al Gurg and Shabestan

FAVOURITE SEAFOOD

Aprons & Hammers

Chef Lawrence Fleet

Why no-one has opened a crab shack in Dubai before is a real head scratcher - we have some of the freshest seafood around and a horde of hungry diners waiting to wear an apron and crack some shells. This wonderful spot has quickly become a real favourite, with diners charmed by the floating venue, personable staff and buckets full of just-caught crabs, prawns, Go team A&H! mussels and more.

Derek Flynn, Dennis McGettigan, Michael Dooley and Bruno Guilloux

FAVOURITE PUB GRUB

McGettigan’s

Exploding onto the pub scene, JLT’s busiest bar isn’t just a reliable choice for a pint and the big game, as the voting public knows. Instead of pallid chips and sad club sandwiches, McGettigan’s kitchen produces platefuls of tasty dishes, from the impressive Irish fry-up to lighter lunch options. We’ve been known to go for a burger in the evening, and return for the brunch the next day.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 35

FAVOURITE STEAKHOUSE

Rhodes Twenty10

We often complain about the percentage of new openings in Dubai that are steakhouses. Restaurateurs seem to think it’s easy money. People like steak. All it takes is some good meat and a hot griddle.

But they couldn’t be more wrong. The second Dubai restaurant opened by our monthly columnist, Gary Rhodes, is an example of how to do it right. More than just a steakhouse, Rhodes Twenty10 is, nevertheless, the best steakhouse in Dubai.

Manjith Wannakuwatte

FAVOURITE SPORTING EVENT

Dubai Rugby Sevens

Gary Chapman

A marathon, a tennis championship, two golf tournaments and all manner of other sporting events from international cricket to the burgeoning local football league take part in this desert land every year. But there is one event that has such a history in this city, it will always be a highlight on the Dubai sporting and social calendar – the Dubai Rugby Sevens.

FAVOURITE CONCERT

FAVOURITE FESTIVAL

One of the world’s biggest dance acts took to the sands in April, wowing a crowd of thousands with a staggering sound system, light show and live performance. Music fans flocked to Nasimi Beach to hear the hits, leaving the city buzzing for days and quietly humming Insomnia for weeks, with the concert setting the standard for the rest of the year.

Think of parties on the beach and you think of Sandance. This hugely successful festival has had several incarnations in 2011, attracting Dubai’s party people with its inimitable atmosphere. October’s festival saw ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft play an unforgettable acoustic set as the sun went down, UK dance-rapper Example whipping the crowd into a frenzy and the Grammy Award-winning producer and DJ David Morales finishing with one of his legendary sets. With a huge crowd singing the praises of Sandance, it’s no wonder it scooped the gong.

Faithless

Greg Dufton, Heiko Schreiner, Dima Ayad, What’s On Senior Editor Mark Evans and Tim Derry

36 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

The gang from Rock Bottom

FAVOURITE NIGHTCLUB

Rock Bottom

When Rock Bottom opened its Tecom club, Dubai was split – some rejoiced that they wouldn’t have to trek down to Bur Dubai, whole others wondered how could it measure up to the original. Well, the critics have been answered, with voters giving the new club a resounding thumbs up. Packed every night of the week, the city’s party institution is well on its way to becoming a superbrand.

Sandance

Tim Derry with Dima Ayad

THE FOOD

Jebel Ali International Hotel put on a lavish spread for the guests, as it always does, with a huge cheese station, Asian specialities, fantastic cuts of meat, and some exceedingly delicious desserts.

Party people

Mohan G Valrani, Motivate’s Ian Fairservice, British Consul General HE Guy Warrington, Tim Clark, HE Easa Saleh Al Gurg and Mohamed Al Noori

Thomas Shambler and What’s On Senior Editor Mark Evans

THE BAND Sandra Murphy and Shamsir Rehman

Kirsten Ferguson and Adele Cowgill

“We are honoured to get this vote of confidence from the public for an eighth year. It gives us great satisfaction that the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens remains as popular as ever with the people of the UAE”

GARY CHAPMAN, PRESIDENT EMIRATES GROUP SERVICES & DNATA

Music was provided by popular singer-songwriter Tim Hassall who warmed up the crowd, then we were rocked

by The Maple Jacks.

“I am extremely pleased for my team and what they have achieved in making Rivington the success that it is. They have done me and themselves very proud”

DEE KYRIACOUDES, RIVINGTON GRILL

Ali Al Kourdi and Eyad Al Kourdi

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 39

Party people

EVENT SPONSORS With thanks to our sponsors for working with the team on such a fantastic event

H E Easa Saleh Al Gurg, former UAE Ambassador to the UK

ralph Sebastian and michelle Jackson

Nick Van Dooren and Sophie Lily-Kerr

Ibrahim Al Ansari, CEO of Dubai First and Ian Fairservice, Group Editor and managing Partner of motivate Publishing

Heidi birchall and roman Kardashov 40 WHAT’S ON DECEmbEr 2011

Louise Atack, What’s On Deputy Editor Helen Spearman and Derryn French

fictional singer played by comedian Graham David Fellows].

When did music first make an impact on you?

I was on a cross-country team, when I was nine, and there was a competition in South Wales we had to drive to from Exeter. I had a tape of Michael Jackson’s Bad and A-Ha’s Hunting High And Low. And that was the first time that I felt that emotional connection to music, where it really meant something to me. That was my falling-in-love moment.

What would you have done otherwise?

Well, my uncle had a holiday park in Devon. I could have gone there and done Bad cover versions on a keyboard.

That’s probably what I’d be without the rest of the band: John Shuttleworth [a

So commercial pop is part of your DNA, right?

For sure. And in return for that you sacrifice, to be quite honest, a lot of ‘cool’ fans. It’s a reason for a lot of people to not want to be associated with you. I totally accept that. It’s a bummer to be discredited, but I get it. Given a choice between the catchy thing and the non-catchy thing, I’ll always choose the catchy thing. I’m a commercial sell-out, is that what you’re trying to say? Well OK, I am.

What do you remember of the first songs you wrote?

I had a teacher at school called Stephen Tanner, and he brought a bunch of keyboards into our music room one day and said, “OK, now everyone write something.” And we’re like, “We don’t know how to write music, we’re ten!”. And he said, “You

just press this button to get the auto bass and drum beat, pick a sound, play anything and you’ll have something.”

About four months after that, someone was talking in the kitchen to my mum and they said something about somebody not having a home, and it was like my brain told me, “You should sing that.” I remember very clearly that I went straight to the piano and wrote a song, then I took it to Mr Tanner and said, “I’ve got a song.” And he was like, “Excuse me?”.

Have you always had this almost conversational style of singing?

No. I didn’t think I was allowed to sound like me for a long time. From

Touching down in the capital as part of the Volvo Ocean Race event, COLDPLAY – arguably one of the biggest bands in the world – will be seeing in the New Year with a full live show on the Corniche.

What’s On caught up with frontman Chris Martin

about the age of 12 to 14 I tried to sound like [A-Ha’s] Morten Harket.

And then Elton John, which was funny because my voice had still not broken.

Then – and he will be embarrassed to hear this – I tried to sound like Paul Weller for a couple of months around the release of Stanley Road. And then I went through a big Eddie Vedder phase, which really didn’t work. Then I heard Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley and I thought, “OK, that sounds doable.”

Then about midway through our first album I was happy to sound like me.

Coldplay were sort of discovered

by Fierce Panda’s Simon Williams, who gave you £400 to record a single, which turned out to be Brothers And Sisters.

That guy changed our lives. In the great tradition of successful British bands we were rejected by an awful lot of people.

We didn’t have Yellow at that stage. We had nothing resembling a haircut. You had to have imagination to see how we would make it.

Did you know how you wanted to sound?

That’s hard to remember. I always thought we would erode our way to greatness, rather than explode. I always felt that it would be a learning process – not like a Supergrass or a Lady GaGa, where it’s perfect straight out of the box.

I don’t even know that there was a clear understanding that a recording studio could capture more than what you were doing on stage. It wasn’t until the beginning of Parachutes that we started working that out.

Did progress feel fast or slow?

It’s always felt like both. There’s part of me that always thinks we’re only just catching up with whatever label we’ve been given – the ‘this’ band or the ‘that’

happy when he sang, “The music that they constantly play, it says nothing to me about my life.” I thought, “OK, even Morrissey thinks you should speak plainly about life and feelings, even the greatest lyricist around wants to say [from Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others], “Send me the pillow, the one that you dream on.” For all his mystery, all the best people have a straightto-the-heart moment. band – and another part wonders, “Why aren’t we Led Zeppelin yet?” It’s a constant duel, an eternal battle.

Which Coldplay song are you proudest of?

I have a definite answer for you. I don’t think it’s the best, but for me, it’s Fix You. Yellow started everything for you.

Because it’s so unlikely that that song would Yeah – and that song came to me have come out of that period. The rest of in about three minutes. But I was that album [X&Y] I like, but I don’t think thinking the other day… I still don’t it’s great. Whereas that song… it’s the best understand what the ‘yellow’ bit means. one because it almost single-handedly got It bothers me, but I like it. us through a really difficult two years. You could say it’s too soft or whatever, but… it Did it bother you at the time? does exactly what it says on the tin. Even What, when it was smashing up the when I’m singing it, by the time I get to the charts? ‘Course not! end, I’m thinking, “I like this.”

No, when you wrote it.

No, not even then. Perhaps that was a decision I’d already made, which was to always stick with what I thought sounded true and good and not to overthink the meaning. This is something that always comes back to bite us, but it accepts that language is sound as much as meaning.

Like, sometimes the word ‘biscuits’ will sound better than the word that actually makes sense. I suppose Yellow is ten leagues below in the same sport that Wonderwall is at the top of. What is a Wonderwall? No idea, but I understand it. At the same time I am so amazingly grateful for Yellow. And I knew it straight away. I knew it was the first song I’d written that was totally true to who I am and who we are. It wasn’t trying to be anyone else. It felt ‘original’.

You tend to write very direct ‘addresses’; rather than thirdperson scenarios…

Recently I’ve been trying to do both things. But this morning I was listening to Panic by The Smiths, and I felt really

Success means your motives are always in question?

Absolutely. Even Kings Of Leon, with their wonderful album Only By The Night, the reviews were like business reviews. Nothing about melody. But I get it. From the outside I can see how we appear careerist.

Mylo Xyloto: what does that mean?

Well, first of all it doesn’t mean anything… yet. But neither did Google. Neither did Coldplay. It’s ridiculous, at the moment. But I wanted a title that sounded nothing like anybody else’s album, or washing machine, or anything. It had to be otherworldly, new and fresh. Because this feels like starting again. Like we’re going to prove ourselves from scratch. Because the song I felt was, up to that point, our best song, so many people tried to say I didn’t write. So I thought, “Back to square one,” and “I’ll show you who writes the songs around here.”

Can you still write about your life, now you’re under the microscope?

That’s why we call our records things like Mylo Xyloto – it’s a layer of mystery to disguise the fact that it’s completely and utterly about the way I think, and my life. It’s just the shell of the Kinder Egg, just pass the parcel. At the centre, it’s completely and utterly from the heart about being a human, on Earth.

Dec 31, Volvo Ocean Race, Destination Villiage, Corniche Breakwater, Abu Dhabi, from Dhs325. Tel: (800) 35374. thinkflash.ae DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 43

Hakkasan Dubai Jumeirah Emirates Towers The Boulevard Reservations +971 (0)4-384-8484 www.hakkasan.com

Michelin starred Cantonese cuisine Design by Gilles et Boissier Now open

ALTERNATIVE NIGHTS OUT

East 17

Sade

Life is full of tough decisions. How much can I afford on my mortgage?

What shall I call my first-born? Should I eat last night’s pizza for breakfast? But, more importantly, with both East 17 and Sade playing on Dec 16, how do I decide which one to go and see? Here’s a little helping hand. Now, be honest…

To find out which one you’d prefer tick the boxes

WIN!

Tickets to see at McGettin East 17 winwithwhatsogan’s. Email n@ with the namemotivate.ae Christmas num of their ber one: a) Wannabe b) Stay anothe r day c) Help!

1990S COMMERCIAL POP

SMOOTH JAZZ AND SOUL

BAGGY JEANS AND BACKWARDS CAPS

EXPENSIVE EVENING DRESSES

ELABORATE STREET DANCE MOVES

SOULFUL FEMALE VOCALS

IN THE PAPERS

FAMOUSLY RECLUSIVE

INPROMPTU RAPPING

SAXOPHONE SOLOS

CHRISTMAS CLASSICS

SOUL CLASSICS

SMALL INTIMATE VENUES

LARGE ARENA CROWDS

COUNTING THE FILS

SPLASHING OUT FOR A GIG

DUBAI

ABU DHABI

TOTAL

TOTAL

East 17, McGettigan’s, Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes towers, dubai, dhs100. Tel: (04) 3560000. mcgettingansdubai.com

Sade, Yas Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, from dhs295. tel: (02) 5098000. thinkflash.ae

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 45

M D F

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Fully reunited for the first time in a decade, the original line-up of multi-million-selling 1980s pop legends Culture Club arrive in Dubai this month on their 30th anniversary tour. We called up the man behind hits such as Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me, charismatic and sometimes controversial frontman Boy George, and found him on genial form...

Why reform now?

It’s our 30th anniversary and if we didn’t celebrate, the next big one would be our 60th.

I think 30 years is a big milestone and we’re all grown up enough to enjoy this for what it is.

There’s no mission, like establishing ourselves as the biggest band in the world. We just want to celebrate what we are and what we’ve done.

Will there be a new Culture Club album?

Yeah. We’ve started to write and even to record a track. We’re working with our original producer, Steve Levine, and also looking at working with Mark Ronson in the New Year. We’re really excited about the new record. Nostalgia’s great, but only nostalgia is a little bit depressing. We’ll probably play two or three new songs at these shows and for the first time in Dubai, so that’s quite exciting.

Are you a fan of Dubai?

I like it. It’s always very comfortable, you get

IMAGE: GETTYIMAGES

GETTY

Culture Club

Are rumours you’re set to appear on UK television show Celebrity Big Brother for £1m true?

I read that the other day and was like ‘Really?’ No, there’s no truth in that whatsoever. I did speak to them a couple of years ago but they weren’t happy to pay me what I wanted. The only reason I’d do it is money. A huge amount of money!

Are you a different person now compared to the height of Culture Club’s fame?

Oh my god, yes. Absolutely. Even in the last six months. We’re all a work in progress but the last three or four years I’ve had to really look at my life and purpose. I’m a much happier person. I was actually going to say I’m a much better person and looked after really well. I’ve been there to DJ – I’ve done Trilogy a lot – and did a gig on the I probably am. I listen more, I shrug more, I don’t fly off the handle and, if I do, I’m able to see myself Here & Now tour last year. I’ve got family in doing it. That makes you more fun to be around.

Dubai as well.

You’re playing at Dubai Tennis Stadium. Are you a sports buff?

I’ve become a lot more interested. In my younger life, if there was a football game on I had to leave the house, but as I’ve got older I don’t mind it. A good tennis match is great to watch. I like Djokovic – he plays really good tennis – Nadal and Federer.

Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

Ha, everything! There was a point in my life where I would never have said that. Regrets are important because they’re reminders not to do something. You can’t change the past, but if you have something to remind yourself how out of control things can get, that’s a good thing.

All those players are down the road in Abu Dhabi for the Mubadala World Tennis Championships on the same day as your gig...

Maybe they’ll come to our show! Let’s hope we don’t clash. My DJ, Marc Vedo, is obsessed with tennis. I’ll have to tell him, he might want to go.

Do you still, as you were once famously quoted, ‘prefer a nice cup of tea’?

Well, I’m more of a coffee person. But other human beings are very complicated. Tea is more reliable. You don’t have to argue with it.

Dec 29, Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud, Dubai, doors 6pm, show starts 9pm, Dhs295.

Tel: (04) 4390900. doneevents.com DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 47

‫إﺿﺎﻓﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺰدوﺟﺔإﺿﺎﻓﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻫﻮاﺋﻴﺔﻣﺰدوﺟﺔ‬ ‫وﺳﺎدةﻫﻮاﺋﻴﺔ‬ ‫وﺳﺎدة‬ ‫ﻣﻜﺎﺑﺢ‬ ‫ﻣﻜﺎﺑﺢ‬ ‫ﻧﻈﺎم‬ ‫ﻧﻈﺎم‬

‫‪ABS‬‬ ‫ﻟ ﻧﻐﻼق‪ABS‬‬ ‫ﻟ ﻧﻐﻼق‬ ‫ﻣﺎﻧﻌﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺎﻧﻌﺔ‬

‫ﻟﻠﺨﻠﻔﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻟﻠﺨﻠﻔﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﺻﻮرة‬ ‫ﺻﻮرة‬ ‫ﺗﺤﻤﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﺗﺤﻤﻴﻞ‬

‫‪VSA‬‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻴﺎرة‪VSA‬‬ ‫ﺛﺒﺎتاﻟﺴﻴﺎرة‬ ‫ﺗﻌﺰﻳﺰﺛﺒﺎت‬ ‫ﻧﻈﺎمﺗﻌﺰﻳﺰ‬ ‫ﻧﻈﺎم‬

‫أوﺗﻮﻣﺎﺗﻴﻜﻲ‬ ‫أوﺗﻮﻣﺎﺗﻴﻜﻲ‬ ‫ﻧﺎﻗﻞ‬ ‫ﻧﺎﻗﻞ‬ ‫اﻟﺴﺮﻋﺎت‬ ‫اﻟﺴﺮﻋﺎت‬ ‫ﺧﻤﺎﺳﻲ‬ ‫ﺧﻤﺎﺳﻲ‬

‫‪i-VTEC‬‬ ‫‪i-VTEC‬‬ ‫ﻣﺤﺮك‬ ‫ﻣﺤﺮك‬ ‫ﻟﺘﺮﻟﺘﺮ‬ ‫‪1.81.8‬‬ ‫ﺳﻌﺔ‬ ‫ﺳﻌﺔ‬

‫ﻗﻴﺎﺳﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎتﻗﻴﺎﺳﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺎت‬

‫ﻧﻈﺎم‬ ‫ﻧﻈﺎم‬ ‫اﻟﻮﻗﻮد‬ ‫اﻟﻮﻗﻮد‬ ‫اﺳﺘﻬﻼك‬ ‫اﺳﺘﻬﻼك‬ ‫ﺗﺮﺷﻴﺪ‬ ‫ﺗﺮﺷﻴﺪ‬

‫اﻟﻬﺎﺗﻒ@‬ ‫اﻟﻬﺎﺗﻒ@‬ ‫ﺗﺸﻐﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﺗﺸﻐﻴﻞ‬ ‫أزرار‬ ‫أزرار‬

‫ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬ ‫ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬ ‫ﺷﺎﺷﺔ‬ ‫ﺷﺎﺷﺔ‬ ‫اﻻﺳﺘﺨﺪاﻣﺎت‬ ‫اﻻﺳﺘﺨﺪاﻣﺎت‬ ‫ﻣﺘﻌﺪدة‬ ‫ﻣﺘﻌﺪدة‬ ‫ذﻛﻴﺔ‬ ‫ذﻛﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻓﻘﻂ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻓﻘﻂ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻣﺤﺪدة‬ ‫ﻣﺤﺪدة‬ ‫ﻣﻮدﻳﻼت‬ ‫ﻣﻮدﻳﻼت‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺘﺎﺣﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺘﺎﺣﺔ‬

GOLF

DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS The climax of the European Tour, the Dubai World Championships sees the top 60 golfers competing for a whopping Dhs27.5million prize money. As the Jumeirah Golf Estates plays host, we cast our eyes over this year's main contenders and have a chat with the always entertaining, Miguel Ángel Jiménez

You’re a previous winner here in Dubai.

How does it feel coming back?

I have always enjoyed playing in Dubai ever since I first came here in 1990. It’s been incredible seeing how the city has grown. My win at the Emirates Golf Club in 2010 will always be very memorable for me – the crowd always gives me huge support.

With players like Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer dominating the top of the rankings, who’s going to be your biggest competitor?

They are all fantastic players – and they’re playing well to have earned the right to play at this tournament. So, I’ll have to play extra well to beat any of them – everyone is younger than me!

You do love a drink and your cigars, don’t you? Are you golf’s rock star?

Ha, I don’t think of myself in that way at all – I am just being myself. OK, perhaps I am a little different to most of the other guys out on tour but I think that the public can see that I like to have fun out on the course, win tournaments and also appreciate the things that you like off the course as well – like a nice glass of Spanish wine and a cigar.

Where did your nickname 'The Mechanic' come from?

I can’t really remember exactly when people started calling me that – I imagine it started because people knew that I worked in a garage before I became a golfer.

Any plans to retire the old golf bag?

Absolutely not. I still love competing and as long as I am able to keep up with the young guys and continue to win tournaments, then there is no reason for me to stop. Don’t write me off yet.

Dec 8 to 11, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, free online registration. dubaiworldchampionship.com

TEEING OFF

As European golf’s big boys fly back into town, Golf Digest's Robbie Greenfield gives us his picks for the tournament

LUKE DONALD (ENG)

Race to Dubai Rank: 1 World Ranking: 1 The World No.1 has been in sensational form for well over a year now. If, as expected, he goes on to capture the Race to Dubai trophy, he will become the first player in history to win both the US and European Tour money lists. It’s no wonder they call cool hands Luke the Walking ATM Machine…

MARTIN KAYMER (GER)

Race to Dubai Rank: 2 World Ranking: 4 At only 27, Kaymer has bagged a hat-load of tour wins, won a Major Championship (the 2010 US PGA) and rise, albeit briefly, to the coveted position of world No.1 in the world rankings. Since then, by his incredibly high standards, the he has had a quiet year, but last year’s Race To Dubai champion always plays well in the Middle East.

RORY MCILROY (N.IRE) Race to Dubai Rank: 3 World Ranking: 2 Rory McIlroy is the biggest thing to happen to golf since Tiger Woods. This kid is that good. In June, McIlroy shredded the record-books at the US Open, winning the first of what many believe will be many Majors, and confirming his status as the heir-apparent to the throne left vacant by Woods.

LEE WESTWOOD SERGIO (ENG) GARCIA (ESP) Race to Dubai Rank: 4 World Ranking: 3 The inaugural winner of this tournament in 2009 (with a frankly ludicrous winning score of 23 under par) Westwood is one of the most popular characters on tour – you won’t find a better player tee to green, or a funnier man to follow on twitter (@westwoodlee) in the field this week.

Race to Dubai Rank: 7 World Ranking: 17 A back-to-back winner just over a month ago, and still one of the most popular figures in golf. After a huge slump in form a few years back led him to declare that he had ‘fallen out of love with the game’, it’s great to see the Spaniard rediscover his passion – and his form, making him one of the favourites to win here this week.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 49

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

HAPPY

HOLIDAYS Are your chestnuts roasting on an open fire yet? Disco ball ready for midnight? Thought not. Luckily, we’ve been as busy as Santa’s elves finding you the finest Christmas dinners, trees, markets and more, plus a rundown of Dubai’s best shindigs to be seen at this New Year’s Eve. All you have to do is gather the gang, find some party hats and have some fun

50 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

GETTING IN THE SPIRIT

Humbugs beware - Dubai is pulling out all the stops to turn you from Scrooge into a woolly jumper wearing, turkey eating, carol singing, rosy-cheeked Christmas fan

YOUR OFFICE PARTY – ON THE BEACH

While the folks back home are skulking about a drafty conference room, half-heartedly nibbling on a vol-au-vent and making polite chitchat with Halitosis Harold from IT, you and your workmates can be partying on the beach.

Barasti is hosting two afternoon office parties on the sand where the gang can kick back with a barbecue, festive tunes and four drinks in the sunshine. And there are games. Oh yes. The dress code is red and white, so those Baywatch shorts and your work shirt will be dandy.

Dec 8 and 15, Barasti, Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai Marina, Dubai, noon to 4pm, Dhs250. Tel: (04) 3181398.lemeridienminaseyahi.com

A TEA PARTY WITH SANTA AND HIS ELVES

If an afternoon with the big man and his helpers doesn’t get you feeling festive, then we give up.

The Elves Tea Party includes a special buffet (with chocolate fountain), storytelling, face painting, a chance to have your photo taken with Santa and concludes with the lighting of the tree.

Reserve your spot or miss out.

Dec 17, The Palace, Old Town, Dubai, 3pm to 6pm, Dhs145. Tel: (04) 4287806. thepalacedubai.com

MAKE SWEET TREATS

Get the children out of your kitchen and into someone else’s this year; On Dec 10, Hey Sugar is hosting a cookie baking and decorating session in the morning (Dhs100 per person), and gingerbread house decorating in the afternoon (Dhs150 per person), where your aspiring bakers are provided with the ingredients, a chef ’s hat and a juice.

Dec 10, Park Island, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 10am to 5pm, Dhs130. Tel: (050) 4508733

CHRISTMAS TREE

BY THE SEA

One of our favourite hotels in Fujairah, the Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort, will be turning on the Christmas tree lights on December 16, with the hotel choir filling the air with cheer and a huge gingerbread house in the lobby for you to visit. Special cocktails, glühwein and eggnog are available throughout the festive season.

Dec 16, Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah, free. Tel: (02) 449994. miramar-alaqah-resort-fujairah.com

TREES AND TREATS

Kick off the season with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the lobby of the City Seasons hotel. A church choir will perform, and throughout the evening you’ll be served canapés, ginger cookies and petit fours while children receive gifts from Santa.

Dec 14, City Seasons Hotel, Deira, Dubai, free.

Tel: (04). 2942777. cityseasonsgroup.com

THREE COURSES OF CHRISTMAS CUISINE FOR UNDER DHS90

the end of December you can enjoy a SHOP AT A FESTIVE Until holiday-themed meal at The One, where the chefs have created dishes like pumpkin and MARKET The closest thing you’ll find to a European-style Christmas market, the Madinat Amphitheatre is hosting a family-friendly shopping and entertainment destination.

Dec 8 to 26, Souk Madinat, Al Sufouh, Dubai, free. jumeirah.com

gruyere soup and chocolate and almond Yule log, served alongside traditional favourites.

Two courses cost Dhs70, go all out with three courses for Dhs86, with everyone enjoying a glass of mulled festive punch and a coffee, too.

The One, Beach Road, Dubai. Tel: (04) 4252240. theone.com DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 51

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

THE CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON TEA

Tuck into all the tastiest holiday treats, including mince pies, marzipan stollen and gingerbread, plus scones, with afternoon tea.

How very civilised. Don’t ruin it with that flashing Santa hat, ok?

Dec 1 and 30, Risala, The Address Downtown, Old Town, Dubai, 3pm to 6pm, Dhs150. Tel: (04) 4368799. theaddress.com

CAROLS AND GINGERBREAD FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Spend the afternoon being serenading by carollers and enjoying complimentary tea and coffee while the children are kept out of mischief decorating icing and gingerbread. The entry fee covers snacks and soft drinks.

Dec 17, Esca, Qamardeen Hotel, Old Town, Dubai, 2.30pm to 4.30pm, Dhs85. Tel: (04) 4286888. southernsunme.com

BUBBLY AT THE RITZ

Champagne and finger sandwiches is the perfect end to a hard day’s Christmas shopping or a lovely pre-holiday get together, and where better to enjoy a spot of five-star tea than the Ritz-Carlton?

Dec 10 to 24, Lobby Lounge, The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, Dubai, noon to 4pm, Dhs180 to Dhs110.

Tel: (04) 3722323. ritzcarlton.com

TURN ON THE LIGHTS

As darkness falls on JBR, the Mövenpick’s Christmas tree will shed light on your celebrations, with sweets and drinks served as carol singers provide the soundtrack for the tree lighting. While you’re there, check out the Christmas market, which has transformed the lobby lounge into a wonderland, with Swiss and German specialities, traditional dishes and enough sugar to give Santa a toothache.

Dec 8, Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach, JBR, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 7pm, free. Tel: (04) 4498888. moevenpick.com

FESTIVE BOOTCAMP

Panic not, our culinary disinclined friend. If the thought of cooking Christmas dinner makes you want to hide in Santa’s grotto, then this is the class for you. The Palace’s executive chef, 52 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Jean Luc Morcellet, will teach you how to tackle everything from the turkey to the trimmings, before you settle down to lunch.

Dec 6, The Palace, Old Town, Dubai, 11am to 2pm, Dhs295. Tel: (04) 4287806. thepalacedubai.com

THE JAPANESE BRUNCH

Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Arabian Ranches, Dubai, Dhs35, Dhs15 for children, club members free. Tel: (04) 3618111 poloclubdubai.com

SANTA’S WORKSHOP

Put your little ones to work at Super Dooper’s Christmas workshops. The two-hour sessions are split by age group, with five to seven-year-olds Zuma may not be the most traditional of venues and eight to 14-year-olds making everything this Christmas, but it certainly is one of the from festive stockings to Christmas houses, with most stylish. The Friday brunch will feature parents welcome to join in. The cost includes Santa’s grotto, where each child can meet the all materials and Santa might just make an man in red and take home a gift. Meanwhile, appearance, if they’re good little girls and boys. adults can enjoy some of the finest fare this side Until Dec 14, Super Dooper, Damac Waves of the North Pole, all washed down with free Building, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 4pm to 6pm, flowing drinks.

Dhs150 . Tel: (04) 4548391. superdooper.ae Dec 23, Zuma, DIFC, Dubai, 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Dhs650, Dhs275 for under-12s. Tel: (04) 4255660. zumarestaurant.ae

ART AT THE POLO CLUB

Buy and sell arts and crafts at this year’s Festive Bazaar (Dhs100 per table if selling) from 12.30pm on Friday 16th, then return the next evening to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree with carol singing, complimentary mince pie and ginger cookies.

COOKING COURSES

Chef David at The Address Montgomerie is sharing his knowledge this month, with a series of courses covering all the classics. Each class concludes with an afternoon tea and pastries, with the chance to ask any culinary questions you may have.

Until Dec 21, The Address Montgomerie, Meadows, Dubai, noon to 3pm, Dhs500 for two.

