Dubai Food Scene: La Farine, Afternoon Tea

La Farine is my favorite afternoon tea experience in Dubai so far, given my limited Dubai foodventures.

It’s a nice mix of an airy, contemporary ambiance, welcoming staff and food that looks as good as it tastes.

We opted for the set afternoon tea menu and the quantity of food was rather overwhelming, with its five courses starting with fresh berries, then the tea tray with a selection of sweet and savory items including cakes, sandwiches, brownies and macaroons, followed by quiches, scones and lastly tea cakes.

Among the sweet items, red velvet stood out the most with its moist and light texture. In savory items, I am going to pick cucumber sandwich as my top pick.

At the bottom of the list is the weal bacon and mushroom quiche. Given the quantity of food, we took-out the tea cakes and sweets and the staff was nice enough to let us.

Dubai Food Scene: Serendipity 3, Dubai Festival City

Serendipity felt like a little sanctuary, an immediately love at first sight, thanks to its quirky, colorful ambiance. Its the kind of place you’d bring a book to read, enjoy a cup of tea and relax, in a sunny afternoon.

It also enjoys a very nice view of the skyline, a stone throw away. The staff too are lovely and happy to make suggestions, however the lack of smaller portions of food and snacks made ordering for something to go with our tea a bit difficult.

As we dropped in for tea, we ordered the Chocolate Blackout Cake and sweet potato chips to go with the Chamomile tea & coffee.

While the cake was to die for, it took two of us and a take-out to finish a single slice.

So, serving size is worth considering when ordering food. It’s a place I’d like to go back to and try other items on the menu. Definitely going back again!

Dubai Food Scene: Minato, Dubai Creek

Japanese has always been a tricky cuisine for me to enjoy as love for seafood doesn’t come naturally to me. The great thing about Minato is that the buffet is super flexible and has lots to choose from.

You get to pick the items for your teppanyaki and watch it being cooked at the live station. The staff is happy to make suggestions and guide you through the process, which is nice.

I am also a fan of their Japanese curry & desserts.

I hear the sushi is to die for as well (for those who prefer seafood & sushi). After a nice fulfilling meal you can also enjoy a cup of green tea which is included in the buffet.

Dubai Food Scene: Little Bangkok

Little Bangkok is slowly becoming my must-eat for every time I visit Dubai, thanks to my friends and family who introduced me to it.

The first time I visited Little Bangkok for lunch at the Down Town Branch. Even though the food was on point, drinks were the highlight of my afternoon.

More so, as it was an unexpected surprise. The Bangkok Sangria was most memorable among all other drinks. It is served as fresh fruits drowned in hibiscus juice, making it a fruity yet tangy.

We also enjoyed chicken satay, dumpling (Gai, Je, Gow, Sui May) and mango with ice cream/ sticky rice. They were kind enough to add vanilla ice cream on request.

Later, I have visited the restaurant multiple times for its breakfast menu. The idea was a unique one for me and certainly one I am a fan of.

Their offers make dining a wee bit more fun, so check out their website before popping in.

Is ‘having it all’ overrated?

For years I have idealized the life of having it all, having done it all and striking the right balance between ‘it all’. And while, some difficult decisions in the recent times made me wonder if this is even possible (you’re always missing out on one thing or the other and the bigger decisions you make, the bigger opportunity costs you undertake), but the article by Amy Westervelt made me think if I had been over-glorifying the idea of having it all. Is that even a realistic, or a desirable life to aim for?

‘Here’s the truth: You want to have a career and kids? You totally can, but both will suffer. You will never feel like you are devoting enough time to either. You will never feel like you are good enough at either. You will always be choosing between things that need your attention, and you will almost never choose yourself.

Let’s redefine “having it all,” or better yet let each woman define for herself what the best version of her life might look like.” And make it really completely okay for people (women or men) to make the choice to life their lives a certain way; have a thriving career without being questioned about having kids or devoting years to bringing up a family without the question of wasting ones’ potential or to prioritize whatever makes you tick!

Islamabad Food Scene: Warehouse

I have been away from the food blogging scene for a while, as I continued to get disappointed with the inconsistency in quality of food and service at most restaurants in the city. But my few visits at Warehouse have convinced me to come back; that says a lot in itself.

Warehouse is a (relatively) new, cozy café in town with a very limited menu but everything on the menu is fantastic! Can’t say about the soups as I am yet to try them.

There’s nothing too fancy about the food, the items are simple, well thought of and quality & taste are always on point.  Meat is always tender and succulent but not too overwhelming.

