DHS 10 JANUARY 2011 ISSUE 393

WIN!
A STAY AT
SHANGRI-LA,
QARYAT
AL BERI

54 WAYS TO IMPROVE
UAE DHS 10 OMAN RO 1.000

YOUR LIFE IN 2011

Contents
Features
p12
12
All you can eat
Loosen those belts,
we’ve found the best
evening brunches and
buffets in the capital

16
Abu Dhabi Golf
Championship
The big names and big
action at this month’s
tournament

21
New year, new you
Yup, it’s that time of
year again. Make your
resolutions and stick to
them with our essential
guide

p34
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 3
The round-up
p52
10 55
Salaam Sport and outdoor
Everything you need to Mr Fitness tackles your
know about January, January issues, plus we
plus chatting with a meet a triathlete and
National Geographic tell you how to prepare
photographer for the marathon

14 61
Win win win Music and clubs
Win a night’s stay and Musician Jay Wud gets
breakfast for two at the chilly, plus which dance
very lovely Shangri-La floors you should be
Qaryat al Beri hitting this month

28 65
Films Travel
Heavy hitters from the Swiss bliss in Ascona,
silver screen including the top travel deals and
Black Swan, The Green going on holiday with
Hornet and Simon the founder of Lonely
Pegg’s latest offering, Planet
Paul
73
31 Hot lists
Eating out Who will start the year
Exciting Arabic at at the top of the table?
Zaroob, the new
farmers’ market, a 90
visit to Stay by Yannick Backchat
Alléno, the latest Deputy Editor Helen
openings and more on what you should be
resolving in 2011
40
Art
Behind the scenes at
Shakespeare 4 Kids,
five minutes with Syrian
painter Kais Salman
and the exhibitions you
must see this month

44
Shopping
Our must-have buys
of the month, plus
sartorially chic Sophia
helps out readers in
need

47
Mind and body
We investigate at-home
spas, visit the capital's
Zayna Spa, check out

p40
the new Talise spa and
find the best beauty
bargains

4 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

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InterContinental Abu Dhabi . Call 800 423463.

 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 Editor
Gareth Rees | gareth@motivate.ae Cooking with local produce, p36
Chief Sub Editor
Iain Smith | iains@motivate.ae
Senior Designer
Sheila Lyn Carino | sheila@motivate.ae
Editorial Assistant/Picture Researcher
Karen Sequeira | karen@motivate.ae
Picture Researcher - Gulfpics
Wayne Fernandez | wayne@motivate.ae

Contributors
Naveed Ahmed, Victor Besa, James Brennan,
Louise Browne, Vikram Gawde, James Houghton,
Catherine Jarvie, Russell Kempson, Richard Luck,
Conor Purcell, Farooq Salik, Thomas Shambler,
Simon Smedley, Sophia Triantafillou,
Trying spas at
Adam Workman Completing our training, p55 home, p50
Cover
Antoine Corbineau/folioart.co.uk

General Manager
Production and Circulation
S Sasidharan | sasidharan@motivate.ae
Editor’s note
Production Manager
Sudhakar Chandran | sudhakar@motivate.ae OK, I’m going to let you in on a secret – I’m actually writing this
Production Controller
Murali Krishnan | muralik@motivate.ae before the new year.
I know, I’m sorry, I’m spoiling the magazine magic here, and I don’t
General Manager – Group Sales
Anthony Milne | anthony@motivate.ae want to go all Marty McFly on you, but the fact is New Year, New
Senior Advertisement Manager You is still about two and half weeks away for me at this stage. So
Dale Isaac | dale@motivate.ae
Advertisement Manager while I’d dearly love to extol the virtues of a sound mind and body,
Varsha Bhatia | varsha@motivate.ae as Team What’s On have done so beautifully from page 21, Team What’s On’s Editor
General Manager, Abu Dhabi
Joe Marrit | joe@motivate.ae is busy eating Pad Thai and drinking a can of fizzy orange. But don’t let my example
Advertisement Manager, Abu Dhabi bother you – come new year (which, er, is now for you), I’ll be right there with you,
Darryl Wiley | darryl@motivate.ae
sorting both mind and body. We (and I say ‘we’, but I mean ‘the team’ – I’m busy with
Annual Subscription GCC Dhs120 other countries US$70 that Pad Thai, remember?) have come up with the definitive guide to a better 2011
(including Airmail charges)
and, ultimately, a better you. From finances to finding new friends, from getting in
shape to this year’s trendiest travel destinations, we’ve got you covered.
And, come January (for me – we’ve already established that’s now for you), I’ll be
joining you and ditching the Thai food for carrots and all the rest of it. But for now,
keep that a secret.
Head Office: PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 282 4060, Fax: +971 4 282 4436, Happy New Year, and all the best for 2011.
E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae
Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor,
Building 8, Dubai, UAE, Enjoy the issue.
Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845
Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE,
Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124,
E-mail: editor-wo@motivate.ae
London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road,
London NW1 3ER, UK,
E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae

Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 9


Salaam!
One month, two pages
What’s hot
Photography competition
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of
Arabian Heritage Books,
Motivate Publishing
(that’s us) is launching a
photography exhibition. Send
in your best pics illustrating the
culture of the UAE and, if you
win, your snap will be included
in a coffee table book – plus you’ll
receive US$1,000. Deadline Feb 20.
www.motivatepublishing.com
Historical site
A 1,400-year-old pre-Islamic Christian
monastery has opened to the public on
Sir Bani Yas Island. Discovered in 1992,
it is thought to have been built by a
community of monks around 600AD.
Prince of Poets
Every Wednesday on Abu Dhabi TV you
can catch recorded episodes of this
popular Arabic poetry competition.
What’s not
Road works
When are they going to finish the road works
on Salaam Street? They’ve been messing
about for a year now. We’re sick of the sight of
it. Sort it out.
Temperature complaints
It’s not cold. It’s still 20-odd degrees. The sun
is shining. Half of Europe is buried under
snow, with minus temperatures – that’s cold.
Quit your moaning.
Tailors and dry cleaners
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? You take
your favourite T-shirt to one dry cleaner and
they shrink it. And no accountability? At all?
ISTOCK
We’re getting a bit sick of it.
10 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
We're officially part of the Twitterati.
Follow us at WhatsOnAbuDhabi
for exclusive updates on nightlife,
restaurants and more around the
UAE. Tweet yourself.
Guess list
Rumours doing the rounds
in Dubai
90%
MARCO PIERRE WHITE
Having flown to London to interview the
purportedly fearsome chef in 2009, we ended
up dining at Frankie’s in Abu Dhabi with the
man (and, oddly, the Queen of England’s
cousin) last time he was out to visit his UAE
restaurants. So we’re looking forward to his
We told you so...
next visit, which we hear could well be in PHARRELL WILLIAMS AND N.E.R.D
February. Oh, we’re good. We broke this one
months ago, and, indeed, hip hop/R&B
35%
star Pharell and his band N.E.R.D will per-
form in the UAE, at the Gulf Bike Week,
Feb 10 to 12.
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING MACY GRAY
The art rock outfit from England’s Manches- We heard a rumour about this one early
ter are being hailed as the next big thing in last year, and sure enough, American R&B
their home country. Howard from Take That songstress Macy Gray is coming to the
is a big fan, apparently. We’re pretty tight
with the drummer’s sister, and she tells us the
UAE, and will appear at the Dubai Jazz
Festival, Feb 17.
band is keen to pay us a visit in 2011.
This month we’re going to…
MOVIE NIGHT
Now, Meet The Fockers is not the newest of
films, but it’s certainly a good ‘un and you
don’t often find open-air cinemas in Abu
Dhabi. Make sure you make your way to The
Village Club Roof this month to catch Stiller
and De Niro in fine fettle alfresco on the big
screen.
Jan 17, One To One Hotel, Abu Dhabi, 8.30pm,
free. Tel: (02) 4952000. www.onetoonehotels.
com

Five Questions… Ira Block
American photographer Ira
Block has been shooting
for National Geographic for
40 years, travelling across
the globe. This month he
is heading up the two
day Click and Stay digital
photography workshop at
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort
in Abu Dhabi
What can people expect from the
workshop?
It’s very hands on, a lot of shooting. Last
year’s workshop was mostly wildlife
because we were out at a game reserve,
but this year we’re in the desert so I’m
expecting desert scenes and there’s a lot
of architecture around, too. I will guide the
students totally. When we reach the area we
will shoot together, a few of them will see
things and wander off on their own, but I’m
always around for questions and to show
them different techniques to improve their
photos.
Do you host these workshops often?
I’m still active shooting for National
Geographic and right now I’m in the middle
of a couple of stories for them. I have
something coming up this month, actually,
a local US story about an ancient Native
American group in the States.
You spend the rest of the year travelling?
I used to be on the road seven or eight
months a year, but now it’s six months.
People always ask me where I’ve been and
I say it’s easier to ask me where I haven’t
AL AIN AEROBATIC SHOW
We love to watch those magnificent men in
their flying machines. The Red Bull Air Race
is one of the highlights of the Abu Dhabi
sporting calendar. But this year you don’t
have to wait until March. In the first week of
February six pilots will go head to head at
the Federation Aeronautique International
(FAI) Desert Challenge. Chocks away, ginger!
Feb 2 to 5, Al Ain International Airport, Al Ain, Abu
Dhabi, Dhs40. www.alainaerobaticshow.com
been. As far as the major places go, I’ve been
everywhere in the world apart from India.
That’s one people always expect me to have
been to, but I just haven’t been there for
whatever reason.
You must have done a lot of memorable
shoots?
My last shoot is usually the most
memorable, because it’s fresh, but every
shoot has its own great interest to it. In the
last few years I’ve been working a lot in Asia
and South America. I like those continents
because the cultures are really different to,
say, Europe, where I used to work a lot. The
culture and tradition is visually different
from Western cultures.
And the UAE?
Last year was my first trip to the UAE, but
otherwise I’ve been to Egypt, Lebanon and
Syria. I’m looking forward to it.
Jan 20 to 22, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, Abu
Dhabi, Dhs6,172 (including two nights, meals
and drinks). Tel: (02) 8862088. www.irablock.
com
WORLD ORCHESTRA FOR PEACE
OK, so it’s a really silly name for an orchestra,
but its heart is clearly in the right place. This
month the eighth edition of the Abu Dhabi
Festival welcomes Peace Maestro (yep, that’s
right) Valery Gergiev and his World Orches-
tra For Peace. Well, the theme is 'harmony
for humanity'.
Jan 4, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, Dhs195 to
Dhs495. www.abudhabifestival.ae
SPECTACULAR
VIEWS
Four venues in the capital
with grand views
AL FANAR
The whole point in
building a 360-
degree-revolving
restaurant is the
view, and Al Fanar
restaurant at Le
Royal Méridien
Abu Dhabi doesn’t
disappoint. On one side
you will see the waters of the
Arabian Gulf and on the other is the city
of Abu Dhabi. Can’t say fairer than that,
now, can you?
Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi, Sheikh
Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, 12.30pm to 3pm
and 7pm to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6742020. www.
starwoodhotels.com
PEARLS
The rooftop bar offers one of the most
impressive views in the city. Sit back with
a cocktail and listen to the chill out tunes
floating on the evening breeze as you
gaze out over the water at the The Grand
Mosque, lit up and displayed in all its
majesty.
Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Between
the Bridges, Abu Dhabi, 7pm to midnight.
Tel: (02) 5098888. www.shangri-la.com
THE YACHT CLUB
It’s not only one of our favourite bars,
currently sitting at number two on our Hot
List, but The Yacht Club sits right beside the
marina with splendid vistas of the various
luxury boats bobbing on the water.
InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen, Sat
to Wed noon to 1am, Thurs noon to 3am,
Fri 2pm to 3am, Sat 5pm to 1am. Tel: (02)
6666888. www.ichotelsgroup.com
SKYLITE
Through the honeycomb lattice roof
of Skylite bar you can see the stars
twinkling in the night sky, the racetrack
and the marina. Cracking.
The Yas Hotel, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi,
8pm to 3am. Tel: (02) 6560000. www.
theyashotel.com
Find us at
www.facebook.com/WhatsOnAbuDhabi
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 11
We’ve loaded up our plates and braved buffets across the
capital to find you Abu Dhabi’s finest evening brunches
Flavours
WHAT? Arabian Nights
WHERE? Mai Café, Aloft
WHEN? Thursdays 6pm to
10.30pm
WHY? Every Thursday night you’ll
find a full Arabian-style buffet for
a great price. Head there straight
from work for a good, meaty feed
and unlimited drinks – always a
good way to end the week.
HOW MUCH? Dhs163
including house beers, wines
and soft drinks, Dhs134 without
alcohol and Dhs67 for children.
Aloft Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi
National Exhibition Centre, Abu
Dhabi, Tel: (02) 6545000. www.
aloftabudhabi.com
12 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
Dhs235 for the seafood buffet.
Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel &
Resort, Corniche Road, Abu
Dhabi. Tel: (02) 6773333. www.
starwoodhotels.com
WHAT? The buffet
WHERE? Chamas,
InterContinental Abu Dhabi
WHEN? Daily 6pm to 11.30pm
WHY? One of our favourite
restaurants, Chamas isn’t afraid
of offending a few vegetarians
with its nightly offer of freshly
barbecued skewers. But if any
herbivore dares to attend they’ll
find a salad bar. The staff are
enthusiastic, so arrive hungry.
HOW MUCH? Dhs235 per Mai Café
person or Dhs295 with free-
flowing caipirinhas.
InterContinental Abu Dhabi, WHAT? Seafood night
Bainouna Street, Abu Dhabi. WHERE? Ginger, Park Rotana
Tel: (02) 6666888 WHEN? Thursdays 7pm to
11.30pm
WHY? Kick the weekend off
WHAT? Asian and seafood with food from the watery
theme nights depths. Seafood delicacies can
WHERE? Flavours, Sheraton be cooked to order and you’ll
WHEN? Mondays 7pm to find a vast buffet packed with
11.30pm and Wednesdays salads and desserts. You’ll leave
7.30pm to 11.30pm stuffed to the gills.
WHY? You’ll find a bountiful HOW MUCH? Dhs160.
buffet of the best in Eastern and Park Rotana, Al Salaam Street,
Far Eastern cuisine on Mondays, Khalifa Park area, Abu Dhabi. Tel:
with live cooking stations, (02) 6573333. www.rotana.com
authentic Chinese dishes and
music from the resident pianist. WHAT? Three meal deals
On Wednesdays it’s seafood WHERE? La Terrazza, Hilton
night. Expect unlimited super- Abu Dhabi
fresh lobster, crab, oysters, WHEN? Mondays, Wednesdays
shrimp, sushi and sashimi. and Thursdays 7pm to 11pm
HOW MUCH? Dhs185 for Asian Ginger WHY? The generous folks at the
night, including house wine and Hilton put on three offers each

week at La Terrazza, with a buffet
on Monday nights where you can
get selected house beverages
for only Dhs1 per drink. The
Bacchanalia night on Wednesdays
welcomes you with a Roman feast,
with Mediterranean cuisine, live
cooking stations and unlimited
drinks, while Thursdays at La
Terraza means Four Corners night,
with dishes from all over the world
and unlimited house beverages.
Jing Asia
HOW MUCH? Dhs130, plus
drinks. Bacchanalia night and
Four Corners Dhs165, including
unlimited selected drinks.
Hilton Abu Dhabi, Corniche, Abu
Dhabi. Tel: (02) 6811900. www.
hilton.com
WHAT? Surf ‘n’ Turf
WHERE? Jing Asia, Crowne
Plaza Yas Island
WHEN? Wednesdays 7pm to
midnight
WHY? Who doesn’t love a little
turf with their surf? The best
food from the land and the sea
will meet on your plate at this
weekly buffet, where there’s also
the option of throwing a little
grape into the mix.
HOW MUCH? Dhs190
including house beverages and
Dhs160 excluding alcohol.
Crowne Plaza Yas Island, Abu
Dhabi. Tel: (02) 6563000
WHAT? Indian night
WHERE? Selections
WHEN? Wednesdays 7pm to
10.30pm
WHY? Unlimited curry? We
don’t think further elaboration is
required. Selections boasts some
spectacular views of the beach
and each Wednesday you can
come over all sub-continental
with curries from the kitchen.
HOW MUCH? Dhs155 or
Dhs215 including unlimited
selected drinks.
InterContinental Abu Dhabi,
Bainouna Street, Abu Dhabi.
Tel: (02) 6666888. www.
ichotelsgroup.com
WHAT? Buffet dinner
WHERE? Sofra BLD
WHEN? Daily, 7pm to 11pm.
WHY? Legions of loyal fans
love Sofra BLD for its impressive
gourmet buffet. Dishes from all
over the globe jostles with acres
of desserts as diners loosen their
belts and get competitive piling
Sofra BLD
food on their plates. Thoroughly
recommended for both lovers
of top tucker and those who just
love tucking in.
HOW MUCH? Dhs199,
excluding drinks.
Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri,
Between the Bridges, Abu Dhabi.
Tel: (02) 5098888
WHAT? BBQ buffet
WHERE? The Village Club, One
to One Hotel
WHEN? Daily, 6pm until late.
WHY? Every night the meat
maestros at The Village Club fire
up the barbecues and grill for
the hungry hordes. With a lovely
garden and plenty to keep the
children busy, this is a reliable
favourite through the cooler
months.
HOW MUCH? Dhs140.
One to One Hotel, The Village, Abu
Dhabi. Tel: (02) 4952000. www.
onetoonehotels.com
La Terraza
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 13
 Win with What’s On
WIN! A STAY AT SHANGRI-LA
HOTEL, QARYAT AL BERI
The season of giving might be over, but we’re still feeling
generous and want to whisk one lucky reader to the stunning
five-star Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri. The winner will score a
night for two, including a buffet breakfast at Sofra bld, plus use
of all the facilities, including the lovely pool. For your chance to
win a night of luxury in the capital, simply tell us…
Which meals does Sofra bld serve?
a) Breakfast, lunch and dinner?
b) Bread buns, lollipops and dimsum
c) Branflakes, lasagna and Diet Coke

ON
CLICHKMOTIVATE.CDOS
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IT A
.WINW ND LO
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14 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

Abu Dhabi
Championship
Dubai might be home to THE YOUNG PRETENDER
the final showdown of the RORY MCILROY
season, but the Abu Dhabi
You managed your first PGA Tour win this
Golf Championship is the year, becoming the first person since Tiger
first big tournament on the to win before their 21st birthday. How did
that feel?
European Tour 2011 and this It was big, to get my very first win in America
year will see all four major was pretty special and to do it in my first
year was great. So now at least I don’t have to
winners from 2010 fighting worry about winning in the US. I’ve done it
it out on the fairways of and now I can relax a little more when I play
the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. over there.

We’re backing the 21-year- You came third in Abu Dhabi in 2010. How
old world number 11 Rory do you fancy your chances in 2011?
It’s a golf course that suits my game and
McIlroy and world number I always enjoy playing in Abu Dhabi. I’ve
one Lee Westwood to finished fifth and third in previous years and
the year before that 11th, so I’ve played pretty
challenge for the title well here in the past. It’s a strong field and it’s
a great place to go at the start of the year to
practice and really work on your game. It’s
very competitive with the best players in the
world there. So, yes, really looking forward
to it.

What do you think of the Abu Dhabi

course?
It’s brilliant. One of the best courses in the
Gulf and one of the best we play on the tour.
Everyone goes there and really enjoys it.
You seem to like the UAE – you do well
here. Any chance we’ll see you moving
here soon, like a few of your European Tour
colleagues?
No, not really. I’m in this country quite a lot,
so it really is a home from home and I have
great connections, but I enjoy my time with
family and friends back in Northern Ireland.
I do love coming to Abu Dhabi though – they
look after us really well and put on a great
show, so it’s always nice to come back.
Lee Westwood is a friend of yours, right?
Did you help him celebrate becoming
world number one?
Yes, I did actually. He found out on the
Monday and we were flying out to China on
the same day, so I had a couple of glasses of
champagne with him on the flight.
When do you plan on replacing Lee as
world number one?
As soon as possible. The world number one
slot has become a lot more attainable and
I can see it changing hands again in the
coming months. Hopefully, if I’m playing well
enough, I will have a chance of being number
one pretty soon.

16 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

Golf WORLD NUMBER ONE
LEE WESTWOOD
You reached number one in the world
rankings a few months ago. What did it
mean to you?
When you’re growing up, when people ask
‘What do you want to achieve?’ – everyone
says that they want to be the best in the
world. Now I could show those people,
‘look, I’m the best in the world, the best on
the planet’. It has to be the most satisfying
moment in my career. It was like a dream.

And yet in 2003 you had slumped to world

No.266. Could you see a way back?
When you are at rock bottom, you don’t enjoy
it at all. You just have to break down your game
and rebuild it from the base. That’s what I tried
to do. It was the combination of a lot of things
and, perhaps most importantly, you have to
get it right in your mind before you can move
on. So many people want to help you, so many
people want to give you information and it’s
difficult at times to know who to listen to. My
dad has always given me good advice and he
knows how hard I’ve worked to get back.

