Come Dine With Me launches Dubai version
Coming to Dubai: The popular British cooking series – in which amateur cooks prepare a dinner party for strangers, competing to win around Dh6,000. Yes, the producers of Come Dine With Me in the UK are searching for people living in the UAE to take part in a special Dubai edition.
Everything is still under wraps, said a spokesperson for ITV, the makers of the show, but it is most likely to be two episodes made next year. You can sign up by emailing comedinewithme@itv.com.
The application form asks the usual things – if you’ve ever been convicted of a crime, if you’ve ever worked as a chef, what people’s first impressions of you are, how honest you are if you don’t like something and of course a sample menu (two, in fact).
Voi does afternoon tea
The Vietnamese restaurant at the Jumeriah Zabeel Saray on the Palm is now serving an afternoon tea (on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 3-6pm) inspired by ingredients from the Asian country, which also mixes French influence into its cuisine. Bites include cinnamon and star anise scones, sesame brioche sandwiches with house cured duck, tiger prawn and foie gras roll, and ginger cake, lemongrass crème brulee and green sticky rice pudding. It’s Dh160; call 04-4530444.
New brunches at Habtoor Grand
Both days of the weekend are now brunch day at the Marina hotel, with Al Dhiyafa’s Friday offering (Dh199; Dh299 with house beverages) featuring a separate kids’ brunch room staffed by child minders with Nintendos and Saturday brunch at Luciano’s. Luciano’s Italian style brunch is Dh159 (Dh199 including house beverages) with ravioli, carbonara and pizzas. Call 04-4084444.
Sanjeev Kapoor’s Diwali at Options
Starting tomorrow, try a menu celebrating the Indian festival of light at the TV chef’s World Trade Centre restaurant, until November 23, with traditional food, music, candles and atmosphere. Lunch on November 13-15 will also have a henna artist.
Football club gets buns on seats
In the UK it’s pies, in the US it’s hotdogs and in the UAE, football terrace chow will now be... Malaysian coffee buns. PappaRoti, one of the coffee bun shops that are oozing their way around Dubai like hot butter on toast, on Monday opened its latest outlet at Al Ahli Sports Club, one of Dubai’s football teams. They’ve signed a deal for three years to have their cafe with outdoor seating in the club. Stadium food is known for being the last thing a real athelete would eat, and coffee buns, covered as they are in sugary topping and filled with salted butter, are addictive, delicious, but not exactly workout food. Nonetheless, Rasha Al Danhani, owner and chairman of PappaRoti Café hailed the buns as “a healthy way to refuel”. In case you’re not a football fan, there are 20 other Papparoti outlets in the UAE.
Ernie Els Clubhouse open
The Clubhouse at the South African golfer’s Dubai golf club, The Els Club, opened last week with a restaurant, 261, and the Big Easy Grill set to open at a later date.
In addition to the pro shop and Jacuzzi for members, non-member can check out the new restaurant, which is named after Els’ US PGA Tour record low four-round total, shot at the 2003 Mercedes Championship in Hawaii.
Also coming is the Big Easy Grill, a Dubai version of Els’ steakhouse in South Africa’s vineyard heartland of Stellenbosch. Dishes there include steaks, soft shell crab cakes, coq au vin and braised lamb shank.