Tel: (04) 3905600. theaddress.com

celebrate new year in style Bring in the New Year in style at Hyatt Regency Dubai & Galleria! Enjoy a sumptuous International buffet at Al Dawaar, Dubai’s only revolving restaurant; indulge in a special Kaiseki or Teppanyaki menu at Miyako, our Japanese restaurant; relish culinary delights cooked to perfection at Focaccia, our Italian restaurant or taste delicately flavoured specialities at Shahrzad, our Iranian restaurant.

Celebrate the night away with a spectacular live performance by popular singer Tanaz or entertainment by the Mariachi Duo and ‘Magic on the Menu’ with magician Frederic Sharp!

For more information, please call +971 4 317 2222

dubai.regency.hyatt.com HYATT name, design and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. ™2011 Hyatt Hotels Corporation. All rights reserved. *Terms & conditions apply

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

COOK YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS FEAST Some of the UAE’s finest chefs, full of Christmas cheer, share their favourite festive recipes

TOP FIVE Y TAKEAWA TURKEcreYatioSn as your own work

f’s Pass off a che the beach for a picnic on ird b r u yo ke go or ta stiest turkeys to ta e th f o k ic p with our

WHERE? InterContinental WHAT’S INCLUDED? There’s turkey, honeybaked ham and peppered roast beef on the menu at the InterCon, so you don’t have to fear another year of turkey curry. All options come ready to serve, complete with all the trimmings so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time opening presents. Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire is also offering a take-home option for sophisticated taste buds, with oysters and fois gras available to order. Dishes are priced individually.

PRICE? Dhs495 InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Festival City, Dubai. Tel: (04) 7011127. ichotelsgroup.com WHERE? Mövenpick WHAT’S INCLUDED? The ingredients in the Möevenpick’s Christmas cake have been soaking and marinating for three months, and it’s finally ready to be devoured. Topped with a layer of marzipan and royal icing, it costs Dhs176 per kilo. If you want a festive dinner before the sweet stuff, order yours 72 hours in advance, and you can pick up a top turkey, complete with stuffing.

PRICE? Dhs450 Mövenpick Bur Dubai, Oud Metha, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3366000. moevenpick-hotels.com

WHERE? Aquara WHAT’S INCLUDED? This turkey comes with garlic mash, Brussels’ sprouts, roasted root vegetables, veal jus, cranberry sauce, Christmas pudding and vanilla sauces, so you don’t even need to worry about the trimmings. There’s also the option of pork belly, with apple purée, ginger soy and braised red cabbage. They’ll even deliver. Easy-peasy.

PRICE? Dhs750 Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai Marina, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3627900. dubaimarinayachtclub.com WHERE? Pronto WHAT’S INCLUDED? A five-star feast and no denying, this Christmas dinner includes a whole roasted turkey with apple and chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce and jus. Pronto is also offering a take home menu throughout December, with smoked salmon, prawns, bread and cheese available. All orders must be placed 24 hours in advance.

PRICE? From Dhs595 to Dhs795 Fairmont, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3325555. fairmont.com WHERE? Al Bayt The Montgomerie does one of Dubai’s best roasts, so it’s a cracking choice for your Christmas turkey, served with all the accompaniments.

Christmas hampers (from Dhs250) are also available, packed with biscuits, mince pies, gingerbread men, fruitcake and more.

PRICE? Dhs599 The Montgomerie, Emirates Hills, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3905600. theaddress.com

ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY Paul De Visser, executive chef, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Ingredients 4g to 5g turkey, 250g salted butter (cubed), 150g diced carrots, 150g celery, two cloves garlic, 20g thyme, 20g rosemary, 150g diced onion, four grams salt, four grams pepper, one tbsp Worcester sauce, three tbsp chicken stock powder, 400ml water, two tbsp Cajun/blackening spice Method Turkey: Rub butter under the turkey skin.

Mix salt, pepper and Cajun spice and rub on the turkey. Place carrots, celery onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary in an oven dish and place the turkey, breast down, on top.

If you have the giblets, place them in the dish to add flavour to the gravy. Mix chicken stock powder, water and Worcester sauce and poor in dish. Cover with foil and place in a preheated 180˚C oven for 45 minutes.

Remove, turn, cover and put back in the oven. Drizzle with juices every ten to 15 minutes. After 90 to 105 minutes remove foil and cook for a further 30 minutes to brown the skin.

Gravy: Remove the turkey from the dish. Put all the remaining contents in a saucepan and blend them together. Reduce by half.

Strain through a sieve. Taste. Season.

CRANBERRY SAUCE John Cordeaux, executive chef, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi Ingredients 750g cranberries, 200g white sugar, 125ml orange juice, 125ml water, one cinnamon stick, two cloves, one zested orange Method Combine water, orange juice and sugar, and bring to the boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer, add cranberries, cinnamon and clove. Cook the mixture for ten to 12 minutes or until the cranberries begin to pop. Remove from heat, remove cinnamon stick, stir in the zest and let cool.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 55

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

TOP TREES

Nothing beats the smell of a real Christmas tree, but the UAE isn’t known for its pine forests so you have a choice - shell out for the genuine article (and risk the needles dropping weeks before the big day) or go off-piste with our favourite faux firs

CHRISTMAS EVEur last chance to get in the

This is yo Santa f mind before festive frame o ghty or nice ’ve been nau decides if you

CHRISTMAS IN NYC The mini tree

A great one if you have a small apartment, this little table top tree is musical, comes with suitably tiny decorations and is easy to assemble, which should get you in the mood. Available in red and green.

Harvest Home, Town Centre, Beach Road, Jumeirah, Dubai, Dhs145.

Tel: (04) 43420225. harvesthomegroup.com

The genuine fake

At a whopping 8ft tall, this beauty will dominate any room or hallway and will have friends and family sniffing the air, expecting to catch a whiff of a real tree.

You might want to buy a pine air freshener to keep them happy.

Home Centre, Mall Of The Emirates, Barsha, Dubai, Dhs525. Tel: (04) 3414441. homecentre.net

The walletfriendly tree

Tree, lights, baubles and change from Dhs100?

That’ll do nicely. If you’ve spent all your money on presents, get down to Ace where you’ll find this tree waiting to be taken home.

Ace Hardware, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, Dhs99.

Tel: (800) 275223. aceuae.com 56 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

West 14th is the nearest you can get to Manhattan without spending 14 hours on a plane watching Jennifer Aniston movies, and on the 24th you can tuck into a meaty four-course set menu.

West 14th, Oceana, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, Dhs395. Tel: (04) 4477601. west14th.ae

ITALIAN FLAIR

Join Chef Daniele and his team at Certo for an Italian set menu, complete with carols and a visit from Santa. Add wine pairing for a guaranteed warm feeling inside.

Certo, Radisson Blu Hotel, Media City, Dubai, 7pm, from Dhs175. Tel: (04) 3669111. radissonblu.com

CHEESY TUNES UNTIL 2AM

Wrapped all the presents? It’s time to party.

At West Beach Bistro you’ll find club classics from the 1980s and 1990s, a buffet and drinks until 2am, guaranteeing a quality liein on the 25th. If Slade isn’t played, we’ll eat our Santa hats.

Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Dhs120. Tel: (04) 4498888. moevenpick-hotels.com

INDIAN WINTER

Chutneys, one of our favourite Indian restaurants, is hosting a special festive set menu, packed with spices and signature sauces, with live entertainment from Ghazal players. Hot stuff.

Chutneys, Mövenpick Bur Dubai, Oud Metha, Dubai, Dhs285 including house beverages, Dhs195 including soft drinks. Tel: (04) 3366000. moevenpick-burdubai.com

DINNER AND A SWIM FOR DHS80

For Dhs80 you’ll be treated to a traditional Christmas dinner with dessert (there’s a corner for children if they prefer chicken nuggets to turkey breast), plus use of the pool, gym and Jacuzzi. Not sure why you’d want to work out after a full feast, but hey ho. Maybe you’ll want to work up an appetite first.

City Seasons Hotel, Deira, Dubai, Dhs80, Dhs40 for under-12s and free for under-sixes.

Tel: (04) 2942777. cityseasonsgroup.com

ONE FOR THE ROMANTICS

If you’re having a yuletide for two, then Pierchic is a great choice for getting the holidays off to a wonderful start. Set on a pier, it’s one of Dubai’s most magical restaurants and on Christmas Eve there’s a special three-course menu. Children under nine are not permitted.

Pierchic, Madinat Jumeirah, Al Sufouh, Dubai, Dhs590. Tel: (04) 3666730. jumeirah.com

ALL ABOARD

Perfect if you have guests in town, or you’re yet to step onto Bateaux Dubai. The city’s favourite floating restaurant is serving up a five-course dinner with unlimited drinks and live entertainment this Christmas Eve. Bateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek, Dubai, Dhs520. Tel: (04) 3994994. jebelali-international.com

SPOT SANTA FROM THE 52ND FLOOR

One of Dubai’s highest spots, The Observatory is offering a sparkling night before Christmas.

There’s a three-course meal (with a choice of four dishes per course) plus drinks packages from Dhs70 per person.

The Observatory, Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Dhs275.

Tel: (04) 3194000. marriott.com

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

Y A D S A M T S I ur fesCHR ’re wearing yo as arrived, you re ere a Santa h antlers), so wh e m so s lu (p tive finery uch need to eat so you’ll m to g in o g u yo take a nap?

A FEAST BY THE FOUNTAINS

Rivington Grill’s roast dinners are a treat year-round, so where better to tuck into your turkey? The modern British restaurant will be transformed with a Christmas tree, music, crackers and gifts, plus a mouth-watering menu packed with the classics. There are three sittings from noon to late, and you should book soon to get a spot outside by the fountains.

Rivington Grill, Souk al Bahar, Old Town, Dubai, Dhs500, Dhs250 for children.

Tel: (04) 4230903. rivingtongrill.ae

FRENCH FANCIES

If Traiteur’s Friday brunch is anything to go by, this will be the ultimate place to fill you face come Christmas Day. Boasting live cooking stations, a whole room full of desserts, freeflowing Veuve Clicquot and either views of the marina or a table in the stunning dining space, plus the consistently wonderful staff (there’s even a baby-sitting service), we know where we’ll be on the 25th.

Traiteur, Park Hyatt Dubai, Deira, Dubai, Dhs795, Dhs398 for under-12s.

Tel: (04) 3172222. dubai.park.hyatt.com

BRUNCH ON THE BEACH

Enjoy some beachfront dining with the family overlooking the Arabian Gulf, with panoramic views of the beach and Burj Al Arab. If the children get noisy there’s a playroom, too.

Beachcombers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, Dhs400, Dhs300 for under 20s, Dhs195 for under-12s. Tel: (04) 4068999. jumeirah.com

EVERYTHING UNDER ONE ROOF Chef ’s House is offering everything this year, from Oriental to traditional Christmas faves, plus a visit from Santa with a sack full of presents.

Chef’s House, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City, Dubai, Dhs249 including champagne, Dhs169 including soft drinks. Tel: (04) 3669111. radissonblu.com

EGGNOG AND ENGLISH ROAST

If you’ve been waiting all year for eggnog season to come around (or you’re yet to try the yuletide drink), you can put the cravings to rest. Mazina has turkey, mince pies and an eggnog station on offer this year.

Mazina, The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai, Dhs580 including selected house beverages, Dhs395 including soft drinks. Tel: (04) 8883444. theaddress.com

FAMILY-FRIENDLY AND SUPER SWEET

Life-sized gingerbread villas and cookies of assorted shapes and sizes await budding young culinarians at the Mini Chef Christmas Cooking Class. After dabbling in the many activities, the whole family can sit down to a merry spread.

AOC, Sofitel Jumeirah Beach, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 4484870. sofitel.com

SPOILT FOR CHOICE

If it’s variety you’re in search of, the Madinat’s buffet brunch combines food from five of its signature restaurants, with welcome drinks on arrival and free flowing house grape beverages, cocktails and lager throughout.

Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 12.30pm to 4pm, Dhs620. Tel: (04) 3666730. jumeirah.com

PARISIAN PARADISE

For those with a sweet tooth, there are crepes, mini soufflés and puddings in the offing and while this may not be traditional fare, the menu does promise some mouth-watering treats, including a prime rib carvery.

CanCan Brasserie, The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, Dubai, Dhs520 including wine, Dhs300 including soft drinks, Dhs90 for children. Tel: (04) 3722323. ritzcarlton.com DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 57

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

ROAST POTATOES Nick Alvis, Table 9 By Nick And Scott Ingredients Five large, peeled and cut potatoes (King Edward, Desiree, Maris Piper), five tbsp goose fat, Maldon sea salt, white peppercorns (in grinder), two tbsp smoked paprika Method Preheat the oven to 190˚C. Boil potatoes for five minutes, turn the heat down and simmer until they start to break at the edges. Drain off the water and return to pan to dry for a couple of minutes, while you warm your goose fat in a solid roasting tray until it’s hot enough to fry the potatoes.

Season the potatoes in the pan with the salt, paprika and ground white pepper. Add to tray and coat with goose fat. Place potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes until they begin to colour. Check and stir every five to ten minutes until golden and crispy.

FESTIVAL FUN

Take in views of the Dubai skyline and a hearty brunch while enjoying quality family time.

There’s face painting and a bouncy castle too.

Zaytoun, Crowne Plaza, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, Dhs295, Dhs195 including soft drinks. Tel: (04) 7011127. dubaifestivalcity.com

JAZZ-MA-TAZZ

Al Bahou is offering five international cuisines at its jazz brunch. Sample food from China, Italy, India and Morocco, and dine in the footsteps of the legendary explorer.

Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, Dubai, Dhs495 including Laurent Perrier, Dhs395 including house beverages, Dhs295 including soft drinks. Tel: (04) 4445613. moevenpick-dubai-ibnbattuta.com

GAME ON

Ewaan’s includes a little more than the usual this year, with game and caviar being the highlights of the day. Not to worry, roast turkey and stuffing are very much on the menu to keep traditionalists happy.

Ewaan, The Palace Old Town, Dubai, noon to 4pm Dhs550, Dhs390 including soft drinks.

Tel: (04) 4287806. theaddress.com

PARTY ON THE PALM

Be spoilt this Christmas with a lavish French buffet at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. We’re interested in the live band. Santa visits, too.

Imperium, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai, 1pm, Dhs490. Tel: (04) 4530000. jumeirah.com

TRY A NORDIC CHRISTMAS

Think dinner by candlelight, lustrous green firs and sparkling snow, alongside Swedish inspired cuisine, live cooking stations and lavish carveries.

The Talk Restaurant & Lounge, Mövenpick Hotel, Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, 6.30pm to 11.30pm Dhs250 for unlimited bubbly, Dhs165 for soft drinks. Tel: (04) 4498888. moevenpick-hotels.com

LEBANESE CHRISTMAS

SNOWFLAKE BRUNCH

For a truly meaty affair, pay a visit to HofBrauhaus for a Bavarian themed feast with a selection of German favourites on offer. There’ll be meat aplenty.

HofBrauhaus, JW Marriott, Dubai, noon to 4pm, Dhs370, Dhs250 including soft drinks.

Tel: (04) 6077977. marriott.com

TEA AND CAROLLING

Enjoy a complimentary beverage while you’re belting out Christmas tunes with the carol singers. Set in relaxing surroundings, unwinding with a cup of tea sounds a welcome treat after hectic festivity.

Palm Court, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, free.

Tel: (04) 4068999. jumeirah.com

The majlis style seating and Arabian ambience may sound like an unusual way to spend Christmas, but if it’s an experience you’re after, this is the place. The live entertainment and dancer make for a memorable day.

Al Khayal, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 7pm to 2am, Dhs390. Tel: (04) 4068999. jumeirah.com

BRUSSELS’ SPROUTS Scott Stokes, Rivington Grill

QUINTESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS

Method Remove the outer leave from the sprouts, make a small cross on the bottom with a knife about 5mm deep. Season a pan of boiling water with salt and half the butter. Toss the sprouts in the water. While the sprouts are cooking, sauté the veal bacon until fat has melted. Cut the chestnuts into quarters, place in the same pan as the lardons, add quarter of the remaining butter and sauté until a nice caramel colour and flavour. Check the sprouts are cooked by inserting a knife into one (if there’s little to no resistance, it’s done). Strain the sprouts, toss in the pan with the chestnuts and bacon. Add the rest of the butter and a small pinch of chopped parsley. Sauté.

If it’s a no-nonsense Noel you want, with jazzy festive classics and tasty carveries, ‘the quintessential Christmas brunch’ at Mövenpick should be top of the list. Family friendly, Christmas in spirit and reasonably priced.

If it’s New Year’s Eve you’re saving your fils for, The Talk Restaurant & Lounge, Mövenpick, McGettigan’s does a fine job of roast turkey and Jumeirah Beach, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 12,30pm ham dinners with Christmas pudding and mince to 4pm, Dhs299, Dhs199 including soft drinks. pies. The live music is sure to get you in the mood. Tel: (04) 4498888. moevenpick-hotels.com McGettigan’s, Bonnington Hotel, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, from Dhs99. Tel: (04) 3560560. mcgettigansdubai.com If you’re looking for somewhere to capture the romance, Burj Al Arab might be the place to do

DINE FOR UNDER DHS100

DINNER FOR TWO

58 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

it. With its exclusive alfresco dining experience on a private beach, we like the dreaminess of it all. One to make your freezing friends back home very jealous indeed.

Majlis Al Bahar, Burj Al Arab, Dubai, 12.30pm to 3.30pm and 7pm to midnight, Dhs395.

Tel: (04) 3017600. jumeirah.com

Ingredients 500g Brussels sprouts, 100g roasted chestnuts, 200g veal bacon cut into 1cm batons (lardons), 100g butter, 10g flat leaf parsley, salt and pepper to taste

WELCOME IN

2012 UNDER THE STARS AT SK YGARD E N Enjoy the Burj Khalifa fireworks seen directly from Sky Garden and experience a party like never before!

BOOK NOW TO GUARANTEE YOUR PLACE AT

T DUBAI’S BIGGES PARTY NEW YEAR’S EVE

349 / - AED 150 / - AED only 2 DRINKS AND BBQ PLATE AND INTERNATIONAL BAND

9 PM - 12 AM INCLUDES FREE FLOWING SELECTED BEVERAGES AND BBQ PLATE

LIVE BANDS & DJ PLAYING ALL NIGHT LONG IN THE GARDEN! Enjoy in style... Restaurant Gala Dinner Options

Welcome the new year in true gangster style!

Dress up as your favourite Mafia boss or mole!

Gala Dinner Package at 499/- AED per person includes free flowing beverages from 9pm- 12am, live band and entrance to Sky Garden after party!

A night for all Maharajas and Maharanees!

Dress in your best attire and impress all around you!

Gala Dinner package at 399/- AED per person includes free flowing beverages from 9pm- 12am and entrance to Sky Garden after party!

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT IN AL SAFFA AND DON CORLEONE INCLUDING SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FROM

BELLYDANCER

...at the legendary METROPOLITAN HOTEL, DUBAI For reservations & enquiries, please call 04 343 0000 or email fnb.metdubai@habtoorhotels.com www.habtoorhotels.com

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

NEW EidVnigE ’bS Aill R YhE ht? We’ve at m e u yo w re e spots W hottest ity to find the scoured the c 11. Ten, few hours of 20 st la e th d n e to sp nine, eight…

1. SPECTRUM ON ONE

Unlimited Moet? Yes please. Humungous buffet? Here’s our plate. Spectrum on One is dishing up an exclusive evening of bubbles and glamour, from 8.30pm to 3am. Dress up.

Fairmont, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Dhs895. Tel: (04) 3325555. fairmont.com

2. RAFFLES

Make a night of it at Raffles, with a stay, dinner at Noble House or Fire & Ice, a spa treatment and breakfast at Azur. Start the year as you mean to go on – splashing the cash in style.

Raffles, Oud Metha, Dubai, Dhs5,000 for two. Tel: (04) 3248888. raffles.com

3. MCGETTIGAN’S

Join the gang at this Irish favourite where you’ll find live music in the garden courtesy of Mike Ross and his band, with DJ John Hayes inside. Included in your ticket price is a buffet, unlimited drinks and a glass of bubbly at midnight.

Bonnington Hotel, Jumeriah Lake Towers, Dubai, Dhs649. Tel: (04) 3560560. mcgettigansdubai. com

party with resident DJ Jason Kabuki and live music from Diamond Voices, Shangri-La, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Dhs2,012 for two. Tel: (04) 3438888. shangri-la.com

5. ASADO

A lively night is on the cards at Asado, with Argentinean grills, bubbly and a party in nearby Ewaan until 2am, all super close to the fireworks at Burj Khalifa.

The Palace, Old Town, Dubai, Dhs900, Dhs750 including soft drinks. Tel: (04) 4287806. thepalace-dubai.com

6. ZUMA

A suitably fabulous choice to see in the new year, Zuma’s masquerade ball kicks off with a cocktail reception, before an a la carte dinner with deluxe dessert bento platters followed by dancing to resident DJ Adrian Callier and the customary countdown.

Zuma, DIFC, Dubai, Dhs1,550. Tel: (04) 4255660. zumarestaurant.com

7. VODA BAR

You, three pals, a private booth, Japanese nibbles and a bottle of bubbly, plus access to the Plaj afterparty on the beach. If you live on the Palm, this is the party to go to. And if taxis are a problem, just Go back in time to the 1970s (costume optional) swim home (please don’t do that – we’re joking). with a disco fever party, dinner in Amwaj, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, The Palm Jumeirah, Shang Palace, Hoi An or Marrakech, enjoy Dubai, Dhs3,900 for four people. Tel: (04) unlimited drinks and signature cocktails then 4530000. jumeirah.com

4. SHANGRI-LA

8. REFLETS PAR PIERRE GAGNAIRE One of our favourite Frenchmen has created a special menu for a special night, which you can savour before heading down to the hotel’s countdown party on the Leisure Deck.

InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Festival City, Dubai, Dhs2,012. Tel: (04) 7011199. ichotelsgroup.com

9. BLENDS

The Marina’s party people will be gathering at this Friday night favourite, where you’ll pay an entry fee, which includes a complimentary drink, then just pay for whatever you order from the bar (perfect if you can’t afford a big spending night after Christmas).

The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Dhs100. Tel: (04) 4367777. theaddress.com

10. 360°

A truly spectacular venue for fizz and fireworks with friends, 360° is one of Dubai’s most iconic bars. House tunes, an up for it crowd and the chance to dress to impress make for a NYE to remember.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Al Sufouh, Dubai, Dhs500.

Tel: (04) 4068999. jumeirah.com

CHECK OUT OUR CLUB DIARY FOR FULL NEW YEAR’S EVE CLUB LISTINGS, P144 60 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Celebrate the festive season with us!

Christmas Eve Dinner Set Menu at Le Rendezvous From 19.30 hrs. up to 23.30 hrs. AED 125 net per person*, AED 240 net per couple* & 50% off for kids between 6 − 12 years.

Christmas Day Lavish Lunch Buffet at Topkapi International Buffet with carving station from 12.30 hrs. up to 16.00 hrs. AED 125 net per person* & 50% off for kids between 6 − 12 years.

New Year’s Eve Buffet Extravaganza Extravagant Global Buffet with live stations from 20.00 hrs. up to 00.30 hrs. AED 199 net per person* & 50% off for kids between 6 − 12 years.

Celebrate the countdown with a balloon drop in the Lobby at 00.00 hrs. *inclusive selection of soft beverages

Kids can also have fun with a lot of games and attraction at Kids Action Zone, while you can enjoy the New Year Eve Live Performance.

For Reservation, please call Taj Palace Hotel Dubai at 04 2232222 ext 3020 Email: tphgm.dxb@tajhotels.com P.O.Box 42211, Dubai – United Arab Emirates, Tel +971 4 2232222, Fax +971 4 2278222, www.tajhotels.com

FILM

NEW RELEASES Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes: The Thing A Game Of Shadows

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

WHO?

Robert Downey, Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, Guy Ritchie (director)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr (director)

Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Vladimir Mashkov, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Brad Bird (director)

TAGLINE

None

‘It’s not human. Yet.’

‘No plan. No backup. No choice.’

ONCE UPON A TIME...

Holmes teamed up with his older brother, Mycroft, his faithful sidekick, Watson, and a cunning Romani woman to take down their ultimate adversary, the slippery professor Moriarty.

High-flying palaeontologist Kate Lloyd (Winstead) joined a crack team of international scientists to unearth a buried alien craft in Arctic Norway. In retrospect, they should probably have left it alone…

A terrorist attack on the Kremlin was blamed squarely on Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his Impossible Mission Force crew, forcing them to go underground in an attempt to clear their name.

IDEAL IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD TO...

Revisit the late-Victorian era London that Ritchie so slickly augmented with macho posturing and explosive set pieces on his 2009 visit to 221B Baker Street.

Fill in the back-story of John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic, The Thing – this is a prequel, which ends at precisely the moment its far superior older brother begins.

Soak up some tense if clichériddled political intrigue, while the 49-year-old Cruise flings himself gamely around a giant green-screen with the energy of an actor half his age.

WATCH THIS IF YOU LIKE...

Ritchie’s early films (Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch) provide a decent indicator of overall tone – wisecracks aplenty and fisticuffs to spare. Arthur Conan Doyle this is not.

Well, The Thing, obviously – although only if you particularly disliked that film’s slight ambiguity around the shapeshifter’s leap from deep-frozen alien to doggy doppelganger.

Any of the previous three Mission: Impossible titles, or anything in which Tom Cruise gets thrown around like a rag doll while retaining a technically flawless hairdo.

TOP TRIVIA

The credits of Ritchie’s first Holmes film were deliberately vague about who had voiced the unseen Moriarty – some claimed Brad Pitt, who was considered along with Javier Bardem and Gary Oldman.

This confusingly named prequel was clearly made by serious fans of the original – numerous incidental props visible in Carpenter’s movie are left lying around by the characters in this one.

Brad Bird isn’t a name you’d necessarily associate with this whizz-bang stuff – the ex-Simpsons staffer previously directed Ratatouille, The Incredibles and The Iron Giant.

WHAT’S ON TEN WORD OR LESS REVIEW

Another barnstorming update, if even less authentic to the source.

This heartfelt homage can’t entirely mimic the original’s monster chills.

Impressively frenzied set pieces mean this won’t feel a mission.

RATE OR SLATE?

PREVIEW

★★★✩✩

PREVIEW

62 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Happy Feet Two

The Thing

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl

Trespass

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl

Trespass

11-11-11

Happy Feet Two (3D)

Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh, Parineeti Chopra, Dipannita Sharma, Maneesh Sharma (director)

Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Liana Liberato, Ben Mendelsohn, Cam Gigandet, Joel Schumacher (director)

Timothy Gibbs, Michael Landes, Wendy Glenn, Denis Rafter, J. Larose, Darren Lynn Bousman (writer-director)

Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Pink, EG Daily, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, George Miller (director)

‘Ladies beware!’

‘When terror is at your door, you can run, or you can fight.’

‘Mark the date. You can’t stop what’s coming.’

‘Every step counts.’

A confidence trickster wowed 28 moneyed women into falling for him. He’d decided to go straight, but was about to cross paths with his scheming female equivalent...

A workaholic diamond dealer and his dysfunctional family were held to ransom by a group of hotheaded home invaders, forcing them to confront the realities of their crumbling relationships.

Reeling from a tragic domestic fire, thriller writer Joseph Crone (Gibbs) visited his pastor brother and ill father in Spain, gradually realising his secular existence was plagued by events linked to the number 11.

Mumble the penguin was failing in imbuing son Erik with his own love of dance – Erik was more interested in The Mighty Sven, mistaking the puffin for an inspirational penguin who had somehow mastered flight.

Settle back with a revenge-based romcom that promises multiple twists and some seriously smooth talking from an implausibly good-looking ensemble cast.

Be subjected to an emotionally disengaged and tiresomely familiarsounding loop of aggression, backbiting and shallow selfreflection from a cast and director who should know better by now.

Chew over some fairly lightweight cult superstition while awaiting a climactic event (which the old date-as-title horror trope tends to imply) that never really arrives.

Revisit some of the loveable characters from the first Happy Feet, now grown up and dealing with a slightly darker – but still ultimately fun – vision of life on that frosty Antarctic ice shelf.

Last year’s hit wedding-planner comedy, Band Baaja Baaraat. The sleeper hit was also directed by Maneesh Sharma, and starred many of the same lead actors.

David Fincher’s thematically similar 2002 outing, Panic Room, which also saw a wealthy family imprisoned at home, but explored the potential fallout with far more originality and flair

Saw II, III or IV; Bousman’s solid directorial input on the hit shocker franchise – mood-wise, though, this aims more at the slower-paced chills of Don’t Look Now or The Omen.

Mumble and co’s previous outing, first and foremost. Expect a faint whiff of maturity at times, though – it’s not exactly Watership Down, but prepare for more than one instance of mild peril.

Cast and crew isn’t all this anticipated romp has in common with BBB – the two flicks also share stellar music director SalimSulaiman and the same opening weekend (albeit a year apart).

The film was removed from US cinemas after recouping just $24m of its $35m budget in ten days, and was released on the domestic DVD market in an embarrassingly short three weeks.

If Gibbs seems to know his way around Barcelona as Joseph Crone, it’s hardly surprising – offscreen, he co-owns The Gardenia Company, a marketing business with head offices in the city.

Before her untimely death from pneumonia in 2009, Brittany Murphy had been set to reprise her role as Mumble’s squeeze, Gloria.

That honour now goes to Alecia Moore, aka feisty singer Pink.

Unlikely to rewrite any books, but another spirited crowd-pleaser.

A decent opening, but things soon become plodding and predictable.

Cagey occult-by-numbers stuff that feels short on scares.

Still fleet-footed, despite a slight chill in the air.

PREVIEW

★★✩✩✩

★★★✩✩

PREVIEW DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 63

Come Celebrate!

As the festive holiday season approaches, excitement is in the air.

Whether you prefer dinner, lunch, brunch or some help with your own holiday preparations with a takeaway turkey or roast beef, it’s all available for you to enjoy at Ramada Jumeirah.

Wishing you and your family a very happy holidays and a wonderful new year!

Friday 23rd December

12:30 ~ 16:00

Brunch AED 119 Brunch AED 175 Inc. Selected Beverages

Sunday 25th December

12:30 ~ 16:00

Christmas Brunch AED 165 Christmas Brunch AED 295 Inc. Selected Beverages

Saturday 31st December 20:00 ~ 02:00 New Year’s Eve Seafood Buffet AED 475 Inc. Selected Beverages

Sunday 1st January 13:00 ~ 17:00 New Year’s Day Brunch AED 175 Inc. Selected Beverages Contact dining@ramadajumeirah.ae

Add some spice to the holiday fun this year with several exotic lunch and dinner choices.

