UNDER THE STARS Sense on the Edge restaurant offers amazing mountain-top views

Falafel
SERVES: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
500g chick peas 40g onion 30g garlic 30g garsley 2tbsp falafel spices 10g soda bicarbonate 8g salt

A taste of Zighy Bay

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FOR THE TAHINA SAUCE

Got a taste for travel? Sate your appetite with these local hotels that offer a delicious break from the norm

WORDS BY: TIA SEIFERT AND JIM CLEMENTS / IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK AND TIA SEIFERT

Culinary getaways
Zighy Bay, Oman
Around three hours out of town by car, Six Senses Zighy Bay offers visitors a mountainous setting with a clear, clean shoreline, decadent rooms and multiple culinary activities to satisfy the tastebuds of even the choosiest gourmand. You can arrive at the resort by land, sea or air adventurous types can even paraglide in or arrive, James Bond style, by speedboat. We were guided into our destination via a 30-minute dhow cruise accompanied by a yoga therapist who got us limbered up for our vacation with some relaxing stretching exercises. After being escorted into the main reception, our host brought us a local treat a frothy date and yoghurt beverage which was delicious and a sure sign of the indulgences to come. With just enough time to poke around our spacious room, we were whisked off to Spice Market, one of the five restaurants located on the resort, to try our hand at an Arabic cooking class. Our Syrian chef shared with us his creative fusion of Syrian/Lebanese cooking with

100ml tahina paste 25ml lemon juice 5g garlic Salt 4. Shape into balls and fry in

METHOD 1. Soak chick peas in water overnight before you prepare them. 2. Mince them the next day in a mincer machine with onion, garlic and parsley. 3. Add soda bicarbonate, salt and the falafel spices.

Ch hot oil (180 C). in his 5. Make the tahina sauce by blending all the ingredients, slowly adding cold water until it has a smooth texture. 6. Serve the falafel with the tahina sauce, mixed pickles, mixed vegetables and Arabic bread.

ef Husan shares his skills Arabic cooking class

The creative salad from the Wellness Menu at Zighy Bay

Bicycles help you to get around & work off the food!

FOOD HEAVEN The resorts restaurants are jampacked with innovative and tasty menu choices. Everyone is catered for no matter what your preferences

traditional Omani dishes and, aprons on, we were taught to make a particularly elegant fattoush salad, with the magic ingredient of defused pomegranate juice, which we boiled for a luscious thickness. This was followed by lessons in cooking falafel, pan-fried fish and umm Ali (an Arabic bread pudding) for dessert. Our dinner was a multi-stage dining

experience that began at Zighy Bays jewel-in-the-crown Sense on the Edge, voted best restaurant in the Middle East at the Middle East Hotel awards. We were whisked 293m above sea level in one of the hotels 4x4s and offered an extensive cocktail menu to select from, just as the sun began to set. The adventurous cocktails and canaps showed us why

this restaurant is considered by many to be among the best in the Middle East. The next stop was Vinotheque, situated back on solid ground in the Wine Tower. Here we met our sommelier Michal Novak who had joined the Zighy team only three months earlier. Like the other staff members we met throughout our stay, he was inspirationally passionate about his job and spoke enthusiastically about the resorts extensive wine collection, which held more than 150 prestigious labels. We began the wine tasting blindfolded, guessing aromas from fragrant oils that were passed around, which challenged what we thought we knew about the wines we love. We then ascended to the top of the tower, where a table for private dining was set up so we could enjoy our starters underneath a staggering view of the stars. The experience ended on the outskirts of the resort near the sandy beach at the Shua Shack. This, one of Zighy Bays destination dining spots, encourages intimate experiences enjoyed in the beauty of nature and gave us the opportunity to

learn about traditional Bedouin meals. Our meat (not the traditional goat, but chicken and lamb instead) was prepared underground in an oven known as the shua, ensuring a tenderness like you have never experienced before. There are many other fantastic bespoke dining experiences on offer at Zighy, including the chance to have a barbecue in your own villa, with a personal chef and waiter to serve you a feast of Arabic or international selections. Although everything on offer was made to perfection, the menu that most impressed was the inventive wellness menu, created by Executive Chef Steve Wilson. This was but one of many menus the chef has tailored to suit a variety of personal regimes, with many ingredients grown in Zighy Bays very own organic garden. The highlight was a vanilla-poached chicken, cooked for 12 hours, with charred asparagus, artichokes, and a delicate date and pine nut dressing. Dessert was an inventive chocolate and avocado mousse so light it left everyone wondering where the calories were hidden. From the home-grown garden that stocks the five creative restaurant kitchens, to the passionate staff that serve it in a variety of settings, Zighy Bay provides a trip of a lifetime. For a luxury getaway seemingly designed for the obsessive foodie, nothing beats Zighy Bay. From Dhs3,300 for a pool villa per night; www.sixsenses.com/sixsenseszighybay

