Dubai

I spent the weekend visiting my husband in Dubai. A great weekend but quite a distance to go for just three full days.

Whatever your view of the desert wonderland that is Dubai - pure heaven or absolute hell - it does offer fantastic weather and a wealth of culinary delights.

The weekend was spent, sunbathing, breaking my toe at the water park and eating a lot of food. For me there were two stand out food encounters:

1. Having landed at 2300 on Thursday I met Simon at the airport and we headed straight for a midnight feast at Aroos Damascus, a Syrian restaurant located in Deira. What a fantastic welcome back to Dubai this feast was: hummus, lamb shawarma, falafel, Arabic salad and chicken kebobs. My mouth waters at the memory.
2. For my last supper in Dubai we headed to Ravi. The restaurant, located on the colourful Satwa Road, serves Pakistani food and is rated #1 in Dubai by the lonely planet. I am certain many people who take this recommendation will have second thoughts at the sight of this rather rustic restaurant. I would urge you to take an outside table, absorb the atmosphere of the Satwa Road and order sparingly from the menu. We certainly enjoyed doing all three. The Mutton Green Masala was my personal highlight, it's must order along with the Daal. 

It's at this point I ask myself why both my culinary highlights in Dubai were feasts that cost less than approximately £5 per person. I don't believe I'm cheap it's merely that I enjoy eating in places where the food is genuine, the locals eat and (when in the middle east) somewhere that feels like I'm in the middle east.       

For anyone looking for something slightly less rustic in Dubai try Ashiana at the Sheraton Dubai Creek.

A World of Eating

I am a traveller. I love to experience the cultures, people and food of the world. I've eaten China, Australia, Italy, Kenya, Malta, the list goes on...........I just wish I could remember all of the fantastic restaurants. Here are a couple I can specifically remember.

Aroos Damascus, Deira, Dubai 

For anyone holidaying in, working in or travelling through Dubai this is a must visit restaurant. The Lonely Planet Website currently lists this as the #237 things to do in Dubai, I disagree this is #1. My husband was introduced to this restaurant by a Syrian friend while working in Dubai. Syrian food is fantastic, ensure (insist) you get a table outside to experience the atmosphere of this Arabic favourite.  Every time we visit we are greeted like family members even though sometimes there are months between visits.

Le Bistro Du Praz, Courcheval, France

I ski a lot. As such I have enjoyed and endured cheese fondu all over the Alps and this is certainly the best. For anyone looking to experience the Three Valleys I recommend staying in a Chalet in Courcheval 1300 (Le Praz)  and eating here on your hosts night off.  We stayed in the Chalet Du Praz.

Loch Bay Seafood Restaurant, Isle of Skye 

I'm embarrassed to admit I rarely holiday in my own country, however in April 2010 I was encouraged to do so by my husband. We stayed in the beautiful Kinlochewe and visited Skye for the day. As a lover of the Lonely Planet I referred to their restaurant recommendations and we headed straight for the Loch Bay Seafood Restaurant. For me sometimes its not just about the food its about the atmosphere, the surroundings, the company and the conversation. This place was about all of the above, the food was amazing. Remember to book.

Other great food experiences I've had while traveling (the specifics of which I can't remember):

• Water beetle in Nanjng.........crunchy and tasted just like garlic and ginger, it having been cooked in garlic and ginger.

• Aligator in Nanjing......salty steak, very yum.
• Peking duck in a small restaurant in a Beijing slum. Thank goodness we had a Chinese guide would never have found it otherwise. 
• A trio of steak in a Uruguayan restaurant in Amsterdam. Amazing. A trio of steak......need I say anymore. 

There is a lot of the world left to eat and explore. Any recommendations?

A Fyne Birthday Lunch

Yesterday was my mother's birthday, to celebrate we had lunch at the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar . It was a first visit for my parents and sister. 

The restaurant is roughly a 1.5 hour drive from our home town of Glasgow but well worth it - the drive is pretty gorgeous too. A former cow byre, the restaurant is situated on the glorious Loch Fyne at the small village of Cairndown and I love it's relative remoteness. It specialises in smoked salmon, oysters and mussels but also serves a number of other fish and meat dishes. 

Possibly the most wonderful thing about this restaurant is that it contains a farm shop selling fish, meat, some vegetables and a number of other delights. I have previously bought scallops, salmon and venison burgers from the restaurant all of which I barbecued with resounding success. 

On this trip I ordered the Special Mussels - Mussels Steamed with Chorizo, spicey pepporonata and spinach. It was delicious.

My parents had the Sea Bass and Mackerel, and my sister ordered the leek and potato soup. Yes, that's right all she had was the leek and potato soup: this is why she is the skinny sister. 

I love this place it's in a great setting, has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, they serve gorgeous Scottish seafood and you can buy gorgeous Scottish seafood on the way out. It served as a Fyne birthday treat.