Sunday 25th December

12:30 ~ 16:00

Christmas Lunch 5 Course Set Menu AED 399 Inc. Selected Beverages

Saturday 31st December

20:00 ~ 02:00

New Year’s Eve Dinner 6 Course Set Menu AED 599 Inc. Selected Beverages Contact dining@ramadajumeirah.ae

Saturday 10th December ~ Sunday 1st January 2012 Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a great party at Magnum.

Enjoy an international DJ, dancing, drinks and delicious food.

Saturday 31st December

22:00 ~ 03:00

New Year’s Eve AED 650 Inc. Open bar + canapés all night.

For your Festive Season Takeaway Turkey, Roast Beef, Christmas Cakes & Pastries - Atrium Café & Patisserie is a One Stop Shop.

Takeaway Options ~ Turkey & Roast Beef AED 95 per kilo including Festive trimmings.

All orders to be placed before Tuesday 20th December for pick up on 24th - 30th December, 2011.

Turducken....for up to 30 people!

Want to know more?

Contact dining@ramadajumeirah.ae

Festive cakes, cookies, gingerbread and pastries available from the Patisserie starting from AED 25 - AED 200

Contact dining@ramadajumeirah.ae

Ramada Jumeirah Hotel For further information, please call +971 4 702 7000 ext: 7024 or email: dining@ramadajumeirah.ae

WHAT’S ON

EATING OUT reviews, recipes, columnists and the latest food news

p67 GauCho · p69 hakkasan · p74 TablE 9 by niCk anD sCoTT · p82 piCk of ThE piCniCs DECEmbEr 2011 WHAT’S ON 65

A SPECIAL OCCASION CALLS FOR A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE Join us in celebrating one year of ESPA AT YAS VICEROY In honour of our Spa’s first anniversary we have created a special Spa package just for you. Take a soothing journey to an oasis of chic serenity with a visit to our award-winning Day Spa, ESPA AT YAS VICEROY. Enjoy three relaxing treatments followed by a sensation of absolute tranquillity courtesy of ESPA’s private Spa Suites, steam rooms, relaxation suites, rooftop pool and spa refreshments.

The special offer Day Spa includes: • ESPA CALMING FULL BACK MASSAGE Eliminate muscle tension with aromatherapy oils and hot stones for a deep sense of relaxation.

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• DE-STRESSING ESPA ORIENTAL SCALP MASSAGE Melt away deep seated tension with a wonderful and relaxing Oriental head massage.

A visit to the sanctuary of the Day Spa is just AED 650* per person Treatment duration: 2 hours To book your Celebration Day Spa special or to find out more about our Day Spa packages, treatments and membership options please call +971 2 656 0862 or email Espa.spa@viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

This promotion is available Sunday – Thursday, until 31st December 2011.

Advance reservations are recommended, offer is subject to availability. * Price does not include 6% tourism fee and 10% service charge.

EATING OUT

FOOD EDITOR'S LETTER You’re probably still reeling from the What’s On Awards, devoted foodies that you are. I know we are here at What’s On Towers. This year the awards celebrated their decade anniversary, and my third time at the ceremony was the biggest and best yet (thankfully, the rain held off). But, much more importantly, they proved that Dubai is now truly a dining destination of global significance. Not only do we have international super brands like Favourite Japanese Zuma or our Restaurant Of The Year La Petite Maison, but inspiring new concepts that represent the future of UAE dining like Table 9 By Nick And Scott – a more than adequate replacement for Gordon Ramsay’s recently deceased Verre. One star leaves, two in the making take his place. That is exciting stuff. I cast my vote as a Middle East panellist for the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants shortly after the awards, and it was a tricky choice indeed. If the What’s On Awards didn’t confirm that the UAE is on a roll, maybe this month’s Eating Out will. We have our verdict on Table 9 By Nick and Scott, which prompted us to name it Best Newcomer (p74), plus the arrival of Hakkasan (p69), Gaucho (p67), Korean restaurant Sonamu (p73), Abu Dhabi Moroccan Agidir (p76), new Yemeni restaurant Turath Al Mandi (p84), The Park Bar & Grill (p81) and the relocated Terra Firma (p85). And that’s just the reviews, we also teach you to cook a classic curry (P70) and tell your Bordeaux from your Burgundy (p71), as well as bringing you the latest recipe from columnist Gary Rhodes (p79) and our guide to picnics (p82). Plus food news (p86) and another handy Twitter recipe (p70). I don’t know about you, but I think we deserve an award for managing all that. No? Ungrateful beggars. See you next month.

Gareth Rees Features & Food Editor

the restaurant. Gaucho is certainly ready to play rough in the DIFC sandpit with the big boys of Zuma, LPM and Hakkasan (p67).

We started with brown shrimp arepa (a small pancake-like bread made of corn), a dainty dish of slightly scrawny shrimps in a spicy mayonnaise served with a muddle of diced palm heart and red pepper on arepa and a palate pleasing meaty chorizo sausage with a mix of red pepper, balsamic The London favourite has been a long time and olive oil. coming, but does the Argentine steakhouse Then it was down to offer something more than a big reputation? business, and Gaucho’s business is steak. Out hen we were first sent images came the wooden board displaying raw hunks of Gaucho’s distinctive cowhide of cow, everything from sirloin to rump, rib eye interior we were terrified. Not to fillet. The 400g rib eye, the clear choice for any because we’re tree hugging real steak lover, was thick cut, medium rare and vegans shocked by the unfeeling use of animal as buttery with melted fat as they come. And a skin as decoration (apologies to anyone who good Béarnaise sauce added that extra touch is of this persuasion, but it’s just not for us), of indulgence. A more interesting cut was the but because the design motif seemed such an 300g picana, the top sirloin steak which, served offence to good taste that we didn’t think even in several thin slices, was less fatty but more the juiciest and most lovingly rendered intensely meaty. Crunchy chips and humitas – a cuts of beef could make amends. sweet, puréed corn parcel – set off the flavours How will a restaurant that is and textures of the meat nicely. quite literally in the shadow of Prepare to leave full, because a the mighty Zuma, with such dish of Gaucho’s chocolate and NEED TO KNOW a strong desire to offend the hazelnut truffles – enormous Location: Podium Level, eyes of Dubai diners, possibly balls of soft nutty chocolate – or, Gate Village 5, DIFC, Dubai survive, we asked ourselves? If perhaps, the classic chocolate Tel: (04) 4227898 it weren’t for the reputation of fondant or the intense caramelWeb: gauchorestaurants. its London outpost we would heavy dulce de leche fondant, co.uk have come close to writing it off are well worth the calories.

Open: Mon to Sun before we walked through the But Gaucho’s biggest 11.30am to 11.30pm door. But, we’ll put our hands asset is its wine list, or, more Cuisine type: steakhouse up, it’s a fair cop, governor, specifically, the lady who Must eat: 400g rib eye Gaucho impressed us – and the passionately promotes it to her Bill for two: Dhs625 décor is nowhere near as bad as clientele. Sommelier Marina without alcohol the early snaps suggested.

Diaz makes dining at Gaucho While the cowhide is there, truly delightful. The list boasts a it’s not as overwhelming we first rare port-style malbec, plenty of IN TWEET FORM thought, covering the chairs, more traditional malbecs and a Order the rib eye and chat and the odd stretch of wall.

Selection G 2008 Tempranillo to sommelier Marina Diaz But the predominantly black (from a range made exclusively at Gaucho, where you can interior, illuminated by yellow for Gaucho), the smokiness of dine for less than Dhs650 lights, can take it – just about – which complemented the rib for two. Not bad. and it’s actually an appropriate eye perfectly.

Follow us at and almost appealing design The lesson we learned @WhatsOnDubai and for a steakhouse boasting a at Gaucho? Never judge a @WhatsOnAbuDhabi top floor bar-lounge above restaurant by its cowhide.

Gaucho

W

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 67

When you want a soul soothing, heart warming, tummy filling, thirst quenching, good time.

Boardwalk.

Join us at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

For reservations, please call 04 295 6000 or email creekdining@dubaigolf.com

EATING OUT wee small hours. And, naturally, the menu fits this model. As with similar restaurant-barlounge concepts like Zuma and Grosvenor Location: Emirates Towers, House’s Toro Toro, the sharing of lots of small Dubai plates is the name of the game.

Tel: (04) 3848484 The Chilean sea bass soup, despite the ample Web: hakkasan.com pieces of silky sesame flavoured fish, was let Open: noon to 3pm and down by a weakly flavoured fawn broth that 6pm to 2am could have done Cuisine type: Chinese/ with a kick of Cantonese spice, and did Must eat: fried dim sum in fact benefit Bill for two: Dhs710 greatly from a without alcohol sprinkling of salt.

Whereas the hot and sour chicken IN TWEET FORM soup packed Hakkasan is here. The plenty of punch. fight is on at the mighty Dim sum has DIFC/Emirates Towers. become such a And it’s already enticing staple dish in the city’s glitterati. Watch the city-dwelling out Zuma. professional’s Follow us at diet that it’s @WhatsOnDubai and given rise to the @WhatsOnAbuDhabi dim sum bore, who, rather like the sushi bore, drones on about ‘little parcels of pleasure'. We’re often indifferent, but the hakka fried dim sum platter was perhaps the standout dish. A thin crunchy coating was a delight compared to the often insipid and stodgy casings of many Dubai dim sum purveyors, and fillings of duck and pumpkin, satay ostrich, and beef and mushroom were rich in flavour and untainted by the liquid often found floating around inside the steamed parcels.

Our waiter wasn’t at all happy that we ordered the stir fried ostrich, warning us that the red rice wine sauce lacked flavour, but we went with our instincts and were rewarded by smooth slices of tooth-friendly protein in a vaguely glutinous sauce with just enough tang. The Aussie lobster with “house speciality” XO sauce, It’s a big name in a big location, but can Hakkasan on the other hand, was a disappointment. The texture of the lobster was as pleasant as you’d contend with the local competition? expect, but the sauce was bland and lacking the o jump in the ring with global brands Grill, is enjoying at Souk Al Bahar, but sadly it expected spice. A dish of stir-fried veg and tofu like Zuma, La Petite Maison and isn’t. Hakkasan has deftly ducked that danger in Szechuan sauce was, in fact, a far superior, Gaucho – another newcomer (p67) – by installing a private entrance outside of the and cheaper, dish. takes a Muhammad Ali-like conviction shopping strip and offering valet parking. The One doesn’t expect the dessert at a Chinese that you are capable of going 12 rounds with fact that the entrance in question leads to an restaurant to be one of the highlights, but some of the most hyped restaurants in the outdoor terrace offering seating for 88 and a DJ Hakkasan serves up a fine Pavlova. Though world. But Hakkasan is just as big a name as until 2am is another major plus point, giving the base was more of a crunchy meringue than the venerated competition, and it has chosen Hakkasan something of an edge over both Zuma the crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside the best location in Dubai to open a restaurant and LPM in terms of its alfresco offering. consistency that is the mark of a true Pavlova, right now. The culinary powerhouse that is Inside is vast, seating 152, with two private the spiced plums and brandy ice cream were a Emirates Towers/DIFC. dining rooms, a long cocktail bar, semi-open magnificent touch.

The danger with the location, though – apart kitchen and separate bar-lounge for casual Hakkasan was never likely to fear the from the competition – is that people are not too diners. Dark wood trellises – referred to as “the competition, and it’s certainly not pulling keen to dine at a big name restaurant in a mall, cage”, apparently – divide the space into a cosy any punches when it comes to its impressive or anywhere that feels like a mall. Something maze, which, along with the sultry lighting, design, but the food needs to be refined The Ivy has discovered; it should be doing the gives the restaurant a late night, supper club before it has a chance of hurting Zuma or kind of business its sister restaurant, Rivington feel. It is clearly designed for dining into the winning the championship belt from LPM.

NEED TO KNOW

Hakkasan T

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 69

EATING OUT

Cook a classic Tawa chicken bhuna

Indego By Vineet’s chef de cuisine, Irshad Qureshi, divulges his secret recipe for a classic herb-infused curry

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INGREDIENTS

Four chicken breasts, 50g ginger garlic paste

Marinade

Three bunches fresh coriander, ten mint leaves, 50g ginger (peeled), 50g garlic (peeled), three green chillies, two tbsp hung curd, 100ml lemon juice

Sauce

One tbsp oil, one tsp cumin seeds, 30g chopped ginger, 150g chopped red onion, 50ml fresh cream, one tsp garam masala, 50g fresh coriander (chopped), 20g butter (unsalted)

METHOD

Slice each chicken breast into five equal sized pieces and marinate with half the lemon juice, a little salt and ginger garlic paste. Put it in the refrigerator for 60 minutes. Meanwhile, blend the coriander along with the other ingredients for the marinade, making sure you add the lemon juice last. Take half of the marinade and apply it to the chicken slices.

Now heat some oil in a shallow pan, followed by the cumin seeds.

When they crackle, add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook until slightly coloured.

Add in the onions

and cook until light brown. Grill the chicken pieces in a pan on a slow flame until they are cooked. Add the remaining marinade to the browned onions, cook for a couple of minutes and stir in the cream. Adjust the seasoning and add the grilled chicken pieces to the masala, which will be just coating the chicken pieces. Sprinkle some lemon juice, garam masala and fresh coriander along with a knob of soft butter. Toss it up and serve hot with an Indian bread such as paratha or naan paratha.

This can also be rolled inside a tortilla or a sandwich.

70 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

TWITTER RECIPE Cooking couldn’t be simpler with our monthly recipe in 140 characters 5

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO AND BLACK TRUFFLE

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Add rice/oil/porcini to pan. Stir for 18mins, slowly adding stock. Add butter/ parmesan/oil/seasoning.

Sauté mushroom/parsley.

Shave truffle Emiliano Bernasconi Executive chef, Armani/Peck

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Armani Hotel Dubai, Downtown Burj Khalifa, Dubai. Tel: (04) 8883444. dubai. armanihotels.com Follow us at @WhatsOnDubai and @WhatsOnAbuDhabi

The connoisseur Traiteur’s manager and sommelier, Susanne Lang, explains why you shouldn’t fear French wine People have the impression that French wine is complicated, but it’s not as difficult to get into as they think – it’s just that the history of French wine is just so rich with tradition.

In France they focus very much on the terroir (land), on the region, and not so much on the grape variety. For people who only drink wine occasionally and perhaps have a favourite, like merlot or chardonnay, that makes life difficult.

If you compare new world and old world wine, for new world you always have very extensive information – including the grape variety – on the label.

In France you don’t have it.

It is worth reading up on the topic. If you look at all the classic grapes, like pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, which you find now all over the world, all the history started in France. You don’t need a book in the age of the Internet. The web is an incredibly good source of information. Robert Parker is still the authority (erobertparker. com). But in the end, it really starts with the bottle. Looking at the information on the bottle, tasting the wine, that is how you learn. Learn by drinking. It is a good idea to keep notes on the wines you drink.

You should start with a certain region, with Bordeaux and Burgundy. It’s not so difficult, even in France, to explore grape varieties that grow in particular regions. For example, in Burgundy, when it comes to the red wine, almost all of them are pinot noir. Chardonnay is the main white in Burgundy.

In Bordeaux you have cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. They concentrate on the red wine grapes. Once you have a clear picture of the grape varieties, what they’re all about.

It becomes easier then to learn about the regions.

When it comes to sparkling wines, despite being outsold

by Italian and Spanish wines in 2010, Champagne is still number one. But, Moët Chandon, for example, has done a very good marketing job, but it’s not necessarily the greatest champagne.

Instead, go for Krug, Bollinger, Taittinger.

Marketing has nothing to do with quality.

If you are going to explore the region you can find smaller champagne houses of a much better quality. They are hand picking the grapes and putting more effort into how they bottle and blend the wine.

With Bordeaux you have very high quality wines, which are called grand crus.

If you really want to start at the top level, start with that. But people think all French wine is expensive. Our wines from France, just like the new world wines, start from around Dhs220 per bottle. Even from Bordeaux you can get very decent wines from Dhs220. The perception that it’s expensive has to change.

Four of five years ago you had big hype about Argentina, Chile and South Africa, but slowly people are coming back to the classics.

Traiteur, Park Hyatt Dubai, Deira, Dubai, Sun to Fri 7pm to midnight. Tel: (04) 3172222. dubai.park.hyatt.com

1/2 AD

NEXT MONTH: ITALIAN WINES DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 71

EATING OUT

Sonamu Is the new Asiana Hotel’s flagship Korean restaurant good enough to entice people to the heart of Deira?

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f there’s one thing Dubai does not lack, it’s Asian restaurants. Seemingly unafraid of the competition, the recently opened five-star Asiana Hotel Dubai has ambitions of becoming a pan-Asian super power on the Dubai dining scene, boasting Chinese, Filipino and Japanese restaurants. But it was their flagship Korean, Sonamu, which tempted us to Deira.

With high ceilings finished with wood panelling, paper lampshades, a tastefully covered wall with backlit Korean calligraphy and a row of ornamental bonsai trees, the interior was impressive. It would not be hard to imagine yourself in one of Seoul’s swankier establishments, especially as the punters on the six tables that were occupied when we dined at Sonamu were almost exclusively Korean.

If you have never eaten Korean food before, the experience could prove quite an eye opener. Regardless of what you order, a generous cluster of starters will start to pile up on your table. Traditional nibbles such as grilled mackerel, kimchi (a dish of fermented, seasoned vegetables) and various pickled veg and onions in vinegar – the ingredients of which are flown in twice a week from Korea – jostle for position on the table, while tiny sakeesque ceramic cups filled with sojou (a Korean spirit) are regularly replenished.

The menu caters mainly to those who know what they’re looking for, and when they first hit your palate the seafood starters are quite tart, but that

NEED TO KNOW

Location: Asiana Hotel Dubai, Deira, Dubai Tel: (04) 2387777 Web: asianahoteldubai. com Open: noon to 3pm and 6pm to 11pm Cuisine type: Korean Must eat: one whole cow Bill for two: Dhs380 without alcohol

IN TWEET FORM

The Asiana Hotel’s Sonamu offers high-end Korean at affordable prices. Time to visit Deira.

Follow us at @WhatsOnDubai and @WhatsOnAbuDhabi

sharpness should fade as you adjust to the flavour of Korean cuisine. Granted, it is not for everyone, but there are enough mild dishes to suit the less adventurous, and our waiter, Bam, was a more than helpful guide.

We went for the full barbecue experience, ordering Sonamu’s amusingly named signature dish, 'one whole cow' (Dhs280), which was exactly as promised.

A plate of multiple cuts of beef from brisket, to short rib, to rib eye – all ready to be cooked on our table top barbeque by either ourselves or one of the staff. Opting the latter, we were treated to a constant stream of insider tips on how to maximise the flavour for each cut – wrapping the brisket in a lettuce leaf with some chilli sauce and garlic being a particular favourite.

The only dish not barbecued was the beef bone soup with tongue, which despite being hotter than a UAE summer, was wonderfully tender.

While there are several decent purveyors of Korean barbecue, Sonamu offers a touch of sophistication that gives it a much-needed edge – the food is fun, faultless and worth the trip to old Dubai.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 73

EATING OUT

Table 9 By Nick And Scott With Gordon Ramsay gone, can his former protégées achieve their goal and take Dubai dining in a new direction?

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ubai has lost a big name chef with the departure of Gordon Ramsay, but it has gained something of greater value to the local restaurant scene.

Nick Alvis and Scott Price are passionate, young chefs with serious talent, years in Michelin-starred kitchens under their belts and a desire to do something different with Table 9

By Nick And Scott. And Hilton has bet on them to bring in as much business as they did at Verre, giving them complete control over the menu, kitchen and concept. For us, Table 9 is the most exciting restaurant opening this year.

It wasn’t launched in the usual manner – by press release – but at the heart of the burgeoning local gallery scene at Mojo Gallery in Al Quoz. Table 9 is not an import. Nick and Scott are committed to creating a concept solidly rooted in Dubai culture. The kitchen talent came from abroad, as so many of the people driving this city forward did, but the restaurant’s artwork comes from Mojo artists, its plates from local ceramist Homa Farley and, we’re assured, the kitchen will try to use as many local producers as possible without compromising the quality of the food.

And what food it is. The menu, designed to attract a younger, less stuffy clientele than Verre, revolves around a selection of nine small, Dhs70 appetiser plates, nine slightly larger Dhs100 main plates and eight Dhs55 desserts. Plus one seven course vegetarian (Dhs300) and one seven course regular tasting menu (Dhs450).

Tender, buttery veal sweetbreads with parsnip and deliciously smoked chestnuts had such deep flavour – pleasingly reminiscent of beef Monster Munch crisps – we could have eaten a bucket of them. Then the fun began. Chicken enlivened by the flavour of rich foie gras, balanced by slightly floral hibiscus and sweet, syrupy prune; chubby scallops, combined with the earthy combination of thyme, onion and real ale; soft lobster, the snap of crackling and sugary mango; lean, gamey venison, creamy polenta, bitter-sweet blackberry and crunchy grué de cacao; and sea bass, winkle – how often do you see that on a Dubai menu? – oregano butter and pickled salsify.

Just listening to the ingredients roll of your tongue is enough to make you ravenous, and the flavour 74 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

NEED TO KNOW

Location: Hilton Dubai Creek, Deira, Dubai Tel: (04) 2271131 Web: hilton.com Open: Sun to Fri 7pm to midnight Cuisine type: European Must eat: veal sweetbreads Bill for two: Dhs590 without alcohol

IN TWEET FORM

Table 9 By Nick And Scott is the most exciting new restaurant in town. Need we say more? Go there.

Follow us at @WhatsOnDubai and @WhatsOnAbuDhabi

combinations are clever, very clever – there is clearly a brain or two at work in the kitchen.

As for dessert, Nick’s apple pie and custard won the day. Deconstructing classics often ruins them, but the thin disc of pastry atop still firm cubes of slightly sweet-sour stewed apple with custard was the very essence of the tradtional pie.

The restaurant is a work in progress. The chef ’s (now chefs’) table is as appealing as ever, with a new video screen projecting images from a camera over the pass, like a piece of installation art. The staff are less fine dining, more trendy, city restaurant – more bubbly, less reverential. Manager Alex Gomez is still there, as warm and welcoming as ever, and sommelier Rahul Dua, who has managed to create an offering of 50 wines served by the glass – try the Californian cabernet sauvignon – is a major asset.

The room needs to be stripped down to more closely resemble the art galleries its chefs have drawn inspiration from – the carpet torn out and replaced with bare concrete, wood or tiles, the walls divested of their mirrored adornments and more paintings hung. But we’re confident this will come in time.

Big names chefs and global brands are all very well. Small, independent casual dining restaurants are the lifeblood of the city’s food scene. But it is restaurants like Table 9, as with a commitment to fostering creativity – both culinary and otherwise – that will make Dubai a truly great culinary destination. We suggest you visit right now, and take your friends.

EATING OUT

Agadir

The Westin's flagship restaurant stakes its claim as Abu Dhabi's most authentic Moroccan

T

rue authenticity is an ambition that doesn't always feature quite as highly on the agenda of the capital's restaurants as it might. When it comes to a cuisine as unmistakable, and exciting, as the North African delicacies of Morocco, however, a half-baked theme won't cut the proverbial mustard (or turmeric, as we’re talking North Africa here).

Agadir has thrown the kitchen sink – probably imported from Morocco – at ensuring the entire experience is 100 per cent Moroccan. It would, in fact, be a task to uncover any Abu Dhabi destination affording such attention to authentic detail. And the UAE does love an import.

Its name – a city in southwest Morocco – its staff, even the stone and timber used to construct the striking arches and dividing trellises that define the interior and exterior – everything at Agadir has been shipped direct from North Africa. A gimmick? Maybe. But a welcome one.

An additional entrance to the restaurant – a la Hakkasan at Emirates Palace – is a nice touch, allowing direct access for those wishing

76 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

to eschew the main thoroughfare through the still-gleaming new Westin resort. In a hotel indebted elsewhere to the associated Abu Dhabi Golf Club, this is about as far removed from greens and fairways as physically possible.

It goes without saying that the design can only achieve so much. But the Agadir menu is also up to scratch. This is a genuine trip through the exotic streets of Morocco, with traditional dishes presented with fine dining finesse.

Pastilla bil hamam (pigeon pie), its filo glazed with the sweetest honey residue, crust tumbling open to reveal almonds and orange blossom among the gamey flesh was magnificent. While chorbat bil beldi d'jaj, a light chicken broth with saffron and vegetables was a cleaner, lighter option.

The rfissa, a traditional dish of shredded pancake, lentils, beldi chicken and saffron sauce, is quite a challenge after the pigeon pie – a deep dish of seemingly endless layers.

While the pancake element could perhaps be further accentuated, the combination of subtle flavours work well.

Having enjoyed such a unique meal, the halwa chocolate – no amount of date ice cream can disguise the fact that it is basically chocolate fondant – was a little uninspiring, but it still

proves a sweet conclusion to the meal.

With the option of a terrace, Agadir is set for the cool winter nights, albeit interrupted by the not-too-distant whirr of final finishing construction touches to the adjacent hotel during our visit. Given that it’s probably around a ten-hour plus flight to the city that inspired this small corner of Morocco, Agadir is certainly a more viable option for an evening out.

NEED TO KNOW

Location: The Westin Golf Resort & Spa, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi Tel: (02) 6169999 Web: westinabudhabigolfresort.com Open: daily 7pm to midnight Cuisine type: Moroccan Must eat: pastilla bil hamam Bill for two: Dhs435 without alcohol

IN TWEET FORM

A genuine taste of Morocco right here in the UAE. Worth the (much smaller) trip.

Follow us at @WhatsOnDubai and @WhatsOnAbuDhabi

EATING OUT

"The festive period means gatherings with friends and family, and quite often the predicament of not knowing whether to have a dinner party or something less formal"

The chef

DUCK, BACON AND ONION QUICHE (SERVES FOUR TO SIX) INGREDIENTS

Butter (for greasing), flour (for dusting), 175g ready-made short crust pastry, six rashers of streaky bacon (cut into cubes), one sliced onion, three eggs, 250ml of double cream or milk, salt and pepper, 750g tin or jar of duck confit

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Butter a 20 x 3.5cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line the flan tin, leaving any excess pastry overhanging. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and baking beans. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Blind bake for 15 to 20 minutes, remove the beans and greaseproof paper and bake for a further five minutes. Cut away the excess pastry and allow to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 170˚C. Heat a large frying pan and dry fry the bacon for a few minutes until well coloured.

Add the onion and cook for a further four to five minutes before draining on kitchen paper. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat together with cream. Stir in the cooled bacon and onion and season with salt and pepper.

Open the duck confit and drain the meat in a sieve, keeping the fat for a later use (it’s lovely for roasting meat or for crispy roast potatoes).

Remove the skin from the duck, break the meat into pieces and add to the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the pastry case and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until just set. Remove the quiche from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

your own confit or pastry, please do, you can’t beat homemade.

But there’s nothing wrong with making life a little bit simpler occasionally, and you can buy Our columnist, celebrity chef very good quality ready-made and restaurateur Gary Rhodes, products.

Also, what’s good about the provides a an alternative to the bacon over here in the UAE is traditional turkey dinner that it is often turkey, which fits in nicely with the Christmas he festive period means gatherings theme. Of course, you can use regular bacon, with friends and family, and quite but it adds a nice touch if it is turkey. often the predicament of not knowing One of the reasons why I enjoy this dish whether to have a dinner party or so much is how flexible you can be with it. something less formal where you just eat If you can’t get hold of duck or are not a fan bits and pieces. That’s why I have chosen a of bacon, then don’t add them – you’ve still brilliantly simple recipe that allows you the got a great basic onion quiche recipe to do freedom to tweak to suit any occasion. whatever you please with. Too many people There is a tendency for recipes in follow recipes too literally. If you like you December to be centred on a big turkey feast, can add some asparagus, or some shredded but a succulent slow roasted bit of duck is a leeks. Or go Italian and add some mozzarella, great alternative to a game bird. cherry tomatoes and some torn basil leaves.

The great thing about this dish is that you You can really do what you want with it. can buy the confit duck from a delicatessen If you want to make it on Boxing Day, you and it’s as simple as opening up the tin, can even add in the left over bits of your draining out the fat – which you can reuse – Christmas meal. breaking the duck down, and popping it into Just stick to the cooking time and the oven the rolled out pastry. Then you fry off the temperature, and you’ll avoid that scrambled bacon and onion, scattering them over your effect; because we’re using double cream here, pastry case and pour your egg mix on top. it is going to be like eating a savoury style Some people may raise an eyebrow about warm brûlée. shop-bough duck confit and pastry, so I say to NEXT MONTH: RISOTTO RICE PUDDING WITH COGNAC SULTANAS them, if you have the time and want to make

T

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 79

EATING OUT

The Park Bar & Grill Five-star dining on Saadiyat Island. But is the concept a bit muddled?

A

mong the remarkable influx of luxury Abu Dhabi hotels throwing open their doors in the past few weeks – five at our last count – The Park Bar & Grill is treading an interesting tightrope. The standard modus operandi is devising a concept or identity to latch onto. The Park Hyatt's leading restaurant, in contrast, seems unconcerned by its relatively mixed grill identity (no pun intended), majoring in a combination of steaks, seafood and Asian-inspired dishes.

In the scramble for uniqueness, many forget to simply make sure the food comes first – a point not lost on the chefs here. The seared beef tataki, with cucumber and radish salad, ponzu and sesame sauce is satisfying and sensationally tender. The Alaskan king crab cakes with sweet and sour dressing are almost as good, the sauce proving a real stand out.

In the name of the environment, we plump for the sustainable shaari eskheli, plus a side of asparagus tips with hollandaise sauce, and are rewarded with a whole pink ear emperor fish before it is whisked away for filleting. When it returns we enjoy the rich, textured flesh and the citrus zing of a thick hollandaise.