You took top spot from Tiger Woods.

Did that surprise you?
When Tiger was in his pomp, he
was so much better than anyone
else. I suppose that number one
seemed unattainable. But people
go through different things
in their life and form comes
and goes, it can dip. I’m one
of the best examples of that, I
was 266th. But perhaps I then
began to see that it was more
attainable. I’d like to think that it
was confirmation that I was doing
everything right.
Did Tiger congratulate you? How do you
get on with him?
No, at the time, I didn’t hear from Tiger. But
I have a great relationship with him. We’ve
always got on well, on the golf course and off
it. There’s always a bit of banter flying about. I
Being number one has a nice ring to it?
Absolutely. It’s a great honour and a
big responsibility. I’m only the second
Englishman to top the rankings, the first
since Nick Faldo in 1994. It’s a fairly large
achievement. I joined an elite list, an
exclusive category. It can’t be anything else
but positive and, if I need it, it can give me
that extra edge. But, no, I don’t feel that
it adds any extra pressure. There’s enough
pressure as it is.
Critics point to the fact that you have yet to
win a major? Does that irk you?
Winning majors is something that you learn
to do. You get yourself in position as often as
possible and you learn from things you could
have maybe done a little bit better. I’m at an
age now [37] where I’ve been through most
GETTY IMAGES /ISTOCK

give him a bit of stick and he gives a bit back.
There is a great mutual respect between us.
I really like those kinds of rivalries. And I
wouldn’t ever write Tiger off. He has proved
time and time again that he can come back.
things, so the next time I get in there and
have a chance I’ll know what to do. Getting
to number one is not about winning Major
Championships. It’s about consistency. A lot
of people seem to get confused about that.

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 17

 ABU DHABI GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
The big
guns
Meet the four Major Championship winners
from the 2010 season set to do battle in
Abu Dhabi this month
AFP/GRAPHEAST
MARTIN
KAYMER
When he won the US PGA
Championship in 2010 Kaymer
became only the second German
golfer, after Teutonic golfing
great Bernhard Langer, to win a
major tournament. Add to that
his world number three ranking
and the fact that he ended an
impressive European Tour season
winning the Race To Dubai last
November and it would be hard
not to peg Kaymer as favourite to
triumph at the Abu Dhabi Golf
Championship for the second
year running.
18 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
LOUIS
OOSTHUIZEN
This year saw the talented South
African and world number
25 win both his first Major
Championship title at The Open
Championship at Scotland’s
famous St Andrews and bag his
first European Tour victory at
the Open de Andalucía de Golf.
Not bad, not bad at all. He will
definitely be looking to challenge
the other Major winners for the
title in Abu Dhabi.
LF CLUB
ABU DHABI GO
PHIL
MICKLESON
What can we say about big
Phil Mickleson? The game’s
most famous lefty won his
fourth Major at the Augusta
National this year and sitting
firmly at number four in the
world rankings, the 40-year-old
Californian is always a threat.
GRAEME
MCDOWELL
The Northern Irishman missed
out on victory in The Race To
Dubai in November to none
other than Martin Kaymer, so
he’s sure to be looking for revenge
at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Being
a vital member of Europe’s 2010
Ryder Cup winning team and
securing his first Major at the US
Open at Pebble Beach – the first
European to do so in 40 years –
will mean his confidence is high.
Jan 20 to 23, Abu Dhabi Golf
Championship, Abu Dhabi
Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, day
ticket Dhs125, season ticket
Dhs400. Tel: (04) 2108567. www.
abudhabihsbcgolfchampionship.
com
 Mamma Mia!
Filini, contemporary Italian bar and restaurant
serves authentic Italian food. Smart and modern
setting, an open-terrace and friendly service.
Italian Chef Thomas Marchi blends exceptional
ingredients with traditional cooking methods
to conjure an almost 100% Italian experience!

You’ll find Filini at the

Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island
Yas Plaza, Yas Island, P.O. Box 93725, Abu Dhabi, UAE
info.abudhabi@radissonblu.com
Tel: +971 2 656 2000
radissonblu.com/hotel-abudhabi
NEW YEAR,
NEW YOU
Time to cast off the shackles of 2010 and start afresh.
Whatever your resolution, we’ll keep you on track with
some expert advice

Travel more
If you’re looking for adventure in
2011, Open Skies editor Conor
Purcell says you should buy your
ticket, pack your bags and take
off to one of these alternative

ILLUSTRATIONS: LINDA COULTER

destinations

The real voyage of

discovery consists not in
seeking new landscapes,
but in having new
eyes. That was Marcel
THE EXPERT Proust, who was right,
Open Skies’
Conor Purcell
up to a point. There are,
however, landscapes so
breathtakingly beautiful that your current
eyes will do just fine. Happily, many of these
places are within a few hours flight of the
UAE, so you have no excuse not to begin your
own voyage of discovery.
DJIBOUTI
Africa’s North East coast is spectacular –
pristine beaches, world-class diving and
amazing food. Tourists are thin on the
ground so prices are cheap and you can
enjoy the sights in peace. Chief among
these is the awesome Lake Assal, the lowest
point in Africa and a bright white salt flat
ringed by black volcanic rock. Close by
is Lake Ghoubert, home to the youngest
volcano in the world, near rock so hot you
can boil water on it. This is Africa’s Ground
Zero, jagged, raw and thrilling.
Flydubai flies to Djibouti from Dhs2,200
SEOUL
Less hectic than Tokyo and cooler than
Beijing, the South Korean capital is about as
good as an Asian megalopolis gets. Its recent
embrace of design (everything from bus stops
to office buildings are being created with
aesthetics in mind) has tied into a burgeoning
arts and culture scene. Add an amazing array
of food, great hiking, wonderful temples,
reasonable prices and a world-class transport
system and Seoul should be on everyone’s
Asian ‘to-do list’.
Emirates flies to Seoul daily from Dhs4,500
THE PANJSHIR
VALLEY
Yes, it’s in Afghanistan and yes, it’s safe – not
to mention beautiful. The Panjshir rises
from the Shomali Plain and continues more
than 100km north before morphing into the
Hindu Kush. The valley offers white water
rafting, swimming and trekking along its
banks. The locals are welcoming and there
are one or two restaurants by the water’s edge
where you can gorge on mutton and naan
alongside ageing Mujahideen fighters.
Flydubai flies to Kabul daily from Dhs650. From
Kabul book a driver and a guide through Afghan
Logistics for the three-hour drive north to
Panshir. www.afghanlogisticstours.com
ALEPPO
Forget Beirut, Aleppo in Syria has faded charm
in spades, without the tacky renovation that
has seen central Beirut turn into an outdoor
shopping mall. Aleppo has always been an
important trading stop, attracting everyone
from Theodore Roosevelt and Kemal Ataturk
to Agatha Christie and T.E. Lawrence. They
all stayed at Hotel Baron, now slightly shabby
but still full of character. Many of Aleppo’s
souqs are covered and a Friday morning stroll
through the deserted tunnels, the smell of
fresh bread in the air, is a magical experience.
Flydubai flies to Aleppo from Dhs900

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 21

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Take up a
challenge
Three ways to challenge yourself in 2011

SURVIVOR SEVEN EMIRATES WADI BIH RUN

CHALLENGE
We’ve already completed the Survivor
Challenge and we’ve just signed up to
do it again. That’s how good it is. For
three months, three times a week former
ice skating champ Alena Pask directed
her early morning shout at us, emitting
such motivational gems as "milk is for
babies!" and "the weights aren’t heavy,
you guys are!". And it worked. We lost 5kg
and would have lost more if we weren’t
so slack. The sessions combine boxing,
kickboxing, strength training and circuits
with prizes throughout the programme
and a nutritional regime, essential gear
and regular weigh-ins are included.
KO Gym, Dream Tower, Dubai Marina, Dubai,
Sun, Tue and Thurs 6am, ladies only 8am,
Dhs2,300. Tel: (050) 2861673.
www.kopromotions-dubai.com
CYCLE
Why travel abroad to challenge yourself?
Climbing Kilimanjaro is so 2010 (in fact we
ran a feature on it). Sign up to the Gulf For
Good cycle challenge and you will be able
to raise money for charity, see the whole
of the UAE from the saddle and meet a
rather challenging challenge. You have to
be in pretty good shape to go the distance
from Al Ain across endless tarmac, bumpy
mountain tracks and desolate desert
paths to Dubai, but you have plenty of
time to turn yourself into the next Lance
Armstrong and G4G will provide you with
a training schedule, equipment advice and
fund-raising ideas.
Nov 27 to Dec 2, Gulf For Good, Dhs2,200,
minimum sponsorship Dhs12,000. Tel: (04)
3680222. www.gulf4good.org
Although various members of the
What’s On team are going to be
running both the Dubai Marathon
and the RAK Half Marathon in the
first two months of 2011 (some are
running both), we’re still tempted by
the Wadi Bih run. We’re just that keen.
But what fool wouldn’t want to camp
on the beach at Dibba before waking
extremely early and running up Wadi
Khab Shamsi. Sign up with a team of
five and run about 15km each or, if
you’re stark raving bonkers, run the full
72km on your own. Registration closes
January 25.
Feb 11, Golden Tulip Hotel, Dibba, from 4am,
Dhs150. www.wadibih.com

Meet new people

In a town more transient than Heathrow
airport, your social group will inevitably
swell and wane; some weeks are a festival
of fun, while others are barren of banter.
If you’re going through something of a
friendship dry spell, or are just a bit sick
of your mates, then take some action with
our pick of the UAE’s best social groups

DUPLAYS
Meet fellow sporty sorts at DUPLAYS, which
organises leagues for everything from
bowling to ultimate Frisbee.
www.duplays.com
Dubai Indie Film Group) to the downright events, this is a good one if you’re new in
WWW.MEETUP.COM bizarre (see The Carpet Appreciation Meet town. The forums are friendly and you can
Wowsers. Organised by city, this Up Group – sorry lads). join (very) special interest groups, such
mammoth website allows you to set up www.meetup.com as Social Fire Circles, which meets up to
and join groups, as well as contribute to practice playing with fire. Other groups just
a calendar for your city. The topics are WWW.SOCIALCIRCLESUAE.COM like to go out for a nice dinner.
diverse, ranging from the cultural (such as With over 5,000 member and plenty of www.socialcirclesuae.com

22 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

 NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Give up smoking
Our resident social smoker THE VERDICT
braves hypnotherapy in an I was keen, both to try something I hadn’t
tried before and, of course, to quit the
attempt to kick the ciggies ciggies, but I have to admit I was nervous the
morning before my session. I didn’t like the
Put your hand up idea of losing control. But let me bust one
(the one without myth right from the off – hypnotherapy will
the cigarette in not leave you in a zombie state in thrall to
it) if you enjoy a your therapist. And you will not be made to
crafty smoke or 20 bark like a dog. If I was, I could have said no.
on a night out or “It’s like that state you’re in in the morning,
after dinner and when you’re not asleep but you’re not quite
a few glasses of awake,” explained Eileen during our pre-
something pleasant treatment chat. It was, indeed, just like that.
from Argentina. I was asked why I wanted to give up social
GAR E T H I’m imagining smoking and how much on a scale of one to THREE OTHER WAYS
R E ES hundreds of digits
reaching for the
ten. Then Eileen explained the purpose of the
hypnotherapy and how it would rid me of my
TO RID YOURSELF
clear blue desert skies little problem. OF THAT FILTHY
right now, and one of them is mine. To put it simply, the reason I was a social HABIT
I’ve been promising to quit ‘social smoking’ smoker is that I associated smoking cigarettes
for some time. Probably about three years. with having a good time and feeling relaxed,
I’ve tried will power, but when it comes to because when I smoked I was with friends NICOTINE GUM AND PATCHES
this little problem it seems my will is not that and in a positive state of mind. The purpose If you’re going to use the force to quit,
powerful. Now it’s time to take drastic action. of the hypnotherapy was to break that it’s best to have a trusty lightsaber
I’m running a marathon this month. connection – to condition my subconscious on hand to help you beat your Darth
So, despite my fear of being made to mind not to associate smoking with having a Vader. For the quitter, nicotine gum
quack like a duck or something worse, good time, but rather see it as the disgusting and patches are your versions of Luke
I called up Synergy Medical Centre’s habit it truly is. Skywalker’s mighty whooshing weapon.
personal development trainer and certified Next time I go out for a drink with my Super-Care Pharmacy, Dubai Mall, gum Dhs15,
hypnotherapist Eileen Meehan and asked for friends, I simply won’t want to smoke, patches Dhs76. Tel: (04) 4341687.
an appointment. according to Eileen. www.thedubaimall.com
There are various professionals at Synergy So what exactly went down in that small
that can help with this particular problem. room at the Synergy Medical Centre? CHAMPIX
Martine Nates, for example, employs Well, after our initial conversation, I sat in This non-nicotine tablet is the trendy
acupuncture techniques to help you quit and a reclining chair (all a little bit Freud, but of quitter’s method of choice at the moment.
Dr Parviz Rashvand a computer programme course it would be), put my feet up and closed The hipster’s method reduces cravings
called QXCI to reduce cravings, which may my eyes while I was covered with a blanket and makes the whole process a lot more
well appeal to the more scientifically minded. to protect me from the A/C. You have to feel comfortable, apparently.
But I’ve always fancied being hypnotised so I completely comfortable. Super-Care Pharmacy, Dubai Mall, Dhs198. Tel:
went for that. First I was asked to imagine a ball of energy (04) 4341687.
First things first, though. This is not magic. travelling through me and relaxing my whole www.thedubaimall.com
You have to be prepared to work with your body, from head to toe. Then came the time
therapist to achieve the result you’re hoping line therapy. Essentially travelling back into ACUPUNCTURE
for. your past and telling your younger self not Dubai Herbal And Treatment Centre
“The most important thing is that you do to take up smoking, then into the future to provides a consultation with a doctor
want to quit as we can’t influence anyone see yourself in a situation where you would (Dhs300) and tailor acupuncture sessions to
to do anything that they don’t want to do,” usually smoke, not smoking. help you quit smoking. One session will set
warned Meehan. I don’t want to give the whole game away, you back Dhs200 or you can wage a full on
The good news is that if you do really want because it’s quite an individual experience. assault on your habit with a package of five
to give up smoking, it should take just one or But you should ‘wake up’ full of energy and sessions for Dhs750.
two sessions to do the job. in a positive frame of mind. Did it work? So Dubai Herbal And Treatment Centre, Dubai,
I confirmed that I did indeed want to quit far so good; I’ve been smoke-free ever since. Dhs500 to Dhs1,050. Tel: (04) 3351200.
and went off to write a list of reasons why Synergy Medical Centre, Al Wasl Road, Dubai, Dhs500. www.dubaihtc.com
before our session. Tel: (04) 3485452. www.synergyctrdubai.com

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 23

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Sort your finances

We spoke to an expert at
INVEST YOUR INVEST IN
Mashreq bank for a five-step SAVINGS PROPERTY
programme to staying in Martin De Waal, head Before you start
control of your finances of investment advisory
at Emirates NBD Asset
searching for the
perfect investment
Management, answers property check out
a few FAQs about these price comparisons

1 LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS,

PLAN METICULOUSLY AND
PRIORITISE PURCHASES
investing your hard
earned cash

What’s the minimum

One-bedroom
apartment
Dubai Marina
Your living standards should be defined by amount we need to September 2010
your income; it’s as simple as that. Grab a start investing? Dhs1,137,105
For monthly December 2010
notebook, scribble down your income and contributions Dhs1,800 Dhs1,080,626
your outgoings and set out how much you is a good start. Regular
can save for investments and the balance is savings tend to be One-bedroom
affordable and easily apartment
what the experts call your ‘comfort corpus’ accommodated within
and what we call your fun fund. your overall budget. START AN ART Downtown Dubai
September 2010
COLLECTION Dhs2,047,353

2
What is diversifying December 2010
LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CREDIT CARDS your portfolio?
YOU HAVE, MAKE PAYMENTS BY THE Diversification is the
Follow managing director of Du- Dhs1,628,291

PAYMENT DUE DATE, KNOW THE INTEREST process by which an bai’s Meem Gallery, art historian Studio apartment
investor distributes his
RATES AND DON’T EXCEED 80 PER CENT or her investible wealth and collector Charles Pockock’s International City
OF YOUR CREDIT LIMIT September 2010
across different asset beginner’s guide to art investment Dhs281,726
It’s hard to keep track of multiple payment classes [eg cash, bonds
December 2010
and stocks] in order to
dates and missing payments will cost you reduce risk and improve
I genuinely believe that people should buy Dhs243,947
money and lower your credit score. Choose the quality of returns by art because they love it. That’s the most
One-bedroom
one card and cancel the others. And don’t providing more stable, important thing of all. Motor City
let anyone persuade you signing up to a new less volatile long-term You need to go to a number of advisers.
returns. September 2010
card is a good idea. Make sure they have a good, clean reputation Dhs681,264
We hear investing in in the market and access to a reference December 2010
Dhs645,768

3 PAY BILLS ONLINE gold is a good idea library.

right now?
If you set up automatic payments online If concerns about the There are problems in the region relating Three-bedroom
you will never be charged for late payment. health of the global to provenance. Is the work original? villa The Springs
September 2010
You will also avoid processing fees. economy remain high, It’s important to focus so you become Dhs2,174,462
then gold should
continue to perform an expert in your own field. If you are December 2010

4 KEEP ALL THE PAPERWORK

You should hold onto all of your
statements for two or three years. It will
well. However, a
strengthening global
economy could lead
collecting, you should specialise.
To understand the art of today you need
to have knowledge of the art of yesterday.
1,974,350

make it easier to manage your expenses
and act as a useful reference should any
discrepancies arise.
Statistics provided by
to significant falls as www.propertyfinder.ae
investors rotate out of Remember that. It’s vital.
this safe haven asset. We If you’ve got Dhs5,000, go and buy
believe that the price
of gold is no longer
lithographs – limited editions prints.
attractive at these levels They won’t appreciate as quickly in value as

5 KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS

You can find out all about this online
at www.consumerrights.ae and if you
have any trouble with your bank, you can
contact UAE Central Bank Control and
Inspection.
UAE Central Bank Control and Inspection.
Tel: (04) 3939777
and the downside risk is
quite high.
original works of art, but we have Mona Saudi
prints, one of the great modern sculptresses
of the Arab world, for Dhs3,500.
What should we invest
in for 2011? Go with recognised artists. Is the work
Income generating held in a major international museum? Is the
assets should provide
some support for work published in independent, recognised
investors in 2011 so journals and books? What books have been
our focus would be on written about the artist?
high yielding corporate
bonds and high Get a collective of three or five or ten
dividend paying stocks. friends together, put in $10,000 each, buy
the work collectively then flip it in three or
five years and share the profit. This works.
If you want to get involved as an investment,
this is the best way.
www.meem.ae

