Far-East Delights at Wagamama

Ed and I are a foodie couple, I'm pretty sure you've noticed that. We love to eat and try different cuisines. When we dine, we let our taste buds explore the world. Recently, we had a gastronomic journey to the Far-East. Much to my husband's delight, I agreed to dine in a Japanese restaurant where he could have a bowl of ramen. 

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Dubai Miracle Garden: A Paradise on Earth

A miracle unfolded in the middle of the desert! 

Who would have thought that the world's most beautiful garden can be found in a dry desert land? Dubai Miracle Garden is indeed a miracle, a piece of paradise in a city where everything is possible. It has an area of 72,000 square meters, with 4 km pathways, 1 km flower wall and over 45 million flowers!  

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Dubai City Tour via The Metro: The Green Line

On my previous post, I have shared suggestions and tips on making a do-it-yourself tour via the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. Our sight-seeing trip does not end on the Red Line, it's time to have a journey on the Metro's Green Line.

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Arabian Tea House: The Enchanting Cafe at Old Dubai

One of the lessons in life that I always keep in mind is to never judge a book by its cover. Just like every other human being, I have done some false judgments in the past; mistakes that I regret. But everyday is new day, every mistake can be corrected; another day is another chance to get to know someone or something better. I'm not just talking about people, I'm pertaining to dine-out spots as well. I bet most of us would chose a restaurant that looks fancy outside. I've done that a hundred times, and often times I left the place unsatisfied.   

One late afternoon,  Ed and I went out for a stroll at the Old Dubai district. We were in Bastakiya when we noticed the Arabian Tea House Cafe. I was fascinated with the wind catchers and not with the tea house itself. The whole cafe is covered with a fortress wall; it looks mysterious but not too inviting for me. Outside, Arabian Tea House Cafe looked so sad, plain and empty.      

 

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Valentine's Night at Madeleine Cafe and Boulangerie

Ed and I had our so-called Valentine rule this year due to an upcoming holiday trip. We decided to have a frugal Valentine's Day celebration; no fancy gifts and no grand dinner in a hotel. Since it was a weekday and I wasn't sure if I could leave the workplace on time, we didn't had a definite dinner date plan. I was able to finish my work tasks, not really on schedule, but earlier than expected. So after a quick discussion, Ed and I agreed to have our Valentine dinner at Madeleine. 

Madeleine is a French Cafe and Boulangerie at The Dubai Mall. The restaurant has a romantic Parisian setting, a perfect place to be on the night of February 14. 

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Dubai City Tour via The Metro: The Red Line

I consider myself an Overseas Filipino Worker on weekdays and a tourist on weekends. Touring is fun and VERY easy in Dubai; a guided tour is not much needed. Dubai has an efficient public transportation system, one can see the sights using the public bus and the Dubai Metro. Every weekend, my husband and I head to the nearest Metro Station and we hop on, hop off the train and see the sights. I call the Dubai Metro as my Tour Train! 

The Dubai Metro is a driverless train. The network has two lines, the red and the green. The Guinness World Records has declared it as the longest fully automated metro network. Impressive, isn't it? Metro stations are  located at prime spots, thus it makes going from one place to another very convenient for residents and tourists.

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The Big Bucket List

Though I've been sharing my adventure trips and foodie trails for some time now, I have never written anything about my wish list. Just like everyone else, I have a big bucket list of things to do and places to see; some are crazy and weird, most are cheesy and romantic. This post will serve as my checklist, my inspiration, a constant reminder to work hard, save more and see the world.

My husband and I already fulfilled some of our lifelong dreams; I have shared a few in this blog, while some happened years before I started blogging. Before you check our done list, let me remind you again that Ed and I are a fun-loving, crazy yet sweet couple, so please don't be surprise! :) 

I have included Ed's goals because I love seeing him fulfill them; his dreams are also mine. 

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The Dubai Fountain

There are a lot of musical fountains in the UAE, yet the Dubai Fountain at Burj Lake in Downtown Dubai remains to be the most astonishing of them all. California-based WET, the creators of the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas, designed the Dubai Fountain. It is the world's largest dancing fountain with a length of 900 ft and has nozzles capable to shoot water sprays up to 500 ft high

When my husband and I were newbies in Dubai, we wanted to go to Dubai Mall every weekend just to watch the fountain show. It somehow eased the homesickness and helped us chase the blues away. Worries were forgotten as the water started to dance in graceful and whimsical ways. We have watched the show in every angle; from Dubai Mall, from Souk Al Bahar, from Burj Park, from Burj Khalifa and we even had an aerial view from a restaurant's terrace. 

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Breakfast Date at IHOP

One winter morning, I woke up at Grandeur Hotel's comfortable king-size bed, kissed the morning sun at the hotel's roof deck and sweetly begged my husband to hop out of the bed and have a breakfast date with me at IHOP! International House of Pancakes, is a newly-opened American restaurant at Mall of the Emirates. Being a pancake-fanatic, I was too ecstatic to dine at IHOP. I couldn't stop talking about it, so at 8:00 am, Ed happily obliged to take me out on a date! :)

IHOP at Mall of the Emirates
(there is also a branch at Dubai Marina)

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Spontaneous Staycation at Grandeur Hotel

Ed and I have been very spontaneous recently, from our date nights to our weekend staycations. It feels good to wake up on a weekend morning without a single plan, but end the day somewhere least expected. One weekend, while having lunch at home, we talked about how we missed having mini-vacations. Out of the blue, we decided to book a hotel stay for the weekend. Since it was a bit late to travel to another Emirate, we looked for a place in Dubai, easily accessible yet far from the busy town center. 

After browsing the hotel list at booking.com, we found Grandeur Hotel in Al Barsha, a hotel with good reviews, great location and super low rate.   

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Late Date Night at Applebee's

Weeks back, I rendered extra hours at work and missed a scheduled date night with my husband. Ed was already in dreamland when I went home. I eventually woke him up, so I asked if he still wants to go out. It was 10:30 pm, by then the restaurants at the mall nearby were about to close. We decided to check the restaurants along Sheikh Zayed Road, where food outlets are open until 2 am. 

An hour before midnight, we hailed a taxi and and head straight to Applebee's. Surprisingly, the restaurant was still packed when we arrived and we still need to sign up on the waiting list.

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