Outwardly, the sago pudding, with pomelo and

NEED TO KNOW

Location: Park Hyatt, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi Tel: (02) 4071234 Web: abudhabi.park.hyatt. com Open: daily 7pm to midnight Cuisine type: grill Must eat: seared beef tataki Bill for two: Dhs525 without wine

IN TWEET FORM

Among the remarkable influx of luxury Abu Dhabi hotels, sheer quality ends up as the Park Bar & Grill's USP. Follow us at @WhatsOnDubai and @WhatsOnAbuDhabi

coconut soup and a palm sugar cracker could have anybody who's ever ventured within 300 miles of Devon recalling tins of Ambrosia Creamed Rice.

The reality is vastly different, gladly: light, sweet and served cold it cleanses the palate nicely.

It’s not the most consistent of menus, but the kitchen managed to pull off all the dishes we ordered, and the upstairs bar is a certainly worth a post-meal visit.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 81

EATING OUT

k Poifc the

S C I N PIC WHERE TO GO The finest places to unpack your picnic

Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach

This enormous public beach cost over Dhs100 million to develop, boasting 12 hectares of parks, 555 palm trees, a mosque, 780 car park spaces and, of course, 2km of beach, which is waiting to welcome thousands of sun worshippers and picnickers. Entry is free and guards patrol the sands, although it’s unlikely you’ll be bothered or feel unsafe.

Whether you like sand between your toes or grass under your feet, you’re guaranteed a relaxing day beside the seaside.

The Corniche, Abu Dhabi

The simple pleasure of spreading a rug on the ground, producing food from a hamper and reclining with friends should be top of your to-dine list this month.

Of course, we’re not talking homemade jam sandwiches and a warm can of cola – when the UAE picnics, it does it in style

to find someone who doesn’t enjoy a day at the polo. Friday afternoons see cars arrive at the club, full to bursting with rugs, chairs, people and cooler boxes, ready to watch the game. A hamper for two people (with sandwiches, antipasti, sweet treats, fruit and juice), including car access costs Dhs300, or if you want to take your own food and refreshment, parking will set you back Dhs100 on tournament days. Our pick of the month is December 13, the Christmas Cup, when we encourage turkey sandwiches and mince pies. Hampers must be ordered 48 hours in advance and can be picked up on the day.

Fri, Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Al Qudra Road, Opposite Arabian Ranches, Dubai, 1pm, Dhs300 to Dhs100. Tel: (04) 3618111. poloclubdubai.com

Jumeirah Beach Park

Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club

The pounding of hooves, acres of green grass, a perfectly packed hamper, ladies in dresses and chaps in those jodhpurs, you’d be hard pushed 82 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

With a kilometre of golden sand, landscaped gardens, the shade of palms, barbecue pits, lifeguards on duty and changing facilities, this isn’t exactly roughing it. Throw in parasol and lounger hire, and you’re laughing all the way to a full belly on the beach.

Entry costs Dhs5 per person or Dhs20 per car, with free parking on the other side of Beach Road.

Order it 24 hours in advance or go for the chef’s selection on the day, and the hamper will be packed with Italian-style dishes.

Grown-ups can feast on focaccia sandwiches, duck terrine and poached salmon, or vegetarian options like mushroom tart and fresh asparagus spears with lemon mayonnaise, plus a dessert, while children are treated to beef salami, a veggie pizzette, cheese, breadsticks and a brownie.

Dubai Marina Mall, The Dubai Mall and Mirdif City Centre, Dubai, Dhs245 for two. Tel: (04) 4341320. carluccios.com

Next to Dubai Ladies Club, Beach Road, Jumeirah, Dubai. Dhs20 to Dhs5. jumeirahbeach.org

Safa Park

One of our favourite grassy spots in Dubai, Safa Park’s popular barbecue pits are in high demand come the weekend. If you don’t get there soon enough to nab one, take comfort on the vast expanses of lawn and settle down for a picnic. There’s Choithram and Union Co-op on the other side of Al Wasl Road for a last-minute lunch (there’s also McDonald’s, but that’s not really in the spirit of things), toilet facilities, bikes for hire, children’s activities, a lake where you can rent a rowing boat and entry costs a mere Dhs3 (free for under threes). Perfect for a relaxing day alfresco. The next flea market takes place on December 3 if you like some haggling with your hamper.

Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah, Dubai. dubai-fleamarket.com

Jones The Grocer

Avoid the hectic queues for a table and grab a lunch box. For Dhs40 for adults and Dhs25 for children you’ll get a drink, sandwich, hand-cut chips and a sweet treat, perfect for grabbing on your way to the beach or park. Hampers are also available, and you can fill them with deli goodies to fit your tastes, be it artisan bread with truffle oil or a selection of desserts.

Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3466886. Pearl Plaza Tower, Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi. Tel: (02) 4438762. jonesthegrocer.com

WHAT TO EAT

Make your companions green with food envy with a quick visit to these delicious delis

Carluccio’s

The big man sells some great goodies, but now they’ve all been put into one lovely cool bag for your picnicking pleasures.

Baker & Spice

The salad bar at Baker & Spice is enough to keep you away from fast food forever. Changing on a daily basis, huge dishes piled with roasted peppers, sweet potatoes, beans, pesto pasta with parmesan and pine nuts,

Picture Perfect Picnic Brunch

A far cry from the raucous Friday brunches we frequent, Saturday afternoons are made for five-star picnics

WIN!

A hamper from Carluccio’s

If your mouth is watering and you’re already planning your picnic, then this is the prize for you. We have a cool bag filled with goodies for one lucky winner.

For your chance to tuck into it, simply e-mail winwithwhatson@motivate.ae with the answer to this question.

Which cartoon bear was known for stealing picnic baskets? a) Yogi b) Paddington c) Winne

couscous and more wait to be scooped into takeaway boxes, weighed and devoured on a checkered rug in the sunshine.

While you’re there, you might as well pick up a slab of passion fruit cake or some pastries to guarantee an afternoon snooze.

Souk al Bahar and Dukkan al Manzil, Old Town, Dubai. Tel: (04) 4252240. bakerandspiceme.com

The Lime Tree Café

A Jumeirah stalwart, Lime Tree has branched out to other parts of Dubai. Perfect for picnic parties, the catering division can whip up mini cheeseburgers (Dhs120 for 24), salads and tiny versions of its famed carrot cake (Dhs165 for 24) for an alfresco feast to remember.

Beach Road, Al Quoz and Ibn Battuta, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3256325. thelimetreecafe.com

B

askets of warm bread, pitchers of Pimms, snoozes in the sun and the smell of a nearby barbecue… brunch on the lawns of Al Badia Golf Club is, quite simply, idyllic. And we don’t use that word lightly. Choose from a blanket on the grass (Laurent Perrier branded, of course) or a table, then start making your way through the food; grills, salads, ribs, mini baked potatoes, giant burgers (really, they’re the size of your head), cold cuts, satays and soup are there for the taking, but staff meander around to fill up your plates with cooling gazpacho, crispy Caesar salads made to order, antipasti, quiche, scotch eggs with punchy piccalilli, a steaming pot of mussels, mini pizzas, then scones with cream and jam, finished off with baked brie and crusty bread.

All the while you recline, your glass topped up with bubbles, cocktails, mocktails, martinis and more. Your eyelids droop, you find a patch of dappled shade and have a nap between courses, half-listening to the reggae and loungey beats, the sound of laughter in the background.

While it would be easy to pack in the punters and cover the grass with tables, numbers of guests are kept low, so there’s plenty of space, food is abundant and, largely, you’re very well attended to. We waited a fair while for scones – mouths watering as another tray went over our heads to neighbouring diners – but waiter Panda kept us well fed and watered, dispensing virgin mojitos with the speed of Usain Bolt after a few Red Bulls. And, truth be told, part of the charm is lazing about, languidly strolling over to get another plate of chorizo or scoop of ice cream, checking out the form on the nearby driving range and returning to your plot of land for some more reclining under the umbrella. See what we mean? Idyllic.

Al Badia Golf Club, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, noon to 4pm, Dhs225 with soft drinks, Dhs395 with house beverages, Dhs550 with Laurent Perrier Brut and Dhs895 with Laurent Perrier Rose. Tel: (04) 701127. albadiagolfclub.ae

‘ROX EMPIRE’

1/3 AD Monday - Friday Only at Citymax Hotel Al Barsha, next to Mall of Emirates.

Call Maxx on 04 409 8000 Join us on facebook.com/maxxmbg

A division of Landmark Hospitality & Leisure Services Ltd.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 83

EATING OUT

Turath Almandi Yemen has arrived in Jumeirah, but is the neighbourhood ready?

A

s the cars cruise down Beach Road on a busy Monday night, windows down and systems up, several slow down, to check out a villa flanked by faux fire torches. To the outsider, this could be another Lebanese restaurant joining the throng, but Turath Almandi is the latest addition to Dubai’s tiny Yemeni dining scene.

Once inside, it’s a bright space, with multiple seating choices; familyfriendly tables at the front with blinds to section off your group, plush velvet booths, a traditional area where you can sit and eat on the floor, and an Arabicstyle room with cushioned walls, all oddly quiet apart from a toilet-inducing sounds of a water feature.

For newcomers to Yemeni cuisine – you and us both – here’s what you need to know. Dishes are simple, low in fat – you won’t find much dairy – and sugar, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, especially meat.

Rice is served with most meals, as is a paratha-like flatbread, sprinkled with black sesame seeds. Oh, and you’ll find goat galore.

Turath Almandi’s menu is traditional; flatbread cooked in the tanoor oven with a herb and olive oil dip warmed us to Yemen immediately, and waiter Ahmed was our guide through the meal. He was much needed, as it turned out. The menu itself offers no description for dishes, apart from to say if you’ll be eating goat or chicken, but the staff know their stuff so you can rely on them. The shfout salad was a stellar recommendation; crunchy lettuce, cucumber, tomato and radishes in a mint yoghurt sauce served on homemade bread and sprinkled with sweet, fresh pomegranate seeds. But where was the meat?

Ahmed pointed us in the direction of madghout; pieces of goat with spiced rice. It was a little fatty, but tasty, and perfect 84 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

NEED TO KNOW

Location: Beach Road, Near Umm Al Sheif Street, Jumeirah 3, Dubai Tel: (04) 3953555 Web: N/A Open: 8am to midnight Cuisine type: Yemeni Must eat: Shfout salad Bill for two: Dhs200

IN TWEET FORM

An exciting spot with great staff, an authentic menu and dishes that make you want to eat them in Sana’a. Leave with a belly full of goat.

Follow us at @WhatsOnDubai and @WhatsOnAbuDhabi

with sauce from the saltah. This dish is served throughout Yemen; meat stewed in a clay pot with a spicy tomato sauce, then topped with foamed fenugreek.

Further lipsmacking protein was provided by a plate of mandi, a dish of barbecued chicken with rice that has been cooked under the meat. It came with more of the flatbread (no complaints – it was amazing) and a selection of eyewateringly spicy dips. Beware the green dip if you’d prefer to keep your tongue unscorched.

Take a break, enjoy a juice – or the imaginatively named mocktail Quasimodo, which has mint, fresh limes, cranberry juice and tonic water – before moving on to desserts. After such a feast we shared the bint alsahan, a layered pastry dish drizzled in yellow Yemeni honey and sesame seeds. A sweet end to something of a culinary adventure.

While early evening, midweek dining at Turath Almandi is something of a tame affair, once Thursday night hits and food fans’ curiosity is piqued, we suspect getting a table might be a tricky business.

And then comes the decision on where to sit, and the eternal question, chicken or goat?

The Huddle Grill.

Great steaks at great prices!

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Terra Firma

The steakhouse has moved to a new location, but has it taken its quality menu with it?

W

e normally don’t raise an eyebrow to news of yet another steak restaurant opening up in the already saturated Dubai marketplace, but the InterContinental group’s Terra Firma has always been one of our favourites, and its facelift and relocation is worthy of a new, ahem, grilling.

In its previous incarnation, both the food and the setting (overlooking Al Badia Golf Club’s pristine fairways) were delightful.

However, for the casual diner the golf club’s location was both intimidating and difficult to find. Meaning Terra Firma’s tables were often left empty. Thankfully, the decision to move it to the more lively waterside location at Festival City seems to have been instantly vindicated, judging by the full outdoor terrace when we visited.

Much like the other offerings at the InterContinental, Terra Firma’s interior goes for the uncluttered and softly lit look, and at this time of year the terrace, which is illuminated with elegant flame torches, is the restaurant’s ace in the hole. Being presented with an iPad containing their entire menu (including pictures) plus wine list is a bit of a gimmick, but it’s a bit of fun and something a little bit different.

The food was always Terra Firma’s strongpoint, but starters of baby beetroot salad with gorgonzola and grilled artichoke with lemon aioli, though they made sense on paper (and on iPad), in practice were a little unbalanced, with the strong flavour of the cheese outshining the other ingredients in the former and the latter administering a vinegar hit that was a little intense.

Steak, however, is the name of the game here, and we opted for the 12oz wagyu sirloin (Dhs298). Nicely marbled and silky smooth,

it was cooked to perfection – but well cooked steaks aren’t in short supply in the UAE. What makes Terra Firma a bit special, aside from the busy reservations book, is the extras. The selection of mustards and salts was impressive, with salts ranging from smoked viking and ash to Persian blue and Hawaiian black lava, and mustards as diverse as an exciting tandoori and horseradish.

Picking up and moving a restaurant is a bold decision, and the tendency is to make sweeping changes. But Terra Firma has done is kept what worked for it before, whilst enticing a livelier clientele and adding some swish, customised touches – smart business.

NEED TO KNOW

Location: InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai Tel: (04) 7011127 Web: diningdfc.com Open: daily 7pm to midnight Cuisine type: steakhouse Must Eat: Australian grade five Waygu steak Bill for two: Dhs500 without alcohol

1/3 AD Call The Huddle Grill on 04 407 8000 050 293 1507 Join us on facebook.com/thehuddlers

IN TWEET FORM

Terra Firma has moved, and it still does a fine steak. But expect a few nice flourishes, and a fuller reservations book Follow us at @WhatsOnDubai and @WhatsOnAbuDhabi Watch as we go head-to-head with Dubai 92’s Tom and Dan in the Terra Firma Tomahawk Steak Challenge on whatsondubai.tumblr.com

A division of Landmark Hospitality & Leisure Services Ltd.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 85

EATING OUT

ON THE MENU

Chow down on this month’s food news

Fun food

Ivy league Friday brunch need not always be a drinkfuelled affair with plates piled high with a strange mix of sushi and rogan josh. The Ivy has impressively weighed into the Friday Brunch arena. How about a sophisticated – yet affordable – brunch consisting of freshly baked breads, international newspapers, eggs Benedict, rock oysters, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding all rounded off with a classic apple pie? Children have their own mini menu and under-tens eat for free.

Brunchers, take note.

Children of the UAE, are you sick of being told off for playing with your food? Well, those days are over, thanks to the new ‘Power Bites’ menu rolling out across Mövenpick restaurants.

The fun food designs include a tiny farm girl pushing a wheelbarrow of sauce and a caterpillar sarnie. Hats off to Mövenpick for making dinnertime fun again. moevenpickhotels.com

RAW Limes

Don’t you just love it when distinct groups of friends get on? Us too. So we were glad to hear that when the popular RAW coffee company met What’s On favourite The Lime Tree Café they clicked instantly and decided to work together. RAW will design unique blends of coffee to compliment Lime Tree’s menu. These two seem to be a natural fit, and long may their friendship continue.

The Lime Tree Cafe, various locations, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3498498. thelimereecafe. com Raw Coffee Company, Dubai.

Tel: (050)5536808 rawcoffeecompany.com

SMOKE MASTER An avid reader of these pages will be aware of the craft of a wine sommelier (p71), and even the special skills of a salt sommelier (Sept issue), but now, thanks to DIFC’s Ritz-Carlton you can benefit from the wisdom of a shisha sommelier. Upon ordering a pipe on the new Shisha Terrace, sommelier Sadek Zeineddine will create a specialised shisha for you, taking into account what bites and drinks you have ordered as well as your personal preferences. Your choice will then be logged and will be recalled for each future visit – nice touch.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Gate Village, DIFC, Dubai, 7pm to 2am, from Dhs50. Tel: (04) 3722323. ritzcarlton.com 86 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

HARD ROCK AND ROLL The Hard Rock Café is back in Dubai. Although the abandoned guitarshaped building on Sheikh Zayed Road is still a Dubai landmark, the world famous café has finally reopened at Dubai Festival City. Its new home is the largest in the Middle East, seating up to 350 people and, naturally, it will still be offering the traditional Hard Rock menu and memorabilia.

Long live rock ‘n’ roll.

Hard Rock Café, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, noon to 2am. Tel: (04) 2328900. hardrock.com

Fri, The Ivy, Emirates Towers, Dubai, noon to 4pm, Dhs275.

Tel: (04) 3198767. theivy.ae

Zafran The UAE’s popular Indian chain restaurant, Zafran, has opened its second branch at the Dubai Marina Mall. The brainchild of Indian celebrity chef Atul Kochhar – whose two fine-dining restaurants in London, Benares and Tamarind, both have Michelin stars – Zafran is an Indian brasserie that aims to bring good quality, affordable food to the high street. We’re fans.

You can read our full interview with Kochhar on WhatsOnDubai. tumblr.com. Enjoy.

Zafran, Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3997357

W Grill

It’s not easy to make a new grill restaurant interesting – we have so many in the UAE. But the newly opened European-style W Grill, located on the rooftop of the Wafi Pyramids and boasting a cocktail terrace,

Sophie’s choice

Dubai is heading in the right direction with an organic café and a couple of farmers’ markets, but more is always welcome.

Sophie’s is a café crammed full of freshly prepared, wholesome food and, better yet, the people behind the store are committed to sourcing as much organic and local produce as possible. That’s a thumbs up from us.

Sophie’s, Shoreline Apartments, The Palm, Dubai

is sure to attract plenty of trendy types, especially as the nights are now perfect for alfresco frolics.

W Grill, Wafi, Oud Metha, Dubai, Sun to Thurs 7pm to midnight, Fri and Sat noon to 3pm and 7pm to midnight. Tel: (04) 3244100. wafi.com

Kenyan carnival

1/3 AD

Ugali, sukuma wiki and nyama choma – if none of those words make any sense at all to you, then you’ve obviously never tried Kenyan food before. If that is the case, make sure you head over to the Méridien Village Terrace for their Kenyan carnival of food. Be prepared for a party atmosphere as a troop of Masai dancers serenade you as you dine.

Dec 7 to 9, The Terrace, Le Méridien Village, Dubai, Dhs250, 8pm to 11pm. Tel: (04) 2170000. lemeridien.com

HAKKASAN GOES ALFRESCO

Already one of What's On's favourite restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Hakkasan has not only expanded operations to Dubai (see our review on p69), but the original has also thrown down the gauntlet to its competitors with a new menu and terrace. When we visited, the terrace was yet to light the promised fire elements or add the glassy water NEW MENU features, but it is a serene addition to Hakkasan's much-vaunted interior.

The highlights on the new menu were the Chilean sea bass and baby spinach soup (Dhs60) – just about the tastiest green foodstuff to pass our lips, and the Szechuan braised Dover sole with pickled cabbage (Dhs220) – a spicy little number, not for those who like their food on the bland side. Bring it on.

Hakkasan, Emirates Palace, West Corniche, Abu Dhabi, 7pm to 11pm.

Tel: (02) 6909000. hakkasan.com DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 87

WHAT’S ON

ARTS

HIROYUKI MASUYAMA

Artists, galleries, news, events and more

p90 PRESENT TENSE · p93 FIVE MINUTES WITH... p94 THE ART INSIDER · p96 FIVE TO SEE · DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 89

ARTS

Present tense?

Forget the stresses and strains of what to buy during the season of gift giving – try going a little off-piste and say it with something arty

CRAFTY NUMBERS

The original XVA location next to Dubai Creek remains one of the best in the city for purchasing unique handicrafts and home accessories. The delicate handmade necklaces and earrings by Numa, with their gentle Arabian flair, would be a welcome addition to any jewellery box, while Gup Shup’s collection of exquisite handbags, handmade by women in the remote town of Chitral in north-western

Pakistan, aren’t just beautiful, they’re ethical and ideologically empowering too. Also worth visiting for handicrafts are the Arte Souk markets that take place at Festival City and Times Square on the first and second Friday of each month respectively, and in various other emirates on a more ad hoc basis (check out the website for details). Arte’s newest launch, The Open Market (also at Times Square), takes things one stage further with a remit that means all products for sale must be own designs, handmade and locally sourced. xvahotel.com/store Email: uaeartesouk@blogspot.com

GIVE THE GIFT OF YOU!

For a word that’s very definition confers it to stand alone, unique is highly overused (and fatally misrepresented). Which makes What’s On delighted to be able to suggest a gift idea that is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of a kind. Dubai-based company DNA-DX produces gene portraits based on your – or a loved one’s – DNA. A sample (provided by the recipient via a simple cheek swab) is extracted in the lab, digitally photographed and enhanced, and then printed on to canvas to your preferred size, colour and frame. With up to four people’s DNA able to be printed, side-by-side, on a single canvas, should you so wish, you could even create a twist on the classic family portrait. Not half as macabre as it sounds, the finished result is a perfectly chic representation of modern abstract art.

From Dhs1,500. dna-dx.com

EDITIONS

Obviously you could walk into any gallery in the UAE and buy a work of art from any current exhibition. Or if you prefer your art buying to come with a little extra frisson, you might prefer 90 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

to hold out for the next Christie's auction. Nice work if you can get it, but if you’re anything like us chances are such options remain in the realm of fiscal fantasy. There is, however, another way to get yourself a piece of genuine art action – editions. Considerably cheaper to buy than an original work of art, these limited-edition print runs of either new or existing works offer an affordable entree into the world of collecting. Choose wisely and, if demand for an edition outstrips supply, you might even find that your print increases in value. Either way ,you get a genuine artwork (signed and certified) at a fraction of the price of the original. Both Meem and Ayyam galleries in Dubai offer a dedicated editions service, though it’s worth checking individual shows of artists you like too, as prints are increasingly being offered for sale alongside the one-off pieces on the wall. meemartgallery.com ayyamgallery.com

GET BOOK-SMART

Boasting one of the best fine-art bookshops in the UAE, Empty Quarter is the perfect shopping venue for the art-based bibliophile in your life. As befits a gallery that specialises in photography, the emphasis here is on lavish, coffee table-style photographic books and high concept magazines, as well as limited-edition print runs and projects. The bookstore within the gallery at DIFC’s Gate Village in Dubai also stocks a good selection of art and design DVDs that make for great stocking fillers.

Over in Al Quoz, meanwhile, The Third Line gallery offers a fine selection of art books featuring some of the best talent in contemporary Middle Eastern art. For a gift with real local flavour, look no further than Emirati artist Lamya Gargash’s Presence, though we wouldn’t say no to a copy of Egyptian artist Susan Hefuna’s stunning Pars Pro Toto. Meem Gallery, meanwhile, runs its own publishing imprint, the fruits of which are available to buy in its bookshop.

There’s something, as they say, for everyone. theemptyquarter.com thethirdline.com meemgallery.com

1/2 1/2 AD AD

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 91

Wokilicious Brunch!

Join us every Friday for an

explosion of Asian flavors at Wok In Restaurant.

With an incredible selection of

sushi, sashimi, dim sum, oodles of noodles, curries and traditonal wok dishes!

All you can eat and drink* only AED 225!

- Chow Down Mรถvenpick Hotel Deira - 800 DEIRA (34472) wokin.deira@moevenpick.com *Fridays 12.30noon - 4pm *Selected beverages

ARTS

Calling all artists!

Five Minutes With...

You might paint like Picasso or take photographs to rival that of William Eggleston, but what good is any of that if no one gets to see your work?

The Dubai-based Emergent Artist Award (EAA) is a global competition that sets out to uncover and then boost the profile of one practising artist each year. In 2011, it’s all about photography – if you have a body of work that’s just crying out for an exhibition space or three to call its own, then you’ve got until the end of the year to make your submission. Undertaken in partnership with French cultural organisation the Alliance Francaise of Dubai, the winner will exhibit in a dedicated solo show at Art Dubai 2012 and then at the Alliance Francaise of Dubai for a further three weeks. The whole kit and caboodle will then be packed up and shipped off to Galerie Oscar in the beautiful French coastal town of Nice for a four-week exhibition in May. It goes without saying that that’s the kind of exposure that most artists can only dream of – media coverage and promotion also comes as part of the prize and, while there’s a US$20 fee for entry, the EAA will cover the cost of printing and framing for the winner. The individual portfolios of the two runners up will then be displayed, along with the winning entry, on the EAA’s online gallery. emergentartistaward.com

NEWS FLASH

Overland adventure

If you go out in Abu Dhabi today you might be in for a big surprise: the 40-day Footsteps Of Thesiger expedition, a recreation of legendary British explorer William Thesiger’s overland trek by camel and on foot from Oman, is due to reach its finishing line in the UAE capital around the middle of this month. Coverage of the trek, which is being filmed by awardwinning documentary producers TwoFour Arabia, will soon be coming to a small screen near you, but to find out more about the team’s progress and when you can expect to greet them firsthand in Abu Dhabi, follow

the expedition’s blog. footstepsofthesiger.com

In the Eye of the Beholder

Speaking of camels, if you’re keen to experience something, shall we say, a little special this month, look no further than the Al Dhafra Camel Festival. Taking place at Abu Dhabi’s

Madinat Zayed from December 17 to 18 it promises all things dromedary-related, including what promises to be our personal highlight – the Camel Beauty Contest. Look forward, too, to poetry, traditional handicrafts and all the spoils and flavours of its popup souk. aldhafrafestival.ae

Babak Golkar

The Canadian-based Iranian artist reveals the inner workings of his new solo exhibition, Parergon

This show is largely made up of frames – why is that? Is there a symbolic significance?

Beyond their familiar function [as structural borders], they have the potential for linguistic and therefore cultural connotations such as ‘framing’ or ‘being framed’. I find it a reflection of the ways in which art operates and in that sense imitates politics, of course at times subversively!

You have built well-known architectural profiles into your frames. What is the significance of the buildings you have chosen to represent?

Almost all of them are contested sites, historically, ideologically, socially, culturally and, to a certain degree, politically. For example, Hagia Sophia, which was originally designed and built in 360 as an Orthodox Cathedral, was converted into a Roman Catholic church between 1204 and 1261, then turned into a mosque by the Ottomans in 1453 and was declared a museum in 1935 after secularization of Turkey by Ataturk. All of these shifts in function mirror the very basic concept of Parergon.

Why do they remain ‘hidden’ in the works?

I don’t consider them ‘hidden’ necessarily. Just as architecture cannot be separated from the social, political and cultural connotations , the chosen architectural silhouettes are not separate from such contexts, conceptually and literally as manifested in the works.

Where will your practice take you next?

Architecture will be my focus for the foreseeable future, but for the immediate future, I am working on a solo exhibition of a new installation at Charles H Scott gallery in Vancouver, which opens in January.

Describe your work in three words.

Experiential. Simple. Complex.

Until Jan 12, The Third Line, Al Quoz, Dubai, free. Tel: (04) 3411367. thethirdline.com

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 93

ARTS

CHARLES POCOCK

THE ART INSIDER Emirati expressions, Manarat Al Saadiyat

Farjam Collection

I

n September and October, the Middle Eastern art market saw a massive correction in prices. The same piece by Ahmed Moustafa that was sold at auction in October 2007 for $457,000 could not find interest at $150,000 in October 2011.

A similar work by Mohammed Ehsai that sold for $146,000 in April 2010 failed to find interest at $75,000 in October 2011; three unsold works by Moshiri compounded this trend in September 2011, and yet another from Farhad Moshiri’s Choc Line series, sold for $230,000 in April 2011, could not find 94 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

interest at $100,000 in October 2011.

The question everyone is asking is, why is this happening now? The discussion focuses on a number of factors: the oversupply by galleries and dealers putting fresh work directly into auction; and growing market awareness of manipulation by individuals, leading to artists losing their support base, which in turn leads to a lack of investment from the market.

The commitment by many, but not all, has been to the short-term gains and not the longterm benefits. The idea that ‘what benefits the collective will benefit us all’ has been ignored.

We should be reminded of this today.

The launch of Doha’s Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the imminent opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and important plans at Manarat Al Saadiyat by TDIC, as well as projects at Sharjah’s Barjeel Art Foundation, Dubai’s Farjam Collection, and Kuwait’s Contemporary Art Platform, will lead to more awareness and a greater understanding of the issues and challenges facing the Middle East art world, as well as the region’s artists.

It is clear to many that the real value, be it cultural or financial – tragically interlinked – is in the greatest works of the region’s modern masters. Masterpieces by Parviz Tanavoli, Jewad Selim, Mahmoud Said, Ahmed Cherkaoui, Abdel Hadi Al-Gazzar, Dia Al-Azzawi, Ismail Fattah, Chafic Abboud, Ali Omar Ermes, Sohrab Sepehri, Paul Guiragossian and Art historian, Louay Kayyali stand dedicated collector out. They are held in and managing numerous interdirector of Dubai’s national museums Meem Gallery, and continue to Charles Pocock attain high prices. A knows the UAE art greater understand- scene like the back ing of the artists and of a Picasso. Do you their work will give have an art question the collector more for Charles? E-mail: confidence to buy editor-wo@motivate.ae greater work.

360Ëš of enjoyment...

Witness and enjoy 360 degrees of unparalleled views of Dubai and beyond from the highest public observation terrace in the world, At the Top, Burj Khalifa.

Explore the unique, interactive Burj Khalifa multi-media exhibits. Explore the history of Dubai aboard the 65-metre-long travelator.

To experience all-round enjoyment, visit At the Top, Burj Khalifa.

For more information please call us on 800 At the Top, or visit www.atthetop.ae to purchase your tickets today.

ARTS

Five to See...

1) Drift – an Exploration of Urban and Suburban Landscapes

Taking the theme of the world around us, and the ways in which we experience it, this exhibition, curated by SAF president Hoor Al Qasimi, is drawn from the museum’s permanent collection.

It’s a thoughtful look at the myths and meanings of the built environment.

Until Jan 14, Sharjah Art Foundation, Arts Area, behind Corniche Street, Sharjah, free.