24 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011


Get fit
Join one of our three
favourite classes and sweat
in good company
KINETIC ZOO
Billed as the anti-boot camp, KZ is run by our
very own Mr Fitness James Houghton and
What’s On marathon guru Chris Miller. The lads
promise that the group fitness programmes will
change once a month (so you won’t get bored),
boost metabolism, increase
strength and generally
make you feel better. The
sessions are just 45 minutes
and you will be provided
with fat burning meal plans
and recipes, recovery and
regeneration strategies and
a weekly body fat analysis.
These guys don’t mess about.
From Jan 2, Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum Al
Maktoum Sports Hall, Street 25A, off Al Wasl
Road, Dubai, Sun, Tue and Thurs 6.15am to 7am,
Dhs800 per month. Tel: (050) 4762704. www.
theantibootcamp.weebly.com
TRX
Ever fancied becoming a Navy Seal? OK,
pretending to be a Navy Seal? Well TRX
was created by one of those sea-going hard
men who wanted a way to train at any time,
wherever he happened to be. We’ve tried
it. It’s a strange, springy contraption that
can be used to work out any part of your
body, anywhere, any time. Or, at one of The
Aviation Club’s three weekly sessions.
The Aviation Club, Garhoud, Dubai, Sun, Mon
and Wed from 6.15pm, Dhs50 per session. Tel:
(04) 2833071. www.aviationclub.ae
CONTENDER MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is the in thing at the
moment, probably due to those angry chaps
ripping chunks off each other on the TV in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The
Contender Mixed Martial Arts Training Centre
in Dubai offers you the opportunity to unleash
your mean streak in a controlled environment.
Pay a one off Dhs100 joining fee and you can
enjoy MMA, Muay Thai and boxing sessions for
just Dhs80.
Contender Mixed Martial Arts Training Centre,
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, joining fee Dhs100,
Dhs80 per session. Tel: (04) 3469990. www.
contendermma.com
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
Detox
It’s the classic resolution. Cut back on your bar bill, give
your liver a rest, have the tin of Quality Street wrenched
from your clammy grasp and get healthy. Frankly, we
can’t be trusted to do it alone, so here are a few
programmes to kick-start 2011 the right way
THE ULTIMATE
WELLNESS
RETREAT
In order to break out of your couch potato
routine, a change of scene will help. The Ultimate
Wellness Retreat includes six days and five
nights at Bab al Shams desert resort, then a final
night at Meydan racecourse hotel. Your stay
will include full board (with nutritious food,
of course), health assessment, use of the pool
and spa facilities, group fitness sessions, daily
personal training, yoga, tai chi and meditation,
private mentoring, inspirational talks, cookery
classes, activities including archery, horse riding
and falconry, plus star gazing and astrology. This
week of wellness aims to see you shed 3 to 5kg
and introduces you to health and fitness experts RECIPE
from PTX who will tailor your programme
based on the results of your assessment, giving Avocado Iced Tea by
you the know-how to carry on with good diet Jimmy at Zuma
and regular exercise once you leave the hotel.
From Dhs9,000 per person (based on two Gently detoxifies the liver, with natural sugar
people sharing a double room). Tel: (056) for an energy lift
7894026. ultimatewellness@ptxdubai.com
Ingredients
Half an avocado
THAI DETOX One lemon
The lazy option, this one-hour treatment 20ml of organic agave syrup
involves massage and warm herb and mineral Green tea
compressions to relax and detox muscles. Much
more enjoyable than drinking wheatgrass, and Method
more comfortable than colonic irrigation. t Start by steeping the green tea in hot water,
Biolite Skin Clinic, Healthcare City, Oud Metha, making sure to leave it for no more then 30
Dubai, Dhs250. Tel: (04) 2096802 seconds to avoid a bitter taste. Once infused,
allow it to cool down.
ELECTRO-DERMAL t Peel the avocado, then place it into a mixer
SCREENING glass - ‘muddle’ it with a wooden spoon (do
It sounds complicated, but this simple test is not blend as you want to keep the thick
one of the most accurate ways of finding out consistency of the avocado).
which foods you’re intolerant to. Your skin’s
electrical activity is used as a marker for how t Add the juice of a freshly pressed lemon, then
your body responds to external stimulation, the cooled green tea and the agave syrup.
and after a pain-free hour you will have a list
of what you should avoid. t Shake with ice cubes, then pour into a long
The Dubai Mall Medical Centre, Dubai Mall, glass.
Dubai, Dhs550. Tel: (04) 4495111
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 25
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
Move house
We know moving house in this part of the world can be a giant
headache (deposits, connections, movers, lost Allen keys…) but for
a new lease of life in the UAE, it could be just what you need. And
prices are looking good. Here’s the best bargains and latest trends in
property for 2011
SERVICED
APARTMENTS
They’re furnished, you pay rent monthly,
short and long-term contracts are available,
bills are usually included, and you get a maid
service thrown in. What’s not to like? In the
past, it was the price, with one-bed hotel and
serviced apartments nearly double the cost of
regular one-bed accommodation. With a glut
of them on the market, landlords have got
realistic and you can live in luxury without a
billionaire’s bank balance.
Our pick:
tFurnished one-bed in The Greens, 800sqft,
Dhs8,000 per month
HIGH-END
NEIGHBOURHOODS
Viewings in areas that have previously been
perceived as out of most people’s price range are
set to soar in 2011. The end of last year saw Old
Town and Palm Jumeirah jump in popularity,
with people biding their time to get the bargains.
While Dubai Marina was the big daddy of 2010,
renters are now looking for buildings with high
quality finish and the cache of living in iconic
areas, be it at the base of Burj Khalifa (and in the
building itself) or on the Palm.
Our picks:
tOne-bed in 8 Boulevard Walk, Old Town,
938sqft, Dhs65,000 per year
tOne-bed in Royal Oceanic, Palm Jumeirah,
800sqft Dhs55,000 per year
26 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
JUMEIRAH LAKE
TOWERS
Many of us swapped a few letters last year and
relocated from JBR to JLT. However, the next
few months are set to see this area blossom
(while prices are staying low) with the Metro
now open, more shops and hotels on the
horizon, and hopefully the ‘lake’ in Jumeirah
Lake Towers being sorted. You can pick up
a studio for around Dhs40,000, a furnished
one-bed for Dhs60,000 and a two-bed for
around Dhs75,000.
Our pick:
tFurnished one-bed in Indigo Tower, 792sqft,
Dhs60,000
OFF THE BEATEN
TRACK
We all claim to be here to save money,
but how’s that working out for you? Ah.
Thought so. If you’re really serious about
tightening your belt, then moving to cheaper
accommodation will have a massive impact
on your bank balance. International City will
remain popular next year (where you can
get a studio for less than Dhs22,000), as will
Discovery Gardens, but the buzz in 2011 will
be about Al Quoz. Yup, the land of labour
camps and art galleries is getting residential.
Our pick:
t One-bed in Al Khail Gate, 650sqft, Dhs28,000
including DEWA
Learn…
A MUSICAL
INSTRUMENT
Remember that guitar that sat in the
corner of your teenage bedroom until you
left home? Those dreams of becoming the
next Jimmy Page? Well, it’s never too late
and Abu Dhabi’s AKM Music Centre offers
guitar, piano, drum and bass lessons. After
eight, 45-minute sessions and you’ll be
caressing that axe like Hendrix.
AKM Music Centre, Hamdan Street, Abu
Dhabi, Dhs400. Tel: (02) 6219929.
www.akmmusic.net
A LANGUAGE
Parlez-vous Français? Well you should. And
there’s no better place to learn than Dubai’s
Alliance Française. There are various courses
on offer throughout the year from beginner
to intermediate. The first course in 2011
starts January 8, with further courses starting
in March, May and June.
From Jan 8, Alliance Française, Bur Dubai and
Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, Dhs1,500. Tel: (04)
3358712. www.afdubai.com
PHOTOGRAPHY
Gulf Photo Plus offers all manner of
photography workshops, but if you’re just
starting out visit their website and sign up to
Digital Photography – Level 1. Courses start in
Abu Dhabi January 7 and Dubai January 14,
but they run regularly throughout the year.
From Jan 7, Gulf Photo Plus, various locations
Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Dhs730.
www.gulfphotoplus.com
ACTING
If you’ve always fancied yourself as an
actor, sign up to The Desert Monologues
course and test your mettle. The workshops
deal with scripts, improvisation and
characterisation and at the end of the course
you will be given the chance to record your
monologues in a studio with professional
sound, lighting, make-up and costume.
From Feb 10, Drama Workshops Dubai,
DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates and The Fridge, Al
Quoz, Dhs1,500 to Dhs2,000. Tel: (050) 9861761

Improve
your image If you open your
wardrobe each
morning with a
sinking feeling,
then a bit of expert
advice might be in order.
La Vie en Mode helps you
chuck out those clothes you
should have given up years
ago, assists on buying key
items, sources tricky to find
pieces and offers personal
styling.The beauty and brains
behind the operation Sonia
Sheikh shares her top tips for
sorting out your image
THREE TIPS FOR REVAMPING YOUR
EXISTING WARDROBE
1 Reorganise your closet so you can literally
see it differently and therefore pair items
together like never before. Reverse-engineer
your organisation method: if it was by colour,
consider organising by type of article; if it was
by type of article, consider organising by casual
versus glam.
2 Develop new ways to wear old items. Use
long pearl strands as belts, wear an ankle-
length skirt as a belted strapless dress, tuck flare
pants into boots to create a parachute look... Let
your creative juices flow.
3 Let go of your fashion fears. Pair items
that you may not have combined before,
like denim shorts with tights and purples with
greens. If it feels daring, go for it.
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
Be
charitable
THREE ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR EVERY
What can you spare?
AN HOUR
Riding for the Disabled are always
WOMAN’S WARDROBE looking for volunteers
1 BLAZER The beauty of this item is that it
does a tango between the masculine and
feminine, the formal and the casual, the preppy
to help with sessions.
You don’t need any
experience with horses
and the trendy, the smart and the sexy. Buy (although it helps
it oversized or unconstructed to maximise its if you’re confident
fashion value. around them) as
volunteers simply
2 LBD There is the classic LBD, and then there
is the avant-garde black dress. Own one of
lead the horse or walk
beside it, offering
assistance to the students.
both. The first should be a body-hugging Audrey
Hepburn sheath style, and the second should be There are morning sessions at 9am and
crafted of something utterly unexpected like lace, 10am and afternoon sessions at 4pm
corduroy, beaded chiffon or leather. and 5pm on various days through the
week.
3 STILETTOS This shoe combines the
emotions of euphoria, admiration, panic
and justifiable credit card debt. You can never
www.rdad.ae
have enough. The right pair will help define the FOOD
curvature of your leg, offer height, confidence Helping Hands regularly puts together
and sass. care packages for labour camp workers
so next time you do your weekly shop,
THREE MUST-HAVES FOR MEN pick up the following; Thai, Jasmin
1 TAILORED SUIT NAVY OR GREY
Even if you only need a suit a couple of
times a year, you’ll be glad to have it on hand
or Biriyani rice, canned fish, tea bags,
1kg of sugar, Nido milk, tomato paste,
noodles, cans of lentils, sunflower
when those occasions arise. Navy or grey suits cooking oil and a packet of sweet
are classic and neutral and can be dressed up biscuits.
or down. You can wear the jacket with jeans Tel: (050) 5671434.
for a more casual look, so this is an item worth www.helpinghandsuae.com
spending some money on.
JUNK
2 WHITE DRESS SHIRT The quintessential
white shirt can be worn a number of Well, maybe not total junk, but if you
ways and goes with everything. Well worth the
investment of having it tailored to your size.
have furniture or electrical goods that
are no longer wanted, then Take My
Junk will collect and redistribute to
3 A TIE COLLECTION WHICH
REFLECTS YOUR PERSONALITY
From Hermès to H&M, bold colours to
those who need it.
Tel: (050) 1794045.
info@takemyjunkuae.com
paisleys, wide to skinny (think Don Draper in
Mad Men), you can make this item the staple
BOOKS
in your wardrobe and something that people
will associate only with you. Get yourself, and assorted possessions
(books, toys, DVDs and clothes in
La Vie en Mode, Dubai, wardrobe revamping good condition), to the Holy Trinity
Dhs200 per hour (minimum of two hours). Tel: Thrift Store where they are sold for a
(056) 6916950. E-mail: stylist@vieenmode.com good cause.
Holy Trinity Church Compound, Oud
Metha, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3374947
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 27
 FILM
Black Swan How Do You Know
Black Swan
WHO? Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis,
Vincent Cassel, Barbara
Hershey, Winona Ryder, Darren
Aronofsky (director)
TAGLINE ‘From the director of The
Wrestler’
ONCE UPON A TIME... Top ballerina Nina Sayers (Portman)
found herself in line for the lead role
in a production of Swan Lake. But
fellow dancer Lily (Kunis) also has
her eye on the prominent dual part
of the Black and White Swans.
IDEAL IF YOU’RE IN THE Watch a superb celebration of
MOOD TO... dance that’s also a sublimely
twisted psychological thriller.
WATCH THIS IF YOU Previous Darren Aronofsky films
LIKE... like the awesome drug drama
Requiem For a Dream and The
Wrestler, aka the movie that restored
Mickey Rourke to high estate.
TOP TRIVIA It took a decade to knock the
Black Swan screenplay into shape.
WHAT’S ON TEN WORD The film of 2011 might have
REVIEW already arrived.
RATE OR SLATE? ★★★★★
28 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
How Do You
Know
Jack Nicholson, Owen Wilson,
Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd,
Mark Linn-Baker, James L
Brooks (writer-director)
‘A new comedy from writer-
director James L Brooks’
Former athlete Lisa Jorgenson
(Witherspoon) became one
corner of a love triangle when
she fell for both ageing corporate
type Charles (Nicholson) and top
baseball player Matty (Wilson).
Remember what a good
romantic-comedy looks like.
As Good As It Gets, a film whose
similarity to How Do You Know
might have something to do with
it also being written and directed
by James L Brooks.
If being an Oscar-winning film-
maker wasn’t impressive enough,
James L Brooks also helped create
The Simpsons.
It’s nothing new, but it’s hard to
fault the execution.
★★★★✩
The Fighter
Paul
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason
Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Seth
Rogen, Greg Mottola (director)
‘Prepare to meet Paul’
Sci-fi convention nerds Graeme
and Clive (Pegg and Frost)
run into a real genuine extra-
terrestrial (essayed by Knocked
Up’s Rogen).
Watch the new Morecambe and
Wise strut their wonderful stuff.
Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz
and Spaced, the ace Pegg/Frost
sit-com that could been created
with guys like Graeme and Clive
in mind.
Keen to get the part of Paul the alien
down, Seth Rogen consulted the
prince of performance capture Andy
Serkis, who played Gollum in the
Lord Of The Rings films and the
great ape in King Kong.
Can our favourite Brits
succeed in alien
territory?
PREVIEW

The Green Hornet
The Fighter
Mark Wahlberg, Christian
Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo,
Frank Renzulli, David O Russell
(director)
‘A new film from the director of
Three Kings’
‘Irish’ Micky Ward (Wahlberg)
found himself transformed
from journeyman to world title
contender by his half-brother
Dicky Eklund (Bale).
See a corking sports movie whose
improbable storyline is that much
more remarkable for being true.
Priceless pugilism pictures such as
Raging Bull. And if you enjoyed
David O Russell’s Gulf War comedy
Three Kings, you’ll long to go 12
rounds with The Fighter.
Boxing fans should keep an eye
out for cameos from Sugar Ray
Leonard, Roy Jones Jr and George
Foreman.
The Fighter is Mark Wahlberg’s
best movie since Boogie Nights.
★★★★✩
The Green
Hornet
Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz,
Edward Furlong, Christoph
Waltz, Jay Chou, Michel Gondry
(director)
‘Can’t you feel the buzz?’
Suave newspaper publisher Britt
Reid (Rogen) decided that writing
about crime wasn’t enough. His
plan? To tackle the problem head
on ‘neath the guise of The Green
Hornet.
See a superhero movie that’s in
no danger of taking itself too
seriously.
The Iron Man pictures, since
they’re also films in which the
hero is unlikely to collapse under
the weight of his own worthiness.
Jay Chou, who plays Reid’s
partner Cato, is a hugely popular
singer in his native Taiwan.
The action’s hum-drum, but the
jokes have some sting.
★★★✩✩
The Mechanic
The Mechanic
Jason Statham, Donald
Sutherland, Ben Foster, Mini
Anden, Tony Goldwyn, Simon
West (director)
‘Someone has to fix the problems’
Veteran assassin Arthur Bishop
(Statham) decided that the best
way to get back at the men who
killed his boss Harry McKenna
(Sutherland) was to train up his
mentor’s son Steve (Foster).
Spend a couple of hours finding
out whether Jason Statham
measures up to Charles Bronson,
star of the original Mechanic.
Previous Statham slugfests such
as the Transporter and Crank
pictures.
The Mechanic is based on that
rarest of things, a Michael
Winner film that’s actually quite
entertaining.
Could The Mechanic secure
Statham’s position on the action
A-list?
PREVIEW
FILM | NEW RELEASES
My Soul To
Take
Max Thieriot, John
Magaro, Denzel
Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick
Lashaway, Wes Craven (writer-
director)
‘Only one has the power to save
their souls’
Serial killer The Riverton Ripper
returned from the dead to
murder seven teens born the
night he died.
Watch a once great horror
director destroy the legacy of his
greatest creation, the sweater-
wearing, talon-twirling Freddy
Krueger Esquire.
Poor slashathons such as I Know
What You Did Last Summer.
Rogue Pictures sought to
promote My Soul To Take by
orchestrating a fake stabbing at
the film’s premiere. Amazingly,
no one lost their job over this
tasteless fiasco.
Here’s hoping Wes Craven has
an encounter with Mr Krueger.
★✩✩✩✩
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 29
EATING OUT
When it comes to what we put in our
stomachs we at What’s On don’t do
new year resolutions, especially when
we’re eating out. We deserve to treat
ourselves after securing an exclusive
interview with Jamie Oliver (p12),
after all. So in this, our first Eating
Out of 2011, we have changed not
a sausage. We ate a lot of dessert at
multi-Michelin starred chef Yannick Alléno’s new
French restaurant Stay By Yannick Alléno (p32),
devoured plate after plate of meat heavy Middle
Eastern grub at round the clock restaurant
Zaroob (p34) and visited Souk Al Bahar’s
wonderful Farmers’ Market (p36). Plus The Critic
on the foodie trends he’d like to see in 2011 (p38)
and what we thought of the burger at BoHouse
(p39). Happy new year to you all. And remember,
if seconds are offered, always accept.