To explore the other side of Dubai, try Frying Pan Adventures, food
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blogger Arva Ahmeds guided food tour of Old Dubai; Dhs350 per tour; www.fryingpanadventures.com
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St Regis, Abu Dhabi

WHAT A VIEW Rare restaurant overlooks the beautiful grounds, lending a relaxing vibe to the evening

ile Watch the polo match wh lm Pa rt ese D dining at Rare

Desert Palm, Dubai

Your first impression as you drive down the long thoroughfare to Dubais Desert Palm is of a traditional Spanish cortijo, landscaped with perfectly groomed hedges and sparkling fountains that resemble elegant stallions. The refined equestrian theme continues in the main lobby, where hangs an intimate family snapshot of a beaming Sheikh Makhtoum and his son Hamdam in Ireland, riding white horses in the stunning countryside. Our day started with a Friday brunch at Rare restaurant, where we dined al fresco with a bottle of Tatinger, overlooking one of the three polo fields that surround the intimate property. The food was exquisitely presented, typified by an aesthetically perfect seafood table adorned with fresh lobster tails, shrimp and crab, next to a table of crisp and fresh salads, each served in an individual glass bowl. Rare provided an exceptional meat station, where fresh cuts

of tenderloin, lamb, salmon and salt-crusted hammour are cooked to order, as well as a pasta station, a sushi bar and an utterly decadent table devoted to cooking up perfect offerings of foie gras. The atmosphere, however, almost trumped the food. In stark contrast to the usual easy listening music piped in unthinkingly in so many restaurants, Rare offered a carefully selected playlist of vintage blues and jazz, including truly mood-setting tracks from John Lee Hooker and Nina Simone. We were so lost in the vibe that we barely noticed that a polo match had kicked off right in front of us. As we were staying in one of the many rooms directly overlooking the field, we finished watching the game from the privacy of our own terrace. For something close to home that somehow feels like a true getaway, nothing beats the oneof-a-kind Desert Palm. From Dhs1,400 per room per night. Desert Palm, Al Awir Road, Dubai. www. desertpalm.peraquum.com

One day in the near future, Saadiyat Island will truly become the UAEs own miniNew York, showcasing both an NYU campus and a Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim museum. In the meantime, travellers hungry for a bit of NYC glam can content themselves with the islands beautiful branch of the Manhattan icon, the St Regis Hotel. The culinary highlight is the afternoon tea. The tradition was introduced to the St Regis by socialite Caroline Astor, who used it as an opportunity to mingle and gossip with her high-flying circle. At the Saadiyat branch, it begins with a glass of champagne, seated in the drawing room. Youre then invited to select your tea from a huge variety of gourmet blends. As this St Regis is, after all, in the Middle East, we went for the signature Arabian Blend, a rich and satisfying Keemum

black tea with undertones of cinnamon, orange, vanilla, cardamom, ginger and cloves. This proved a surprisingly fitting accompaniment to the very traditional array of afternoon bites served on a three-tier tray which included a mouthwatering selection of classic cucumber sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and more. From Dhs2,200 per room per night. Afternoon tea, Dhs120. www.starwoodhotels.com/ stregis

Desert safari with a barbecue

Something too few residents have experienced is an evening barbecue in the endless desert that lies just outside your back door. Locals know how to make the most of the cool, crisp evenings and often venture out to make the most of the night air. If you want a glimpse at the traditional roots of this late-night affair, then an evening desert safari can provide the perfect opportunity to catch a glimpse of the original Bedouin lifestyle and enjoy the flavours of the region. There are a multitude of licensed companies that offer variations on this experience for you and your visitors. Most start in

the late afternoon with a pick-up from your home or hotel, and last for about five hours. Youll be whisked away in the 4x4, where the tour will begin with a trek through the desert (with hypercharged dune bashing on offer for the adventurous), and photo opportunities in the orange glow as the sun sets. Afterwards, guests are driven to a campsite decorated in the Bedouin style to enjoy a number of activities that showcase aspects of Arab culture and to set the tone for the feast to follow. You can try on traditional Arab clothing, smoke a shisha, enjoy Henna painting or, for the young ones,