Tel: (06) 5685050. sharjahart.org

2) Geopolitics of Roots – No Man’s Land

3) Ziad Dalloul

Literal and metaphorical mapping of both the world and psyche form the basis of this new solo show by Iranian artist Ghazel as she explores the impact and meaning of an itinerant lifestyle on herself – a self-styled ‘hybrid Iranian nomad’ – and others.

Exploring the Diaspora isn’t new for the region’s artists, but here it is done with a rarely seen wit and flair.

Until Jan 8, Carbon 12, Street 8, Al Serkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, free.

Tel: (050) 4644392. carbon12dubai.com

Size matters in this first solo show in the UAE for Syrian painter Dalloul, whose skill with a brush is revealed in a series of large-scale stilllife-in-landscape works that include the four metre-long triptych Celebrations Of the Absent (previously on show at the Sharjah Biennale).

Impressive stuff.

Until Jan 5, Green Art Gallery, Street 8, Al Serkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, free. Tel: (04) 3469305. gagallery.wordpress.com

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96 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

4) Erbil – Dubai: Chasing Utopia/ Trespassing

Last chance to catch British-based KuridishIraqui artist Walid Siti’s socio-political investigation of Dubai and the ancient city of Erbil to explore the meaning and importance of identity in a fast-altering, aspirational world. With its images of birds and the female form, emerging Iranian artist Arezu’s exhibition, opening two days after Siti’s closes, is immediately softer by contrast, but it too plays with boundaries and identity, albeit in a more personal way.

Quietly thrilling.

Until Dec 5; Trespassing Dec 7 to Jan 9, XVA Gallery, Gate Village 7, DIFC, off Zabeel Road, Dubai, free.

Tel: (04) 3585117. xvagallery.com

5) Arabian Roots

Lebanese artist Mouna Bassili Sehnaoui's solo exhibition is running until the end of the month.

The painter has been influenced by her Middle Eastern heritage, as well as her experiences, citing "The sound of an oud as one passes the village barbershop, the fabulous houses of Yemen, the sleeping watermelon vendor, the Emirati mosques and majestic dhows" as inspiration.

Until Dec 30, Salwa Zeidan Gallery, Villa 256 Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, Abu Dhabi, free. Tel: (02) 6669656. salwazeidangallery.com 5

ARTS

The Nutcracker Spend a night with Tchaikovsky this festive season

W

hether you are partial to an evening of ogling dexterous dancers in tight tights or would rather have your toenails extracted with a pliers, it’s the perfect time of year for a spot of ballet. And there’s none more appropriate than Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker – the story of Clara, a doll that turns into a prince, a battle with a Mouse King and a sojourn to a kingdom of sweets with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Just the right amount of fantastical madness for the time of year.

Performed by the Vienna Festival Ballet at DUCTAC’s Centrepoint Theatre, it is sure to be a big hit.

Dec 15 to 17, Centrepoint Theatre, DUCTAC, Mall Of The Emirates, Dubai, Dec 15, 4.30pm and 8pm, Dec 16 11am and 4pm, Dec 17 11am, 2pm and 7pm, Dhs165 to Dhs185. Tel: (04) 3414777. ductac.org

98 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Live in a family environment Convenient living in Mirdif Give your family the space to thrive. At Shorooq, you will enjoy both the privacy of a gated community and the convenience of being close to schools, shopping and recreation centers. Whether you choose an elegant villa or a spacious apartment, you’re assured of a relaxed environment suitable for family living.

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WHAT’S ON

SHOPPING

MRPORTER.COM

Designers, shops, trends, hot spots and more

p93 SANTA'S LITTLe HeLPerS · p97 wINTer wArDrobe · p100 SHoP TALk December 2011 WHAT’S ON 101

e l t t i l s ' a t n Sa s r e p l e h

DEPUTY EDITOR'S CHOICE Necklace, approx Dhs1,550, Marni marni.com

r him, o F . e v i it to g a w t ' u can r you. o y s t f ous gi e a treat fo e g r o G mayb y – there's d n a r for he Don't worr e socks, too som Cushion, Dhs129, The One theoneplanet.com

Violet Blonde perfume by Tom Ford, Dhs393, Harvey Nichols harveynichols.com

iPad case, Dhs1,110, Coach coach.com

T-shirt, Dhs99, Koton koton.de

Socks, Dhs106, Mr Porter mrporter.com

Hat, Dhs405, Paul Smith paulsmith.co.uk

Ring, Dhs35, New Look newlook.com DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 103

SHOPPING DEPUTY EDITOR'S CHOICE Skullcandy headphones, Dhs110, Virgin Megastore virginmegastore.me

DREAM GIFT Ragmataaz clutch, Dhs700, Grafika Boutique grafikauae.com

This super-bling Tag Heuer smartphone comes with diamonds, mother of pearl and Android. And some more diamonds.

From Dhs90,000, Tag Heuer us.tagheuer.com

T-shirt, Dhs166, aura-b.com

Loofah, Dhs54, Harvest Home Group harvesthomegroup.Com

Bag, Dhs995, Reiss reissonline.com

Slippers, Dhs225, Gap gapinc.com

Diptyque candle, Dhs156, Harvey Nichols harveynichols.com

Ring by Stephen Webster, Dhs10,620, Azal Boutique

104 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

USHNA_WHATSON_NOV2011_OUT.pdf

DVD

1

11/28/11

9:53 AM

PLAYLIST

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

The final part of the all-conquering Harry Potter series sees the seventh book of the series, Deathly Hallows, adapted into two films. And if part one was the slow build up, then this, the final part, is the high-octane end we’ve all been waiting for – an all-out war between good and evil reaching its epic climax.

Masterfully put together, the movie puts to good the bags character development that’s already in the bank, offering a fast-paced all-out spectacle that does not disappoint. Truly a worthy end to a great series, but if you’ve not climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express by now, then it’s probably a bit late to try and play catch up.

GAME Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

So, it’s official. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 bagged a tidy US$775 million in its first five days, making it one of the best-selling franchises of all time.

If you’re a newcomer, it’ll be difficult to argue against an explosive campaign, incessant action and full on ‘survival mode’, which pits one or two players against increasingly numerous waves of enemies. If you’ve been on the frontline with Soap MacTavish and his band of buddies since the beginning, however, you may be slightly disappointed. Modern Warfare 3 is pretty much Modern Warfare 2, plus a few extra bangs and whistles. It lacks the emotional drama of the previous two and some of the intensity of the first instalment, but remains a satisfying shooter nevertheless, with a suitably dramatic finale.

1/2 AD

CD Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler This Is Christmas (Infectious)

Festive albums are usually as clichéd as complaining that Christmas decorations go up earlier every year. Not this seasonal collaboration, however, wherein Ash frontman Tim Wheeler and his current squeeze, sweet singer-songwriter Emmy The Great, sprinkle the holidays with joyous indie-rock. The solitary cover, Marshmallow World, is taken from one of the finest festive records of all time, disgraced pop mogul Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift For You, while a Christmas Day (I Wish I Was Surfing) especially feels as summery as December in Dubai.

GADGET Galaxy Note

Although we are not sure whether it is a really big phone, or a really small tablet but, either way, we want one. The Note has a 5.3in screen, a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and even an 8MP camera, but for those of you who don't speak tech, that's a pretty slick looking phone with an excellent camera to boot. What we like most however, is that there's even a built-in stylus for note taking. Dhs3,200 DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 105

Bahrain - Qatar - Saudi Arabia - UAE - Oman - Kuwait - Jordan - Lebanon www. maya-la-chocolaterie.com follow us www.twitter.com/maya_choco www.facebook.com/maya-la-chocolaterie

YOUR WINTER WARDROBE SORTED

SHOPPING

Leather gloves are a timeless addition and always look chic.

Dhs275, Banana Republic

A glorious flash of colour on dark days, in a classic style.

Dhs1,595, Reiss

BE· W

INTE R· WA

Whether you're heading to chillier climes this Christmas or need to spruce up for the party season, we've found the perfect additions to keep you looking cool while staying cosy

FOR HER

O

The catwalks and red carpets were full of scarlet, and this festive dress will see you through the party season with ease.

Dhs299, Koton

RDR

These sturdy boots are rough and ready for brisk walks through the country and shopping trips. Dhs599, Steve Madden

You don't need to spend megabucks to update your style – this cocktail ring has a 1920s charm, but won't break the bank. Dhs35, New Look

Be inspired by the animal print trend, but don't go overboard with these party perfect Manolo Blahnik heels. Dhs2,950, Harvey Nichols

Mad Men-esque handbags are still top of our wishlist, but you don't need to add your name to the Birkin waiting list with this wallet-friendly beauty. Dhs249, Fiorelli

Stars adorned D&G's A/W11 collection. Inject some high-end fashion into your look with these vintage earrings.

Dhs250, Wayed Vintage

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 107

E · WI

SHOPPING E NT R A ·W R

B

IM FOR H

DRO

This Arcteryx jacket is bit Manchester, a bit Scott Of The Antarctic.

What more could you ask for from a winter coat?

Dhs5,838, Mr Porter

A modern chino will cut a dash.

A neutral colour means you can take them on your summer holidays, too.

Dhs550, Reiss

A cracking Christmas jumper, and no doubt about it. Your girlfriend will like it, your mum will like it and your gran will pinch your cheeks when you wear it (sorry about that). Dhs395, Gap

Ideal for layering under a plain, fine knit or for wearing to the pub on Christmas Eve (and wrangling horses, should your holiday include that), this shirt will become a favourite.

Dhs125, New Look A bit of bling, but in a tasteful way, will lift the most casual of outfits. Add it to your wishlist for Santa.

Dhs1,410, Calvin Klein

Salute the British king of cool in this camel coat; it's a little Lock, Stock... and that's no bad thing in our book.

Dhs4,800, Paul Smith

Great with a suit on New Year's Eve and a classic year-round for the office, you won't regret adding these to your shoe closet.

Dhs895, Reiss

Chicks like men in scarves. Fact. And cable knit is the coolest way to keep your neck warm this winter. Basically, you need to own this scarf.

Dhs245, Gap

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 109

SHOPPING

SHOP TALK

The hottest news from the region’s stores with Deputy Editor Helen Spearman

WIN! HANDBAGS FROM KIPLING Kipling has teamed up with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac to create a line of graphic print handbags. Available from Jashanmal and Kipling stores, they feature the monkey emblem, rainbows, and ribbons, and we have TEN bags to give away. If you’d like the chance to win some new arm candy, e-mail winwithwhatson@ motivate.ae with 'handbag' in the subject line and tell us…

Which fruit are monkeys said to be particularly fond of? a) Bananas b) Strawberries c) Limes

New opening of the month

HOW TO...

Rivaage TIE A BOW TIE No NYE is complete without a tux.

A unique store has opened its doors, welcoming And no tux is complete without a bow Dubai’s discerning fashion tie. Be a pro with our easy guide fans. Four tree trunks 1 2 dominate the shop, providing a backdrop to hand-picked pieces by the likes of Judith Lieber, By Sophie and Jay Ahr. Beach Road, Jumeirah, Dubai. rivaage.com Put it around your neck and cross the ends

3

Fashion 971 You can tap into local talent with the new Fashion 971 app for you iPhone or iPad. It allows you to flick through the look books of UAE designers, is free to

download, and will bring you closer to the region’s upcoming talent, with the likes of Polka Dot Cat, Zori Couture and Bow by Amanda offering their collections through the app.

Free, iTunes.com

Place the looped end over your shoulder

5

Loop one end under the other

4

Fold the other end into a bow shape

6

CATWALK TO CLOSET Stars were a key feature in many high-end collections this season, but the sky-high style, not prices have been adopted by our highstreet favourites. Try this Topshop beauty, which should see you through from Christmas parties to brunch. brunch.

Wrapt If you have sticky tape in your hair, paper cuts everywhere and a house full of presents that need to be put under the tree, it might be time to bring in the professionals. At Wrapt you’ll find fashionforward styles, recycled paper, seasonal collections and deals when you bring in multiple items, with speedy experts taking around ten minutes to wrap your gift, with prices starting from Dhs20 depending on the paper, ribbons and design.

Mercato Mall, Beach Road, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3448855. wrapt.ae

Bring the discarded end down over the bow shape

7

Dolce & Gabbana, Dhs11,700

110 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Pull the fold upwards and through as shown

Topshop, Dhs395

Bling my truck A new UAE-based online shop is blazing the trail for off-roaders in the region. Blingmytruck. com supplies everything you need to turn your weekend in the dunes

Fold the discarded end into a bow shape in front

8

Adjust and tighten

from roughing it to larging it. Tents, car accessories, roof racks and every conceivable camping gadget you can think of (mobile spice rack, anyone?) can be ordered and delivered to your door.

Blingmytruck.com

WARDROBE WOES From festive drinks to family brunches, my diary is already packed with social engagements. Paying for this and gifts hasn't left me much money – any ideas on how I can reinvent my LBD? - Sarah, Dubai

Iconic

Annah Cuthbert, Fashion And Beauty Assistant, Emirates Woman: By far the easiest thing to buy (and reinvent) is the trusty LBD. The best way is to start with your shoes. These should be colourful and will liven up your look, if you want a more classic effect, reach for a strand (or more) or pearls and a fur or satin clutch to give the overall look a dressy effect. Look to the high street stores to collect a selection of goodies and you will be glammed up and good to go in no time.

Dune, Dhs449

Aldo, Dhs120

H) x 182mm (W)

Give it some welly

While the UAE's rare rainy days might not warrant splashing out on these iconic rubber boots, they're a mustpack accessory if you're heading to cooler climes this winter. Now available in Dubai for the first time, Hunters have been spotted on the some of the world's most fashionable feet.

With fans including Angelina Jolie, Alexa Chung and Kate Moss, these wellies have come a long way from the bog standard green boots of old and are now available in a rainbow of colours.

Bauhaus, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai, Dhs450.

Tel: (04) 3685551. shopbauhaus.com

1/2 AD Come celebrate the festive season at Millennium Airport Hotel with our finest selection of specially prepared cuisines for this joyous occasion.

Al Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates T: +971 4 70 28 888 F: +971 4 28 26 220 dining@mill-airportdubai.com www.dinemillenniumdubai.com

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 111

WHAT’S ON

MIND & BODY The inside scoop on health and well-being in the UAE

p115 BEATING DIABETES · p119 PARTY READY · p120 TESTED: THE MEDI-PEDI DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 113

VOTE TODAY FOR YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS, BARS, NIGHTCLUBS, SPORTING EVENTS, CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS

The UAE’s best-selling entertainment magazine brings you the Emirates’ longest-running and most prestigious restaurant and entertainment awards.

MIND & BODY

Meat or alternative

Vegetables or salad

Starchy foods

25%

Unsweetened beverage or water Fruit

50%

25%

Beating diabetes Along with vitamin D deficiency, obesity and, well, road rage, diabetes is on the rise in the UAE. The disease affects a whopping 20 per cent of the population and millions of residents remain undiagnosed, with the majority of diabetics THE contracting type two diabetes, largely brought EXPERT on by our typical fast food, slow walking lifestyle. STEPHANIE KARL As the country’s most threatening healthcare time bomb ticks ever faster, nutrionalist Stephanie Karl answers the questions we should all be asking Why is diabetes so common in the UAE? Weight and obesity are at the heart of the diabetes problem, regardless of socioeconomic or cultural origins. However,

people living in the UAE are inactive, have easy access to fast food and often don't cook. Simply put, we have an obesogenic environment, one of inactivity and over nutrition. Obesity levels have been measured to show that over 70 per cent of adult women and nearly 70 per cent of men are overweight in the UAE. Who is at risk?

You are at higher risk of developing diabetes if your body weight is 20 per cent above your ideal body weight, you have a high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid levels, an immediate family member with diabetes, or have given DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 115

MIND & BODY birth to a baby of 4kg (9lbs) or more, which can lead to gestational diabetes.

How can you test for diabetes?

A fasting blood glucose test or oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is used to confirm a diagnosis. If the tests show cause for concern, a further glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) result indicates the average blood glucose for up to 120 days, the life of a red blood cell. It measures the level of glycation or stickiness of haemoglobin and is used as an indicator of longer-term blood glucose control.

Self-crusting feta and broccoli quiche Serves six

* One large onion, skinned and chopped * Two garlic cloves, peeled and chopped * Two teaspoons of olive or canola oil * One head of broccoli or about 200g of well drained spinach * ¼ cup of feta cheese * Three large (or four medium) eggs * One cup of low fat milk * Two tbsp of self-raising flour or chickpea flour for gluten free.

1 Put the chopped onion and garlic in a non-stick frying pan with the oil.

Stir, put a lid on the pan and cook over a moderate heat for about five minutes until the onion is transparent. Take off the lid and cook a few minutes longer, until the onion is straw coloured.

2 Cut the heads of the broccoli into grape-sized florets. Starting at the lower end of the stalks, peel off the outer skin and then cut the peeled stalks into 5mm slices. Cook these and the florets in a little water in a covered pot for five to seven minutes or until tender. Do not overcook. Drain, rinse under a cold tap and drain again.

3 Gently mix the cooked onion, garlic, and broccoli together.

4 Coat a 23cm pie plate (or square cake tin) with non-stick spray. Gently spoon the cooked vegetables into it without packing them down. Sprinkle the cheese over them.

5 Stir with a fork, beat or whiz together the eggs and milk, then mix in the flour. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and feta, jiggle the pan slightly to make sure there are no air bubbles. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 20 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and set in the centre.

6 Serve warm with a salad.

Approx nutritional analysis per serving: 200kcal, 9g of fat, 6g carborhydrate

116 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

What are the different types of diabetes?

There are three types of diabetes with different possible origins but a similar outcome – poor management of glucose and the same cluster of symptoms. A person with Type 1 diabetes cannot make any insulin and it mostly happens before the age of 30. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease triggered by obesity, lack of exercise, age and a possibly genetics.

Patients have adequate insulin and pancreas function, but body cells have lost their sensitivity to react to insulin and allow glucose into tissue for normal metabolism. It usually occurs in adults, but can affect children. About 4 per cent of pregnant woman experience gestational diabetes with onset more likely in the second trimester and disappearing after the birth.

Where to learn more

How can you reduce your chances of contracting the disease?

Simply manage your weight for height with diet and exercise and eat a variety of foods in moderation. All food groups have a positive affect on the major metabolic pathways of the body and the most influential tool is nutrition.

A healthy “normal” diet is based on getting the right balance of carbohydrate foods at each meal to keep insulin levels down, an equal amount of protein to boost your metabolism and increase satisfaction and healthy fat to enrich taste, promote heart health and again add to satiety (the feeling of fullness).

If you do suffer, what lifestyle changes should you make?

A specialised diabetes educator can give excellent advice to manage weight and give an explanation of its aims to help with motivation and a full understanding of how successful getting back to a 'normal' diet is.

Exercise type is also important including low level cardio and some strength training.

Dietary intervention manages macronutrient intake (carbohydrates, protein and fats) and aims primarily to manage insulin and blood sugar levels, while exercise improves glucose uptake by the tissues and increased oxidation of energy.

decidecommunity.com – facts, products and a forum for diabetes sufferers facebook.com/BeatDiabetes – a regional campaign to raise awareness of the diseases, with information on charity events and local resources diabetes.org – a worldwide site packed with recipes, community blogs and Q&As with experts

BEYOND EXPECTATION Finally drawing a line in the sand between business and leisure.

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MIND & BODY

FIVE OF THE BEST…

Treatments to get you party ready It’s the time of year when the most photos are taken, you catch up with friends and family and need to look your best. Here’s our pick of the facials, makeovers, massages and more to get you ready for the mistletoe WHAT? The red carpet facial WHERE? Biolite Aesthetic Clinic There’s no point in spending a fortune on make-up if you’re going to apply it to dull, blotchy skin. For you to really shine at the office Christmas party, or under the glitter ball on New Year’s eve you need a clean, smooth base, free from dead skin cells and other nasties, which is why an exfoliating facial is required before you hit the beauty counters. DermaSweep is a noninvasive treatment that uses a wand with bristles and a vacuum on the end to rid you of flaky skin, then delivers vitamin C and E infusions to the epidermis, before a mask is applied. Ideal if you’re looking more peaky than perky, it takes an hour and after one session your cheeky chops will be brighter and plumper. And this is the facial celebs at this year’s DIFF will be treated to. If it’s good enough for Tom Cruise…

Biolite, Healthcare City, OUd Metha, Dubai, Dhs3,600 for six sessions until the end of December. Tel: (04) 3752122. biolitedubai.com WHAT: The pampering body scrub and massage WHERE: Thai Privilege Spa If you’re caught up in a wave of invites, wrapping paper and last minute shopping it’s probably best if you take some time out at the spa. TPS’s new range of seemingly sinful scrubs and massages (think ingredients like chocolate, cherry and honey) will get you glowing again, ready for the party season, with smooth skin and knot-free muscles. Even better, the spa offers a limo pick-up service so you won’t have to battle the holiday traffic.

Thai Privilege Spa, 1047 Uttamah Villas, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah, Dubai, Dhs250 for 90 minutes.

Tel: (04)3489679. thaiprivilegespadubai.com

Biolite Aesthetic Clinic

Lashes Sister’s Beauty Lounge

WHAT: High-impact lashes WHERE: Sister’s Beauty Lounge One of the fastest ways to transform your look is with eyelash extensions (ditch the stick-on strips – too often they look like spiders and they don’t last 24 hours). After an hour with a therapist, her bright light and hundreds of individual lashes you are transformed from sleepy-eyed mere mortal to an ingénue with doe eyes to make Bambi envious. There’s a choice of lengths, from the natural to the downright outrageous (very Priscilla Queen Of The Desert) but your therapist can help you choose. Our advice?

Take a photo of a celeb with the look you like – chances are they’re wearing faux face furniture too. The extensions last up to a month, and you’re guaranteed at least two weeks of high voltage fluttering before they start to fall off, so you’ll be flirting and batting those lashes well into 2012.

Sister’s Beauty Lounge, The Dubai Mall, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3398500.

The Village Mall, Beach Road, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3420787.

Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Street, Abu Dhabi, Dhs600 with refills from Dhs200.

Tel: (02) 2222502. sistersbeautylounge.com WHAT? Magical make-up WHERE: Wherever you like A trip to a beauty counter is great for inspiration, but learning how to apply long-lasting make-up in colours that flatter

your skin tone is a life skill that you’ll use again and again. “With hot lights and dancing it’s important that you use a primer under foundation, I like Estee Lauder’s” says beauty expert Alexis Katrina, who gives lessons in applying and perfecting your technique. As with fashion, certain trends are big at the moment. “Metallics are massive this season, especially on the eyes. Illamasqua’s liquid metal eyeliners in Phenomena and Superior (Dhs100 each, available from Bloomindale’s) are fab; press powder over the top to help them stay put. Keep lips neutral with Dior’s Or Etoile gold shimmer lipstick, which can also be applied over your usual colour for a topcoat shine. For that extra sparkle try Chanel’s limited edition Noel 2011 Poudre Universelle Libre shimmer for face and body – guaranteed to get you noticed”.

Alexa Katerina, from Dhs200 for a makeover and Dhs250 for an hour-long lesson.

Tel: (055) 3932716 WHAT? The men’s makeover WHERE? The Lounge Recent figures suggest that men actually take longer getting ready to go out than the fairer members of the species.

Lies obviously, but at least fellas now have justification to spend more effort than a quick swoosh of the toothbrush and spray of deodorant. The Lounge offers a complete service for pre-party prep. The stylish haircuts and open-blade shaves are tailor-made for heading out onto the town immediately afterwards, meticulous attention paid to avoiding clippings finding their way under the gown and vacuum-tight paper retainer around your neck. The service goes as far as you like, though, up to manicures, pedicures, hair removal and hair/scalp treatments. And the single/double digit car number plates often seen outside betray that Abu Dhabi’s elite trust The Lounge in such departments.

Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, Abu Dhabi, Sat to Thurs 11am to 10pm, various prices.

Tel: (02) 6677377. thelounge.ae DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 119

MIND & BODY

TESTED:

the medi-pedi

If your feet are more like hooves than the soft pink tootsies you were born with then a slick of nail polish won’t cut it. Could a medical pedicure (or medi-pedi to those in the know) save our soles?

THEY SAY

Foot virtuoso Bastien Gonzalez has carved something of a niche for himself and his legion of dedicated staff for offering a more scientific approach to your usual mani-pedi; the 75-minute treatment takes place in a room akin to a dentist’s surgery, rather than a spa. Bastien’s team claims most mani-pedi treatments are purely cosmetic, rather than treating the more serious

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problems, and that the reason we often experience the occasional twinge of pain as a clipper or blade goes too close to your skin is because they are trying to force the shape of the nail, rather than enhance it. Using tools to clean, trim, buff and file, during this hour and a quarter (or longer if your feet look like that man who looked like he was turning into a tree) clients will also receive a massage, as well as walking out with super shiny nails.

WE SAY

The dentist chair is a little bit intimidating, but adds to the feeling that the staff here mean business. Namby-pamby, it ain’t.

While this isn’t a typical ‘spa’ trip, if it’s an effective treatment you’re after – or need – then bypass the nail salon and shell out for a serious session. Yes, it’s expensive, but this is the equivalent of a super deep cleansing facial, rather than paying someone to lark about with

aromatherapy oils for an hour. The massage was relaxing, but the most satisfaction is gained from watching your feet being transformed to rough and cracked to smooth and (somewhat) attractive. Remember that scene in Dumb & Dumber when Lloyd is treated to a pedicure with a belt sander? This is a luxury version of that.

VERDICT

Our feet were left silky soft, didn’t scare young children and are crying out for some new flip-flops to do them justice.

Cure Studio by Bastien Gonzalez, One&Only The Palm, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, 10am to 8pm, Dhs680. Tel: (04) 4401040. thepalm.oneandonlyresorts.com

MIND & BODY

BODY AND SOUL

News, reviews, deals and discounts from the world of well-being

DEAL OF THE MONTH

Buy a face-lift facial, get one free

Happy feet They look silly, but Yoga Toes might just be the solution to your high-heel wearing woes.

Made of flexible gel, they work by separating your toes to realign your foot and stretch the muscles.

Designed for people who spend a lot of time on their feet, dominate the dance floor in vertiginous stilettos or are concerned about bunions.

Start with ten minutes a day and work up to an hour – some people even sleep in them or wear them in the bath. Now that would look silly…

California Chiropractic Sports Medicine Center, Healthcare City, Dubai, from Dhs150. Tel: (04) 4298292. californiachiropracticcenter. com

Top aesthetic therapist Rebecca Treston is offering a free Revital Radio Frequency facial when you pay for one (Dhs1,500) until the end of the month. The treatment lifts your face without using surgery, with heat sent to the sub-dermal layers to blast cells into producing more collagen and boost blood circulation.

Best used on sagging jowls, droopy brow lines and under the eyes, the tightening effects continue to work months after the honr-long session, and the results can last for years.

Rebecca Treston, EuroMed Clinic, Beach Road, Jumeirah, Dubai, Dhs1,500. Tel: (04) 3945422. euromedclinicdubai.com

WIN!

Anti-ageing supplements from Inversion Femme With all the will in the world, your diet might not be giving your body what it needs. Women over 30 should be taking extra care to help fight the effects of ageing, and a supplement is often the easiest way. Inversion Femme is packed with vitamins C, B2, B5, B6, B8, iron, omega 3 and 6 and grape extract, and after two months has been proven to reduce wrinkle depth by 27 per cent, hair-fall by 50 per cent (a particular concern in the UAE), while assisting with weight and inch loss. If you'd like to give your body a helping hand, we have three two-month supplies up for grabs. For your chance to win, simply e-mail winwithwhatson@motivate.ae with INVERSION in the subject line and the answer to this question…

Which of the following is not a good source of vitamin c? a) Chicken nuggets; b) Oranges; c) Kiwi

Heavenly Spa

MUST HAVE

PRODUCT

The Westin, Dubai Marina, Dubai.

Tel: (04) 3994141

WAKE UP YOUR FACE

As essential to the party season as your new LBD, this concentrate is packed with restorative oils to combat puffy eyes, reduce dark circles and convince your boss you had eight hour’s sleep, instead of creeping in at 3am, with tinsel in your hair and falling asleep in your make-up. Naughty.

Harvey Nichols, Mall Of the Emirates, Dubai, Dhs170. Tel: (04) 4098888. harveynichols.com

Two-day yoga fest

The new superfood?

Forget blueberries, goji berries, acai, pomegranate, green tea and that weird supplement your trainer told you to buy, it seems there’s a new superfood in town. Bai coffeefruit – the bit between the skin and the bean – is one of the most powerful antioxidants around, boasting a whopping 4,000 ORAC units (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), compared to the paltry 24 units in blueberries.

Rather than sourcing coffeefruit (impossible), check out the new Bai 5 drink, which contains five calories and is available in five flavours, and is infused with the magic ingredient.

Spinneys, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Dhs14. spinneys.com 122 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

The Westin’s lovely spa has been swept up in the season of giving, with a fab offer running until the end of December. During the week you’ll only pay Dhs499 for beach and pool access, a 55-minute Heavenly massage and a buffet lunch at Blue Orange.

Kicking back on the sofa all weekend is all very well, but if you want to return to work on Sunday morning feeling truly refreshed then you might want to put the remote down and get the foam mat out. This month UAE yoga enthusiasts are coming together on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th for Yoga Fest, an outdoor event that brings together the region's best instructors, aspiring yogis and wannabe flexible friends. Day one covers hatha flow, bikram, budokan, body balance, acro, ashtanga, full moon yoga and more, while day two features styles including hatha for beginners, dynamic, ying and restorative techniques. There is also a meditation tent, activities and competitions running throughout the festival.

Dec 9 to Dec 10, Dubai Internet City, Dubai, 8am, free. Tel: (04) 3911111. dic.ae

NEWS FLASH

Ladies-only classes If the thought of sweating it out in the gym in front of hunky men brings you out in a, well, cold sweat, then head to the Hilton in Abu Dhabi where the health club has launched ladies-only classes by Les Mills.

Choose from body combat, body step, fat burning aerobics and Zumba (each promising to burn up to 700 calories in an hour) with female instructors.

Hilton, Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, Dhs45. Tel: (02) 6811900. abudhabi. hilton.com

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WHAT’S ON

SPORT & OUTDOOR News, opinion, sport and adventure

p127 TIGER IN ABU DHABI · p128 PADDLEBOARDING · p130 ROUND UP DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 125

SPORT & OUTDOOR

Can the tiger rediscover his killer instinct in Abu Dhabi?