Gareth Rees, Features Editor

ZAROOB

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 31

 EATING OUT
On the
menu
A trio of tasty
morsels to fill your
new year belly
THE STEAKS AREN’T HIGH
Few things warm the cockles
like a carvery. A traditionally
English feast, forget the
roadside restaurants so
sadly associated with the
meaty meal and have
lunch at The Exchange
Grill, where you can pile
your plate with wagyu
beef rump or the daily special
(roast lamb, chicken, tuna or
salmon), carved at your table.
You’ll also get a house salad and
your choice of garlic mashed
potato or jalapeno creamed corn,
all for Dhs99. And if you go on
Sunday or Monday, it’s buy one
carvery get one free.
The Exchange Grill, The Fairmont,
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Sun to
Thurs 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Tel: (04)
3118316
WINE FOR DHS39
We love Terra Firma, but it has
completely stolen our hearts
with this grape-soaked offer. Visit
this top-notch steakhouse for a
two-course meal during January
and February and you can add
free flowing red or white wine
for an extra Dhs39. Yup, you read
that right, less than Dhs40 for
unlimited vino.
Until end of Feb, Terra Firma,
Al Badia Golf Club, Festival
City, Dubai, Sun to Tue 7pm to
midnight. Tel: (04) 7011127
FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS
SEVILLE’S!
To celebrate its tenth birthday,
Seville’s isn’t just having a
cake – it’s sharing the love with
you guys. Throughout January
the lovely Latinos are offering
selected Torres wines for Dhs10
per glass, Spanish beers for
Dhs10 and a selection of tapas
priced at Dhs10. Do you see
a pattern yet? Even better,
everyone who dines there this
month could win a trip to Spain.
Seville’s, Wafi, Oud Metha, Dubai,
daily from noon to 1am on
Sat, Sun and Mon and 2am on
Tue, Wed, Thurs and Fri. Tel: (04)
3244777
32 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
Stay by Yannick Alléno
Michelin-starred chef
Yannick Alléno brings
another French
restaurant to Dubai.
But can it compete?
There are already a lot of French
restaurants in Dubai. Good
ones at that. So one would think
that opening yet another Gallic
culinary emporium to do battle
with the likes of Reflets par Pierre
Gagnaire, Traiteur and What’s On
favourite La Petite Maison would
be a prospect to daunt even the
most self assured chef.
Add to that the fact that Stay
by Yannick Alléno, or rather the
lavish new One&Only hotel it calls
home, sits a good 15 minute drive
down the trunk and around the
West Crescent of The Palm and
you begin to see how the odds were
stacked against the multi-Michelin
starred chef from the get-go.
But that’s just it; Yannick
Alléno is no run of the mill onion
chopper. Chef at Le Maurice, the
Parisian restaurant awarded its
third Michelin star in 2007, he is
one of the most touted talents in
The City of Light. And he doesn’t
do things by halves.
Alléno has had a hand in
all three of the One&Only’s
restaurants. Zest serves up Middle
Eastern fare, 101 is a more relaxed
Mediterranean affair, while Stay
– the only one of the three that
carries the Frenchman’s name – is
his pièce de résistance.
The interior is certainly
impressive. Done out in black
and white with silver chairs and
purple velvet booths decked with
cushions and boasting a ‘pastry
library’ – Stay’s speciality – it rivals
Pierre Gagnaire’s Reflets in the
fancy pants stakes. But does the
food measure up? And is it worth
travelling to the farthest reaches of
The Palm for?
Well, it all started off nicely
with a delicate eel and potato
salad consisting of a handful of
diced beetroot, several pieces of
potato and too few cubes of the
deliciously smoked fish. Smoked
eel is one of the most delectable
flavours known to man, you have
to agree – and this was drizzled
with a beetroot mousse, which was
more of a thin sauce, really.
The ‘modern riviera salad’
was a traditional salade Niçoise
presented slightly differently or
brought up to date, depending
on your perspective, by sitting
the ingredients on three halves of
crunchy gem lettuce rather than
the customary bed. Otherwise all
In tweet form… Dubai’s newest French
restaurant just about competes with
the big boys offering some of the
follow me
best desserts in the UAE. Follow us at
WhatsOnDubai and WhatsOnAbuDhabi
the usual suspects were present
– ripe cherry tomatoes, olives,
potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled
egg and canned tuna (seared loin
would have given it an edge).
Mains, we have to say, were a
little disappointing. A roasted duck
breast cooked rare wasn’t bad by
any stretch of the imagination, yet
it lacked that silky richness that
characterises the best of birds. But
endives soaked in an orange sauce
gave it a little extra zing. Then there
was the Dublin Bay prawn ravioli
that sounded so promising. The
pasta was cooked to perfection, but
there wasn’t a trace of lemon in the
lemon butter sauce and as a result
the dish tasted solely of butter.
Simply too rich.
Thankfully a jolly sommelier,
friendly waiter and dessert, or
rather desserts, saved the day.
You can visit the pastry library
and see your meal’s finale being
prepared. We just sat back until
presented with a yard of the finest
looking puddings we’ve seen in
a long while. They’re only Dhs45
each and the best of them were a
meringue snowball filled with cold
fruit sorbet, a sweet quince confit
tart, a Pims (a giant Jaffa Cake) and
a mille feuille boasting beautifully
brittle pastry. Worth the trip alone.
Stay. Should you go? Yes.
Need to know
Location: One&Only, The
Palm, Dubai
Tel: (04) 4401010
Web: www.thepalm.
oneandonlyresorts.com
Open: Tue to Sun 7pm to 11pm
Cuisine type: French
Must eat: smoked eel and
potato salad
Bill for two: Dhs600
(without alcohol)
 EATING OUT
A taste of
things to
come
Hotter than a
sizzling plate of
fajitas, here’s our
pick of this month’s
new openings
KABABS & KURRIES
We love kebabs. We love curries.
We’re not fans of bad spelling,
but will put that aside in favour
of a plateful of spicy goodness.
Adding to the vast array of outlets
in The Souk at Abu Dhabi’s
Central Market development, this
place will fuel your shopping or
tempt you out of the house for an
Indian feast.
The Souk, Central Market, Abu
Dhabi. Tel: (02) 6282522
BURGERFUEL
New Zealand favourite Burgerfuel
will be opening a mammoth 15
restaurants in the UAE, adding
to its outlet on The Walk at JBR.
Serving grass-fed, meat burgers,
malt shakes and signature ‘spud
fries’ this chain has clearly got
its sights set on overtaking Fat
Burger for our affections. We’ll let
you know how it gets on.
Burger Fuel, The Walk, JBR, Dubai. Tel:
(04) 4458220. www.burgerfuel.com
SUGAR DADDY’S
Thought the cupcake craze
was on the way out? Wrong.
If anything, 2011 will see
the diabetic’s enemy further
covering the UAE in candy-
coloured frosting. The latest is
Sugar Daddy’s stall in Iconic, the
awesome concept store in Deira
City Centre. Buy some jeans,
pick up some homewares, have
lunch at Wild Ginger and a take
cupcake home.
Sugar Daddy’s, Iconic, Deira City
Centre, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3448202
34 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
Zaroob
A stylish new star on
Sheikh Zayed Road
We can imagine the boardroom
meetings when a new hotel
arrives here. “We want an Asian
restaurant.” “Yes sir, we’ll put some
bamboo up and maybe some
Chinese characters on the wall”.
“Very good, I’d also like an English
pub.” “No problem sir, some dark
wood, stained glass and old signage
coming right up”.
In a land where so much of our
dining out takes place in almost
always five-star hotels, when an
independent spot opens it is worth
a visit. We went to Zaroob with
two pals on a ten-hour stopover
in Dubai (“Just show us around,
there’s nothing we particularly
want to see”. Awesome…) who had
never sampled Arabic food before
and one admitted that meat feast
pizzas had been a staple for the last
two years. Tough crowd.
Luckily, upon entering we
were collectively wowed by the caramelised bananas, all bursting service winning, but what charmed
décor – vast walls covered in with freshness and enthusiasm, our socks off was Zaroob’s style.
graffiti murals, raw wood shelving, and each dish impressing more Simply unlike anywhere else in
gorgeous fabrics and an impressive than the last. It’s fair to say the out- the UAE, its blend of regional
open kitchen with various ovens of-towners were stunned. inspiration, touches like the
roaring. There’s dining upstairs, a After being a little, well, gung-ho metal buckets for bathroom sinks
casual bar set-up on the ground with the ordering we were braced and casual flair means this bijou
floor and a nice little spot on for a stonking great bill. Not so. A restaurant shines like a little beacon
the pavement nestled between mere Dhs5 for five falafel, Dhs6 for of hope for other independents
skyscrapers, which is where we shawarma, Dhs16 for a plateful of from the base of yet another
headed. salty grilled haloumi, and that lamb anonymous skyscraper. Oh, and it
Torn between wanting to show man’oushe for Dhs16. In fact, the will be open 24 hours soon. Those
the newbies some old faithfuls most expensive item on the menu five-stars better look out.
(lemon mint and cheese saj) and was the Zaroob cocktail (Dhs39),
exploring the extensive Levant which we were recommended as
menu, we ordered far too much ‘both a drink and a dessert’, an Need to know
from the bandana’d waiter and explosion of avocado, strawberry
watched as platter after platter and mango juice topped with the Location: Jumeira Tower,
arrived. Hummous and haloumi entire Spinneys fruit section that Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
obviously made an appearance, succeeded in terrifying our guests Tel: (04) 3276060
with the show stolen by man’oushe as they tentatively picked grapes Open: daily 6am to 4am
flatbread with lamb, herbs and from it while exchanging fearful Cuisine: Levant
freshly squeezed lemon, which glances. Must eat: Kofta man’oushe
was initially ordered to keep the Don’t get us wrong, the food is Bill for three: Dhs180
meat feast lover happy. Falafel with knockout, the prices superb and
tahini, cheese saj, meat shawarma
with pomegranate molasses, In tweet form… One of the most unique
paper-thin pastry filled with cream restaurants to open for ages. Arrive hungry and
cheese and honey, foul with ‘add follow me
prepare to leave Zaroob a loyal fan. Follow us
your own tomato, red onion and at WhatsOnDubai and WhatsOnAbuDhabi
spring onions’, saj with nutella and
 EATING OUT

Market day
The Baker & Spice
UAE Farmers’ Market
at Souk Al Bahar is
back, offering local,
seasonal produce
from farms across
the Emirates. We
spent a morning
sniffing fresh basil
while, Yael Mejia,
the woman behind
the market told us
why it’s madness not
to eat local
Yael Majia at her stall
Why did you start the Farmers’
Market?
Two years of sitting here and
crying over the stuff people
were eating. Watching what the
supermarkets were selling made
me realise that people place no
value on produce that is grown
here in the UAE. A farmer selling
his produce like this is an old way
of life that needs to be brought
back to remind people where their
food comes from. It doesn’t grow
in plastic on a supermarket shelf. Going shopping with
Why do you think that is? Rivington Grill's Liz Stephenson
Urban societies are so removed
from food and where it comes
from that they’ve forgotten when and complete abandon and those strawberries that come here on an
it grows. So they’re happily global businesses have then gone aeroplane? No.
buying plums in the supermarket on to abuse it. Is it possible to eat regional all
that are six months old at the So why should people be year round?
moment and the apples are a eating local? You could only eat regional
year old. People don’t know that For their health, for the flavour. produce, yes. An area called The
so the supermarkets can do what The produce at the Farmers’ Fertile Crescent, just north of
they want. Market gets picked at the right here, is where agriculture began.
People just aren’t thinking moment because the journey Local, no. The season runs from
about these things? from field to plate is reduced December to April or May and
The Internet is there. Information by a factor of 1,000. So nothing that’s it. Then it all dies down.
is there. How can you not think has to be picked unripe then go But then the rest of the region
about something you are forced through picking, packing, storing, starts producing. So India, Iran,
to do three times a day? But some shipping; 3,000 hands with Afghanistan, Lebanon and Syria
people don’t, and supermarkets are everyone wanting a cut. It leaves all burst into bloom.
the result. Simple as that. People more money in your pocket. And right now?
have ceded responsibility for their Isn’t that a good reason? It’s good The winter season is wonderful.
health and their daily bread to for the environment. Isn’t that a Now everything is available. The
global business with an innocence good reason? Do you have to eat rest of the time I buy from Oman,

36 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011


wonderful agriculture there. I
buy from India, Lebanon, Syria
and Jordan. Why do I have to buy
from the USA and Australia?
And how should regular
consumers shop?
People should go to markets
instead of shopping clinically.
In the Deira fruit and veg
market you’ll find regional food.
Carrefour does a lot of regional
stuff. The French love their food
and these guys have done their
homework. And read the labels.
Simple.
Fridays, UAE Farmers’ Market, next to
Baker & Spice, Souk Al Bahar, Dubai,
10am to 5pm. Tel: (04) 4252240.
www.bakerandspiceme.com
EATING OUT
Time to
cook
Rivington Grill head pastry chef
Liz Stevenson shows us what
to do with our fresh, seasonal
ingredients
WHAT’S ON'S SHOPPING purple spinach, 30g goats’ cheese, cut into small
BASKET cubes, pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper
to taste.
Two tomatoes (Abu Dhabi
LTwo
Organics, Dhs2) METHOD
L Bunch of chives (Abu Slice the peppers in half and remove the seeds
Dhabi Organics, Dhs10) and inner white flesh. Cut into large cubes. Place
L Six eggs (Abu Dhabi in a bowl with the basil. Tear the basil, rather than
Organics, Dhs10) chop it, as this will spare the leaves from bruising.
L Mixed peppers (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs30) Wilt the spinach in a steamer, microwave, or on
L Purple spinach (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs9) top of a small cooling rack placed over a pan of
L Granola (Baker & Spice, Dhs18) boiling water. Remove from heat, cool and place
L Laban (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs20) in the salad. Add the goats’ cheese and drizzle
L Award-winning honey (Abu Dhabi Organics, with olive oil. Season with sea salt and cracked
Dhs100) black pepper.
L Box of dried dates (Abu Dhabi Organics, Dhs20)
GRANOLA
OMELETTE
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS 100g (one cup) of granola,
One tbsp olive oil, four eggs, 150g (just over a cup) of laban,
one tomato, three or four one tbsp honey, 20 to 30g (four to five
chives, salt and pepper pieces) chopped dried dates
METHOD METHOD
Blanch the tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds Place the granola in the base of a bowl, pour the
and submerge in ice water. Peel off the skin, laban over top and drizzle with honey. Add the
quarter, remove the seeds and dice into small chopped dates.
pieces. Chop the chives and set aside. Break the
eggs into a bowl and season with the salt and
pepper. Do not over mix the eggs, as this will be
done in the pan. Heat a small saucepan over a
medium heat with the olive oil. Add the eggs and
mix with a fork, moving quickly. Allow the base to
set slightly and place the tomatoes and chives on
top. Fold half of the omelette on top of itself and
continue to cook until the centre is just set (not
runny, but nice and loose).
SALAD
INGREDIENTS
150g mixed peppers (red, yellow, green, purple or
orange), five leaves of torn fresh basil, 20 to 30gm
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 37
 THE CRITIC

James Brennan knows
food. Having written on
everything from bhajis
to burgers for a string of
international publications,
James is now the
Middle East chairman
of the World’s 50 Best
long by seemingly every two-bit
chef from Jumeirah to Jakarta.
It’s no longer innovative or
impressive. Besides, it looks vile.
At best it’s like the scum left on
a beach after a chemical spillage;
at worst it looks like something
hocked up by a Jebel Ali docker.
Let’s call it a day, shall we?
5
I want them to wait on me, not Lay off the
chat me up, sit on my lap and hammour
then spoon-feed me. Wire them It’s overfished and over-
up to some kind of electric shock used, so isn’t it about time some
equipment and give me a button. high-profile restaurants gave
As soon as they come too close, the poor hammour a bit of a
or ask me if I’m enjoying my meal breather? Make it your new year’s
the second I place a huge forkful resolution not to eat hammour
of steak into my mouth, zap! A for at least 12 months, and
few well-placed volts should put perhaps they’ll get the message.

2
Restaurants judging panel. Go easy on the things right. Knowing my luck, the new
Don’t miss his monthly tuiles craze for 2011 will be Peruvian

musings every issue.
A year ends and another begins,
and the restaurant world girds its
metaphorical loins for another
12 months of grub. It wouldn’t be
an act of clairvoyance to predict
what chefs and restaurateurs have
got in store for us this year. But
here are five food trends that I’d
like to see in 2011.
4
In case you don’t know More local hammour in culinary foam
them by name, tuiles are wafers, ingredients with a nougatine tuile wedged
which these days appear to Sounds so simple, doesn’t up its backside, delivered by a
adorn every single dessert on the it? But something odd is going psychopathically over-familiar
face of the planet. I have nothing on with locally grown ingredients waiter, but you can always hope.
against them in theory, but they from the estimated 40,000
are often badly executed and farmers in the UAE. Most of
totally superfluous. Biscuit tuiles, their produce is exported, while
when used appropriately, I can the majority of the food we eat
tolerate. But all too frequently I is imported. I understand that
find sticky, stodgy tuiles made some items can’t be grown here,
from sugar or nougatine, sticking but until we start promoting and
out of a scoop of perfectly good respecting the locally grown stuff

1
The abolition of
culinary foam
Yes, yes, we all know that
it’s used to bolster the flavour
of a dish without bulking it up
with thick sauces and heavy
reductions, but does it have to
ice cream, like a flap of peeled
paint that’s fallen off a damp
ceiling. And if I really want to
clog my teeth up with gunk, I’ll
chew on a tube of superglue.
Thanks.
we’ll have a carbon footprint like
Sasquatch in moon boots.
“IT’S LIKE THE SCUM LEFT ON
A BEACH AFTER A CHEMICAL
SPILLAGE; AT WORST IT

3 LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING

be used on every plate? Foam The correction of
may have been developed by overly attentive
molecular genius Ferran Adria, waiters HOCKED UP BY A JEBEL ALI
but he’s been copied for far too They perform a vital service, but DOCKER”
38 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
BoHouse
A surprisingly
good late opening
restaurant with an
arty streak

There are a few decent places to

grab a bite to eat on The Walk,
but even if there weren’t, every
café, burger joint and coffee
house would still be overrun
with hungry punters.
The kilometre-long stretch
running roughly from Le Royal
Méridien hotel to the Sheraton
Jumeirah Beach Resort backs
on to JBR; prime real estate for
those living the Dubai dream.
The Walk is where you go for
a twilight stroll, pre-beach
breakfast or a convenient
evening nibble.
So why, with a few notable
exceptions such as The Butcher
Shop and Grill and, at a push,
Pizza Express, is it so difficult
to find good food outside of the
hotels?
We don’t have the answer, crispy deep fried squid rings
unfortunately, but we have atop a decent rendering of the
found another establishment to ubiquitous Lebanese salad. We
add to that short list of notable washed it all down with what was
exceptions. perhaps the best strawberry shake
BoHouse looks like a trendy in Dubai – real strawberries and
contemporary art gallery on the thick icecream – and finished
inside – very white, lots of shiny things off with a shared blueberry
plastic – but you should take a cheesecake constructed of
table on the sizeable outdoor delightfully cheesy cream cheese
terrace, despite the regrettable and an unfortunate sponge base
view of the beach car park. in place of the traditional biscuity
Of the two appetisers we bottom.
enjoyed, the shrimp cakes were
the real surprise. Light and
springy and not at all rubbery Need to know
as they often can be. The veggie
quesadilla weren’t bad either – a Location: The Walk, Dubai
nice sharing plate. We made a Marina, Dubai
terrific mess with the sloppy Tel: (04) 4298655
beef burger (a multi napkin Web: www.bohousecafe.
job), but served with onions and com
tomatoes, it was a fair crack at Open: Sun to Thurs 8am to
the classic Yank sarnie and came 12.30am, Fri and Sat 8am
with some fine French fries. to 1am
From the salads menu we Cuisine type: various
chose the intriguing breaded Must eat: shrimp cakes
calamari on fattoush, which Bill for two: Dhs280
was precisely as promised –

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 39

 ARTS

Puck-er Up
This month, UK drama group
Shakespeare 4 Kids returns
to Dubai with its acclaimed
production of one of the
Bard’s best-loved comedies,
A Midsummer Night’s
Dream. Leading man
Noel Andrew Harron
tells us more

You’re playing Puck, the court jester to the

king and queen of the fairies who gets up
to lots of mischief…
He’s a green hobgoblin in our production –
green, glittery and a little bit manic. I play him
like he’s having fun and gets confused quite
easily. He runs about the stage and makes a
mess, but all in all he’s having fun while doing
it. Shakespeare wrote Puck as an extreme
character. Because he’s a supernatural being
there’s no set way of playing him, and because
I am a physical, comic actor, I play on the
manic, crazy side of him.
Do you still use Shakespeare’s text or
adapt to more modern English?
I would say that it’s about 50:50. We
colloquialise quite a bit of it – it’s keeping to
the story, but adapting the language so the
children understand. We try and make our
productions as accessible as possible, to appeal
to the kids. We try to go to their level and talk
to them, not talk at them.
Shakespeare’s generally seen as being
quite adult – what’s the appeal for kids?
I think he is appealing to everyone. He talks
about love, death, he’s got all these things that

If you like this...

appeal to people of any age or any nationality.
It’s just brilliant storytelling. Even though the
language can be difficult, we try to update it so
they want to go and investigate it more. People
may think we’re dumbing down the Bard, but
we’re not, we’re just trying to give a sample of it
so they’ll want to investigate it themselves.
Do you make any other adjustments to
appeal to a younger audience?
I think everyone in the cast brings their own
stamp to their characters. There are also special
effects and contemporary references.
What, like a touch of Lady GaGa?
Another of Shakespeare’s comedies gets
a Dubai makeover next month. Much Ado
About Nothing is one of the Bard’s best-
loved plays. A tale of romance, deception
and, ultimately, the triumph of love, sweet
love, this performance by homegrown
not-for-profit theatre troupe Dubai
Drama Group, promises to be one of the
highlights of February’s arts calendar.
Feb 10 to 12, Kilachand Studio Theatre, Ductac,
ISTOCK

Yeah, pretty much! Myself and Bottom [the Mall of the Emirates, Sheik Zayed Road, Dubai.
character Puck turns into a half-donkey in the Tel: (04) 3414777. www.ductac.org
play], we do go off on a tangent sometimes.

40 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

 ARTS

Future Five minutes

perfect with...
Progress on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island’s Kais Salman
cultural district continues apace with the
unveiling of award-winning architect Lord Syrian painter Kais
Norman Foster’s design for the Zayed
National Museum. Built to showcase the
Salman is the focus of
life and achievements of the UAE’s found- a solo show at Ayyam
ing president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Gallery DIFC
Nayhan and the history of the UAE, the
sweeping design (five pavilions rising up
to 124 metres above the Arabian Gulf ) is
intended to represent the feathers of a
falcon’s wing. Promising to be a model of
sustainable development, the museum is
due for completion in 2014, and it will form
the centrepiece of the Saadiyat Island de-
velopment, alongside the Guggenheim Abu
Dhabi and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
www.tdic.ae
The show’s called Material World.
What does the title say about

Millennium your work?

Like it or not we all live in a world that is

falcon becoming more and more materialistic.

