Just as the world commemorated Eid Al Adha, I turned thirty-two! :)
I never had something in mind for my birthday this year. With so many things running in my head (my full-time job, this blog, the upcoming trip), I could let my personal holiday pass without doing anything special other than saying my prayers and wishes. Or is this a sign of aging? I could hear my 20-something self laughing and telling me how boring I turned out to be. Hahaha!
Apparently, the husband wouldn't let me blow my 32nd birthday candle at home. Without my suggestions, he searched for a place where we could celebrate both my Birthday and Eid al Adha. And I must say, he did a great job. I'm very impressed with his choice! :)
He found a wonderful deal online for a grand Eid brunch at Radisson Blu.
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| grand brunch at Radisson Blu Dubai |
Radisson Blu Dubai Creek is an iconic structure in Old Dubai. Built 40 years ago right on the bank of the creek, it is the first 5-star hotel in the city. The interiors are very simple, which for me, mirrored the city's humble beginnings.
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| the traditional and simple lobby of the 40 year old hotel |
Radisson Blu's Grand Eid brunch was held in the second floor where five renowned restaurants are located. We were warmly welcomed with an array of dates and nuts, and a variety of Arabic drinks. As the staff checks the guest list, I stood at the lobby mesmerized with the huge buffet spread along the hallways. Little did I know, there were still a lot choices waiting for me inside the restaurants!
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| welcome treat: dates and nuts |
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| Arabic juices |
Fish Market: Seafood Restaurant with a View
Knowing that I love seafood and a good view, Ed reserved a table for two at Fish Market. Radisson Blu's famous seafood restaurant took me to the tropics in an instant. I love the thatched roof accents, the wooden lanterns, the bamboo furniture and of course the relaxing view of the creek from the tall windows.
The restaurant has a counter of fresh seafood and vegetables where diners can choose which seafood they want and how it should be cooked! It actually reminds of Sutukil restaurants in the Philippines, but in a more lavish setting.
Unfortunately, the fresh seafood selections were not a part of the buffet and all the buffet counters for the Eid brunch were arranged outside. Being too far from food is quite a downside for me, but other than that, Fish Market is a fantastic place to be at!
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| Fish Market Restaurant |
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| At Fish Market, you can choose your seafood and have it cooked the way you like it! |
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| fab view of Dubai Creek from Fish Market |
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| The amazing view, good food and my forever date... What else can I ask for? :) |
The Best of Asia at Minato
Out of all the five participating restaurants, we adored Minato the most. During the Eid brunch, the Japanese restaurant had a sprawling Asian buffet with a peking duck carving station, a huge selection of dumplings and dim sum and a room devoted for Japanese rolls alone. Yay!
We fell so in love with Minato and the scrumptious Peking Duck rolls that we went to the restaurant twice on that 4-hour brunch! In fact, those two visits were never enough. We'll definitely be back at Minato for a date night soon!
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| Peking Duck carving station at Minato |
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| the sushi bar at Minato | a whole room for Japanese rolls | Yay! |
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| And so, the maki monster attacked... twice! |
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| My Asian Plate: California Maki, Peking Duck Rolls, Dim Sum, Shrimp Dumplings and a mini Chinese Bun |
Italian Fare at La Moda
The buffet section for International dishes were at La Moda. Since the buffet table was labelled as "International", I was hoping to see a roast beef carving station. Sad to say, there wasn't. The selections were mostly Italian; pizza, pasta and the like. But it's nothing to fret about as Ed and I both love Italian food! The restaurant is sleek and fancy; perfect for a fine Italian meal.
La Moda also has a waffle station that I never got to try... because I forgot about it! Heheh! Honestly, the massive selection left me a little disoriented. I was planning to go back for a lot of stuff, but was eventually lured by some other dishes along the way. :)
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| waffle station at La Moda during the grand Eid Brunch |
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| La Moda Italian restaurant at Radisson Blu Dubai |
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| My International Plate: beef lasagna, a chicken dish, fish with creamy spinach, gnocchi and Italian pizza |
The Pub: British Bar and Restaurant
Right next to La Moda is The Pub; a classic British restaurant at Radisson Blu. I never got the chance to check what's inside. Maybe the roast beef and yorkshire pudding were there! Oh well! But I don't think so. The highlights of the buffet such as a roast beef carving station shouldn't be kept unseen, right?
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| The Pub British restaurant at Radisson Blu |
Fine Emirati Restaurant at Aseelah
Aseelah is a soon-to-open authentic Emirati restaurant at Radisson Blu. The Emirati buffet at the Eid brunch was some sort of a preview of what Aseelah can offer once its doors opened. The choices were exquisite, so it's another restaurant to watch out for!
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| Authentic Emirati cuisine at Radisson Blu |
The Exotic Flavours of Persia at Shabestan
I had a taste of Persia at Shabestan! Though a little unfamiliar to our eyes and our palates, Ed and I took a few Iranian dishes and we loved it! What I can vividly remember up to this day is the juicy grilled chicken. Sorry, I forgot the Persian name of the dish. It was so perfect with the moutabel and the arabic bread that I took from the Arabic buffet.
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| Shabestan Persian restaurant at Radisson Blu |
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| My Arabic Plate: fattoush, moutabel, grilled chicken and some dishes from the Emirati buffet |
Desserts at the Palm Grill
To sweetly cap off the grand brunch, Ed and I went to Palm Grill. The Palm Grill is actually a restaurant and bar on normal days, but during that Eid brunch it turned into a dessert haven! There was a fondue station, an assortment of sweets in mini bowls, cakes and pastries, and even a soft ice cream machine! Wow!
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| a huge dessert station at Palm Grill |
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| an assortment of mini desserts, I LOVE! |
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| My Sweet Plate: All too pretty to eat! |
And since it was my personal holiday, Ed pre-arranged a birthday cake! Just like me, he is sooo bad at surprises; I overheard him talking about the birthday cake several times. Nevertheless, the sweet gesture still swept me off my feet. ;)
The Eid Brunch promotion is over, but don't be sorry if you missed it! I stumbled across another offer at Radisson Blu Dubai Creek. It is called the Friday Fun Food Festival! I guess it is just as fantastic, or maybe far better than the grand brunch that we had. Enjoy!
Oh, and here's something to remember: Come hungry! :)
Regular Brunch Price: 149 AED with soft drinks
*Ed got an amazing 99 AED deal at Cobone! :)
Location:
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
Baniyas Road
Deira, Dubai
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