try sandboarding or camel rides. The low tables If you dont have time to hit the highway, why and cushioned not have a picnic somewhere closer to home? Grab a few ready-to-go salads from your local seating are then Choithrams, and, while youre there, stop by the set for you to enjoy deli to pick up some antipastos and cheese a dinner buffet of (we recommend some vintage cheddar and a wedge of gruyere mature de comt). various meat dishes, Then enjoy your own gourmet feast salads and desserts, in the local park dont forget the croquet set! often accompanied by performances from belly or tanura dancers. An authentic meal in an authentic setting makes for a truly charming evening, perfect for hosting your out-of-town guests hankering for a glimpse of the regions culture. Try www.funtoursdubai.com or www.arabiannightstours.com

IN SAFA PARK

PICNIC

PACKA

Cook your catch at the Hilton Fujairah

Where else in the UAE can you go fishing in the morning and have your catch cooked up by an award-winning chef in the afternoon? We enjoyed this amazing experience at the Hilton Fujairah. Led by our experienced guides, Albert and Benny, we spent a beautiful morning bobbing along the Fujairah bay where we dropped our lines, put up our feet, and caught a smorgasbord of beautiful fish (including a very large, and very feisty, hammour). Our day got even better when, upon our return, new Executive Chef Thirumalai Murugan bounded out of the kitchen and offered to turn our trophies into a gourmet lunch at the Al Ghorfa Restaurant. The Hilton encourages you to present your catch to their renowned kitchen and enjoy your lunch overlooking the sea where you were floating only moments before. The Hilton Fujairah has long been one of the UAEs most comfortable weekend retreats, but with the addition of Chef Murugan, Hotelier Middle Easts 2012 RELAX IN STYLE The sea-front view at Breezes restaurant is stylish and relaxing Executive Chef of the Year, the hotel is now a must-try for adventurous foodies. The staff of the Hilton Fujairah are the friendliest imaginable and are known by name to their countless regulars. They like nothing more than to find a creative way to make your stay memorable, and Chef Murugans attitude fits right in as he is always finding opportunities to use his prodigious skills to give you a meal youll never forget. This extends from the elegant breakfasts, which you can enjoy in your room with a newspaper, to the evolving dinner menu at the Al Ghorfa restaurant. In between meals, you can have drinks and shisha, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Indian Ocean in the spacious Breezes beach bar, or enjoy a relaxing Thai or Chinese massage with their talented therapists. Or, if youre feeling more adventurous, there are opportunities to go diving, kayaking, or even water skiing with their experienced team.

Chef Murugan catches everyones dinner

TEA TIME Good Tastes Tia tucks in

Le Deck, Monte Carlo Beach Club

While youre visiting Saadiyat Island, be sure to check out Monte Carlo Beach Clubs Le Deck. The degustation menu is bursting with invention: our sixcourse menu began with bright and beautiful carpaccio that we initially assumed was beef, but quickly discovered was actually specially treated and almost impossibly sweet watermelon. Along the way we were treated to an incredible polenta with soft egg (cooked for two hours at 62), drizzled with truffle oil and scattered with parmesan, as well as a divine

duck breast sprinkled with dark chocolate flakes. The meal culminated in a wagyu beef tenderloin accompanied by a magically air-lightened potato mash that would have Heston Blumenthal scratching his head. When Michelin gets around to visiting the UAE, expect Le Deck to be one of their first stops. Dhs399 for degustation menu, with one drink per course. Saadiyat Island. www.monte-carlo-beach. com/restaurants-and-bars/ le-deck/

HILTON FUJARIAH The Hilton Fujairah has been one of the UAEs true lost gems, but, with the new Sheikh Khalifa Highway trimming the travel time from Dubai down to only 45 minutes, its unlikely to remain that way for long. A four-hour fishing trip costs Dhs400 per person. From Dhs750 per room per night. Hilton Fujairah; www.hilton.com/ worldwideresorts

Best for romantic escapes: The gardens of Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri provide a verdant background to the UAEs disembarking at Abu Dhabis award-winning most romantic restaurant, Bord Eau, which serves modern French 128 Good Taste March 2013

most romantic gourmet getaway. Float with your loved one on a traditional abra through the hotels waterways, before cuisine in intimate surroundings. www.shangri-la.com/abudhabi/shangrila/
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