With Puck, it’s more like he’s a pantomime
comic who’s very appealing to the kids.
It does sound a bit like panto…
Maybe a bit – just to alleviate some of the
stress of Shakespeare. Engaging the audience
with stuff they’ll recognise and know makes
it that little bit more interesting for them.
We’re cheating in a way, because in between
all the fun it’s like, ‘By the way kids, this is
Shakespeare.’ We get an amazing response
from the audience – it’s not just children,
adults really like the show. It’s fun, it’s
hysterical in bits. All in all you’re there to enjoy
yourself – it’s a comedy at the end of the day.
Jan 10 to 13, Centrepoint Theatre, Ductac,
Mall of the Emirates, Sheik Zayed Road, Dubai,
Dhs150. Tel: (04) 3414777. www.ductac.org
National Day inspires us all in different
ways, but for Lebanese designer Pierre
Abboud it was the source of an idea to
create The Falcon’s Nest, the sculpture
recently erected in Downtown Burj
Khalifa. Standing seven metres high
and up to 24 metres in length, the
white wooden structure is designed
to represent the great power of
the "multicultural force" that is the
modern UAE.
Word up
Pecha Kucha, the interactive multimedia
forum that invites individuals and
groups from the creative worlds to show
off their projects and ideas prepares
for its ninth outing on January 19 at
Dubai’s The Third Line gallery. As ever,
participants must stick to PK’s 20x20 rule
(20 slides discussed for only 20 seconds
each), giving each speaker just over six
and a half minutes to get their message
across. Concise and to the point – just
the way we like it.
www.thethirdlinegallery.com
I consider myself a spiritual person,
but at the same time I dream of buying
an Audi. I dream of living in a big
house with a 1,000sqm studio. It is this
contradiction between spirituality and
materialism that is inside me every day
that I am trying to portray.
How does your background impact
upon your work?
I think Eastern cultures in general are
living a debate between older, more
spiritual lives and new Western ideas.
As an artist living in Syria, I am also torn
between the East and West and I think
that is portrayed in my art.
Your painting is attracting worldwide
recognition – how does that impact
upon you as an artist?
It makes me spend more time in my
studio and worry more about each
piece I produce.
Your work is often called provocative
– do you see it that way?
I think my work could be shocking
and provocative, but I hope in a funny,
satirical and positive way.
Describe your current artistic
direction in three words...
Enjoyable, funny, satirical.
Until Jan 15, Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Gate
Village, Building 3, DIFC, off Zebeel Road,
Dubai. Tel: (04) 4392395

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 41

 ARTS

Five to see

ÅANCESTRAL SPACE  TRANSLATED IDENTITY

The second of Mojo’s compelling four-exhibition series dedicated ÅTHE BRIGHT SIDE OF THE BONES
to contemporary art from Africa and the Diaspora this exhibition With its apparent emphasis on human remains, this solo show
focuses on artists who draw from both their traditions and modern by emerging Emirati artist Maisoon Al Saleh might at first glance
art to stake a new claim on representations of modern Africa. appear macabre, but is in fact a study into life – how our bodies
Fascinating stuff from a part of the world – and the UAE’s cultural carry our stories, culturally, historically and personally. Her vision
mix – that has until now been woefully underrepresented. is not fully realised yet, perhaps, but this show marks her as one
Jan, Mojo Gallery, Unit 33, Al Serkal Avenue, Street 8, Al Quoz, Dubai. to watch.
Tel: (04) 3477388. www.themojogallery.com Jan 18 to Feb 2, Gallery of Light, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Sheik
Zayed Road, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3414777. www.ductac.org
ÑRESIDUA
The second in a series of
revolving exhibitions at this
impressive new Sharjah gallery,
Residua features pieces from
the private collection of Barjeel
founder Sultan Sooud al-
Qassemi. It throws a spotlight
on work from both established
and rising stars of the UAE
and Middle Eastern art scene,
including Youssef Nabil and
Jeffar Khaldi.
Until Feb, Barjeel Art Foundation,
Al Maraya Centre, Sharjah.
Tel: (06) 5566555. www.
barjeelartfoundation.com

ÉRSTW
Last chance to catch this
impressive round-up of
mid-20th century American
greats, including Ed Ruscha, Cy
Twombly and UAE favourite
Andy Warhol, brought together
from the private collection of
one the leading gallerists of our
time, Larry Gagosian. Yet another
taste of things to come at Abu
Dhabi’s soon-to-be cultural hub.
Until Jan 24, Manarat Al Saadiyat,
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. Tel: (02)
6435781. www.artsabudhabi.ae
ÅEDUCATING THE HORSE
Art and politics meet in Nicky Nodjoumi’s first solo show in the UAE.
Slightly surreal, apparently incongruous imagery of encounters
between (a well-dressed) man and beast form the metaphor for the
Iranian artist’s musings on the relationship between East and West
in layered references to situations and events drawn from the
daily news.
Until Jan 14, Gallery IVDE, Al Serkal Avenue, Street 8, Al Quoz, Dubai.
Tel: (04) 3235052. www.ivde.net

42 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

 /GADGETS
/GEAR
/TECHNOLOGY
Behind the Bard /ONLINE
GETTY IMAGE

E WOR LD ’S BEST-
TH ADGET
SELLING GE IS NOW...
His plays have been translated into every living language and
are performed more than any other playwright in history – it’s

E
MAGAZIN

N
probably fair to say that William ‘the Bard’ Shakespeare needs

LI
little introduction. But as profound and prolific as he was (about

ON
38 plays and four times as many sonnets alone), the man himself
remains steeped in intrigue and mystery. It’s agreed that he was
born in Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK in 1564, where he married
Anne Hathaway aged 18, before heading to London as one of
the King’s Players theatre troupe and finding fame. The idea
that the man who, by the 18th century had widely come to be
known as the greatest playwright of all time, could have come
from such humble origins, however, has lead to countless claims
over the years that Shakespeare was a front for another writer (or
writers). In a series of plot twists worthy of the great man himself,
English writers from Francis Bacon to Christopher Marlow have
all been mooted as the 'real' Shakespeare over the years. These
days, however, such considerations generally rest alongside man
never walking on the moon in the dustbin of conspiracy theories
and it’s generally believed that, give or take a few possible early
collaborations, his writing was his and his alone. Either way, the
work lives on – and that’s entirely as it should be.

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 43

 SHOPPING

This month we’re buying…

Stylish
laptops
Why shouldn’t accessorising extend to our technology? Black-
Berrys and iPhones have their own little rubber and knitted
outfits, but laptops are taking it that step further with HP col-
laborating with snow sports brand Rossignol to create the his
and hers HP Pavilion DV6 Rossignol editions, complete with
graffiti-style graphics on the casing (and matching skis). Sony
Vaio has always lead the PC pack with its ‘lifestyle’ approach,
HP Pavilion and the new super-light (and super-expensive) P-Series with
its eight-inch screen is the latest addition to the colourful
DV6 Rossignol family, while Acer’s Aspire One Happy comes in sickly sweet
editions, tones (one for the girls) and merrily juggles both Android
and Windows 7. So which one should you get? The one that
price TBC matches your T-shirt, of course.

Sony Vaio P-series,

from Dhs4,850

Shambler
says...
THE EXPERT
Stuff magazine’s
Thomas Shambler

The Acer is my pick of the bunch. It’s slim, it’s

portable, but more importantly, it dual-boots
Windows and Google’s Android operating system
and gives you the best of both. So there’s Windows Acer Aspire One
for desktop-like productivity plus Android for on- Happy, from
the-go mobile smarts and for squeezing extra juice
out of the battery. Dhs1,400

44 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

 Got a fashion
question for
Sophia?
E-mail

Sophia says...
editor-wo@motivate.ae

We drag the oh-so stylish

Sophia Triantafillou away
from the helm at Emirates
Woman into the grubby
What’s On office to answer
your wardrobe woes

My daughter hates the way have some of the best tailors

I dress – she says I dress in the world on our doorstep,
too young for my age. I am but when it comes to casual
nearing 50 and think I look wear it all seems a little too
great. Do I have to stop tight and bright. The only way
wearing mini skirts and to approach this is to trawl the
vest tops? malls. The Dubai Mall and Mall
Margaret, Dubai Marina. of the Emirates have some of
the larger department stores, so
Yes and yes. Mini skirts should you’ll find greater variety there.
be forbidden, just like any short Avoid the high street – a lot of
shorts, over the knee boots and these stores do catwalk knock
off the shoulder tops. Not even offs and the result isn’t pretty.
Donna Karan gets away with it.
I am sure you do look great, but
there is a time when you have
My friends have told me
to give these items to charity
that I don’t dress well. I
and start purchasing new, age
have loads of clothes in my
appropriate pieces. You can still
wardrobe, but problems
show off your body and be sexy,
arise when I have to put
it’s just a matter of choosing the
them together – especially
right items and remembering
at the weekend.
less (flesh) is more. Swap the
Paul, Sharjah.
mini for just above the knee
length and get a great white
Think classics. For example, it’s
shirt that can look superb with
just not possible to go wrong
a skirt for work or jeans
with blue jeans and a polo. If
on the weekend.
you have a night on the town
Leave anything of
planned, go for jeans, shirt and
the mini variety to
a jacket – it's foolproof. Just
younger ladies.
don’t go too crazy on patterns
or bright colours, as I imagine
Skirt by Camilla and this is where you are going
Marc at Valleydez wrong. Keep away from trainers
by night and opt for a loafer
(muted tone) or dress shoe
instead.
What’s your advice for
winter dressing in the UAE?
I’m fed up with the lack
styles in Dubai for men’s
clothes, which seem better
suited to boys, not men. Top by H&M
Francois, Downtown Dubai.

This is a cry I hear from many

men in the UAE. You all seem
to be fine with suits, as we Shoes by Hermès

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 45

To celebrate the
25th Anniversary
of Arabian Heritage Books
Motivate Publishing announces a
NATIONWIDE COMPETITION
Are you a budding amateur photographer or perhaps a professional with an extraordinary photo library?
This is your chance to have your photographs published in a superb quality coffee table book.

A P H S E V E R T A K E N
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In celebration of 25 years of book publishing, Motivate Publishing is
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Visit motivatepublishing.com for competition guidelines and entry forms.

 MIND & BODY

NEW

Zayna Spa
OPENING
Instant
Tightening
Serum
Don’t believe the hype
and shell out your dirhams
until you’ve read this. No
jargon, just the truth

ED
TEST

The capital’s latest – and placed on key body parts, along the spine and
largest – health club and in the palms of the hands to relax muscles
so the therapist can bust deep knots with-
spa opens its doors out using excessive pressure. The warmth is
obviously comforting, but is also known to
Abu Dhabi at rush hour. A hastily printed map help with problems such as back pain and WHY? Drink plenty of water, get eight
in hand, which soon ends up under the brake insomnia. A nice bonus. hours sleep, blah blah blah... The festive
pedal. Fairly choice language being muttered. Following a footbath, our therapist dimmed season was a heavy one, so it’s time to
Then, a breakthrough. A sign. Literally. To Al the lights and set to work on some seriously pull out the big guns to sort out our
Wadha Complex. The spa almost in sight… stressed shoulders. The hour flew by, as each knackered skin.
A new hotel opening brings good and bad – limb was warmed and manipulated into a state
the lure of somewhere exciting, maybe a fresh of slumber, leaving only our racing mind to fol- THEY SAY? The Instant Tightening
favourite, offset by the possibility that it’s not low sleepy suit. Not sure what they put in basalt Serum by Clinicans Complex uses
the greatest thing since sliced manakish and a stones these days, but it could knock out a horse. high-tech chemicals, 'superior bimodal
total pain in the proverbial to find. So would the It was with a deep sigh that we hopped back polymer' and elastin molecules for a
Grand Millennium’s new spa (at the largest health into the car and returned to the traffic, but the 'face-lift effect', to reduce lines and
club in the city, no less) live up to the hype? after-effects of the massage managed to keep wrinkles in seconds.
Far from the stuffy business hotel with the temper in check all the way home. A true
token spa that we feared, Zayna Spa is big and test of a spa treatment in the capital. WE SAY? Instant tightening indeed.
beautiful, with ten treatment rooms, relaxa- Zayna Spa, Grand Millennium Al Wadha, Hazza We looked like we’d stepped into a
tion areas, steam, sauna, rainforest showers Bin Zayed Street, Al Wahda Complex, Abu wind tunnel and it made our skin feel
and Jacuzzi. It also smells fantastic. Odd Dhabi, Dhs440. Tel: (02) 4439999. unnaturally tight. It wore off pretty
observation, but go with it. www.millenniumhotels.com quickly though. You wouldn’t want to use
After being greeted with a cool towel and cold this every day, but for emergencies and a
juice, it was time for some hot stones. Despite pre-party fix it could be a good addition
being one of the staples of any self-respecting “The hour flew to your beauty kit.
spa menu, the hot stone massage is still a bit of
a mystery to us. Could you get the same effect
by, as each limb Dhs250. www.clinicanscomplex.com
with a handful of gravel and a hot water bottle? was warmed and
After some research at home, apparently not. manipulated into ALSO RECOMMENDED: Guerlain
Hot stone massage uses smooth, flat basalt Midnight Secret, Dhs330 from Debenhams
rocks (known for retaining heat), which are a state of slumber”
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 47

His‘n’hers
Our guy and gal hit the Talise Spa at Emirates Towers to test the luxury pampering
His
LOMI LOMI
HAWAIIAN MASSAGE
TALK US THROUGH IT
Though this massage sounds
Hawaiian, what exactly makes
it Hawaiian, I don’t know. No
wreath of flowers, no pineapple
and no outrageous shirts. But,
designed to reduce stress and
improve ‘circulation of energy’,
55 minutes of Lomi Lomi did
just that.
THE BEST BIT?
The spa has its own floor and is
more intimate than most. On
a Thursday afternoon I had the
changing room to myself.
ANY AWKWARD MOMENTS?
Nothing during the treatment,
but with six lifts to choose from
on the way out, judging which
one had stopped was not an easy
task. It was like trying to whack
the mole at the fairground.
HOW WERE THE DISPOSABLE
PANTS?
Big, roomy boxer shorts. The
only choice for the modern
gentleman.
SLEEP FACTOR?
I’m pretty sure this massage was
designed specifically to provoke
sleep. I was out after five min-
utes, even though I’d declined
the sleep inducing lavender oil.
WHO SHOULD GET
INVOLVED?
Tired, overworked and stressed
folk looking for somewhere to
escape for a few hours. Or even
just have a nap.
HOW MUCH AND HOW
LONG?
Dhs415 for 55 minutes. So not
cheap, not cheap at all.
Hers
FLOATATION
POOL
TALK US THROUGH IT
Very simple indeed. You can
book a quiet, private room
with a small, shallow pool for
between 15 minutes and an hour.
Filled with Epsom salts to make
you float, the weightlessness
helps your body to truly rest and
recover, promising the equiva-
lent of eight hour’s sleep.
THE BEST BIT?
You’re faced with an hour of
no interruptions which felt a
little daunting, but instead of the
minutes dragging I was able to do
some serious thinking and a little
snoozing, leaving very well rested.
ANY AWKWARD MOMENTS?
None at all, apart from overcom-
ing the weirdness of bobbing
around with a neck pillow in a
giant bath at Emirates Towers.
MIND & BODY
HOW WERE THE DISPOSABLE
PANTS?
Scant, but surplus to require-
ment anyway. Shout out to the
lovely fluffy pink dressing gown
though.
SLEEP FACTOR?
Some might struggle to switch
off and nap, but the floating,
inflatable pillow and earplugs
should send most people to
Bedfordshire.
WHO SHOULD GET
INVOLVED?
Jet-lagged or stressed execs and
those needing some genuine
quiet time. I couldn’t remember
the last time I had the chance to
relax alone without distractions.
Thoroughly recommended.
HOW MUCH AND HOW
LONG?
Dhs330 for an hour.
Talise Spa, Jumeirah Emirates
Towers, Dubai, 9am to 11pm.
Tel: (04) 3198181.
www.jumeirah.com
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 49
 MIND & BODY
At home
spas
Forget the magical spell of
post-massage bliss being
broken by rush hour, a new
wave of spas are bringing
their expertise to you
N Style
This popular nail salon has added at-home
services to its already lengthy list of reasons to
love it. Famed for its clients watching Friends
while they get their nails done at its many
salons, you can now enjoy its charms from the
comfort of your own armchair. It’s not that
we’re lazy but… well, we are, actually. When
the price is the same, you don’t need to worry
about parking, can order pizza and watch Mo-
ment Of Truth (don’t judge) you know this will
revolutionise your beauty regimen. How about
waking up after a particularly bubbly brunch
and ordering a Thai massage with your Dial-
A-Whopper to sort you out?
We tried the Soho pedicure (Dhs190) which
includes soak, scrub and masque to leave
you with the feet of a giant newborn and a
back, neck and shoulder massage (Dhs65 for
30 minutes). With three therapists for two
of us, the evening passed in a speedy blur of
nail polish and mumblings of ‘we should do
this again’ as another knot was massaged into
submission. The ‘at-office’ service is appealing
too, but a lunchtime reflexology session might
Who else will
indulge you with
some pampering at
your pad?
Chez Toi
Kick-start your day with an express
facial or get ready to relax with a hot
stone massage. Chez Toi has a minimum
spend of Dhs120 and caters to all-female
gatherings like baby showers and
birthday parties, with monthly offers and
competitions on the website.
Chez Toi, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3397117.
www.cheztoibeauty.com
50 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
Smile Dubai Express
Fear the dentist? What if the dentist came
to you? While we might be a few years
off at-home root canal work (shudder),
if you want teeth whitening from
your couch then read on. Smile Dubai
Express specialises in teeth whitening
parties (they also have a doctor who can
administer Botox, too), so you can either
host a night of your own, or go along to
one of their gatherings where you can
meet like-minded people with similarly
gleaming gnashers.
Smile Dubai Express, Dubai, Dhs1,500 for
teeth whitening including after-care kit.
Tel: (050) 8967781
mean we’ll have to start drawing up plans for
that George Costanza-style under-desk bed.
N Style. Tel: (04) 3401564. services@nstyleintl.com
Azur Spa
The doorbell rang and two smartly dressed
therapists, armed with enough luggage for
a trip round the world, quickly filled the
flat. In lightning speed a massage bed had
popped up behind the sofa and a nail station
appeared. Candles were lit, turquoise towels
draped and the mood was transformed from
cooking and MTV-watching chaos to a little
sanctuary on a Monday night.
Azur’s ‘spa on wheelz’ service – so good we’re
willing to overlook that z – is one of the few
companies that offer at-home treatments to
both men and women, so is great for a night in
with the other half. Once the, frankly bizarre,
concept of being on a massage bed in your liv-
ing room had been overcome, we couldn’t have
been happier and opted for a neck and shoulder
massage (Dhs70), pedicure (Dhs60) and reflex-
ology (Dhs45) each, followed by dinner. Wild
times. It was such a treat to sit in pj bottoms
getting a foot rub without having to get back in
the car after a spa sesh. But the big surprise was
actually the quality of the treatments – thera-
pists Aileen and Grace were charming, efficient
and superb at their jobs, leaving baby soft skin
and knot-free muscles in their wake. Azur’s staff
can turn their hands to all manner of treat-
ments, from eyelash extensions, spray tan and
an up-do before a party to waxing, threading
and Korean cupping (it the kind of things you
might not look your best after), and the prices
are really reasonable. You need never leave the
house again…
Azur spa on wheelz, Dubai. Minimum spend
Dhs300. Tel: (04) 4475284. www.azurspa.com
 MIND & BODY WIN!
The New Year Resolution
special at Senso
If you like the sound of Senso's January

Spa news
pamper package then read on. We have
two spa visits to give away and for your
chance to win, simply visit
www.winwithmotivate.com and
The best beauty bargains and answer this question:
Senso is in which hotel?
news this month a) Radisson NAVY
b) Radisson BLU
c) Radisson RED

NEW
OPENING

LA CONTOUR SPA
This new spa is offering their VelaSmooth Pro slimming treatments
at a discounted rate throughout January to get your weight-loss
campaign off to strong start. Using radio frequencies, infrared and SENSO WELLNESS CENTRE
deep tissue manipulation, this technique shifts fat deposits and Start the year off feeling good and looking great with the two and
smoothes skin. Sign up for eight sessions this month and you’ll half hour New Year’s Resolution package from Senso. You’ll get a
pay Dhs4,480 instead of Dhs6,400. full body massage of your choice, Anne Semonin facial to sort out
La Contour Spa, Tiffany Tower, JLT, Dubai, Dhs4,480. Tel: (04) 4473626. any peaky cheeks, then either a manicure or pedicure.
Senso Wellness Centre, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City, Dhs550.
CLUB OLYMPUS Tel: (04) 3669111
A family day out doesn’t have to involve food courts and mall
mania. This month the spa at Hyatt Regency Dubai is offering a AMARA SPA
package that includes a 60-minute aromatherapy massage for the Our favourite spot for a
parents, while up to three children have swimming lessons. pamper session, Amara is
Club Olympus, Hyatt Regency Dubai, Deira, Dubai, Dhs600 per family. offering a discounted price on
Tel: (04) 2091234 the Total Relaxation package
for January, reduced from
THE HEALTH CLUB Dhs958 per person to Dhs810.
Anti-ageing is the aim of the game at the Sheraton this month, The ritual begins with a hand
with a package to help turn back the clock and undo the damage and foot rose petal bath, you’re
done at Christmas parties (well, they’ll try their best – but some then treated to a 75-minute
of you pushed your luck). The facial takes 75 minutes and uses Ideal Carita facial and 45
Vivrecel products to promote cell regeneration for lifted, plump minutes of reflexology. Lunch
skin and freshness around the eyes. from the poolside menu is
The Health Club, Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort, Corniche Road, included.
Abu Dhabi, Dhs390. Tel: (02) 6773333 Amara Spa, Park Hyatt Dubai,
Deira, Dubai, Dhs810. Tel: (04)
THAI PRIVILEGE SPA 6021660
Enjoy five and a half hours of
luxury at TPS this month for TIPS & TOES
Dhs2,100 including a healthy Bargains aplenty in the January
lunch from the spa menu. sales at Tips & Toes. This month
Your day will be packed with you’ll receive 20 per cent off
traditional Thai spa rituals and massage treatments, enjoy a
hand-picked herbal products full body massage for Dhs160
to custom-design the most instead of Dhs200 or when
relaxing time possible. you book a mani-pedi add on
Thai Privilege Spa, 1074 a 20-minute head, neck and
Uttamah Villas, Al Wasl Road, shoulder massage for Dhs56.
Jumeirah, Dubai, Dhs2,100. Tel: Tips & Toes, Dubai. www.
(04) 3489679 tipsntoeshaven