Our resident king of the fairways, Golf Digest Editor Robbie Greenfield, looks ahead to Tiger Woods’ 2012 return to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

T

he field for January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship will be the strongest lineup to ever contest a European Tour event in the Middle East.

The world’s top four players (including the man going for a hat-trick of titles, the German golfing machine that is Martin Kaymer) are confirmed.

Joining them will be Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and Open champ Darren Clarke, Aussie Jason Day and Korean star K J Choi. Yet there is another man making his debut, currently ranked well below this illustrious group, who will probably attract more attention than all of them put together.

‘The giants are coming’, says the slogan, and they still don’t come any bigger than Tiger Woods. He has already passed the two-year mark since his last victory and some of the golf he has played this year has been erratic to say the least. The work he has done on his swing under coach Sean Foley is yet to convince under pressure, and his short game is a shadow of its former self. Yet he remains golf ’s very own one-man soap opera.

There is an entirely different allure to watching the Tiger Woods of today versus the man in his prime. That previous incarnation came rubber-stamped with a guarantee of robotic brilliance.

This one is all about the intrigue. Flashes of the old Tiger bubble close to the surface, but he is yet to string four good rounds together since undertaking another swing change with

the somewhat controversial Foley. Woods insists that he’s edging closer, and many believe last month’s exploits in Australia (where he finished third at the Australian Open and secured the winning point for the US in the Presidents Cup) are a clear indication that 2012 could be the year that he storms back to his old form.

But doubts remain, especially over his putting. Woods recently told how he gratefully accepted a putting lesson from Presidents Cup teammate, Steve Stricker.

The veteran American is undoubtedly one of the finest exponents of the art around, but let’s remember that for the best part of a decade, Woods himself was regarded as either the best putter who ever lived, or at the least tied with Jack Nicklaus. Last December’s encouragement at his Chevron

tournament proved premature, so what will the New Year bring?

We shall find out in the UAE capital on January 26, in an event that is making quite a name for itself. The National course has become Martin Kaymer’s own personal playground in recent years, and the German must start as heavy favourite once again, having won his third Falcon Trophy in such dominant fashion last year. But with his long, straight hitting and exceptional putting touch, debutant Jason Day is also one to watch on a course that should suit him. It promises to be a thrilling start to the year. Tiger certainly has his work cut out if he wants to win in Abu Dhabi.

Jan 26 to 29, Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, day pass, Dhs50, four day pass Dhs150. abudhabigolfchampionship.com DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 127

SPORT & OUTDOOR

Paddleboarding December to June is surf season in the UAE, so we’ve challenged our man Matt to become the ultimate beach bum. To kick things off, this month, Matt tackles…

Paddleboarding

A

h, life in the UAE. I’m sure when people first move here they have visions of perfect weather, beautiful beaches, a stack of new experiences and probably something to do with a Burj or two. And, on the whole, they’d be right – but how many of us actually go ahead and live it? The temptation to sit indoors with another box set has always been great, but charmed by the amazing weather – as well as threatened by my editor – I decided it was time to change

out of my office attire and go paddleboarding.

ON THE SAND Put bluntly, paddleboarding is the estranged love child of surfing and kayaking. It requires you to stand up on a large surfboard and use a paddle (that should be roughly six inches taller than you) to manoeuvre and generate speed.

Before casting off, Carl, my instructor, draws an outline of an imaginary board on the sand and talks me through the

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“The most important aspect in paddleboarding is balance” correct positioning, stance and the way of holding the paddle (one hand at the top and the other halfway down, swapping your hands depending on direction). In theory it sounded pretty simple. In reality, it was.

GETTING UP The most important aspect in paddleboarding is balance. If you have good balance, then you’ll be fine, if you’re as shaky as my vertigo-fuelled legs at the top of Burj Khalifa, then prepare to bring a towel and a spare pair of clothes. On dry land most people master the process of going from a kneeling position to standing up by the time they are two years old, on water this is slightly harder.

Carl explains that unlike surfing where you ‘pop up’ quickly, you can take your time getting up on a paddleboard. As long as you are balanced, you are unlikely to fall in and have everyone laughing at your expense.

CASTING OFF Having gone over the various paddling techniques on the beach, I lug my surprisingly heavy board down to the water, mount it, and cast off. I paddle a few metres out on my knees,

128 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

and then slowly climb to my feet, one foot at a time. Once on my feet, the next 15 minutes is spent paddling about learning how to control the board with different strokes. Feeling secure, both Carl and I headed off to paddle around the Burj Al Arab.

VERDICT While certainly not the most challenging sport I have tried, paddleboarding is a fun way to take advantage of the UAE’s beach conditions, and perfect if you want to quickly get on the water without having to worry about the complexities that other watersports pose.

Surf Shop Dubai, Sunset Beach, Umm Suqeim, Dhs125 for 90mins hire and lesson. Tel: (04) 3990989. surfshopdubai.com Paddleboaring lessons at during the Volvo Ocean Race in Abu Dhabi Jan 1 to 14, Puma Paddleboarding School, Race Village, Abu Dhabi, free, 11am to 5pm. volvooceanraceabudhabi.com

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Whatever the occasion, horseracing at Meydan, provides the best backdrop in town for a thoroughly exciting night out. Just 13 minutes from The Dubai Mall, start your weekend at Meydan.

To book your tickets visit meydan.ae or call +971 4 327 2110 from 8am to 8pm Sundays to Thursdays for more information.

SPORTS & OUTDOOR

THE ROUND-UP

News, events and your question answered from the world of sports

NEWS FLASH

Touch Rugby Finals

Powerboat World Champs We hope that the capital’s residents have grown accustomed to engine noise, as hot on the heels of the F1 Grand Prix comes the penultimate round of the F1 Powerboat World Championships. With local boy Thani Al Qamzi in the hunt for the world title, there’s good reason see how the race unfolds.

Dec 8 and 9, Breakwater, Heritage Village, Abu Dhabi, free. Tel: (02) 6815566. f1h2o.com

Coming off an exciting World Cup and a brilliant Dubai Rugby 7s, rugby’s stock has never been higher. So if you’ve caught the bug, make sure you don’t miss finals day as the Abu Dhabi Harlequins Coopers touch rugby series comes to an end. It’s a great day out for all the family with barbecues, bouncy castles and plenty of rugger.

Dec 10, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, 1pm to 6pm, free. Tel: (050) 6145199. abudhabiquins.com

Sky blue

Pay as you go Gym membership can be an intimidating thing. After the hefty upfront payment, most people become ‘too busy’ after a couple of weeks and stop going.

That’s why Platform 3, a new gym in Dubai Marina, has scrapped the idea of yearly subscriptions

and is offering a pay-per-session deal allowing you to fit your gym time around your own schedule and not have to worry about wasting money. Phone ahead though, as your workout has to be booked via appointment.

Platform 3, Park Island, Dubai Marina, from Dhs350.

Tel: (04) 4358083. p3dubai.com

MR FITNESS

In his seven years as a personal trainer, James Houghton has helped everyone from West End actresses to the Arabian Gulf rugby sevens team lose the pounds and keep in shape I've heard squats are an excellent calorie-burner.

Is this true? Tim, Abu Dhabi

The simple answer is yes. However, not all squats are created equal. True squats are probably one of the most misunderstood and feared exercises. It is very rare that 130 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

A SPOT OF FLY-FISHING

It is the kind of sport that makes you long for those retirement years, but not if Martin James has anything to say about it. The world-renowned British angler is bringing his brilliant fly-fishing academy back to the beaches of Al Aqah. Choose from a day package or have a hotel stay at the Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort thrown into the bundle.

Dec 7 and 8, Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, from Dhs600, Tel: (09) 2449000

I come across someone who makes me say "wow, that's a good squat". Let's look at the squat in three different settings: 1) Doing 150 body weight only squats – like you might find in a boot camp 2) A ten to 12 rep max on a 4010 tempo (four seconds down then one second up) 3) A double (that's just two reps in a row) with two x body weight on the bar All three examples are very different and are all going to give you completely different physiological responses and calorie or energy expenditures.

So yes, squats can be an excellent calorie-burner due to the fact that you can use a lot of muscle mass. But, at the end of the day, it depends on how you are utilising them as a tool in your training programme.

UAE fans of the English Premier League team Manchester City will be over the (blue) moon, as the club has launched its official international membership scheme, Sky Blue. Not only do members get the chance to win prizes and hang out with special guests at big match screenings, but should they fancy a trip over to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, they are entitled to discounts of up to 40 per cent on Etihad Airways flights.

We get the feeling that a lot of people flying to Manchester will suddenly become Man City fans… skyblue.mcfc.com

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WHAT’S ON

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE The gigs, the nights and all the latest news and reviews

p135 KATE NASH · p139 BAND OF THE MONTH · p140 NETTLE DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 133

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MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

KATE NASH:

unplugged in Dubai A star in her homeland since crashing the pop world with her number one album Made Of Bricks, London singer-songwriter Kate Nash makes her first appearance in Dubai this month. It’s the first in a series of gigs entitled Unplugged, bringing international names to the Emirates for stripped-down acoustic based shows, with support from Tim Hassall and Caitlin Murphy. We tracked down Kate to get the lowdown on how she plans to reinvent her material for the night, using just a piano and guitar...

How will you be tailoring your set for this gig?

I’m bringing some of my band, my guitarist and drummer, and we’re going to figure it out. There will probably be a few songs we can’t do. I don’t think swearing is allowed in Dubai so I want to respect that. I want to avoid prison! But I can adapt some of the songs.

Foundations has a couple of swear words, but I mute them. Mansion Song, which is a spoken word piece, is definitely too explicit, though.

Do you like challenges when you play live?

It depends what they are, but it’s good to challenge yourself because you’ll grow as a musician and performer.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 135

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

Have you been to Dubai before?

What are you expecting?

I have no idea.

I’ve only been to the airport. It’s an interesting place.

I’ve heard lots about it, but I’m interested to see what it’s really like. People have made jokes that I might annoy some people there, but I don’t know.

I think it will be a cool experience. I’m looking forward to it.

Is it an opportunity to try out some different material?

Probably. I’ve been doing a cover recently of [founder of influential American indierock band The Modern Lovers] Jonathan Richman, so maybe I’ll do that. And I have some new songs, so who knows, I might play some of those. It might be too early, though, because I’m still in the demoing stage at the moment.

“I don’t think swearing is allowed in Dubai.

I want to respect that. I want to avoid prison”

This gig is at the Madinat Theatre in Dubai. You were also a stage actor when you were younger – is that something you plan to revisit?

I actually did a couple of films in New York over the summer, which was really cool. I’m hoping to pursue that. One movie is called Greetings From Tim Buckley, which should be in cinemas next year, and another one is Syrup, which has had quite a lot of buzz around it. It’s a completely different world.

As a musician, I’m a total control freak about every aspect of what I’m doing, from the writing process to the paper that the artwork is printed on, whereas with a film you step in and out of it. You have a role to fill, then you leave and loads of other people have a say in how things turn out.

136 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

It’s good for me to let go a little bit.

Are you happier touring now after having a breakdown on the road a few years back?

Yeah. So much of my life has changed. I feel so much better that I did back then, actually. My life changed really drastically: I was young, 18 or something, was extremely busy and didn’t take any days off. Now I do take care and make sure I have time off between tours. Having a second record really liberated me. I’ve let go of a lot of things I was worried about and I really don’t care what people think of me now. I’m in a good place. I enjoy my job and really appreciate what I do.

Despite the fact that you’ve been filling days off on tour in the UK with a special project?

I’ve been going to schools for after-school music clubs to encourage girls to write songs and play instruments. Last year I found out

some statistics that really shocked me about how few women write their own material, even a lot of women in the charts who claim they write their own songs, but actually don’t.

That really disappointed me and made me feel bad about being a woman. I don’t want to feel like that or for other girls to feel like that.

So I picked six schools during a break from touring and we’d do workshops. As soon as you tell someone ‘You can do this and you’re entitled to feel good about it, don’t be scared’ they can become quite empowered. It’s really important for young teenaged girls especially.

Work on your third album is currently in progress, for a 2012 release. What’s the latest?

I don’t want to give too much away. I’m just trying to get songs together at the moment.

It’s fun. I should be recording it early next year. It’s hard to say what it’s sounding like at the moment; when I take the songs into the studio I’ll be thinking more about the sound of the whole album. I want it to be different.

Each record should be different.

Dec 2, The Amphitheatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 7pm, Dhs180, VIP tables (six people) Dhs2,500. Tel: (056) 6838206. katenash.co.uk

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MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

BAND of the

MONTH

PUFF DADDIES

Forget his Adele covers, comedy parodies and the school run song, Catboy has a new musical project

Who, or what, are Puff Daddies?

Puff Daddies is Scouse entrepreneur Chris Cargill and myself. We’re the new Lennon and McCartney... I’m Julian Lennon and he’s Stella McCartney. We also have a number of other ‘musical fathers’ in our entourage.

How did you meet?

Chris serviced my Jeep at his garage. Sadly he tunes an engine like he tunes his guitar.

Tell us about your sound.

We’re the aural equivalent of a visit to the bathroom. Disgusting, yet ultimately satisfying. Phil Spector had The Wall Of Sound. We’ve taken that a step further with The Trellis-Fence Of Hype.

Which lyric best describes the band ?

“Two of us wearing raincoats, standing solo, in the sun”, by The Beatles. Why? You figure it out.

Who are your musical heroes?

Milli Vanilli, before they went commercial.

having mumps. Part of us thinks we should be playing the arenas... Yas, Emirates Palace, the Seaview… then there’s another bit of us that thinks we should just play at people’s barbecues. There’s less chance of an audience walking out if there’s the promise of free food.

Do you want to be played on the radio, instead of talking on the radio?

I won’t allow us to be played on radio. We’re bigger than that. Even the Internet seems a bit Where can we hear you? old hat for our vision.

We are currently working on our first video. It is a tribute to what we believe is a piece of music What’s the fan base like? Any groupies? that was wasted as a 1980s advertising jingle Varied, to say the least. Due to a somewhat and never released to the public at large. Puff one-sided spat with Dubai’s second biggest band, Juliana Down, we gained rapid notoriety. Daddies will be giving it a unique twist in the hope of finding it a wider audience. We’ll be Our main demographic seems to be bored announcing its release on Twitter. housewives and Nigerian princes.

What’s your musical ambition? Madison Square Garden?

We’ve been offered several high-profile gigs already but had to turn them down due to venues not being able to meet our stringent requirements and one of our musicians

Any gigs coming up?

Due to us being shrouded in so much secrecy, we can’t give a lot away. Some gigs will be announced last minute. That way, we have an excuse if nobody shows. All announcements will be made on our Twitter feed @puffdaddies.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 139

GETTY

MUSIC & NIGHLIFE

HERE’S NETTLE The link between one of the most iconic movies of all time, The Shining, and the UAE isn’t an obvious one. Stay with us though, as multinational experimental musicians Nettle, led by globetrotting DJ and producer Jace Clayton (aka DJ/Rupture), combine the two on their new album El Resplandor: The Shining In Dubai. Reimagining the setting for Stanley Kubrick’s deranged masterpiece as a luxury Emirates hotel, the resulting album is a self-proclaimed soundtrack for a nonexistent film. What’s On tracked down New York-based Clayton to find out more…

Why The Shining? And why Dubai?

The Shining is a classic story, a widespread cultural reference. It was very fertile to imagine setting it in Dubai – from the snowcovered mountains [of the original film] to a hotel in the desert heat. I love the idea of setting a ghost story in Dubai, where so much of the city is so new. Is it possible to have a haunted corporate headquarters that was just built? And of course, hotels are so important to nightlife in Dubai.

What first inspired the idea?

The architecture writer Geoff Manaugh and I were hosting an urbanism event in Los Angeles called Postopolis. The LA Times’ architecture critic gave a presentation on Dubai and afterwards Geoff joked, ‘You know how they remake movies every 20 years? You could do a remake of The Shining and set it in Dubai.’ His concept really stayed with me.

140 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Are architecture and music inherently linked in your mind?

Oh, of course. Buildings can be like characters in a good ghost story, and thinking about this imaginary hotel and its spaces definitely helped to shape and guide the music.

Have you stayed in any luxury hotels in Dubai yourself?

I’ve stayed in nice Dubai hotels twice now, and been to music events in others, but I haven’t been in any of the full-on luxury ones.

How did you come to collaborate with Lamya Gargash, the Emirati artist responsible for the album’s photographic artwork?

I was explaining the album concept to a friend from Dubai and asked for suggestions for appropriate Emirati artwork. He

immediately put me in touch with Lamya.

The images are from her series Presence, from recently vacated houses in the UAE. Will Nettle be performing the soundtrack live? In a luxury hotel in Dubai, perhaps?

We will perform music from the album this December and February in the US and hope to stage it in a hotel in Dubai one day. We don’t project images, but the filmmaker Jem Cohen [who has won awards for his observational portraits of urban landscapes] was recently in the UAE for Sharjah Biennial and took some footage of Dubai with us in mind. I haven’t seen it yet, but we have worked together before and I love what he does. So, soon our concerts may have ghostly traces of footage from the nonexistent film. subrosa.net

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CLUB DIARY

This month's clubbing highlights

1

Karizma @ MustHaveSoul House and funky delights from the celebrated Baltimore tastemaker.

360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 7pm to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. myspace.com/ kohesiveproductions WEEKLY

Aperitivo @ M-Dek Relax poolside with laidback and downtempo post-office sounds from rotating residents.

Media One Hotel, Media City, Dubai, 5pm to 9pm, free. Tel: (04) 4271000. mediaonehotel.com Big Al @ Audio Tonic Ready Mix label head honcho, plus resident Soulfisher.

Sea Lounge, Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 8pm to 2pm, free. Tel: (056) 6037275. audiotonic.net Ele:mental @ Pearls Bar Boogie Box and Optidelic Sessions meld house with soul.

Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Between The Bridges, Abu Dhabi, 10pm to 3am, free. Tel: (02) 509855. shangri-la.com World Top DJs Festival 2011 @ Al Badia Golf Club Ex-Prodigy man Leeroy Thornhill, Freemasons, Artful Dodger and many more grace this three-day blowout (also Dec 2 and 3).

Al Badia Golf Club, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, 4pm to 11.30pm, one-day ticket Dhs250 (Rugby 7s ticket holders Dhs125), one-day VIP pass Dhs995 (with unlimited beverages), three-day ticket Dhs450. Tel: (050) 1434477 or (050) 1434499. worldtopdjs.com

2

WEEKLY

Brandon Block and Tall Paul @ Bora Bora Abu Dhabi Clubbing institutions come to the capital city for this island party, plus residents.

Al Maya Island, Abu Dhabi, noon to 10pm, Dhs185. Tel: (050) 3174696 or (050) 8174156. brandonblock.com DJ Swerve @ Ministry Of Sound R&B Anthems The Kiss FM man is joined by Radio 1’s DJ Schooly.

Sensation, Crowne Plaza Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs100, ladies free before 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 3311111. djswerve.com Immaculate Touch Pool Party @ Aloft Celebrating a year of IT parties with DJs Natalie Brogan, Chadphunk, Stew Magoo and Lucio on sax.

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, 2pm to 3am, Dhs100, ladies free before 4pm. Tel: (02) 6545138 aloftabudhabi.com WHAT'S ON PICK

Kate Nash Official After Party @ Ill Communications Post-show knees-up for the British singer-songwriter’s Amphitheatre appearance.

Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs130, Dhs100 before midnight, ladies free until 11pm. Tel: (050) 7258277. facebook.com/sisofficial Manu-L @ Plus Minus Sessions Poolside party with Dubai debut from Monza Ibiza label man Manu-L, plus Jixo & Danz, Nassaria Amore and Richard S. M-Dek, Media One Hotel, Media City, Dubai, noon to 3am, free. Tel: (056) 7893897. myspace.com/djmanu-l

Urban Education @ Pearls Bar Hip hop, R&B, dancehall and funk from Rone Jaxx (every Friday until Dec 20).

Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Between The Bridges, Abu Dhabi, 4pm to 3am, free.

Tel: (02) 509855. decadent.ae

3

WEEKLY

Eclectic Circle @ MustHaveSoul From funk to Motown, the MHS crew’s residents pick the choicest classics and obscurities.

360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. musthavesoul. com WEEKLY

So.Be @ Sea Lounge Rone Jaxx and Cliff Townley soundtrack the sunset.

Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 4pm to late, free.

Tel: (02) 6563500. decadent.ae

5

Enter The Epicenter @ Anahid Fashion Nights DJ action from Soheil Ray and Farhad B. Armani/Privé, Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs100, ladies free.

Tel: (04) 8883308. dubai.armanihotels.com

6

Beirut Night Life @ Cinnabar DJ Sam spins the best in Lebanese tunes, with live singer.

Hilton Abu Dhabi, Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, 10pm to late, free. Tel: (02) 6811900. hilton.com WEEKLY

WEEKLY

Residents @ MustHaveSoul A revolving cast of MHS’s finest DJs take control in the capital.

Sea Lounge, Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 4pm to 2am, free.

Tel: (02) 6563500. musthavesoul.com Downtown Party Network @ Audio Tonic Lithuanian duo Saulty and Bradka debut in the UAE with a six-hour set.

360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. facebook.com/ downtownpartynetwork WEEKLY

2

DJ Swerve @ Ministry Of Sound R&B Anthems

142 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Ultra Fridays @ 88 Ultra Lounge Deep and soulful beats from resident spinner DJ Phil.

Traders Hotel, Deira City Centre, Dubai, 6pm to late, free. Tel: (04) 2657288. shangri-la.com

Mademoiselle @ Rare The Place Schooly D, David Craig, Marky B and more play the finest in funk, soul and disco.

Media Rotana Hotel, Tecom, Dubai, 9pm to late, free. Tel: (055) 3675501. rotana.com/ mediarotana

7

Alex Seda @ Fashion Overdose Ibiza-based US electronica and house DJ jets in from the holiday island.

Armani/Privé, Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs100, ladies free.

Tel: (04) 8883308. alexseda.com

8

WEEKLY

Audio Tonic @ Sea Lounge The residents kick off the weekend with house delights beside the Arabian waters.

8

Armin van Buuren @Creamfields Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 8pm to 2pm, free. Tel: (056) 6037275. audiotonic.net Creamfields @ Yas Arena Deadmau5, Tiësto, Magnetic Man, Katy B and more.

Yas Island, 8pm to 4am, one-day pass Dhs325, two-day pass Dhs525, tables Dhs7,500 to Dhs9,500. Tel: (800) 35274. creamfields.ae Dave Mayer @ Infusion Magazine Experience Defected label approved producer/DJ fires up his decks.

360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 5pm to 2am, free. Tel: (04) 4068999. davemayer.nl Housexy @ Pearls Bar Smooth house, deep disco and contemporary floor fillers from Ministry Of Sound (also Dec 15 and 29) Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Between The Bridges, Abu Dhabi, 7pm to 3am, free.

Tel: (02) 509855. decadent.ae Snakebite @ Gold Swiss-BelHotel New monthly indie and punk-rock night with DJ Sister Rock.

Al Mina Road, Bur Dubai, Dubai, 9pm to 3am, free. Tel: (04) 30198888

9

Kassey Voorn @ Audio Tonic Greek remix whizz makes his first appearance in the Emirates 360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. myspace.com/ kasseyvoorn

15

Duff Disco @ Bar Rumba Red Hot Chili Peppers/Skee-Lo/Mark Morrison edit king returns to the city.

M-Dek, Media One Hotel, Media City, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs100. Tel: (04) 4271000. facebook.com/duffdisco

Residents Xmas Party @ MustHaveSoul Celebrate the season with some house goodies from the MHS gang.

360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 7pm to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. musthavesoul.com

16

Alex Niggemann @ Audio Tonic Rescheduled show for the Berlin house master after a cancellation in October.

360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. myspace.com/ alexniggemann Step On @ Catwalk It’s indie all the way, as Rude Larry and ME return for more guitar-driven fun.

Golden Tulip, Al Barsha, Dubai, 9pm to 3am, free. Tel: (050) 4649360. facebook.com/ StepOnDubai WHAT'S ON PICK

DJ Gregory @ Festival Of Fire Full Moon Party Beats, fire performers, the Globalfunk drum ‘n’ bass floor and more.

Nasimi Beach, Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, 5pm to 2am, Dhs100, Dhs50 before 8pm, ladies free. Tel: (055) 2004321. atlantisthepalm.com

9

Kassey Voorn @ Audio Tonic

DJ Carlos @ Viva Egyptian spinner is joined by Darko De Jan and Patrik Carrera.

Armani/Privé, Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs100, ladies free.

Tel: (04) 8883308. dubai.armanihotels.com Mark Broom @ Ill Communications London techno stalwart brings the expertly crafted beats.

Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs130, Dhs100 before midnight, ladies free until 11pm.

Tel: (050) 7258277. myspace.com/ markbroom The Futureheads @ Propaganda DJ set from the Sunderland indieists, plus DJ Dan and Andy Buchan.

Chi @ The Lodge, Oud Metha Road, Dubai, 9pm to late, Dhs100, ladies free before midnight. Tel: (04) 3379470. chinightclubdubai.com

20

See You Next Tuesday Indie/disco/electro with free cocktails for ladies all night.

Republique, The Address, Dubai Mall, Dubai, 9pm to 3am, free. Tel: (050) 4880876. clubrepublique.com

9 Luciano @ Peppermint Experience Swiss-born DJ and producer Luciano was raised in Chile, giving his electronic wares a distinctly South American lilt.

Dubai is the latest stop in his ceaseless globetrotting…

Swiss-Chilean is a fairly unusual cultural mix. How did that shape you personally and musically?

It is like the world is and has to be; a big multicultural mix. I spent different periods of my life in each country and all this experience showed me many aspects of life.

Do you return to Chile often now you live in Europe again?

I’ve just been there for Creamfields Santiago. I go there at least once a year and will try to go longer next year with all my family. We are still very attached to the country, and have family and friends there.

22

WHAT'S ON PICK

Hot Toddy @ Bar Rumba Crazy P chap switches guises to his alternative production guise for a first Dubai set as Hot Toddy.

M-Dek, Media One Hotel, Media City, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs100. Tel: (04) 4271000. myspace.com/hottoddyuk Parrish James @ Infusion Magazine Experience Party tunes from mash-up master Parrish James.

360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 5pm to 2am, free. Tel: (04) 4068999. jumeirah.com

23

Joakim @ Ill Communications Parisian electro trendsetter and Tigersushi label boss slinks into town.

Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs130, Dhs100 before midnight, ladies free until 11pm. Tel: (050) 7258277. joakim.tv WEEKLY

MustHaveSoul Xmas Party @ Sea Lounge Festive house-based celebrations with Tom Chubb, Melohman and Simon Reid.

Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 4pm to 2am, free. Tel: (02) 6563500. musthavesoul.com

You’ve played just about every continent on Earth during your career. Where’s left?

Maybe India.

Are you looking forward to Dubai?

What sounds will we hear?

Of course. Just come and be surprised.

The festive season is fast approaching. What do you want for Christmas?

Health for all my family and friends, and more peace all around the world.

Dubai World Trade Center Arena, 9pm to 3am, Dhs200, VIP Dhs275. Tel: (050) 3571113 or (050) 1100678. myspace.com/ luciennluciano

Residents Xmas Party @ Audio Tonic Get down with Raxon, JC and Rich Showell (residents also play on Dec 30) 360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. audiotonic.net

24

Amnesia at Relax@12 DJ Darko De Jan fills the hours until Santa arrives.

Aloft, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, 5pm to 3am, free.

Tel: (02) 6545138. aloftabudhabi.com

27

Josh Wink @ Ill Communications The Higher State Of Consciousness club leviathan returns to Dubai.

Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs130, Dhs100 before midnight, ladies free until 11pm. Tel: (050) 7258277. joshwink.com MoFunk @ Republique Get hip and loose with DJ Schooly and guests for a night of funk, soul and disco.

The Address, Dubai Mall, Dubai, 6pm to 3am, free. Tel: (050) 4880876. clubrepublique.com

30

Chris Montana @ Viva Party starting tunes all the way from Germany.

Armani/Privé, Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, 10pm to 3am, Dhs100, ladies free. Tel: (04) 8883308. dubai.armanihotels.com

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 143

NEW YEAR’S EVE CLUB DIARY SPECIAL Dance into 2012 with our pick of the big NYE nights

Loaded NYE @ Casa Latina Indie and alternative bangers to get you in the party mood.

Ibis Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, 9pm to 3am, Dhs350. Tel: (055) 8825675. facebook.com/seeyounextfriday Longest NYE Party In Dubai @ Republique An 11-hour monster, including options for dinner and breakfast.

Republique, The Address, Dubai Mall, Dubai, 7pm to 6am, Dhs1,500 inc dinner and breakfast, Dhs750 for open bar at Republique. Tel: (050) 4880876. clubrepublique.com

Armin Van Buuren @ The White Out Bash

GETTY IMAGE

The Dutch superstar DJ can’t wait to ring in the New Year in Dubai, with a warm-up set from Madjam

144 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

The White Out Bash demands that attendees wear all white. Will you be joining the dress code?

Of course. I like the fact that it’s a white party. Especially on NYE it’s great to see people united. I’m very excited and happy to celebrate NYE in Dubai again.

I’m bringing my whole light and video show, so you guys better be ready.

What tune will you drop at midnight?

Maybe This Light Between Us. It’s always such a positive tune and I like people to hear something positive to start the New Year.

What was your best ever NYE? Last year I did an Armin Only show in Melbourne for 23.000 people. A ninehour set. It was amazing!

Ever had any NYE disasters?

That same night in Melbourne my brother broke his foot while onstage.

He kept on playing and only went to a doctor the next day. He’s OK now though.

Any New Year’s resolutions?

Yes, I want to spend more time in my game room and be with my little daughter Fenna more.

Dubai World Trade Center Saeed Hall, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, 9pm to late, Dhs400, VIP Dhs600 to Dhs1,000.

Tel: (050) 3571113. arminvanbuuren.com

Jimpster @ Audio Tonic & MustHaveSoul

Jimpster teams up with Kiko Navarro, plus Tristan Bain, Mr Mr and Simon Reid, this NYE in Dubai. We got celebratory with the British deep house scene leader…

Are you looking forward to NYE? Yes. The gig is at 360˚, so I'll be seeing it in alfresco, with a stunning backdrop, great music and a bunch of people who have become good friends over the last five years since first playing in Dubai.