My favorite aspects of the café are the drinks and hygiene. We know hygiene is a big issue when dining out in Pakistan, so the open kitchen where you can watch your food being prepared, does help.

And as for the drinks, the focus is on quality (and presentation); that’s what makes them one of my favorites in town. The smoothies are to die for, with fresh fruit as opposed to canned and the mojitos have the correct balance of citrus and sweet ingredients. Presentation in a mason jar only helps.

Be sure to carry cash, they do not accept cards.

Success is for the discontent..

Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell’s research finds that “there is an asymmetry in the way people compare themselves with others. We tend to look exclusively at those better off than us, rather than contemplate our position within the full range of outcomes. When the lot of others improves, we react negatively, but when our own lot improves, we shift our reference group to those who are still better off. In other words, we are never satisfied, since we quickly become accustomed to our own achievements. Perhaps that is what spurs people to earn more, and economies to grow.”

Source: Keeping up with the Karumes, Economist

Certainty Trap

Prospect theory suggests that humans have a natural inclination to choose certainty over uncertainty, even if it’s not utility maximizing or logical, thus over-valuing certainty. They use an example for a lottery to illustrate this, where people are more willing to earn a dollar over entering a lottery for $10, with 20% chance that they’ll win.

I understand decision making to be a combination of intuitive and strategic components. While our natural instinct is to over-value certainty, could we bank on doing the same for more important, bigger, strategic matters we face? It’s definitely not the logical thing to do but it comes down to whether we can face the 80% risk that we might lose? May be then it’s time to reevaluate all else we’re banking on?

So, if settling is not an option, how much risk is too much risk?

Exploring Washington D.C.

I got to D.C. after my stay in NJ & NYC, so it was definitely a calmer end to the trip. The city is clean, organised and has some great spots & cafes. Here’s what I got up to while I was there…

Breakfast at the Jefferson

National Mall: Memorials 

The day was nice and sunny & perfect for a walk along the National Mall, where all the memorials are located at a close distance, including George Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, World War II Memorial… and I am sure I might have missed out a few? Its a chance to learn a little bit about the American history, although I wish there were more information given out about the events and the purpose of the memorials at spot.

Museums & Art Galleries: Holocaust Museum, Air & Space Museum, National Gallery of Art

While there’s many others in close proximity, I covered the most recommended ones in my short stay in D.C. FYI, Air & Space Museum has actually got a piece of the moon, if that tickles your interest?

Georgetown, Waterfront Park 

Georgetown is probably my favourite place in D.C., especially on a nice sunny day. There’s cute little cafes, restaurants and confectioneries you can grab a bite at and relax. The Waterfront is quite lovely as well.

National Harbour

Even though this is a little off the city, its definitely worth a day trip.

Exploring New York City

Having spent five years in London and absolutely loving the ‘fast life’, I thought New York would be love at first sight, but that’s not really how my few days in NYC went. The architecture and entertainment is so overwhelming, that by the end of my two days in NYC, I had forgotten the difference between Rockerfeller, BoA Offices, Empire State, Chrysler and the World Trade Center. May be if I observed them in isolation things would be different, but regretfully in my brief trip I barely got a chance to do that. I think I could really fall in love with this city, but it certainly wasn’t love at first sight. Well, while I was there I tried to not only see the city but experience it as much as I could, and here’s what I got up to:

Times Square

While you walk from 34th to 42th Times Sq. its worth grabbing a coffee & sitting by the stairs or checking out some of the stores with extravagant architectures, like the rest of the city.

Brooklyn Bridge Park at Brooklyn Heights

Its probably the best way of experiencing the NYC Skyline and taking a break from the hustle bustle.

Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island

Be sure to book well in advance if you want to go to the Pedestal or Crown of the Statue of Liberty, as I could only get the ferry ticket to the island a day before, even though it was a working day.

High Line

This is a park/ walkway created out of an old railway line. The music, mural, street art and the sun set completed my otherwise hectic day exploring the city.

Grand Central Station 

Grand Central was probably at the end of my list of things to see, but I was truly surprised with what I saw. There’s this ‘grand’ vibe about this place. If you’re around, its totally worth dropping by.

Theater at the Broadway, Matilda – The Musical

This was probably the best lighting and staging I had ever seen in a show. I guess the fuss is not for nothing?

A little off the city… 

If you’re able to drive a little off the city, you must head out to the shore. While I only visited the Jersey Shore, I have also heard great things about the Fire Island.

Ashbury Park, Jersey Shore

Six Flags, Freight Fest 

Turns out, Halloween is quite big in America, so my timing was perfect to experience the festivities and the horrors.