52 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011


Run with us!
The Dubai Marathon is here.
So this, our penultimate
Run with us! column, is
dedicated to you brave
souls joining us as we set
out on our 41.84km journey
to the finish line and the
glory we have been striving
for over these long and
arduous months. It’s time,
fellow runners, to face our
destinies. But first, a final few
tips from our marathon guru
Chris Miller
As you read this, there is either only a short
couple of weeks until the Dubai Marathon on
January 21 or you’ve been incredibly slack, not
picked up the first What’s On of 2011 and it’s
already over. We will assume that you serious
runners out there, those mighty marathon
warriors who joined us on our righteous quest
and signed up to run the race beside us, fit
into the former category and need to hear our
marathon guru Chris Miller’s final pearls of
running wisdom. So here they are.
Firstly, if you’re going to buy a new pair of
trainers, do it at least two weeks before the
race so you can run them in. Do not, whatever
happens, don a virgin pair of pumps on the
day. You will get blisters.
“Tone down what you are doing a couple
of weeks before the race,” advises Chris. “Just
nice easy runs, especially in the last week,
and nothing in the last two to three days
beforehand.”
During those last few days you should book
yourself a massage, make sure your mobility is
good and do plenty of stretching.
And the night before the big day?
“It’s a big thing,” says Chris. “People,
especially if it’s their first marathon, get
nervous or excited, but it’s important you get a
good night’s sleep.”
But before you hit the sack you should eat a
healthy meal with plenty of carbs and protein,
make sure you have all your kit laid out, ready
for the morning, and drink plenty of water.
“Make sure you hydrate,” warns Chris. “You
should be doing that anyway, but the day before
make sure you drink enough and on the day
itself make sure you stay hydrated. Here in the
SPORT & OUTDOOR
Team What's On put
through their paces
UAE, even during winter, the heat can be quite
dehydrating when you’re exercising outside.”
But you’ll need more than good ol’ H20 to
get you through. Exercising for more than 90
minutes will deplete the energy resources in
your muscles, so you will have to replenish
them with energy drinks to avoid suffering
from cramps. And make sure you stick to the
drink you’ve used during your training.
“If you’ve found a good energy drink that
doesn’t upset your stomach and you’ve been
using it for a while, whatever you do, don’t
change it,” warns Chris.
“I said there’s nothing worse than running
with blisters, but there’s definitely nothing
worse than running with diarrhoea.”
Other than that, warm up properly and
ready your mind.
“Remember it’s your race, you don’t have to
prove anything to anybody. You make it over
the line, you get a medal just like everybody
else,” says Chris. “And when the gun goes, don’t
go for broke. It’s a long way 42km and you have
to run your own race, run how you’ve been
Chris Miller training, don’t let the excitement of the day get
dispenses the advice to you too much so you burn out too early.”
Good luck. See you at the finish line.
RUN WITH US!
Join our free weekly What’s On training session with Chris and Mr Fitness at Safa Park, 6.30am every
Monday. For more information, contact gareth@motivate.ae. Also keep an eye on our Twitter
(twitter.com/WhatsOnDubai) and Facebook (facebook.com/WhatsOnDubai) for updates and our
blog (www.runwhatsonrun.wordpress.com) for more detailed advice.
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 55
 SPORT & OUTDOOR

Got a fitness
question for

Mr Fitness
Our resident exercise
guru answers your
health and
fitness questions
The free weight area in
my gym is full of well-
muscled types and is pretty
intimidating. As a result I
stick to the machines – am I
missing out?
James, Palm Jumeirah
My gut instinct is to say yes.
However, it depends on your
reason for training. If the
free weight area is full of
people that you want to look
like, then I would say get
in there, get to know some
of them and get involved in
their training. That is not to
say that the machines won’t
help you out to a degree, but
if you have been training
for more than a few months
then I would suggest that
you are ready to progress to
the free weights.
I eat pretty well during the
day but sometimes wake up
in the night with cravings.
How can I curb the late
night fridge raiding?
Beverly, Tourist Club Area,
is a simple saying, ‘if you own
it, you’ll eat it’. So, if you are
craving something that you
feel is not good for you, then
the simplest thing to do is not
have it in the house or fridge,
therefore you simply cannot
eat it. Protein and good fats
tend to me more satiating,
which means they leave you
feeling more full. By ensuring
that your last meal of the
day is based on these two
macronutrients, you should
hopefully not feel the need to
snack late at night.
As a woman I want to be
editor-w @m
that you should be doing
aren’t all that different
to those female body
builders or other female
athletes do. The major
difference is female body
builders generally train at
a much higher volume and
frequency than the average
trainee, and they consume
a lot more food. I’m glad
that you recognise the need
to strength train and would
love it if you trusted me
when I say that, if done
properly, you won’t get
bulky. Some of the exercises
I would recommend are split
squats, dead-lift variations,
pull-ups (or a regression of )
and an overhead pressing
movement.
James?
E-mail
o otivate.ae
I prefer to avoid gyms and
exercising in public, so I've
decided to invest in some
equipment to use at home. I
can afford one machine and
some weights. What do you
recommend I buy?
Praveen, Bur Dubai
The equipment needed to
get awesome results at home
doesn’t need to be particularly
complicated. One of my
former clients got fantastic
results using just Power
Blocks (adjustable dumbbells),
a rowing machine and a TRX.

Abu Dhabi
Without knowing more about
your nutritional habits or
what it is you are craving, it
is going to be difficult to give
you the right strategy to curb
your late night fridge raiding.
Here are a couple you might
want to try though… There
1/4 AD
well toned and know I
should be doing strength
training, but I really don’t
want to bulk up or look
like a female body builder.
What exercises should I be
doing?
Tina, Jumeirah
In all honesty, the exercises

What Mr Fitness James Houghton doesn't know about

staying healthy isn't worth knowing. In his seven
years as a personal trainer, he's helped West End
actresses lose the pounds and worked with the Arabian Gulf
rugby sevens team to keep them in peak condition.

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 57

 SPORT & OUTDOOR
Sports
shorts
A duet of new year
sporting events
SEEING REDS
If you’re not aged between
seven and 16, stop
reading now. If you
are, demand that
your parents
send you to the
ten-week Man-
chester United
Soccer Schools
programme. You
will spend 12.5 hours
on the pitch learning how
to become the next midfield
sensation and if you score
enough goals you could be
one of two people sent to
Manchester to compete in
the MUSS World Skills Final. If
you’re not, you still walk home
with a Man United training
kit, bag, bottle and ball.
Jan 8, Manchester United Soc-
cer Schools, Dome@Rawdhat,
Abu Dhabi, Dhs1,650. Tel: (02)
4498480. www.manutdsoccer-
schools.ae
JOLLY HOCKEY STICKS
Did you ever see that movie
The Mighty Ducks, starring
Emilio Estevez as a junior ice
hockey coach? Come on, it
was a classic of the 1990s! Well,
fortunately for you, the Emir-
ates Hockey League Cup pre-
liminary matches will be taking
place February 2, 9 and 16
and March 9 at Dubai Ice Rink.
That’s right, you can watch the
Dubai Mighty Camels (see,
they’ve seen it), Abu Dhabi
Scorpions, Abu Dhabi Storms,
Al Ain Theebs and Al Ain Vipers
fight it out for a place in the
semi-finals. And it’s free.
From Feb 2, Emirates Hockey
League Cup, Dubai Ice Rink,
The Dubai Mall, Dubai, 8.15pm,
free. Tel: (04) 4485111. www.
dubaiicerink.com
58 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
Triathlon man
We’ll be running the Dubai
Marathon and preparing for
the RAK Half this month, but
if you’re still looking for that
spark of inspiration, the Tri Yas
triathlon at Yas Marina Circuit
is sure to provide it. We’ll be
there cheering on our fellow
marathon man and local boy
Eissa Raisi as he competes in
his first multi-discipline event.
Come on, Eissa!
When did you start running?
When I was young I played football for a club in Al
Ain and I twisted my knee, so I shifted to endurance
horse riding and then I started marathon running
last year.
Just last year?
That’s right, my first marathon was in 2009 in Dubai.
I had never run an official race before, but I did it
with two friends and it was great fun. We finished in
around four hours. I’m running the Dubai Marathon
again this month. I ran the RAK Half last year and
I’ve signed up to do that again as well.
We’re running both of those races. How did you
do in RAK last year?
I finished it in one hour fifty.
Beat us by eight minutes. How many marathons
have you run?
I’ve done four marathons now. Dubai was my first,
then I ran one in Beirut, one in Prague and recently
one in Istanbul. It’s the only marathon where you run
from one continent to another – from Asia to Europe,
over the Bosphorus Bridge. I got cramp after 20km but That must have been agony. Why have you
I forced myself to finish the marathon. It took a long decided to punish yourself with a triathlon?
time – about five and a half hours. But I finished it. It’s fun. The training for Yas has been more
interesting than training for a marathon. I have been
working with my American friend. One day we go
swimming 1.5km, one day we go running and once a
week we go cycling. I’ve been preparing for this race
since before I went to Istanbul two months ago, but
I’ve been swimming now for six or seven months.
What’s next?
Well, there’s Dubai and RAK and then I have signed
up for a marathon in Barcelona in March. But
Iron Man is my goal. I have the schedule. For three
months you have to train for at least two disciplines
a day. So in one day you may have to do a 1km swim,
then run 16km and cycle 20km. Then the next day
you have to do a little bit more.
Jan 14, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, from
1pm, free. Tel: (02) 4460384. www.yasmarinacircuit.ae
 VOTE TODAY

Who wins...? You decide!

Vote for your favourite restaurant, bar, nightclub, weekend
getaway hotel, concert and sporting event in Abu Dhabi

VOTING IS EASY
and can be carried out in one of 3 ways!
1 By completing a voting slip when next dining out at a nominated restaurant

2 SMS the name of your favourite outlets and events along with your email
address to 3908(Etisalat)* or 4478(du)* (*Dhs3 charge applies for every SMS vote)
3 By logging onto www.whatsonawards.com
MUSIC BANTHDE
OF TH
MON

Jay
Wud
Jay Wud’s album New Blood has the
perfect title, he’s so far from the man-
ufactured, reality TV pop acts and
even contrived wannabe rebel ‘musi-
cians’, that there’s a unique, other-
worldly feel to this soulful rocker. But
with his velvet jacket, quiet smile and
affable manner, the man belies the
music and lyrics on his debut record,
which is packed with raw chords, po-
litical references to his hometown of
Beirut and international influences.
Overwhelmingly though, what will
scream from your speakers is rock ‘n’
roll, making it all the more impressive
that this 27-year-old is the sole musi-
cian on the self-penned album; from
vocals and guitar to production, New
SHOT ON LOCATION AT SKI DUBAI

Blood is the result of nearly two years

of work. Jay has already supported
Aerosmith and Robert Plant, but
2011 could well be the year we clutch
tickets for a big solo show by this cool
character.
www.jaywud.com

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 61

 CLUB DIARY
This month’s clubbing highlights

1
Big Day Out @ Nasimi Beach
Infusion Magazine presents 36 of Dubai's
7
D*I*R*T*Y D*I*S*C*O @ SYNF
Back-to-back asterisk-strewn disco delights
7
D*I*R*T*Y D*I*S*C*O
@ SYNF
top DJs dropping trip-hop to funk. from local residents Da:Funct, Just Some Kid
Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, 2am to 2pm, Dhs50 and Bicep.
to Dhs100, free for ladies 2pm to 6pm. Tel: Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to
(050) 8717493. www.atlantisthepalm.com 3am, Dhs80 to Dhs100. Tel: (055) 8825675

Residents Retox Party @ MustHaveSoul WEEKLY

Ease into 2011 with soulful dance (residents
weekly from January 8 onwards).
360°, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm
to 2am, free. Tel: (055) 6160643. www.
musthavesoul.com
Residents @ MustHaveSoul
MustHaveSoul mainstays plus Skylite
resident Alex L drop soulful gems, in what's
becoming a hot little party for the capital
crew.

3
Skylite, The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi, 4pm
to 2am, free. Tel: (055) 6160643. www.
musthavesoul.com

WEEKLY
Afif Trio featuring Phillippa @ It's Alive
Jazz standards garnished by Phillippa's
sultry vocals.
Cavalli Club, Fairmont Hotel, Sheikh Zayed
Road, Dubai, 8pm to 11.30pm, free. Tel: (04)
Solomun @ Trilogy
Expect redefined Euro house from the
German-based co-founder of the Diynamic
label. Definitely worth checking out.
Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to
3am, Dhs100 to Dhs130, ladies free before
11pm. Tel: (050) 7258277.

14
3329260. www.cavalliclubdubai.com

6
WEEKLY
Afroboogie @ NEO Nights
Deep, percussive and banging tech
monsters from Afroboogie.
Sensation, Crowne Plaza, Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, 10pm to 3am, free. Tel: (04) 3324383.
www.afroboogie.com
Franck Roger @ Trilogy
French deep house don/Real Tone label
boss Roger recreates a slice of 1990s
Parisian spirit for the always-up-for-it Trilogy
regulars. Fun, fun, fun.
Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to
3am, Dhs100 to Dhs130, ladies free before
11pm. Tel: (050) 7258277.

1 14 Hisham Zahran
@ Audio Tonic
Big Day Out @
Nasimi Beach

Rising Egyptian talent played here in over two years. I choose

Hisham Zahran has been
hotly tipped, notably on
Radio 1. Currently based
in Alexandria, he co-runs
the label, Union Jack,
and also operates as
a production duo with
younger brother Adham
Are you looking forward to Audio
Tonic?
Definitely. I’ve been in contact about
this gig for almost two years but every
time something happens, so I’m just
excited I’m finally playing. I’ve been
to Dubai a couple of times, but never
as a DJ. I have family there and a lot
of friends working there. I'm looking
forward to seeing everyone.
What’s Egypt’s house scene like?
Pretty much non-existent. I haven't
not to get involved; it’s only going to
bring me down.
Tell us about your sibling
production duo...
We’ve just started, we have a few
releases in the pipeline. We’ve never
DJ’d together. He has a different style,
much deeper house than I play. He’s
only 20. I think he’s going to smoke me
in the next couple of years, make me
look foolish!
What are your hopes for 2011?
Hopefully get enough gigs so I can quit
my day job. I work at a bank, it’s not
very exciting. I don’t belong there to
be honest, but I have to see some signs
first. You can’t be foolish with your life,
chase a dream and end up eating tuna
from a can for a whole month!
360°, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm
to 2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. www.
myspace.com/hzahran

62 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011


21
WHAT'S ON PICK
Craig Richards @ Trilogy
Long-time resident at legendary London
nightspot Fabric rolls out his patented tech
house eclectica.
Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to
3am, Dhs100 to Dhs130, ladies free before
11pm. Tel: (050) 7258277.
27
DJane Simone @ Zenith Party
German house lady brings an invasion of
funky beats and sexy tribal rhythms.
Sheraton Abu Dhabi, Corniche Road, Abu
Dhabi, 9pm to 3.30am, Dhs100, couples and
ladies free. Tel: (02) 6773333
3
Afif Trio featuring
Phillippa @ It's Alive
13 Bob Sinclar @
Atelier
Atelier’s season-closing party
presents the French house
star behind globe-straddling
hits Love Generation and
Rock This Party (Everybody
Dance Now). His latest single
Tik Tok, featuring Sean Paul, is
out now
As a glamorous guy, do you love the
Dubai lifestyle?
I am not living that luxury every day.
But when there is luxury people always
want to have fun, party and the most
beautiful girls arrive, of course. We’re
ready to have a very beautiful party.
What inspired your current greatest-
hits-done-reggae-style album, Made
In Jamaica?
I’ve been going to Jamaica five years
now since I met the singer of Love
Generation, Gary Pine [of Bob Marley’s
The Wailers]. I met Sly & Robbie and
spent 15 days in their studio. I wanted
GETTY IMAGE S \ GRAPHEAST
to recreate the theme they had in 1979
for the Serge Gainsbourg album Aux
Armes Et Cætera. I’m a big fan of him.
The album is up for a Grammy. Are
you attending the ceremony?
Yeah. I have two invitations, so if I go
with my mother she will be very proud.
CLUB DIARY
28
Dorian Paic @ Trilogy
21 David
Vendetta @
Sven Väth's Cocoon-associated spinner lines
up a set of quality German techno/house.
Trilogy, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 10pm to
Diablo Red
3am, Dhs100 to Dhs130, ladies free before
11pm. Tel: (050) 7258277.
WHAT'S ON PICK
Steve Mill @ Audio Tonic
Carpet
Grecian goodness from producer/DJ
aligned with respected UK house imprint
Urban Torque.
360°, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, 4pm to
2am, free. Tel: (050) 1076405. www.stevemill.
com
French house head Do you enjoy playing Dubai?
Every time I've performed there I was
David Vendetta found very impressed by the clubs, the sound
favour in the Middle quality and the resident DJs. People
East with hit single are very open-minded; they truly love
music and listen with interest. My radio
Yama Layali, featuring show is a huge success in Dubai. It’s a
Lebanese singer Haifa real pleasure to perform there and an
Wehbe, from last year's honour to play the opening of Diablo.
Diablo is Spanish for devil. Do you
album Vendetta. He harbour a devilish dark side?
graces Diablo’s swanky I won’t say devilish, but as a DJ I have
a dark side, which emerges when I’m
opening weekend playing clubs. During the day I'm David
Paparusso and I have normal activities:
Did you notice your popularity in I work in my studio, I’m with my family.
the Middle East increase after Yama But by night I become David Vendetta
Layali? and I’m absorbed in music.
Yes. I decided to work with Haifa
Diablo, IBN Battuta Gate Hotel, Dubai,
Wehbe because I wanted to offer my
fans a track entirely sung in Arabic. It is 10pm to 3am, free (reservations only).
Tel: (050) 9666408/(050) 9666414. www.
a gift to them. davidvendetta.com
Love Generation was a football
World Cup anthem. What do you
make of the Middle East hosting the
2022 finals?
Ah yes, why not. It’s very ambitious to
21
have stadiums with air conditioning,
but Qatar can do that. They have huge
ideas. Maybe there is only desert, but
they like to entertain people.
Chi @ The Lodge, Al Nasr Leisureland,
Dubai, 10pm to 4am, Dhs150 to Dhs450. Craig Richards
Tel: (04) 3379470. www.bobsinclar.com @ Trilogy
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 63
 TRAVEL

The great outdoors

Just a short train journey from
Milan, the small Swiss city LONG
of Ascona on the shore of HAUL
Lake Maggiore will provide a
rejuvenating break from the
hustle and bustle

Historians chortle that the one good thing fascist

dictator Benito Mussolini achieved during his time
in charge of Italy was to make the trains run on
time. And now, a good 70 years since brutal Ben
was strung up to a lamppost with a handy length
of piano wire, the Italian train service is still one of
Europe’s most efficient.
Incidentally, not long before Mussolini took
charge of Italy, dancer Rudolf von Laban had
opened an art school on Ascona’s Monte Verità (Hill
of Truth) in the Swiss canton of Ticino – a mere two
hour train journey from Milan.
Rudolf is long gone, but fortunately there is
a train from Milan in the north of Italy to the
Swiss city of Ascona – and it runs regularly and
on time. Milan is a popular destination for UAE
travellers and much has been written about its many
appealing facets, but if you’re making the eight-hour
flight to Italy why not stay an extra few days? And
if you do, we advise you take the two-hour train
journey to Ascona and live life slowly for a while
in an environment that is as far removed from the
noise and befuddling pace of life in the UAE as
Mussolini was from Rudolf von Laban.
Ascona is a small city in the district of Locarno
and it’s beautifully and picturesque in an authentic
rather than a postcard kind of way. If you’re
fortunate enough to be staying at Ascona’s foremost
establishment, the five-star Hotel Eden Roc, you will
be positioned perfectly just a brisk pootle from the
beach, Ascona village and the piazza right on the
shore of the shimmering Lake Maggiore where the
famous New Orleans Jazz Festival Ascona is held in
June and July.
You could easily spend a week just wandering
around, savouring the cuisine at one of the many
waterfront restaurants, all composed of beautifully
fresh local produce, and maybe enjoying the
Lake view: the church of Ronco
activities on offer at the dedicated water sports sopra Ascona beside the majestic
school. But there are three things you simply must
ISTOCK