What tune will you drop at midnight?

Always a tricky one. I remember playing a gig with Tony [Colman] from London Elektricity about 12 years ago. He played The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony and it rocked it. Saying that, most the time everyone's running around at midnight so the music becomes more of a background thing.

What was your best ever NYE? Probably Millennium New Year’s

GETTY IMAGE

Arabic New Year’s Eve Party @ Zenith Lebanese spinners play Arabic hits all night, with a live belly dancer.

Sheraton, Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, 9pm to late, Dhs400, ladies Dhs200, free flowing house beverages, private tables Dhs2000, VIP tables Dhs3,500. Tel: (02) 6773333. sheraton.com

Ministry Of Sound @ M-Dek Tom Murgatroyd, Kristian Valdini and Anas guide you out of 2011, plus live sax and percussionist.

Media One Hotel, Media City, Dubai, 9pm to 3am, Dhs295 (free drinks 9pm to midnight).

Tel: (04) 4271000. mediaonehotel.com New Year @ Zinc Greg Stanier and Rone Jaxx see in the New Year with house, R&B and hip hop, plus Mr Hush on bongos.

Crowne Plaza Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, 9pm to late, Dhs150, free before 10pm, ladies free. Tel: (04) 3311111. cpdxb.com New Year’s Eve @ Relax@12 DJs Natalie Brogan, Stew Magoo and Chadphunk cue up the celebratory tunes.

Aloft, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, 8pm to late, Dhs600 (unlimited beverages 8pm to 3am). Tel: (02) 6545138. aloftabudhabi.com

Eve: a big group of us travelled down to Cornwall and stayed in a friend’s hotel, which was closed to the public, so we had the run of the place. We set up decks and had a great party, and then New Year’s day went for a long walk along the Cornish coast, which was stunning.

Any New Year’s resolutions?

Or hopes for 2012?

Strictly no New Year’s resolutions for me. Why set yourself up for failure?

From a personal point of view, I hope to get quality time spent in the studio in 2012 so I can complete a new Jimpster LP. 360º, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 8pm to late, Dhs500 (includes canapés and glass of bubbly). Tel: (056) 6826617. facebook.com/jimpster.freerange

Sandance NYE @ Sandance Beach A star-studded line-up, featuring Roger Sanchez, Basement Jaxx (DJ set), Above & Beyond, Sister Bliss from Faithless and many more.

Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, 3pm to 3am, Dhs350, Dhs250 advance, VIP Dhs450. Tel: (055) 2004321. atlantisthepalm.com

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NEWS

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The gigs, tunes, news, reviews and giveaways to keep your social life buzzing

Chris Brown comes to town

Admittedly he’s better known for assaulting Rihanna than the R&B tunes that made him a star, but Chris Brown still has a huge fanbase who have been waiting for him to make his UAE debut.

Brown first hit our radios in 2005 at the age of 16 with his self-titled album and single, Run It!. His Jackson-esque dancing skills and catchy club tunes have gained him double platinum discs and award-winning videos, in spite of his reputation damaging behaviour.

Skullcandy headphones

A cheeky gift for a music-loving pal or a treat for yourself, we love the new Hesh headphones from Skullcandy. Jumbo sized, in your face colours and pure sonic pleasure put them on our wishlist this Christmas. For your chance to win one of five pairs, e-mail winwithwhatson@motivate.ae with the answer to this question…

What is the Skullcandy logo? a) A skull b) A kitten c) A lollipop

Slumdog King AR Rahman to perform

Composer AR Rahman, the prolific Indian musicmaker best known for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, will be performing his hits in a special effects-packed concert on December 9. Teaming up with the creative director behind stage shows from the likes of Britney Spears and Mariah Carey, there will be dancers, acrobatics, theatre and modern sets, while staying true to Rahman's traditional roots. Rahman was named one of TIME magazine’s top 100 most influential people, has appeared on Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno's shows, as well as performing for Barack Obama. He is also a member of Mick Jagger’s supergroup, SuperHeavy, which includes Dave Stewart, Joss Stone and Damian Marley. With over 100 albums to his name, this concert will be well worth a watch.

Dec 9, Dubai Sports City, Dubai, from Dhs100. boxofficeme.com

Dec 9, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, 9pm, from Dhs195. chrisbrownworld.com

Soundtrack to a life If you didn’t catch the award-winning documentary Teta, Alf Marra, then you’re yet to discover the magic of the music.

The film tells the tale of a grandmother struggling with the silence of her once buzzing home, with the music of her late husband, a violinist, serenading her story. The soundtrack is now available, with re-orchestrations and compositions

by Dubai-based Nabil Amarshi.

Virgin Megastores, Dubai Mall, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Mall, Abu Dhabi, Dhs50. nabilamarshi.com

CUBAN FEVER Blends in The Address Dubai Marina is set to become even more popular, with the launch of weekly Cuban-themed evenings. Each Wednesday is Havana Night, where 146 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

you can enjoy complimentary Salsa lessons with Aloj Junco and free drinks for the ladies, all to Cuban Latino beats and percussion.

Wed, The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 7pm, free. Tel: (04) 4367777. theaddress.com

NEW OPENING OF THE MONTH

Embassy Celeb spotters rejoice – Embassy has opened. A fave of the fashion pack and footballers alike, the Dubai outpost of this exclusive member’s club will no doubt pull in the visiting A-listers and sate the cravings of the UAE’s most stylish socialites. And if the opening party is anything to go by, this is the place to be seen.

Grosvenor House, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3176000. grosvenorhouse-dubai. com

NEWS FLASH

MusicHall to open in Dubai!

It’s a Beirut institution – one of the best nights out we’ve ever had – and now MusicHall is coming to Dubai.

The original venue is housed in an old theatre, featuring live acts (think genres from house to Bilal The Gypsy King) performing for 15-minute slots, with a DJ getting the crowd revved up between sets.

Most evenings start off fairly tame, with people seated at tables, but before long the place explodes and you’re hugging the group next to you while dancing to Lebanese show tunes.

The UAE club opens in January and will be in the super-shiny and opulent Zabeel Saray hotel on The Palm Jumeirah. We can’t wait. jumeirah.com

EXPERIENCE OUR NEW

FRIDAY BRUNCH

AED

*

@ WEST SIDE RESTAURANT Fridays 12 noon – 4 pm

*Subject to 10% service charges and 6% tourism fees

For rates and group offers, please contact: Oryx Hotel Abu Dhabi, Zayed the First Street, Khalidiya Phone: 02 681 0001, reservations@oryxhotel.ae, www.oryxhotel.ae

WHAT’S ON

TRAVEL

Destinations, insider tips, deals and news

p150 NEW YORK · p153 GOURMET TRAVELLER · p154 UKRAINE · p156 TRAVEL EXTRA · p157 WIN! DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 149

TRAVEL

The big apple, the city that never sleeps, so good they named it twice, if you can make it there you can make it anywhere. New York city is a legend. Ditch your guidebook, we’ve rounded up the coolest places to stay, see, eat and shop Midtown in 2010, serving a French-Vietnamese menu, and it’s one of the coolest places to dine in the city. Make sure you pick up a copy of the newly launched Lucky Peach magazine, created for Momofuku by Dave Eggers’ McSweeney’s publishing company.

15 West 56th Street, NYC. Tel: (212) 2471045. momofuku.com EAT AND DRINK… Ma Peche Thirty-four year old Korean American chef David Chang has become a big name on the New York and world dining scenes in recent years with his Momofuku brand opening restaurants across the city. Ma Peche opened in 150 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Bar Boulud Chef Daniel Boulud hails from Lyon, but has made his name in New York with his eponymous three-Michelin star restaurant Daniel. Bar Boulud is a more casual bistro, perfect for lunch.

We recently enjoyed the $29 three-course set menu at the

Uptown restaurant, just across the road from the Lincoln Center, and it was superb value for money.

1900 Broadway, NYC. Tel: (212) 5950303. barboulud.com Spotted Pig Run by British chef April Bloomfield, the crowds flock to Spotted Pig for the burger and stay for the atmosphere. Shoe-string fries with rosemary and rock salt, bankers around the bar chatting up tourists, groups huddled at tables sharing dinner and a queue out of the door – get there early and don’t give up your spot. Jay-Z eats here when he’s in town. That’s all you need to know.

314 West 11th Street, NYC. Tel: (212) 6200393. thespottedpig.com South Gate The kitchen at the Jumeirah Essex House hotel’s restaurant, located in a historic building on Central Park South, is expertly helmed by chef Hefferman who sources

ingredients from local farmers and fishermen to create an appealing menu. We ate a delicious veal chop when we last visited, while taking in the view of Central Park.

Jumeirah Essex House, 160 Central Park South, NYC. Tel: (212) 2470300. jumeirah.com Brooklyn Fare For most in the local community, Brooklyn Fare is a grocery store.

But foodies from across the world are desperate to secure a seat at chef Cesar Ramirez’s threeMichelin star 18-seat chef ’s table, to enjoy the 25 to 30 small plates on his tasting menu. Bookings are taken at 10.30am on Mondays six weeks out, and you’ll have to be on the ball.

200 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NYC. Tel: (718) 2430050. brooklynfare.com Beauty & Essex Enter through the façade of a fully functioning pawnshop (yes, really) and you’ll find yourself in

TRAVEL

NEED TO KNOW HOW TO GET THERE

Emirates flies to New York daily from Dubai from Dhs6,920. emirates.com Etihad flies to New York daily from Abu Dhabi from Dhs6,430. etihadairways.com

a two-storey bar-restaurant, full of leather couches, chandeliers and beautiful people. Even a trip to the bathroom here is worth a Facebook status update; in the ladies they serve free-flowing pink champagne. Hygienic?

Probably not. Do you care? Not a jot. If you’re going for dinner opt for the crostini with ricotta, honey, grilled fruit, basil and chilli, then a box of doughnuts.

146 Essex St, NYC. Tel: (212) 6140146. beautyandessex.com

SLEEP… Soho House New York Caprice Holdings, the company

behind restaurants such as The Ivy and Rivington Grill as well as Soho House and Shoreditch House in London, now have several US houses. Soho House New York, located over six floors of an old warehouse in the trendy Meatpacking District boasts restaurant, bar, Cowshed spa, a 44-seat cinema and 24 rooms replete with retro mismatched furniture, wooden floors and beams, and plenty of free entertainment. The Playhouse, with its freestanding bath, is our favourite.

29 to 35 Ninth Avenue, NYC. Tel: (212) 6279800. sohohouseny.com The Gansevoort Slap bang in the heart of the Meatpacking District, The Gansevoort is as popular for its packed rooftop bar and chic taupe pool table in the lobby as it is for resting your weary head. With knock-out views of the Hudson River, a swimming pool, achingly hip bars within

walking distance (watch your heels on those cobbles) and a popular spa, this hotel was one of the first to stake its claim in the neighbourhood, so it’s a favourite with hardened New Yorkers and visitors alike.

18 Ninth Avenue at 13th Street, NYC. Tel: (212) 2066700. hotelgansevoort.com Smyth Tribeca Mad Men styling, quirky objets d’art (think mini robots and lots of clocks) dotted around, Dean & Deluca snacks in the mini bar and Keihl’s products in the shower; this boutique hotel is the very definition of modern NYC. It’s also the home to reality TV super-family the Kardashians when they’re in the city, so expect blacked-out Escalades, paparazzi and celeb-laden parties on the terraces. The hotel’s Plein Sud brasserie is the brainchild of Chef Ed Cotton of Top Chef fame, but there are plenty of cafès and restaurants nearby, as well as

enough boutiques to warrant buying an extra suitcase.

85 West Broadway, NYC. Tel: (212) 5877000. thompsonhotels.com

SHOP… New York’s oldest Barnes & Noble Among the big brands and shiny storefronts of Fifth Avenue, a dark, iconic shop sits perched on the corner. The first branch of the now ubiquitous Barnes & Noble booksellers. Inside it is slightly grubby, with low ceilings and books piled everywhere; a labyrinth of literature. Authors make regular visits for signings, so DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 151

Dubai D Du b i ba

an aer aerial aeri ial ia al tour

Dubai Dirk Laubner

an aerial tour

Dirk Laubner

TRAVEL do your research and you might just run into one of the greats.

105 Fifth Avenue, NYC. Tel: (212) 6755500. bnnewyork.com Anthropologie The go-to store for quirky homewares, fast-moving fashions and jewellery guaranteed to start a conversation, there are branches of Anthropologie all over the city.

Surprising well-priced – there’s a manic sale area in the Fifth Avenue outpost – it’s constantly full of creative under-30s feathering their nests and seeking out a new tea dress or vintage style pyjamas.

85 Fifth Avenue, NYC. Tel: (212) 6275885. anthropologie.com The Upper Rust The treasures from this tiny shop filled with china, frames, mirrors,

knick-knacks, furniture and oddities (all with handwritten price tags) spill out onto the East Village pavement, tempting in bargain hunters. Dig deep and you’ll find antique keys, etchings and lamps; just the pieces to add some offbeat charm to your home. You might want to steer clear of the taxidermy to avoid awkward questioning at the airport, though.

445 East 9th Street, NYC, Wed to Sun. Tel: (212) 533953 J Crew It might be a high street chain, but anyone who has visited the US clothing store will regularly bemoan the fact its brand of classic, well-made and affordable staples is yet to reach these shores.

Look out for the men’s and women’s speciality stores currently

popping up around town.

347 Madison Avenue and various locations, NYC. Tel: (212) 9490570. jcrew.com

EXPLORE… High Line New Yorkers Joshua David and Robert Hammond started a NGO to campaign against the demolition of this former 1930s rail track in the 1990s, and in 2009 the

High Line finally opened. An elevated public walkway fringed with greenery, it runs 2.33km from the Meatpacking District to Chelsea. Take a stroll. thehighline.org Blue Note Whether you’re a jazz fan or just somebody looking to visit a New York institution, the city’s most famous jazz club is well worth a visit. Ticket prices can be steep, but some of the jazz world’s biggest stars, from Chick Corea to Herbie Hancock play this tightly packed club in the West Village.

131 West 3rd Street, NYC. Tel: (212) 4758592. bluenote.net

Gourmet traveller Food and travel are abiding passions for Middle East Chairman of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants judging panel, James Brennan. This month he reveals the joys of an Armenian Christmas Christmas comes but once a year – except when it comes more than once. Which is every year. Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6th, so if you want to combine your festivities with a bit of travel, you can bag yourself a bonus Christmas and all the great grub that comes with it. And the best thing is, you won’t even have to leave the Middle East.

With a growing Armenian community in the UAE, there’s a chance that you can blag your way into a house party without travelling. But there are Armenian neighbourhoods to be found elsewhere. Burj Hamoud is a bustling Armenian suburb of Beirut. But one of the most charming Armenian districts is in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

There’s a thriving Armenian community in Al Jdeideh, the city’s Christian quarter. It was built in the 16th century but, since Aleppo is older than Christmas itself, people call it the New City. Grand merchants’ houses line narrow cobbled lanes. Passageways and alleys are full of lanterns, gabled firstfloor windows, wooden shutters, and strangled electricity cables.

If the scarred stonewalls could tell tales, it would take a million Christmases to hear them all.

Some of the merchants’ houses have been converted into inns catering to the trickle of tourists. Their courtyard restaurants occupy serene nooks splashed with Orientalist tat, woodcarvings, wrought-iron banisters and creeping ivy. One such restaurant is Kasr Al Wali,

where a raft of Armenian treats await the yuletide traveller.

Kebabs, both lamb and chicken, will almost certainly feature alongside chelo rice – similar to that eaten in Iran to celebrate Norooz or Persian New Year. You should also be on the lookout for topig, which is a kind of kofta made from chickpeas and potatoes with an onion, currant and pine nut stuffing. So good it’s not for sharing.

One delicacy you certainly won’t want to leave out for Santa Claus (or Gaghant Baba to Armenians) is anoushabour, or

Armenian Christmas pudding.

Although it’s more of a sweet soup than a pudding. This wonderful melange of stewed skinless whole wheat berries, raisins, apricots, cinnamon and a sackful of sugar will make you doubly thankful that the Armenians set their Christmas by the old Julian calendar.

What’s that? You want another Christmas? A bit greedy, isn’t it? Oh, go on then.

If you’re quick you can head over to Egypt and pull a cracker with the Coptic community, who celebrate Christmas on January 7th.

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 153

TRAVEL

THE

BREADBASKET OF EUROPE Blossoming after tough post-Soviet years, the Ukraine is the latest eastern European must-visit destination…

World heritage: Saint Sophia Cathedral

A

round a five-hour flight from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the Ukraine is an even younger country than the Emirates, currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of its independence as the UAE celebrates its 40th. Known as the breadbasket of Europe thanks to its baking prowess, only Russia has a larger landmass on the continent. In such a huge country, unsurprisingly there’s an abundance of eclectic backdrops within reasonable driving distance of the capital, Kiev. What’s On hit the road to visit three cities in three days…

KIEV The country’s capital and cultural hub, Kiev is a bustling mix of the 21st century and, in the old town area, a striking backdrop of spectacular architecture dating back hundreds of years.

WHAT TO SEE

In two words: Mother Motherland. A 154 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

monumental statue in every sense, this 200metre high Soviet-era goliath towers over the edge of the city centre. Think the Statue Of Liberty or Christ The Redeemer in Rio. It’s that impressive.

WHERE TO VISIT

Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery – orthodox Christian places of worship collectively known as the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historic-Cultural Preserve – are both World Heritage Sites. It’s not hard to see why: the cathedral’s landmark gold-topped domes are visible for miles around.

WHERE TO STAY

We have to recommend the five-star Hyatt Regency. Excellently appointed, it boasts an incredibly convenient location and eye-catching views, overlooking the aforementioned Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Alla Tarasova Street, Kiev. Tel: +380 44 5811234. kiev.regency.hyatt.com

Monumental monument: Mother Motherland

TRAVEL Square, dominated by a statue of Lenin, is worth strolling through, too.

KHARKIV Also known as Kharkov, the sky-scraping chimneys of this predominantly industrial city hark back to clichéd images of USSR conurbations, yet it’s fairly easy to locate all sorts of live music and underground culture.

WHAT TO SEE

The Metalist Stadium, home to top Ukrainian football club Metalist Kharkiv, is a brand new 38,000 capacity ground built for Euro 2012 this coming summer. It’s a spectacular sight, especially when lit up at night.

Avoid it on match days if you’re not a fan though, as things can become a little hostile. The huge Freedom

WHERE TO VISIT

The Kharkiv Art Museum is a Ukrainian institution and hosts regular exhibitions of the country’s finest art, giving a glimpse into the region’s past and culture. Entry is a somewhat confusing process, however, so take a Ukrainian speaker along if you can.

WHERE TO STAY

For a taste of Ukrainian luxury, try the Chichikov Hotel in the downtown district, full of imaginative design touches throughout its 50 or so rooms.

Gogola Street, Kharkov. Tel: +380 57 7522300. chichikov-hotel.com.ua

Sumy side: Second city, Sumy boasts a number of beautiful churches

SUMY In contrast to the Kiev’s sprawling metropolis, Sumy – or Sumi – is an entirely more intimate experience. The eastern Ukrainian city is home to around 300,000 people who, from our experience, are among the friendliest and most welcoming anywhere in the world.

Footy fan: visit Metalist Kharkiv's home ground, The Metalist Stadium

WHAT TO SEE

After Kiev, Sumy’s cathedrals and museums could pale a little, especially as it’s not exactly a tourist hot stop. Despite the almost Scandinavian centre, rebuilt after heavy damage during the Second World War, imposingly beautiful churches are still left standing.

WHERE TO VISIT

Ditch the high culture for a day: we found an excellent little café bar/venue called the Underground, with a pizzeria counter serving up some of the most mouthwatering slices we’ve ever tasted.

WHERE TO STAY

In keeping with Sumy’s size, its hotel range is modest. The Pan Hotel is our top choice, however, a small three-storey tucked away on a quiet historic street only five minutes from downtown.

Kuznechniy Street, Sumy. Tel: +380 95 728 8468. hotel-pan.sumy.ua

NEED TO KNOW GETTING THERE

Flydubai (Dubai), Ukraine International (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Aerosvit (Dubai) and Air Arabia (Sharjah) fly direct from the UAE from Dhs1,450 return. flydubai.com flyuia.com aerosvit.com airarabia.com

LANGUAGE

Ukrainian and Russian.

Learning a few words of both is advisable.

Most young Ukrainians can converse in English but most of their parents’ generation, who grew up in the shadow of the Iron Curtain, speak very little.

CURRENCY

The currency in Ukraine is called the Hryvnia (pronounced ‘greevna’) One hryvnia = 0.458 UAE dirhams

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 155

TRAVEL

EXTRA

ADVICE, DEALS AND OTHER TASTY TRAVEL TIDBITS

Travels with…

Sultan Al Darmaki Al Ain-raised, London-based shoe designer Sultan Al Darmaki is a rising star in the. His footwear creations were recently included in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent collection...

What’s the best holiday you’ve ever had?

Greece. I studied The Acropolis and I felt connected to that place. I went a couple of years ago and I’m planning to go again very soon. I went to Nafplion but spent most my time in Athens. I really love that city.

What’s been your biggest travel disaster?

Lost luggage. Before launching my brand I decided to fly to Paris and meet some friends, then I flew to Germany. In transit my entire luggage was lost. I spent a week in Germany without any clothes. Let’s just say, I improvised.

If you could advise people to visit one destination, what would it be?

Probably one of the resorts here in Abu Dhabi: Desert Islands [at Sir Bani Yas Island]. Between October to December is the right time to go.

It’s very beautiful and relaxing. I spent time on the beach, did the wildlife safari and, because it’s in the middle of nowhere, it gives you time to reflect.

What do you never travel without?

My BlackBerry. Oh my, I can never do without that, even on vacations. I say ‘I’m not going to switch it on’ but I always do.

Is there anywhere left on your travel wish list?

Marrakesh. I’ve haven’t been to Morocco. I’ve heard the culture is magical. Before I start work on my autumn/winter collection, I might actually fly there. And I’ve been pretty much everywhere in Europe except Spain, so that’s on the list as well. darmaki.com

Travel news and international deals GOA The beautiful Alila Diwa Goa resort, is offering three nights (including breakfast), a meal at its Bistro/Spice Studio, a picnic excursion and a two person spa treatment. The perfect way to start or end the year with that special someone.

Until Dec 28, Alila Diwa Goa, Goa, India.

Dhs2,900. Tel: (+91) 8322746800. alilahotels. com/diwagoa FESTIVE FLORENCE The spectacular Il Salviatino hotel in the Tuscan hills is offering rooms for Dhs1,700, including a host of Christmas goodies.

Dec 8 to Jan 8, Il Salviatino, Italy, Dhs1,700. Tel: (+39) 0559041111. salviatino.com 156 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

DIVE MUSANDAM Closer to home, the Six Senses at Zighy Bay Musandam are offering a four-night villa stay with a private pool, two full days diving excursion and breakfast for an enticing Dhs1,500 per night.

Valid until Sept 2012, Six Senses Zighy Bay, Musandam, Oman, Dhs1,500 per night.

Tel: (+968) 26735 555. sixsenses.com WORLD GREEN TOURISM This month Abu Dhabi hosts the World Green Tourism event. The three day event is the only one in the region dedicated to the promotion of sustainable tourism.

Dec 5 to 7, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi. Tel: (04) 4475357. worldgreentourism.ae

THE STAMP COLLECTOR Open Skies editor and passport stamp collector Conor Purcell answers your travel dilemmas I want to take a relaxing five day beachbased break within five hours of the UAE, but I can't stand the idea of going to a mainstream resort. Can you suggest an interesting alternative, please?

Ed, Abu Dhabi

Sri Lanka is easily the closest destination, with world-class beaches and enough accommodation options to please both luxury lovers and backpackers. The best beaches start north of the capital Colombo (at Negombo) and curve all the way down the coast to Hambantota. The best beaches are those clustered around the southern tip of the island – both Tangalle and Unawatuna are great. There is also enough to do inland (from trekking to tea tasting) should you get bored of doing nothing.

Sinai in Egypt is also another great place for beaches – Sharm El Sheikh has the fivestar hotels, while Dahab, further north, is more chilled – although both are better for the diving than the sand. Closer to home, Oman has a number of great beaches (Zighy Bay, the Chedi and Shangri-La have nice, private shorelines). Enjoy!

WIN! WIN! WIN! A duo of dazzling travel prizes waiting to be won.

Just e-mail winwithwhatson@motivate.ae with the prize in the subject line, the correct answer and your contact details

WIN! A STAY AND brUNCH WIN! A STAY AT LAYIA OAK AT THE mEDIA rOTANA HOTEL & SUITES Whether you fancy a party weekend or just a few days of postChristmas relaxation, this is the competition for you. To ease you into 2012, we’re offering you and a guest a weekend stay at the Media Rotana in Tecom, including brunch at The Terrace, the outdoor bar where you’ll find cocktails, shisha and a tempting menu. If you’d like to win a weekend away for two, you’ll have to answer this question correctly…

Treat yourself to a mini-break in the heart of Dubai, with this lovely prize. You and a guest could be kicking back in a fab hotel suite and enjoying breakfast for two. The perfect base for enjoying January’s shopping festival, Layia Oak Hotel & Suites is five minutes from Mall Of The Emirates, ten minutes from Marina Mall and close to Ibn Battuta Mall. Just don’t send us the credit card bill, please. If you want to win a night’s stay, you’ll have to know the answer to this question…

Which of these is not a popular shisha flavour? a) Grape b) Apple c) Curry

Which of the following festivals doesn’t take place in Dubai? a) Shopping Festival b) Jazz Festival c) Glastonbury

AD DECEmbEr 2011 WHAT’S ON 157

WIN! WIN! WIN! A two-night stay at Desert Islands Resort & Spa By Anantara

To enter this fantastic competition, just e-mail

WIN! A TWO-NIGHT STAY AT DESERT ISLANDS RESORT & SPA BY ANANTARA A stay at Desert Islands Resort & Spa is a sure-fire way to start 2012 in style. We have teamed up with this luxurious resort to offer one lucky winner and their guest a two-night mini-break (including breakfast) to remember, complete with a wildlife drive where you can spot oryx, cheetah, giraffes and striped hyena, with the help of your expert guide. Situated on Sir Bani Yas Island, the hotel is surrounded by the clear waters of the Arabian Gulf, and is reached by a 15-minute ferry journey. Once at the hotel, you’ll be able to relax by the pool or in

winwithwhatson@motivate.ae

with ‘Desert islands‘ in the subject line and the correct answer to the question

your five-star room. What a way to kick off the New Year. For your chance to win this amazing prize, just e-mail winwithwhatson@motivate.ae with ‘Desert Islands’ in the subject line, plus your contact details and the correct answer to this question: Which of the following are you unlikely to spot on the wildlife drive? a) Cheetahs b) Hyenas c) Triceratops DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 159

AED600 per person includes beverages and asian tapas VIP tables available Overnight package AED 1,400 includes accommodation and 2 tickets.

All prices inclusive of service charge.

New Years8pmEve til 3am DJ Nathalie Brogan | DJ Chad Phunk | DJ Stew Magoo Strictly over 21’s

Relax@12, Aloft Abu Dhabi Hotel, Located at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Khaleej Al Arabi Street, Abu Dhabi.

For more info and bookings give us a buzz on 02 654 5013 or check out our Facebook page facebook.com/aloftabudhabi

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IT’S YOUR TURN

TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL

Get set to rev your engines. At Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, you finally have the chance to get behind the wheel and see where your imagination takes you.

When you visit the world’s first Ferrari branded theme park, you’ll finally have the chance to live the Ferrari dream in ways you never imagined possible.

Experience the legend like never before, with over 20 rides and attractions in the world’s largest indoor theme park.

ferrariworldabudhabi.com

THE HOT LIST The best of the best

KEY

New entry Non-mover Up Down

p131 BRUNCES · p135 BARS · p139 RESTAURANTS · p143 SPAS DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 161

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THE HOT LIST BRUNCHES

OUR PICK OF THE BRUNCH BUNCH

Al Qasr

1 Traiteur

2

ATMOSPHERE

FOOD

LOCATION

BEST FOR

PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

INFO

The open terrace during the cooler winter months and the chic clientelle make Traiteur a delight.

Oysters, charcuterie, alfresco spitroasts, lobster, eggs benedict, smoked salmon.

Need we say more?

Try the private dining room or book a table outside on the terrace and enjoy the sun.

That's where you'll find Team What's On.

Right now. Jazz, girls in summer dresses, men in crisp white shirts and the best French brasserie food in town.

Up to you – Dhs375 sans booze, Dhs450 with wine and beer, Dhs595 with bubbly and Dhs1,998 with a limo pick up.

Retaining the number one spot, the smart terrace and excellent food make for a stylish Friday.

Park Hyatt Dubai, Deira, Dubai, noon to 4pm. Tel: (04) 3172222. dubai. park.hyatt.com

This is brunch turned up to the maximum.

If you can think of a type of cuisine, they probably have it. From Spanish delicacies to steak, and everything in between.

The large outdoor terrace, now open for winter, adds to the feast at Al Hambra, Arboretum and MJ’s Steakhouse.

Calling up everyone you know in your phonebook to the same brunch and indulging.

A price tag of Dhs525 makes Al Qasr one of the most expensive brunches in town. But that's to be expected.

Recently knocked off its perch, the Al Qasr juggernaught will not be held down for long.

Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah, Al Qasr, Al Sufouh, Dubai, 12.30pm to 4pm. Tel: (04) 3666730. jumeirah.com

One of Dubai's most popular brunches. Get a definate answer from your friends and book ahead.

There's a good selection of hot dishes from the a la carte menu, as well as plently of freshly prepared sushi and sashimi.

Still our favourite brunch at DIFC. The others need to step up.

Sharing small plates with your best and beloveds - that's what Zuma is best at.

Kitsu (no alcohol) Dhs315, Kowaku Dhs425 (with alcohol) and Kyasha (with champers) Dhs550.

After eating here, it's hard to believe that the Japanese didn't invent brunch.