Lake Maggiore
do in Ascona: see the village sights and walk to the

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 65

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Take a hike: there's no better
place for a brisk stroll than the lush
Verzasca Valley
top of Monte Verità, take a motorboat trip on
Lake Maggiore and go for a long hike through
one of the surrounding valleys.
The best way to gain a sense of place and
learn the history of Ascona is to book a
guided tour of the town and climb the Hill
of Truth. We contacted the local tourist
board, Ticino Turismo (www.ticino.ch), and
spent two hours exploring Ascona with a
knowledgeable and friendly local lady who
had a real love for her hometown. In the
village, we took a look at the two churches,
Pietro e Paolo and Maria della Misericordia
e Collegio Papio and the Ghiriglioni Castle,
which is now a luxury hotel, before beginning
the gradual ascent of Monte Verità. There is
a steep stone stairway from the village to the
top of the mountain, but unless you’re feeling
particularly energetic, it’s best to save that for
the way down.
Monte Verità is a mountain with an
interesting story. It was just another hill until
1900 when Henry Oederkoven, a 25-year-old
from a rich Belgian family, set up a vegetarian
colony with his partner Ida Hoffmann, but
since then it has attracted all manner of weird
and wonderful individuals looking to live
the utopian dream. German brothers Karl
and Gustav Gräser joined the commune, but
when Oederkoven and Hoffmann decided to
transform it into a sanatorium and welcome
visitors, the brothers ran off into the woods.
One of them was never seen again (maybe he’s
still there?).
Monte Verità soon began to attract thinkers
and creative types ranging from psychiatrist
Carl Gustav Jung to writer Hermann Hesse and
Rudolf van Laban, who set up that dance school.
From the mid-1920s to the mid-1960s
Baron Eduard Von der Heydt ran a hotel on
the mountain before donating it to Canton
Ticino who built a conference centre that
today hosts a variety of cultural events. You
can still see some of the structures, outdoor
baths and contraptions built by Oederkoven
and his cooperative, as well as visit a museum
TRAVEL | ASCONA
24 HOURS IN MILAN
A guide to how to spend your brief
time in the Italian style capital
Your journey from the UAE to Ascona
will begin with a flight to Milan, from
there you will have to catch your train
to Ascona from Milano Centrale station.
Make sure you book an overnight flight
arriving early in the morning, check
yourself into the exquisite Radisson
Blu Hotel (www.radissonblu.com), dig
out your camera, grab a map of the city
centre from the concierge and catch a
tram into central Milan for a few hours
of sightseeing around much maligned,
but actually remarkably attractive,
city. The tram journey from the hotel
will take about 30 minutes, carrying
you through the ramshackle outskirts
right into the centre. Hop off when you
see the crowds and make your way to
Piazza del Duomo to take a look at the
city’s famous gothic cathedral. If you’re
hungry, have a bite to eat at one of the
touristy restaurants. Some may frown
at this advice, but Italian cooking is
spot on in most places and we enjoyed
a classic risotto Milanese and a glass of
wine for just Dhs50. In the afternoon
take a stroll down Milan’s famous
shopping street Quadrillatero d’Oro
and ogle the designer fashion before
visiting the museum at La Scala opera
house and, if you have time and have
booked tickets, the Santa Maria delle
Grazie church to view Leonardo da
Vinci’s The Last Supper (www.vivaticket.
it). You should be back at your hotel
in time to download your pics, order
a pizza from room service and get an
early night before rising for breakfast
and your morning train to Ascona.
Night life: eat at one of the
small restaurants with a prime
view of the harbour
JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 67
 TRAVEL | ASCONA
Boat trip: take a boat trip across
Lake Maggiore and see Ascona
from a different perspective
and the Japanese teahouse and garden. And
on your way back down, make sure to pause
for a moment to enjoy the panoramic views of
Ascona and Lake Maggiore below.
If you want to see Ascona from a different
perspective, hire a motorboat and pilot from
the hotel’s marina. You can spend an hour
skidding across the crisp waters, past the
house of the current owner of the Falke sock
empire (he owns a handsome boat as well,
which can be seen bobbing about near his
own personal jetty). Cruise past the botanical
gardens on Isole di Brissago (a boat daily
service ferries tourists to the island), and the
surrounding hills and various colourful house
lining the shore. After your boat trip, pop into
the Eden Roc Marina restaurant, order a glass
of the local white wine and some fresh fish
and enjoy the view of the lake your lunch used
to call home.
Finally, no matter how slothful you are
feeling, you must go hiking. It’s the best way to
relish the dramatic natural bounty of the area.
We caught a bus from outside the train
station in Locarno and started the long chug
up the winding slope towards Sonogno –
the final village in the eye-poppingly scenic
Verzasca Valley. During the hour-long journey
you will pass the dam featured in Bond movie
Golden Eye, the impressive 17th century Ponte
dei Salti Bridge in Laverezzo and numerous
charming villages. When you reach Sonogno,
you will be 919 metres above sea level and at
the start of what is billed as a two-hour hike
(we did it in 90 minutes) to the picturesque
village of Gerra further down the valley. The
trail is very well signposted allowing you to
68 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
Making a splash: adventurous
types leap from the Ponte dei
Salti bridge in Lavertezzo
enjoy the scenery without worrying about
getting lost in the wilderness. As you follow
the Verzasca, shrouded by the grassy slopes
of the valley and under the shadow of lanky
trees and luscious green foliage, you will pass
the odd cow, historic villages replete with grey
stone buildings in various states of repair and
a dairy farm before reaching Gerra. And then
you’ll know exactly why you decided to visit
Switzerland in the first place.
Fresh fish: order fish straight
from the lake at Eden Roc's
Marina restaurant
Need to know
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Eden Roc
If you’re visiting Ascona, you’ll be looking to
make the most of one of the most relaxing
environments in Europe, and there’s no
better way to do so than checking into the
Hotel Eden Roc. The five-star hotel excels
at understated, European style and luxury
(none of the extravagance found in the
UAE) with friendly and extremely helpful
staff led by manager Jens Wycisk, a variety
of large suites facing Lake Maggiore as
well as a number of cheaper rooms. There’s
also the lovely new Eden Roc Spa where a
masseuse soothed our aching muscles after
our long hike, several restaurants, including
chef Rolf Krapf’s Le Brezza where we ate
a multi-course gourmet meal, and the
hotel's own private marina and water sports
school. The hotel will also happily assist
with tours of the town, boat trips and hiking
expeditions.
Hotel Eden Roc, Ascona, Switzerland. Tel: +41
(0) 917857171. www.edenroc.ch
HOW TO GET THERE
Flight
LEmirates Airline flies direct from Dubai to
Milan with prices from Dhs4,185 return and
Qatar Airways goes via Doha with prices
from Dhs3,065 return
L Etihad Airways flies direct from Abu Dhabi
to Milan with prices from Dhs4,115 return
Train
Regular trains run from Milano Centrale
to Bellinzona and from Bellinzona on to
Locarno, just a short taxi ride from Ascona.
Ticket prices from Dhs150.
CURRENCY
CHF100 = Dhs380
 TRAVEL | TRAVELS WITH...
Travels with…
Tony Wheeler
Lonely Planet founder and
director Tony Wheeler was
born a traveller, growing
up in the UK, Pakistan, West
Indies and the USA. He
produced his first travel book
after a trip across Asia in
1972, and went on to create
a company that has more
than 500 travel titles in print
today
Gotta get out of this place?
Read on for top travel
bargains
ROME
Walk off those Christmas calories and take
in some spectacular sights with this reduced
priced mini-break. It’s time for a Roman
holiday. Until March 31 you can get return
flights, four nights in the elegant De La Ville
InterContinental Hotel Rome, daily
breakfast, one complimentary
dinner and taxes included from
Dhs4,985 per person based on
two people sharing.
www.dnataholidays.com
70 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
What’s the best holiday you’ve ever had?
I joined a bunch of ‘been everywhere’ travellers
on a month-long trip up the west coast of Africa
in a chartered aircraft – a 50-year-old Convair
580. How often do you get to go from Capetown
to Casablanca via Namibia, Angola, Benin,
Gabon, Central African Republic, Mali and
other countries on the ‘seldom visited’ list? In
fact, a lot of my best trips have been in Africa
– a year ago I bicycled 1,000km through
Tanzania and Malawi, the year before I
climbed Mount Kilimanjaro,
the year before that I drove
from London to Banjul in Gambia.
What’s been your biggest travel disaster?
Touch wood, I’ve always got back and started
thinking about the next trip, so really nothing
could qualify as a disaster.
If you could advise people to visit one
destination, what would it be?
China. It’s heading rapidly towards becoming
the world’s number one tourist destination,
it’s big in every measure and going through
so many changes, so fast that if you just stand
still for ten minutes everything shifts. It’s also
getting easier and easier to travel around and
yet it can still spring surprises on you.
What are your three top tips for surviving
a long airport stopover?
A good novel, a laptop with Wi-Fi so you
can catch up on work or contacts and a good
KERALA
Forget the frantic
city of Delhi, verdant,
peaceful Kerala in Southern India couldn’t
be more different to the rest of the country.
This Air Arabia package will whisk you
to the backwaters where you’ll stay for
three nights in a premium resort. The
Dhs2,130 price tag includes return flights,
accommodation, boat trips, Ayurvedic
massage and full board, taxes, surcharges
and visa for India.
www.airarabia.com
TRAVEL
EXTRA
guidebook so you can escape the
airport and go look around the town or
somewhere else nearby.
What do you never travel without?
My GPS. I like to know where I am, where I’m
going and how fast I’m getting there.
What destination serves the best food?
Melbourne in Australia. So many different
cuisines, so much food culture (chefs are
celebrities) and Melbournians take coffee
seriously – how many cities have forced
Starbucks to pack their bags and go home?
www.lonelyplanet.com
“I like to know where I am,
where I’m going and how
fast I’m getting there”
ISTOCK
CAPE TOWN
The weather is amazing
at the moment in
cosmopolitan Cape Town, so
it’s the ideal time to explore
the beaches, vineyards,
mountains and fishing villages.
This special offer luxurious break includes
return flights accommodation at the
One&Only hotel with breakfast, and if you
buy three nights you’ll get the fourth free.
From Dhs8,910.
www.emirates-holidays.com
businessatone

Snack on cracking deals during business hours,

choose from three wonderful Business Meals.
AED29 for Business Breakfast at T-Garden
Choice of hot beverage plus viennoiserie or pastry.
AED58 for Lebanese Lunch at Sahriye
Includes an appetizer, main course & dessert.
AED99 for South East Fusion Lunch at Wokcano
Includes an appetizer, main course & dessert.
AED140 for a Steak - Lunch at 18oz
Includes an appetizer, main course & dessert.

Sahriye offers free home delivery within Abu Dhabi city.

Minimum order AED100.

Weekend room rates starting from AED345*

Room rates are subject to availability,
exclusive of 10% service charge and 6% tourism fee.
*RXUPHW&OXEPHPEHUVDUHHQWLWOHGWRVWDQGDUGEHQH¿WV

For restaurant bookings or more information call : 02 4952000

Al Salam Street, p.o.box 128967, Abu Dhabi, UAE. t. +971 2 4952000 f. +971 2 4952001
info.thevillage@onetoonehotels.com onetoonehotels.com GPS coordinates +24° 28' 31.11", +54° 23' 16.84"
THE HOT LIST
Key
New entry

Non-mover

Up

Down

p75 Bars
p79 Restaurants
p83 Brunches
p87 Spas
BICE

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 73

 Available at all leading retail outlets
in the Gulf and at

Published with the support of

PO Box 2331 Dubai UAE Tel +971 4 282 4060 Fax +971 4 282 7898 books@motivate.ae
PO Box 43072 Abu Dhabi UAE Tel +971 2 677 2005 Fax +971 2 677 0124 motivate-adh@motivate.ae
 THE HOT LIST THE
FINEST FOR
BEVERAGES
BARS AND
BITES

Relax@12 Yacht Club

ATMOSPHERE LOCATION BEST FOR PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO

SAYS...

1
Friendly and busy, With its raft of Mingling and Around average Souk Qaryat Al Beri,
The stylish Between The Bridges,
like a good bar great bars and meeting new drinks prices for the
interior was Abu Dhabi,
should be. restaurants, the people. capital, although
the place to Sat to Wed 7pm to
Souk Qaryat Al Beri some of the
dine over the 1pm, Thurs and Fri 7pm
is our number one cocktails can send
Left Bank summer, but to 2am.
entertainment spot the bill creeping up. Tel: (02) 5581680.
now it's terrace
in the capital. www.emiratesleisureretail.
time.
com

2
It’s chilled early on, There are few Dressing up to Your wallet will It’s bearable InterContinental Abu
while later in the cooler locations in the nines and be considerably Dhabi, Al Bateen, Sat
outside, so the
evening the party the capital than this being seen. lighter after a night to Wed noon to 1am,
outdoor space Thurs noon to 3am, Fri
vibe kicks in as marina-side bar. out here. comes into 2pm to 3am, Sat 5pm
the DJ spins some its own once to 1am.
Yacht Club house grooves. again. Tel: (02) 6666888.
www.ichotelsgroup.
com

3
Within a few Perched on top of A nightclub vibe, Refreshingly This is rapidly Aloft Abu Dhabi,
months of opening Aloft, one of the without the queues affordable. Abu Dhabi National
becoming one
Relax@12 has hippest new hotels to get in and cover Exhibition Centre,
of our favourite Khaleej Al Arabi Street,
become one of the in the city. charge. haunts. 5pm to 2am.
busiest bars in the Tel: (02) 6545000.
Relax@12 capital. www.aloftabudhabi.
com

4
A near perfect Some of the capital's Great food and a It’s on the Don’t leave InterContinental Abu
recreation of a fin de best bars and few beers with pals. expensive side, but Dhabi, Al Bateen,
without trying
siècle European bar. restaurants – Yacht justifiably so. 5pm to 1am.
the Belgian Tel: (02) 6666888.
Club and Chamas waffles. www.ichotelsgroup.
to name but two – com
Belgian Café are located at the
InterCon, making
this quite the
nightlife hub.

5
As homely as a The Beach Rotana A plate of German You’ll rack up a Celebrate Beach Rotana Hotel,
wooden chalet in hotel also has the sausage and hefty bar tab if you Tourist Club Area, Abu
Christmas here.
the Black Forest. superb Pregos, sauerkraut and a order too many of Dhabi, 12.30pm to
Guaranteed 11.30pm.
Rodeo Grill stein of lager. the speciality beers. messiness. Tel: (02) 6979000.
and Benihana www.rotana.com
Brauhaus restaurants and the
ace Trader Vic’s bar,
all under one roof.

2010 WHAT’S
JANUARY 2011
OCTOBER WHAT’S ON
ON 75
75
 HOT ON
THeillyE’s,H EELSéridien
BARS 11 PJ O’R
12 Heroes,
tt
Le Royal M
Crowne Plaz r
om
a
Cafe, Al Dia
13 Ro ck Bo
el
Capital Hot Al Bahr
eleo n, Fa irmont Bab
14 Cham r, Sher aton
hcombe
15 The Beac Dhabi
Abu

Stills Etoiles

ATMOSPHERE LOCATION BEST FOR PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO

SAYS...

6
Y Bar is becoming Persuade your Anyone looking Mid-range. Yas Island Rotana
Fast becoming Hotel, Yas Island, Abu
the coolest spot designated driver for a change of
the landing pad Dhabi,
for suburban Abu to head out to Yas scenery.
for those living 4pm to 2.30am.
Dhabians to hang Island. It’s packed
off the main Tel: (02) 6564000.
out. with great bars and
Y Bar island. www.rotana.com
restaurants.

7
With the huge bar Stills would be our A couple of after- The drinks are Stills serves one Crowne Plaza Yas
and leather seating, favourite local pub, work pints. reasonably priced, Island, Abu Dhabi,
of the finest
there’s a smart city if it only it were a but the food tends noon to 12.30am.
beef pies in Tel: (02) 6563000.
pub feel. bit more, well, local. to be a bit pricey. the city. Kudos www.ichotelsgroup.
from us. com
Stills

8
There’s a Polynesian The Beach Rotana's If you like your Too many big Try the Mai Tai. Beach Rotana, Tourist
island feel, with one of the city’s cocktails large, ice nights on the Club Area, Abu Dhabi,
It’s the cocktail
various island bric- oldest, but cold and packed cocktails at Traders 7pm to midnight.
that made Tel: (02) 6979000.
a-brac lining the classiest, hotels. with fruit, head and you’ll be off to Trader Vic’s www.rotana.com
walls. here. the workhouse. famous.
Trader Vic's

9
Stark and At the very lovely A good place for Not cheap. At Cracking Shangri-La Hotel
glamorous, with a Shangri-La, Pearls posing, bobbing all. But then this Qaryat Al Beri,
cocktails and
pretty strict door has views over your head to some probably isn’t Between the Bridges,
super service Abu Dhabi, 7pm to
policy. Worth the Sheikh Zayed chill-out tunes with the place to be could see this midnight. Tel: (02)
getting dressed Mosque. a cocktail in hand throwing drinks place climb the 5098888. www.
Pearls up to watch the and tapas order on down your neck. hot list. shangri-la.com
beautiful crowd, the way.
though.

10
Grown-up good fun It’s in Emirates Open until 3.30am, Fairly ghastly on Not as stuck-up Emirates Palace Hotel,
in slick surrounds. Palace, the world’s Etoiles is a strong the wallet. Ras Al Akhdar, Abu
as you’d expect
most expensive shout for post- Dhabi, Mon to Wed
for a seven-star 10pm to 3am, Thur to
hotel, so expect drinks dancing or hotel. Fri 11pm to 3.30am.
haute couture by dinner that turns Tel: (02) 6907999.
Etoiles the shop-load. into a big night. www.etoilesuae.com

76 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011

 THE HOT LIST
THE
ELITE
OF THE
EATING OUT
RESTAURANTS SCENE

MPW Steakhouse & Grill Hakkasan

ATMOSPHERE INTERIOR FOOD LOCATION PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO

SAYS...

1
Effortlessly The chandeliers European The Between Dhs800 for two, Shangri-La
A taste of Qaryat Al Beri,
sophisticated. and oil cuisine served The Bridges sans alcohol, is
France in the Between The
paintings are without the area is a foodie’s a good estimate Bridges, Abu
desert. A must
the epitome unnecessary paradise, with of what you’ll Dhabi,
for foodies. 6.30pm to
of understated foams and plenty of superb pay.
Bord Eau elegance. jellies. restaurants. 11.30pm.
Tel: (02)
5098888.
www.shangri-la.
com

2
The restaurant Small alcoves, The jasmine A Michelin- Your bill’s going Hakkasan is Emirates Palace,
is huge, but divided up smoked beef starred to hit the four- West Corniche,
now hitting its
always packed by Oriental is out of this restaurant in figure mark. Abu Dhabi,
stride. Expect it 7pm to 11pm.
with diners wooden panels world. the world’s Deal with it. to battle for the Tel: (02)
wanting to see create a maze- most expensive top spot. 6909000.
Hakkasan if Hakkasan like feel to the hotel. Yes, this is www.hakkasan.
lives up to huge restaurant. luxury living. com
its esteemed
reputation.

3
Warm and cosy, The dim lighting The finest steaks One of our If your budget With this and Fairmont Bab Al
and luckily and dark walls and British favourite hotels doesn’t stretch Bahr, Between
Frankie’s under
lacking a stuck- make the dining cuisine in the in Abu Dhabi. to at least The Bridges,
his Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi,
up vibe. room feel like a capital. Dhs800 for a belt, MPW is a 7pm to 1am.
snug little barn. three-course local hero. Tel: (02)
MPW meal for two, we 6543333.
Steakhouse advise eating www.fairmont.
& Grill elsewhere. com

4
The open A cavernous Prior to visiting Nab a spot on Take advantage We love meat, InterContinental
kitchen and restaurant, Chamas, skip the terrace of a meaty Abu Dhabi, Al
hence we love Bateen, Abu
the swarms of decked out in some meals to at the nearby dinner and Chamas. Dhabi,
waiters dashing a chic black save room for Yacht Club for free-flowing 7pm to
about carrying leather theme. the barrage of after dinner caipirinhas for midnight.
Chamas chunks of meat meat that will drinks. Dhs295 from Tel: (02)
6666888.
makes for a be sliced onto Fridays to www.
bustling vibe. your plate. Wednesdays. ichotelsgroup.
Bargain. com

5
Modern, The earth- The finest Souk Qaryat Al When your bill The best curry Souk Qaryat Al
sophisticated, brown theme Northern Indian Beri has plenty arrives, expect Beri, Between
house in Abu The Bridges, Abu
but definitely and sleek cuisine made of shops and it to be in Dhabi.
Indian. furniture with delicate bars, so you the region of Dhabi, 12.30pm to
midnight.
mean we give combinations of won’t be stuck Dhs500 for two. Tel: (02) 5581769.
Ushna Ushna’s interior spices. for activities www.cplmg.com
designers two after your meal.
thumbs up.