Building 6, DIFC, Dubai, 12.30pm to 4pm. Tel: (04) 4255660. zumarestaurant. com

This is a fine dining brunch, without the pompousness.

Choose a three hour slot between noon and 11pm, that suits you best.

A selection of antipasti, dedicated charcuterie room, cheeses, a la carte menu and carving station, so you'll be well fed.

Located inside the Burj Khalifa, with a view overlooking the fountains. Not too shabby.

Take your time here. Like everything in Italy, there is no need to rush.

Dhs240 without alcohol, Dhs340 with house beverages and Dhs550 with premium beverages.

Brunch As sharpas asyou a want cut it. Choose finely Armani the time that suit, but much suits you, and tastier. pick from the uncomplicated menu.

Armani Hotel Dubai, Downtown, Dubai, noon to 11pm. Tel: (04) 8883888. dubai. armanihotels. com

The high life indeed, but polo enthusiasts can make some noise from the outdoor terrace.

A huge room full of starters and puds, lovely roast meats down the corridor and a live cooking station outside.

Very picturesque indeed, with the polo field mere feet away for some post-brunch entertainment.

Wonderful in the sunshine and plenty for children to do too, with a bouncy castle.

Dhs199 (including soft drinks), Dhs275 with selected drinks and Dhs399 with drinks and half a bottle of bubbly.

A civilised gathering with friends and family alike.

Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Arabian Ranches, Dubai, noon to 3pm. Tel: (04) 3618111. poloclubdubai. com

Al Qasr

3 Zuma

4

Armani/ Peck

5

Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club

Traiteur

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 163

HOT ON THE HEELS

BRUNCHES

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Belgian Beer Café

PRICE ATMOSPHERE WHAT’S ON FOOD SAYS...

6 Toshi

7

The Grand Grill

8

JazzSumptuous

9

Thai Kitchen

10 Belgian Beer Café

11 PICNIC BRUNCH

Thai Kitchen

INFOLOCATION

BEST FOR

Held on a Saturday, the Picture Perfect Picnic Brunch is a lovely way to while away an afternoon, with dishes brought to your table (or blanket) along with jugs of Pimms.

There’s a buffet too (top ribs), loungey music, a sugar-coma inducing dessert selection and gorgeous views of the greens. We’ll be back.

Al Badia Golf Club, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, noon to 4pm, Dhs225 with soft drinks, Dhs395 with house beverages.

Tel: (04) 701127. albadiagolfclub.ae PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

INFO

Although we are confused by the contradictory "evening brunch" label, there is nothing contradictory about the fun, but low-key, vibe.

It's Asian Night, so think sushi, dim sum, soup and grilled meats made to order.

On 18th floor of the Grand Millennium hotel with a bar just next door for post-10pm drinks. And the Belgian Beer Cafe downstairs.

Capitalising on a long, and wellstocked dinner with your friends

An eminently reasonable Dhs235.

Our favourite dinner-brunch.

Perfect for when you can't get away on Friday day time.

Grand Millennium Dubai, Tecom, Al Barsha, Dubai, 7pm to 10pm. Tel: (04) 4299999. millenniumhotels. com

If you're looking for a quiet little lunch, then avoid this place.

It's responsible for some of the best parties in town.

Buckets of beer, plates piled high with meat, plus various sides and salads.

Stroll to Barasti to carry on the party.

Impromptu singing and dancing with the ever-friendly waiting staff.

A bargain at Dhs295 with alcohol or Dhs225 without.

The What's On Award 2011 winner for best brunch. The people have spoken

Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa, Lobby level, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 12.30pm to 4pm. Tel: (04) 3994221. thegrandgrill. com

Come one, come all the JazzSumptuous brunch has something for everyone.

Greeted with fizz, you are bombarded with live cooking stations, buffet delights and an addictive cheeseroom.

A bit isolated at the Jebel Ali end of town, but Barasti and McGettigan's are not far if you're looking to carry on the party.

Keeping the children happy.

There is bouncy castles, face painting, mini zoo and even their own buffet to keep them content.

Dhs495 with Laurent Perrier, Dhs395 with house beverages and Dhs295 with soft drinks.

Definately for those people who like the finer things in life.

Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, The Gardens, Dubai, 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Tel: (04) 4445613. moevenpickhotels.com

It's Thai food on a lovely chilled out terrace, need we say more?

An a la carte menu and table service – just like dinner. But it's all you can eat.

Make your way to The Terrace bar after brunch for a tipple or two.

Taking it slow and reveling in the good life.

Dhs245, making it one of the best value brunches in Dubai.

Great value for some top notch Thai food.

Park Hyatt Dubai, Deira, Dubai, noon to 4pm. Tel: (04) 3172222. dubai. park.hyatt.com

It's a high-end Europeanstyle pub with a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.

Order from the menu, help yourself to cold cuts, salads and cheeses from the buffet and then move on to the carving stations.

Book a table outside on the terrace and enjoy the beautiful weather.

A pub lunch and then some.

And just look at the price. That should make you smile.

Dhs249. Now that's a fair price.

Shortlisted for the What's On Award's best brunch – for this price it comes as no surprise.

Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City, Dubai, 1pm to 4pm. Tel: (04) 7011128. ichotelsgroup. com

164 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

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THE HOT LIST

THE FINEST FOR BEVERAGES AND BITES

BARS

Barasti

ATMOSPHERE

1

Jetty Lounge

2 Zuma

3 360°

4 Barast

5 Loca

LOCATION

360°

BEST FOR

Jetty Lounge

PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

INFO

The ultimate in beach chic, Jetty is relaxed, stylish and full of beautiful people. And the weather is perfect for a glass of Pimms and a lazy stroll on the sands.

Right on the beach at the original One&Only. It's a dreamy spot overlooking the water, complete with light-up seats and a very cool blue bar inside.

Sundowners, pre-dinner drinks, romantic evenings, nights out en masse. Pretty much everything.

It's not cheap. At all. But you won't begrudge the bill when you're in such a stunning setting.

An hour here is guaranteed to convince your best pal from home to move to Dubai.

One&Only Royal Mirage, Al Sufouh, Dubai, 2pm to late.

Tel: (04) 3999999. oneandonlyresorts. com

Slicker than a penguin on ice skates, with sleek décor, gorgeous staff and seriously stylish clientele.

Dress down at your peril.

Slap bang in the middle of DIFC’s stylish concrete jungle.

The 2am licence is back. Toot toot.

Drinks aren't cheap (especially the vino) but cocktails are high quality and well-priced.

It's our happy place, especially with all those new dishes on the menu.

Building 6, DIFC, Dubai, Fri to Wed noon to 2am, Thurs noon to 3am. Tel: (04) 4255660. zumarestaurant.com

Packed with shiny, happy people having the time of their lives in the fading sun and under the stars.

A knock-out spot, with the crowds catching golf carts up the jetty and being delivered at the door.

Some of the best music the city has to offer, from visiting DJs to local talent. Don those dancing shoes.

Steep. It's one for the end of the month.

Packed on a Friday night. We prefer Barasti for a weekend lunch or Saturday evening drink, when the hoardes are snoozing in the sun getting burnt.

It's a Dubai institution for its prime beachfront location, split level bars and proximity to the marina.

You're guaranteed to bump into everyone you've ever met in Dubai – including that person you've been trying to avoid.

Surprisingly expensive for all its laid-back beach bar vibe, but the food is well-priced.

The public have voted; Barasti is Dubai's favourite bar.

Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Resort & Spa, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 11am to 2am.

Tel: (04) 3993333. lemeridienseyahi.com

Full of friends gathered around high tables, boys at the bar and couples dining a deux. It kicks up a gear later on.

It loses points for not being on a beach, but then it wouldn't have that industrial charm, now would it?

Loca is ideal for group nights out when you can dominate a long table, but couples might get jostled about a bit.

Average, but don't get carried away with the 'serve yourself' beer taps dotted around.

Enjoy now, pay later...

A genuinely cool bar in an unexpected spot, with the tunes to match.

Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa, Beach Road, Jumeirah, Dubai, noon to 2am. Tel: (04) 3461111. dxbmarine.com

, We're

digging the MustHaveSoul Saturday sessions. A sweet end to the weekend.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Al Sufouh, Dubai, Sun to Thurs 5pm to 2am, Fri and Sat 4pm to 2am. Tel: (04) 4068744. jumeirah.com

DECEMBER NOVEMBER2011 2010 WHAT’S WHAT’SON ON 167

BARS

HOT ON THE HEroE, MLovSenpick

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Caramel

McGettigan's

ATMOSPHERE

6

McGettigan's

7

At.Mosphere

8

Caramel

9

Belgian Beer Café

10

Siddharta Lounge

11 WEST BEACH BISTRO The top choice for the footie if you live in the Marina, WBB is packed if there’s a match on.

There’s always a happy hour or two, the food is decent (order the ribs and a bucket of onion rings) and if football isn’t your thing then it’s a great choice for post-Laughter Factory chat.

Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach, JBR, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Sun to Wed 6pm to 2am, Thurs to Sat, noon to 2am. Tel: (04) 4498888. moevenpick-hotels.com

LOCATION

BEST FOR

As more people move into JLT, McG's just gains in popularity. And it's a good crowd, too.

Luckily, the staff can keep up with drinks orders.

Situated at the Bonnington hotel, it has its own entrance so you don't need to leave via a bright lobby. Always difficult after a night on the Guinness.

The outdoor area has reopened and there's a raft of live music coming up.

This is definitely one to watch.

Seriously hefty portions of pub grub at decent prices, and the drinks bill won't make you wince either.

It's the highest bar in the world, so expect some well-heeled lounge lizards. This place is particularly rammed on Wednesdays.

On the 122nd floor of the world's tallest building. It doesn't get much more glam than that.

Take guests for sundowners or impress a date.

The views over Old Town are staggering.

As high as you would expect.

Ladies enjoy two free glasses of bubbly on Wednesdays, but otherwise food and drink prices are sky high. Gulp.

Check out Geordiebird's review on page 15.

Burj Khalifa, Downtown, Dubai, noon to 1am.

Tel: (04) 8883828. atmosphereburjkhalifa. com

It's a slick crowd, with DIFC types heading for a much needed post-office drink. Fridays are a bit quieter, though.

Another jewel in DIFC’s crown, Caramel keeps well-heeled types well fed and watered.

Lollipop chicken and some mini burgers, please. The food is fab.

It’s pricey, but that goes with the territory in this part of town.

The terrace at the back is the place to be, so remember to book a table or you'll have no hope of a seat.

Building 3, DIFC, Dubai, 7pm to midnight.

Tel: (04) 4256677. carameldubai.com

Bustling, with packed pews inside but, now the weather is cooler, the large terrace is the only place to be.

One of the first dining and drinking spots in Festival City, the BBC has been joined by a bevy of outlets.

That view, a cold drink and some moules frites and your worries will melt away.

There are drink and dinner deals through the week, but it can be on the expensive side otherwise.

We love the Victorian tiles, vintage signage and European pub feel.

Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City, Festival City, Dubai, 7.30pm to midnight.

Tel: (04) 7012222. ichotelsgroup.com

Still a newbie on the Dubai bar scene, Siddharta maintains a nice, mellow vibe.

The private lift to Siddharta sits directly opposite sister outlet Buddha Bar, giving the place an exclusive air.

A couple of bottles of wine and some nibbles with friends in a luxurious lounge setting.

It's not cheap, and you will definitely be wanting to order some of the small plates, which aren't budget friendly either.

With Embassy now open, Tower Two is the place to be seen in the marina.

Grosvenor House Dubai, Tower Two, Dubai Marina, Dubai, daily 5pm to midnight.

Tel: (04) 3176000. grosvenorhousedubai.com

168 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

McGettigan's recieved the gong for favourite pub grub at this year's awards.

Well-deserved.

INFO Bonnington Hotel, JLT, Dubai, 12.30pm to 3am. Tel: (04) 3560470. bonningtontower.com

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THE HOT LIST

THE ELITE OF THE EATING OUT SCENE

RESTAURANTS

Rivington Grill

1

Table 9 By Nick And Scott

2

La Petite Maison

3 Zuma

4

Rivington Grill

5

Indego By Vineet

ATMOSPHERE

INTERIOR

Nick and Scott are in the process of de-Ramsayfying their restaurant with music, a video screen and local artworks.

The interior hasn't changed much since T9 replaced Verre, but given time, we're sure to see an entirely different restaurant.

Any restaurant in Dubai would take a machette to a stranger for a buzz like LPM's. It's how we wish every restaurant would be.

FOOD

MARCH 2010 WHAT’S ON 171

Zuma

LOCATION

PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

INFO

The most exciting menu you will find in Dubai at the moment. Turn to page 72 for our verdict.

It's still at Dubai Creek, but any self respecting foodie will travel.

In every other city, the hottest new restaurants are outside the centre.

We paid Dhs590 for two without alcohol. The veggie tasting menu is Dhs300, the regular is Dhs450. Both are seven courses.

The deserving winner of our Best Newcomer award, T9 is the restaurant to visit this month.

Hilton Dubai Creek, Dubai, Sun to Fri 7pm to midnight. Tel: (04) 2271131. hilton.com

A long bar, open kitchen, clever spacing betweeen the tables allowing just enough intimacy. LPM knows what's what.

Chef Izi, who would have been a contender for our Chef Of The Year, has gone.

But the food remains. Order the lobster.

LPM is the king of DIFC. Even the mighty Zuma can't steal its crown.

It depends entirely on the number of small plates you order, but Dhs800 to Dhs1,000 should do it for two, sans wine.

Our Restaurant Of The Year is still on top form, despite the departure of chef Izi.

DIFC, Gate Village 8, Dubai, Sun to Fri noon to 2.30pm and 7pm to 11pm. Tel: (04) 4390505. lpmdubai.ae

We visited Zuma recently on a Wednesday evening. During the three hours we were there only two tables were empty.

Serious covers.

The restaurant is bright, alive with the slicing of sharpened sushi knives and full of happy, chattering guests.

Chef Refai Bin Othman's kitchen is constantly creating new dishes. Try the grilled lobster and marinated chicken.

DIFC has Zuma, LPM and Gaucho.

Emirates Towers boats The Ivy and Hakkasan.

And there are more to come.

You're looking at Dhs1,000 for two for dinner.

Set lunch menus start at Dhs62.

Dubai's favourite Japanese Restaurant, says you. A good choice, says What's On.

Building 6, DIFC, Sat to Thurs 12.30pm to 3pm, Sat to Wed 7pm to midnight, Thurs and Fri 7pm to 1am. Tel: (04) 4255660. zumarestaurant. com

The Riv has never been short of customers when we've visited.

They're fiercely loyal.

Clean, bright and white, with chalkboards displaying the ever changing daily specials and a buzzing open kitchen.

Make sure you check out the specials board, and book a table on the terrace for the Saturday roast.

Will the Souk Al Bahar outlet remain full when its sister opens at rival tourist hub the Madinat?

Around Dhs400 for two, but on weekdays you can enjoy two courses at lunchtime for Dhs80, or three for Dhs100.

The people's favourite European.

Need we say more? Yes, we rather like the RG, too.

Souk Al Bahar, Level 3, Old Town, Dubai, noon to 7pm. Tel: (04) 4230903. rivingtongrill.ae

Indego isn't as packed as some on our Hot List, but it's a great place to sit back, relax and enjoy the finest Indian food in Dubai.

A becushioned entranceway, a winding stairway and a warm inviting restaurant. With a terrace.

The chefs are all trained by the modern master of Indian cuisine Vineet Bhatia who visits regularly. Expect to be wowed.

Tower Two has all the attention, and Richard Sandoval, but Tower One has Vineet Bhatia and Gary Rhodes.

Dhs900 for two without alcohol is about standard. But it's definitely worth splashing out.

Dubai's The favourite Indian, favouirteIndian according in Dubai, to you, our readers. according to No arguments you, our readers. from us.

No arguments from us.

Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Sun to Thurs 7.30pm to 11pm. Tel: (04) 3176000. grosvenorhousedubai.com

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 171

RESTAURANTS

HOT ON EELSl Meridien THenEtyH 10, Le Roya

11 Rhodes Tw The Monarch Dubai 12 Okku, wers Emirates To 13 The Ivy, Mezzanine, 14 Rhodes ai House Dub Grosvenor wers Emirates To n, sa ka ak 15 H

Asado

PRICE ATMOSPHERE WHAT’S INTERIOR ON SAYS...

6 Traiteur

7

Gaucho

8

Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire

9

Toro Toro

10 Asado

Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire

INFO FOOD

13THE IVY The Ivy has not set the city’s dining scene alight as expected – mainly due to its mall location – but the food and decor is spot on.

A popular spot for lunch, and now with a new Friday brunch concept (see page 82) it is a restaurant well worth visiting, and is a powerful weapon in Emirates Towers’ culinary arsenal. Perfect for Christmas dinner.

Emirates Towers, Dubai, Sun to Wed noon to 11am, Thurs to Sat noon to 11.30pm.

Tel: (04) 3198767. theivy.ae

LOCATION

PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

INFO

Chef Of The Year, Franck Detrait,'s runs one of the most consistent kitchens in town.

Park Hyatt Dubai, Deira, DubaiSun to Fri 7pm to midnight. Tel: (04) 3172222. dubai. park.hyatt.com

At this time of year you would be a fool not to book a table outside where you can soak up the atmosphere from The Terrace bar.

A busy open kitchen and high ceiling combine to make Traiteur one of the most attractive restaurants in town.

You must try the new pumpkin and truffle risotto, land you can't go wrong with the red meat dishes.

Head over to The Terrace after dinner and enjoy a tipple with a view of the marina.

The degustation menu is Dhs375 for four courses and coffee. For a la carte you're talking around Dhs650 for two.

When we visited just a few weeks after opening, Gaucho was already doing a healthy business.

The cowhide is in questionable taste, but overall Gaucho is an impressive space. Check out the wine tasting room.

Check out our review on page 67. Order the rib eye and a glass of the tempranillo.

DIFC, where almost all the hottest restaurants in town are located these days.

Gaucho will be a contender.

Not as expensive as some of its neighbours. We paid Dhs625 for two without alcohol when we visited recently.

Make sure you discuss the wine menu with sommelier Marina Diaz.

There aren't many tables, but Gagnaire's name will always ensure a steady flow of customers, and the lunch offers are popular.

Purple and pink.

A touch regal, a tad camp, a jot mad. Very, very French. A bit like Pierre, really.

You never know with Pierre Gagnaire's restaurant, but it's sure to be exciting.

InterContinental Dubai Festival City, where it has its own private floor.

Dinner for two will hit Dhs1,000, but the lunch is a bargain at Dhs180. As is the Friday lunch at Dhs390 with wine pairings.

We met up with Pierre when he was in town recently, so expect new dishes soon.

InterContiental Dubai Festival City, DFC, Dubai, 7pm to 1am.

Tel: (04) 7011128. ichotelsgroup. com

Richard Sandoval's restaurant, bar and club has proved an instant hit with Marina dwellers.

Two floors. Bar/ lounge upstairs.

Restaurant downstairs. It's dark, sexy and sure to be a hit with anyone who likes to stay up late.

Try any of the small plates.

A particular favourite is the swordfish causa limena.

Grosvenor House Tower Two, Dubai Marina's new hottest night spot.

Our bill was Dhs1,000 for two sans booze, but with the small plate sharing concept you could spend more or less.

Toro Toro offers Marinaites what Zuma, Gaucho and Hakkasan provide at DIFC.

Grosvenor House Dubai, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Sat to Wed 7pm to 2am, Thurs and Fri 7pm to 3am.

Tel: (04) 3176000. grosvenorhouse -dubai.com

Sunday night is Tango night.

Even if you don't dance (like us), it's tremendous fun to watch.

Take a seat on the terrace for a superb view of the Burj.

The lamb rack, the slow cooked veal brisket and the roast baby goat are all delicious.

The Palace.

Right in the centre of town. A great meeting place for disparate groups of friends.

You would be looking at around Dhs700 for two, without alcohol.

There's a new Argentinian restaurant at DIFC (Gaucho), but we still love Asado's rustic charms.

The Palace – The Old Town, Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, Dubai, 7pm to midnight.

Tel: (04) 8883828. theaddress.com

172 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

Podium Level, Gate Village 5, DIFC, Dubai, Mon to Sun 11.30am to 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 4227898 www. gauchorestaurants. co.uk

THE HOT LIST SPAS

THE DADDIES OF THE HEALTH AND LEISURE SCENE

One&Only Spa

THERAPISTS

1

MENU

THE SPA

Amara Spa

PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

INFO

Therapist Wi is a superstar, but the staff have been recruited from other SensAsia outposts so really know their stuff.

Big brand names, shorter treatments and cheaper prices.

It's a winning combination.

The sassier younger sister to the other branches, this spa is pared down with everything you need in your small but perfectly formed treatment room.

Dhs155 for a back, neck and shoulder massage, minifacials costing Dhs60 and Dhs225 for a body wrap.

Very reasonable indeed.

We're becoming regulars in this tucked away spa.

Mall Of The Emirates, Al Barsha, Dubai, Sun to Wed 10am to 10pm, Thur to Sat 10am to midnight Tel: (04) 3549228. sensasiaspas.com

Some of the best therapists in the city, and no doubt. They're well-informed, charming and at ease to explain everything you need to know.

Extensive, with everything from day-long ESPA rituals to effective medi-pedis from Bastien Gonzalez.

See page 120 for our review

Simply gorgeous, with terracotta, woods and lovely fabrics. Sumptuous treatment rooms and a VIP area for couples complete the experience.

Surprisingly reasonable for shorter treatments, ranging up to the big bucks for daylong rituals.

We'd move in if they'd let us; imagine having a dip in that swimming pool every day. Sigh.

One&Only The Palm, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, 10am to 9pm.

Tel: (04) 4401010. thepalm. oneandonlyresorts. com

Clearly very happy in their jobs, the therapists here take pride in making sure you have an amazing spa experince.

Grouped by theme, there’s an emphasis on rituals and packages that include pool and health club access.

And the pool is a knockout.

From the tiled entrance to the outdoor showers, Amara is gorgeous.

It is especially good for couples, with romantic VIP suites.

It's not cheap, but there are monthly offers that take the sting out. We reckon the quality of products, spa and therapists are worth it.

There's a music menu, so don't fear a two-hour pan-pipe extravaganza.

Park Hyatt Dubai, Deira, Dubai, 9am to 10pm.

Tel: (04) 6021234. dubai.park.hyatt.com

4

Quiet, courteous and just the ticket if you need a soothing afternoon of expert pampering.

Packed with Natura Bissé products, luxurious rituals and a special gents' menu.

Mid-price, but with high-quality products and welltrained therapists on hand the bill is justified.

We loved the rituals. Themed by mood, you can wake up, slow down, reflect and more.

The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 9am to 9pm.

Tel: (04) 4367777. theaddress.com

5

This spa is a rabbit's warren of treatment rooms and lounges. The changing rooms are stocked with Aromatherapy Associates goodies.

When we visited, our therapist, Woody, was a consummate professional – knowledgeable and intuitive.

The extensive list includes Tibetan treatments, facials, scrubs, wraps, foot treatments, traditional and signature massages and hammam rituals.

Check out the five hammam pools ranging in temperature from 18˚C to 38˚C.

The bespoke Intuitive massage is Dhs420 for 60 minutes or Dhs540 for 90 minutes.

Tailored to your specified needs, it’s one of the best we’ve had.

Remember your swimmers and make time for the hammam pools.

Grosvenor House Dubai, Tower Two, Dubai Marina, Dubai, 9.15am to 10pm.

Tel: (04) 3998888. grosvenorhousedubai.com

SensAsia Express

2

One&Only Spa

3

Amara Spa

The Spa

B/Attitude

DECEMBER 2011 WHAT’S ON 175

HOT ON THE HSpEa,EBaLnySan Tree

ee 11 Banyan Tr Wadi Al Hotel pa, Armani 12 Armani/S Desert Palm a, Sp 13 Lime Atlantis a & Fitness, 14 ShuiQi Sp e Palm Th arch Spa, The Mon 15 Mandara

SPAS

SensAsia

THERAPISTS

6

7

8

The Spa

9

The Spa

10 Talise Spa

THE SPA

It’s a fair old trek out of Dubai (allow an hour) but once you arrive at the Banyan Tree spa it’s suddenly worthwhile. The highlight is The Rainforest, a hydrotherapy experience that includes tropical showers, ice caves and steam areas, ending in a giant pool. The treatment rooms are rather lovely too, with Asian-inspired massages, body scrubs and more.

Banyan Tree Al Wadi, Ras Al Khaimah, 10am to 10pm. Tel: (07) 206777. banyantreespa.com PRICE

WHAT’S ON SAYS...

INFO

Just lovely.

Expertly trained and very sweet to boot.

Both innovative and imaginative, the menu caters for mums-to-be, golfers, high-heel fans and frequent flyers. And everyone else, too.

Asian chic with splashes of jewel tones to balance the signature Oriental ambience; the cosy rooms are a true treat. It has the best dressing gowns in town, too.

Worth a visit for the ginger tea alone, but if you choose wisely you’ll get an hourlong massage for Dhs310.

This is one of Dubai's best home-grown brands.

Thumbs up.

Emirates Golf Club, The Village Mall and Shoreline Apartments, Dubai, 10am to 10pm.

Tel: (04) 4179820. sensaisaapas.com

Lily, our eyebrow expert, is one of the most professional and efficient waxers in town, and her colleagues are equally superb.

There's a focus on nails, threading and facials, with Dermalogica products, the infamous UMO gold facial and hairstyling all on offer.

More of a salon than a spa, the branches of Sisters are modern, bright and friendly.

There's also a branch in The Dubai Mall.

It's a neighbourhood spot, with manicures for Dhs70, eyebrow shaping for Dhs30 and a full body massage for Dhs275.

We have them on speed dial.

Check out the eyelash extension review on page 119.

The Village Mall, Beach Road, Jumeirah, Dubai., 9am to 9pm.

Tel: (04) 3420787. sistersbeautylounge. com

Superbly trained therapists are on hand to guide you through the vast spa on your journey from reception to relaxation.

Tired? Try out the highly recommended jet lag treatment. If you’re looking for something else, there’s a separate menu for ladies and gents.

Only minutes away from the stress of The Dubai Mall, this shrine is a tranquil haven for shoppers.

The regular offers will take the sting out and save you some money for the mall.

Make sure you leave time for relaxing in the lounge afterwards.

The Address Dubai Mall, Old Town, Dubai, 10am to 10pm.

Tel: (04) 4388888. theaddress.com

Be prepared for the therapists to whisk you away from the daily grind into a cocoon of comfort.

You won’t be spoilt for choice here, but there is a decent selection of rituals for lengthy pampering.

High-quality spa real estate – the relaxation rooms overlook the lakes at the base of Burj Khalifa.

It may seem pricey, but you’ll get your money’s worth by enjoying the relaxation and steam areas.

Jam-packed with pros; there’s a mix of nationalities and specialities, from massage therapists to a GP.

In addition to a vast spa menu, Talise has a naturopath, life coaching and medical testing on offer.

A lovely setting, with treatment rooms tucked away among leafy pathways and a private pool for spa-goers.

Not bad for such a high-end establishment. The 80-minute Royal Hammam costs a fair Dhs450.

SensAsia Urban Spa

Sisters Beauty Lounge

MENU

Talise Spa

11 BANYAN TREE

176 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

' A lovely spot

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BACKCHAT

WITH CATBOY

Christmas with the Catboys. Just remember – nobody puts Catboy in the corner. Nobody, apparently, but him…



H

as it been a year already? I’m still finding needles from last year’s tree in my shoes. Twelve months ago I wrote about how, contrary to my miserable affectations, I am actually one of the biggest fans of Christmas that you’ll ever meet.

I wrote that article at the start of November, as I’m doing with this one. I went on to have my best Christmas in a long time. I proved to myself that a traditional Christmas could be had in Dubai,

as long as one was willing to dig a little deeper into the dirham pot and work a little harder with the resources at hand.

Of course, a lot can change in a year and it’s definitely been a busy one for me. I got married and along with that I acquired what I like to call my flat-pack family, complete with two kids, two cats and a wife. So this year my festive mindset has had to be reprogrammed.

I actually had a dry run of Christmases-to-come during

the summer.

Since I’d not been home the winter before and I knew I’d be in Dubai this time around, I decided upon celebrating/ inventing ‘Half Christmas’. And so it was that on a rainy August Sunday, in a clifftop cottage, in a small Scottish village, my wife and I prepared a traditional meal for both sets of parents, with crackers to pull, silly paper hats to wear, snowballs to drink, a festive film to watch, presents for the kids and board games for us all to argue over in the evening.

It was one of the best days of my life. It made me realise that these moments, more than geography, beliefs or company, are a state of mind. All you’ve got to do is block out the natural urge to be cynical. Easier said than done? Well, no.

To test this theory, I’ve recently put myself through a series of trials. I watched a film

about Justin Bieber (nice lad, not the best singer or dancer in the world, but ticks all the teenybopper boxes), read a Dan Brown book (ridiculous prose, yet a gripping page-turner) and watched the American X-Factor (saccharine-coated, overproduced pantomime featuring some of the most annoyingly self-assured vocalists every to grace a TV screen, but great for a bit of banter around the office the next day).

Now, I know there’ll be those of you baulking at that list, but bear in mind that because I used to be like you, I have never seen Dirty Dancing. Why? Because everyone said it was great and that made me think it was populist twaddle and I figured I was above that. What an idiot!

I can’t begin to imagine what my life would’ve been like if every time cynical me poppedup, I ignored it. Yes, I would’ve seen a lot of bad films and read some really bad books, but I would’ve also been pleasantly surprised by a few of them.

So, it’s with that spirit that I’m going into Christmas. Not for the commercial reasons, nor for the spiritual reasons. Just so I can have a nice time with my family, whilst wearing a silly jumper and singing a Mariah Carey song without caring what anyone might think.

NEXT MONTH: THE UAE’S TOUGHEST WORKOUTS, IMPROVE YOUR LIFE IN 2012 AND PAKISTAN TAKE ON CRICKET’S WORLD NUMBER ONE TEAM, ENGLAND 178 WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2011

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PLANET OCEAN "Having left the water planet, with all that water brings to the Earth in terms of colour and abundant life, the absence of water and atmosphere on the desolate surface of the Moon gives rise to a stark contrast."

– Buzz Aldrin, astronaut

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