2010 WHAT’S
JANUARY 2011
OCTOBER WHAT’S ON
ON 79
79
 HOT ON
RESTAURANTS THE H EELSal Bahr
irmont Bab
, Fa
11 Frankie’s , Park Rotana
12 Teatro i-La
lace, Shangr
13 Shang Pa on Blu Yas Island
di ss
14 Filini, Ra on Abu Dha
bi
15 Bice, Hilt

Toki Mombasa Grille

PRICE
ATMOSPHERE WHAT’S ON
INTERIOR INFO FOOD LOCATION PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO
SAYS... SAYS...

6
Our favourite A neon An extensive The Hilton’s Expect change We love the
Hilton Abu
spot for sushi, illuminated menu, which slightly dated, from a Dhs500 Dhabi, Corniche,
bento boxes; Abu Dhabi,
and clearly sushi station contains some but has a certain note for a three- a great way
most other in the corner is unusual regional old school course meal for 7pm to 11pm.
to sample Tel: (02) 6814151.
people’s too, the focal point Japanese dishes charm. two. a variety of www.hilton.com
Toki as it’s generally in the darkly that you won’t cuisines.
packed to the decorated, dimly find anywhere
rafters. lit dining room. else in the UAE.

7
A favourite spot The glass walls The freshest The Yas Hotel Pushing close to Light and The Yas Hotel,
for VIPs and jet- mean there’s fish, crabs, looks like NASA the four-figure bright, this Yas Island, Abu
setters. plenty of light lobsters and scientists have mark for a Dhabi, 12.30pm
is lovely for to 3pm and
during the shellfish cooked designed it. The three-course lunch and is 7pm to 11pm.
day in this beautifully with restaurant has meal for two. transformed at Tel: (02)
Nautilus ultra-modern a selection reopened after night. 6560600.
restaurant. of puréed a refurb. www.
vegetables. theyashotel.
com

8
The wooden With its shark Up there The beachside Dhs700 is about Fresh seafood Beach Rotana,
chalet is a skulls, fishing with the terrace is average for a and quality Tourist Club
charming and nets and lobster best seafood calling… three-course Area, Abu Dhabi,
ingredients are 12.30pm
romantic dining baskets lining the creations in the meal without what Finz does. to 3.30pm
spot. walls, Jacques capital. booze. and 7pm to
Finz Cousteau would 11.30pm.
feel right at Tel: (02) 6979000.
home in Finz. www.rotana.
com

9
Very relaxed to The tables European and At the far end A meal for two The steamed Emirates Palace,
start, with the overlook a British dishes, of the Emirates should come West Corniche,
monkfish with
pace picking dance floor, cooked with Palace’s gigantic in around the Abu Dhabi,
lobster tail noon to 3pm
up as the night leaving you in flair. lobby, with the Dhs700 region. will knock you and 7pm to
moves on – this no doubt of its sauvé air to sideways. 11.30pm.
Etoiles is a restaurant- alter ego. match. Tel: (02)
cum-nightclub 6909000.
after all. www.etoilesuae.
com

10
Busy, without Eclectic, to say A huge array Pop into Left Around Dhs600 A restaurant Souk Qaryat Al
being rammed, the least, with of fine dishes Bank, our will do for a Beri, Abu Dhabi,
that manages to
meaning you African masks, from around number one bar meal for two. 7pm to
master a variety midnight.
should be able spears and the world, from in the capital, of international Tel: (02)
to find a table animal skins Indian curries to after your meal. cuisines. 5581868.www.
Mombasa here. lining the walls. African grilled It’s virtually next
Grille mobasagrille.ae
meats. door.

80 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011 OCTOBER 2010 WHAT’S ON 80

 The Fish Market is Dubai’s favourite “market style” fresh seafood restaurant which
offers unrivalled views of the Creek as well as the freshest seafood available. Choose
from a wide selection of freshly caught fish and an array of seafood delicacies, then
relax whilst our team of South East Asian Chefs prepare it exactly as you like it.
Fish Market, Seafood restaurant, is open daily for Lunch from 12:30 pm - 3:15 pm,
Dinner 7:30 pm - 11:15 pm

Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek

Baniyas Road, P.O. Box 476, Dubai UAE
For Bookings, please call 04-205 7333
Infocenter.Dxbza@radissonblu.com
radissonblu.com/hotel-dubaideiracreek
Use your card to put a smile
on his face, every month.
It doesn’t take much to change the life of a child
with special needs. In fact, by debiting your credit
card just a few dirhams every month, you won’t
believe what can be achieved. Your contribution
will help the Al Noor Training Centre provide
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ultimately, a better chance in life.
You probably won’t even notice the amount
you pay each month. But, believe us, the kids
certainly will.
Join our recurring Credit Card Donation Program
online at www.alnoorspneeds.ae or
call +971 4 340 4844
Thank you for your ongoing generosity.
 THE HOT LIST
OUR
PICK
OF THE
BRUNCH
BRUNCHES BUNCH

One To One Al Fanar

ATMOSPHERE FOOD LOCATION BEST FOR PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO

SAYS...

1
This brunch Enough seafood At long last it’s Impressing Dhs565 You’re paying Emirates Palace,
attracts a classy, to fill a trawler, cool enough visitors with includes the West Corniche,
through the Abu Dhabi,
well-behaved plus a vast to venture into Middle Eastern finest Laurent nose, but it’s
crowd. selection of the stunning luxury. Perrier Rosé 12.30pm to
worth splashing 3.30pm.
meats and gardens of champagne. out for. Tel: (02)
Le Vendome salads. Emirates Palace,
Brasserie 6907999.
making this www.
brunch a worthy emiratespalace.
number one. com

2
Everyone is here A truly The glitzy Birthdays, Dhs399 Top notch Fairmont Bab Al
to have fun, but international Fairmont Bab leaving with Moet food and Bahr, Between
it rarely gets too blend of curries, Al Bahr is just dos or any & Chandon The Bridges,
free-flowing
rowdy. sushi and Arabic minutes away other special champagne, Abu Dhabi,
champagne. 11.30am to
food, as well from a raft of occasion. Dhs299 with 3pm.
Elements as a cracking other bars and wine and beer, Tel: (02)
cheeseboard. restaurants at Dhs222 without 6543000.
the Souk Qaryat alcohol. www.fairmont.
Al Beri. com

3
A relaxed a la Some truly With the late As the Yacht The Dhs165 A great way InterContinental
carte brunch in superb Pan- start the terrace Club brunch with unlimited to spend an Abu Dhabi, Al
a cool bar. Asian cuisine, will be cool finishes at 6pm, a la carte food Bateen,
afternoon with
including sushi, enough to enjoy it drifts perfectly and drinks is 2pm to 6pm.
friends in the Tel: (02)
noodles and properly. We’ve into an evening cheap in our fading sun. 6666888.
Yacht Club tempura. been waiting a out. books. ichotelsgroup.
few months for com
this one.

4
As chilled as Your usual Sofra’s a giant, Anyone and Dhs220 for All-round Shangri-La
a lazy donkey brunching spacious everyone. unlimited wine excellence Qaryat Al Beri,
snoozing under options, plus restaurant in There’s enough and soft drinks – Between The
makes this
a tree. some fine the decadent room for around average Bridges, Abu
one of our top Dhabi,
Moroccan Shangri-La families and for Abu Dhabi’s spots. noon to 4pm.
Sofra tagines and a Qaryat Al Beri. party people. brunching
Boulevard Tel: (02)
live seafood scene. 5098888.
cooking station. www.shangri-la.
com

5
It starts out A good array This is the city’s A memorable Dhs220 with New chef Le Royal
quiet, but has of seafood and first revolving brunch in a wine. It’s slap Méridien,
Alain Roin has Khalifah Street,
been known salads. restaurant, truly unusual bang in the improved the Abu Dhabi,
to become a and its lofty restaurant. middle of Abu quality no end. 12.30pm to
bit boisterous location makes Dhabi’s brunch One to watch. 3pm. Tel: (02)
Al Fanar later on. for spectacular price range. 6742020.
www.
views. ichotelsgroup.com

JANUARY 2011 WHAT’S ON 83

 HOT ON
BRUNCHES HEteEsLPaSlace
THE Emira
11 Etoiles, , Sheraton
12 Flavours oft
13 Dine, Al éridien
rie, Le M
14 La Brasse Royal Méridien
PJ O’R eilly’s, Le
15

Pearls & Caviar Elements Jing Asia

PRICE
ATMOSPHERE WHAT’S ON
FOOD INFOLOCATION BEST FOR PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO
SAYS... SAYS...

6
A healthy bustle A boatload Pearls & Caviar’s Seafood fanatics. Dhs299 with Shangri-La
See you on the Qaryat Al Beri,
of brunchers. of fish awaits waterfront champagne,
terrace. Between The
consumption at location has Dhs199 with
the P&C buffet. great views other drinks. Bridges, Abu
Dhabi,
of the Grand On the upper 1pm to 4pm.
Pearls & Mosque. end of the scale, Tel: (02)
Caviar but bubbly’s 5098888.
included in www.shangri-
the bill. la.com

7
The aromas On arrival, you’re The InterCon is Ravenous Dhs235 or A superb InterContinental
of barbecued handed a two- a bit out on a carnivores. Dhs295 with Abu Dhabi, Al
brunch you’ll
meats and the sided card. Turn limb, but great free-flowing Bateen,
want to keep 1pm to 3pm.
Latino beats it to green to bars such as Caipirinhas to coming back Tel: (02)
from the live keep the meat Yacht Club and get you in the to. 6666888.
Chamas band make for a coming, turn Belgian Café South American www.
merry vibe. it to red when should keep you mood. ichotelsgroup.
you’re ready to from wanting to com
explode. head elsewhere.

8
This family An international The ever- A family feast Dhs150, Who doesn’t Park Rotana, Al
brunch is busy buffet, plus popular Park that leaves you including Salam Street,
love a free
with multi- barbecue. Rotana. And money in the two house Abu Dhabi,
massage after 12pm to
generations Something for each table of bank. There’s beverages. lunch? 4pm. Tel: (02)
tucking into the everyone. four gets a free face painting 6573333. www.
Ginger buffet. massage in and balloon rotana.com
the hotel spa. modelling for
Result. the children, too.

9
A lot of people’s Three fine We’re still A party that Dhs200 with One of the One To One
favourite restaurants waiting for won’t leave you alcohol and Hotel, Al
most popular Nahyan, Abu
brunch, so be stacked on signposts to broke. Dhs140 without. brunches in Dhabi,
sure to book top of each One To One Pleasantly town. noon to
ahead. other with hotel, as its affordable. 3pm. Tel: (02)
One To One three different backstreet 4952000.
www.
cuisines. location makes onetoonehotels.
it a nightmare com
to find.

10
Lively, with busy A lovely outdoor On Yas Island, so It’s international Dhs125 Well-priced Crowne Plaza,
cooking stations area for brunch plenty of choice with an Asian without alcohol Yas Island, Abu
and a nice vibe. Dhabi12.30pm
and tables of in the sun. for post-food twist, so expect or Dhs170 Worthy of a top
groups. drinks. spicy Thai with house to 3.30pm. Tel:
ten spot. (02) 6563053.
flavours and beverages. www.www.
Jing Asia plenty of dim Half price for ichotelsgroup.
sum. children aged com
six to 12.

84 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011 OCTOBER 2010 WHAT’S ON 84

 THE
THE HOT LIST DADDIES
OF THE
HEALTH AND
SPAS LEISURE
SCENE

Zen Spa Chi Spa

MARCH 2010 WHAT’S ON 87

THERAPISTS MENU THE SPA PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO

SAYS...

1
The staff, who Extremely This palatial spa You wouldn’t Emirates Palace,
We’re big fans West Corniche,
mostly hail from luxurious. is so big it has its expect a seven-
of the diamond Abu Dhabi, 10am
Thailand, are true Treatments such own wing of the star hotel spa to
facial, which to 10pm.
geniuses in the art as Journey To The Emirates Palace all be cheap and it
will knock years Tel: (02) 6909000.
of pampering. Island Of Java and to itself. isn’t. Most of the
Anantara off. www.
Gateway To Arabia treatments come emiratespalace.
are as opulent as in around the com
they sound. Dhs1,000 mark.

2
Professional From Filipino Imagine a small Far from cheap, The spa has Shangri-La Qaryat
and welcoming, Hilot massages to temple hidden but worth the Al Beri, Between
one of the best
they’re all caviar facials, it’s in the Himalayas extra expense. the Bridges, Abu
Jacuzzis in the Dhabi, 10am to
guaranteed extensive to say – that’s what the capital. 10pm.
to make your the least. Chi Spa’s rooms Tel: (02) 5098888.
Chi Spa experience as resemble. www.shangri-la.
pleasant as com
possible.

3
They aim to Almost every The spa’s located It’s a five-star Try the Beach Rotana
please by month a new, in the basement of hotel, but prices Hotel, Tourist Club
signature
inquiring whether innovative the Beach Rotana. aren’t excessive. Area, Abu Dhabi,
treatment – 10am to 10pm.
the temperature treatment is But it’s so large For example, the stress and knots Tel: (02) 6979000.
of the room and added. and spacious you aromatherapy will disappear. www.rotana.com
Zen Spa the music being won’t feel you’re massage costs
played is to your underground. Dhs348 for an
liking. hour.

4
They’re as All your usual The views from Expensive, but not Another reason Qasr Al Sarab, Liwa
friendly and massages, plus the windows of unreasonably so. Desert, Abu Dhabi
to visit this
skilful a group of some unusual the undulating 10am to 10pm.
amazing desert Tel: (02) 8862088.
therapists as you’ll ones thrown in, dunes of the Liwa retreat. www.qasralsarab.
find anywhere in such as exfoliating Desert add to the anantara.com
Anantara Spa, the UAE. sand baths and relaxation quotient
Qasr Al Sarab water-based Vichy of your therapy.
spas.

5
Therapist Rinti Luxurious and Stunning views Not bad, It's Yas Island's ESPA, Yas Hotel, Yas
showed us extensive, with of Yas Marina considering the Island, Abu Dhabi,
newest and
around the vast all ESPA products. from the outdoor quality of venue, 9am to 9pm. Tel:
finest spa. (02) 6560862.
spa then got Great for both loungers, and products and
www.theyashotel.
to work on our quick fixes trackside seating service. com
ESPA knots. and day-long in the men’s
pampering. relaxation lounge.

2010 WHAT’S
JANUARY 2011
OCTOBER WHAT’S ON
ON 87
87
 HOT ON
E HxuEryEMLenS’s Spa,
THge Lu
11 Man/A
SPAS 12 Body &
So ul H
l
Marina Mal ub & Spa,
ealth Cl
ach Hotel
Al Raha Be urist
H olistic Day Spa, To
13 Crystal
Club Area a
Wellness Sp
14 Sharinis nd Millennium
Sp a, G ra
15 Zayna
Al Wahda

ESPA The Spa

THERAPISTS MENU THE SPA PRICE WHAT’S ON INFO

SAYS...

6
A multinational The separate They haven’t gone We’d say it was Radisson Blu Hotel,
It will need to Yas Island, Abu
team of menus for men overboard with the mid-range.
fight to keep Dhabi, 10am to
therapists, hailing and women are décor. It’s sparse
customers 10pm.
from as far a field both packed and functional.
now ESPA at Tel: (02) 6562000.
as Zimbabwe and with imaginative
The Spa Yas Hotel has www.radissonblu.
Nepal. treatment options. com
opened...

7
Very sweet and A suitably large Ten treatment Above average, We had to Grand Millennium
full of knowledge. menu to match the rooms, Jacuzzi, especially for Al Wadha, Hazza
check this
capital’s biggest steam room and the rituals, but Bin Zayed Street, Al
place out. Read Wahda Complex,
health club and hydrotherapy area. the quality of our review on Abu Dhabi, 9am
spa. Big and beautiful. treatment is very page 47. to 10pm,. Tel: (02)
Zayna Spa high. 4439999. www.
millenniumhotels.
com

8
The all-female A wide-ranging Small and intimate Surprisingly Hiltonia is also Hiltonia Beach Club,
staff won’t menu, including with an Oriental affordable for a Corniche, Abu Dhabi,
home to one of
interrupt you with waxing, manicures themed décor. No hotel spa. 10am to 9pm.
the best beach Tel: (02) 6924324.
small talk. You’re and luxurious complaints here. clubs in the www.hilton.com
free to snooze packages. city.
Hiltonia Health through your
Club & Spa therapy if you like.

9
They’re all With a spa, Slightly dated, The Spa Prestige Make time to Le Méridien,
knowledgeable, hammam and hair but pleasant Moisturising Facial Tourist Club Area,
relax by the
but therapist Fe salon, it’s extensive enough. The huge will set you back Abu Dhabi, 9am
pool after your to 11pm. Tel: (02)
has been there to say the least. relaxation pool is Dhs660. About spa. You won’t 6446666. www.
for 15 years and is the centrepiece of mid-range for the regret it. starwoodhotels.com
Eden Spa a master in knot the spa. capital.
busting.

10
They’re all very We are big fans Located on the Treatments are Undoubtedly Serenity Spa, above
serious about of the Aroma mezzanine floor generally cheaper Paris Gallery, Zayed
the best female-
making sure you Massage, which above a shop with than the hotel The First Street,
only spa in the Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi,
get the right combines body separate rooms for equivalent. Dhs450 capital. 10am to 10pm.
treatment for you. exfoliation and facials, massages, for the 90-minute Tel: (02) 6678880.
Serenity Spa a deep tissue Moroccan baths Aroma Massage is www.uae-parisgallery.
massage. and hairstyling. cheap as chips. com

88 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011 OCTOBER 2010 WHAT’S ON 88

 Regional winner of the Gourmand
World Cookbook Awards 2010
in the categories:

Best Desserts Book

Best Arab Cuisine Book

Dhs
145

AARON MAREE
presents

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“I hope this book is a learning tool for someone else. If even one
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 Backchat with Helen Spearman
Deputy Editor Helen
Spearman resolves to make
2011 your best year yet. The
guilt-free way
No doubt after reading our New Year, New
You feature on page 21 you’re feeling steeled
and inspired for the year ahead, filled with
good intentions and plans to sort your life
out in 2011. Us too. Various resolutions from
the What’s On office include cutting back
on the morning-after junk food, reading
books of substance, starting a savings
scheme, being better at keeping in touch
with folks back home and finally putting
some new tunes on the iPod. Perhaps you’ll
Don’t miss next month’s What’s On –
Gourmet Abu Dhabi, the Gulf Bike Show and
the city’s best salads
90 WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2011
be throwing money at personal trainers,
buying trolley-loads of lettuce and barely
masking the nicotine-withdrawal rage.
January might seem like a long month if this
is your approach, each day tinged with the
desire to have a KitKat and each episode of
MasterChef ruined by that niggling feeling
that you really ought to be miserable in gym
gear somewhere.
Personally speaking, the best resolution
I ever made was to ‘take action’ and I
can’t recommend it highly enough. All
encompassing, this new motto made that
year one of the most productive of my life.
Shoes need re-heeling? Straight off to the
cobbler. Car sounding dodgy? No more
waiting for disaster to strike. I guess this
could have also been known as the year of
‘not being so lazy’ but ‘take action’ sounds
more positive. Rather than setting myself
up to fail with a classic ‘lose 10kg’ type
objective, taking action meant less crashing
out on the sofa after work and more cajoling
friends into a run, resulting in losing 12kg
without really realising it. Smug? Moi?
And rather than a tedious inventory of
resolutions resembling a year-long to-do
list, taking action was a bit more flexible so
there wasn’t that inevitable guilt when a bad
day was had. Little things like uploading
photos, organising your computer desktop,
writing a thank you email, trying a new
class or sorting out kitchen cupboards all
merrily fall into this category so you too can
feel self-satisfied on a regular basis. We like
self-satisfied.
We spend enough time setting unrealistic
goals and setting ourselves up for failure,
feeling terrible and slumping back into old
ways with alarming ease when it all goes
wrong. Be kind to yourself this year. Go easy
on the goals.
Of course, it helps that the next 12 months
in the UAE are set to be good ones, with the
next issue of What’s On Abu Dhabi full of
content solely on our capital. That’s us taking
action, see? And each magazine will be
packed with events, ideas and places for you
to try, so you can take some action, too. No
more old reliable, with so much happening
in AD we’re encouraging you to break out of
routine, explore our fair city and have some
new experiences in fresh-faced places. You’ll
be feeling smug in no time.
 ”relaxing spa
treatments,
fabulous food...
I feel reborn.“

Relax with selected

‘his’ and ‘hers’ treatments
in the world-renowned
ESPA at The Yas Hotel,
enjoy an elegant dinner in our
award-winning seafood restaurant,
Nautilus, and stay overnight in a
luxurious Marina Deluxe Room.

See ‘The Yas Hotel Island Escape for Two’ at

www.TheYasHotel.com for full details.

From only AED 2,500*

per couple.
Part of the Winter Collection at The Yas Hotel.
Operated by Aldar Hotels and Hospitality.
*Prices exclusive of 10% service charge and 6% tourism fee. Terms and conditions apply.