night out – Life at Her Brightest

The Southern part of Dubai Marina was never known for the gastronomy or nightlife. Squeezed between high-rise and a popular neighbours like Jumeirah Beach, it used to be home to families and young office mates. Even tourists barely made it here. The situation changed with the opening of the very affordable, cosy and friendly Wyndham hotel.

Focused on bringing together the local community for after hours and weekend entertainment, Wyndham’s team shows strong commitment to organizing exciting events. Just a few nights ago a fantastic new smoke house opened its doors and chimneys to a curios crowd. I was very lucky to witness it.

Blacksmith is easy to find. Just trust your nose. The air around the restaurant is deliciously smoky with irresistible notes of wood and fire. Irresistible to the point that a ride one floor up in an elevator seemed endless and made me dream of the upcoming dinner. My night started with a sip of rich red at the bar right next to the entrance. The bartender wanted to mix something very special for me but anticipating an intense dinner I decided to stick with the classics.

Orelle Young chef de cusinine and pitmaster made an appearance looking awesome in very manly apron holding a long pointy hook. One of those chefs who immediately establishes: “You are in for a treat.”

Everything I tried: chicken wings generously coated in black pepper sauce, pulled beef with red chillies, ribs and jerk chicken was absolutely exceptional. Tasty, smoky, well flavoured and well spiced, I could feel how much love and soul got invested into every piece. My only complain it was quite impossible to stop and so I didn’t.

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Apart from eating, I danced to all time favourite American songs and music. Wyndham’s food and beverage manager participated in a one man show eating the spiciest chicken wings in the world and the audience didn’t hold back with cheers and applauds. The best night out ever!

*Find out more about the Blacksmith here

**Stalk Pitmaster Orelle

***These are links to my Instagram and Facebook.

When the sun is shamelessly, endlessly bright, and temperatures above 40C, Dubai summer life eventually moves towards shady evenings. Fortunately most places stay open until midnight and safety on the streets is impeccable.

During the month of Ramadan there is always something exciting going on after sunset, opportunities to give back to the community, night swimming experiences with a view on Burj al Arab, photographing the street life in the Old Dubai, watching a thoughtful movie screened as a part of DIFF 365 (Dubai International Film Festival all year round), or catching up with incredible people over a heartwarming meal.

I love to eat. Here’s a confession: I love food more than photography and red lipstick, completely neglecting the latter when a beautiful steaming bowl of soup appears in front of me. You may not believe it, judging by looks, but it’s an absolute “veritas”. That’s why I couldn’t resist but go for an incredible Iftar offer at Zahira, a very well reviewed recent addition to local “fancy eating out”.

I entered intense WhatsApp correspondence looking for a fellow skinny foodie available on a short notice. Likely Sylvia Sylvia was in town and a few texts later, mostly about fashion with a focus on “I have nothing to wear”, we set a date.

Without prior agreement on dress code, we both showed up wearing black. Sylvia chose a long flowy maxi dress and I styled a new little black dress from Dubai-based online fashion store Trovea. What do they say about great minds? Dress alike 😉 ?

Zahira caught my attention partly because of its location in H Hotel, famous for futuristic design with elements of Art Deco. H Hotel represents eclectic, vibrant and dynamic hospitality, and we’ve expected “nothing less but more” making our way to Zahira.

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It was Dragana’s dazzling smile at the entrance that settled all non-existing doubts and put us in the right mood for a beautiful evening ahead.

Our table was pre-set with a bottled of chilled mineral water, little plate of dried fruits, nuts, and short, easy to digest menu by chef Greg Malouf.

Waiting for the beginning of Iftar, we spent time studying the surroundings. Our eyes were fully occupied, wondering around ceiling, walls and unconventional art radiating great taste and humour.

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It was like magic when mezzas started appearing. Moroccan style Harissa with labneh, a dash of fresh red chilly, smoky moutabbal served on a stone plate, crunchy soft chicken pies, tempura made of fresh zaatar, halloumi fondue with oregano, freshly baked Arabic bread and a very interesting dish called Fatima’s fingers (I’m saying nothing, you need to discover it for yourself).

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What a feast! All starters had 3 qualities in common: light, appetizing and incredibly tasty. It was a combination of Arabic food I’ve never tasted before. Zaatar tempura was served with a side of tiny fried fish with a dipping sauce to zest the flavor. Looking for a much needed break between the courses, I dragged well-mannered Sylvia to hang out at the real bar. While James was performing tricks, Mohammad and Tilak had to work twice as hard to get the taps pouring. Tilak was impressively skilled with his throwing technique and Mohammad managed to stay seriously professional under all the stress we caused.

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Being nice to bartenders resulted in laughing out loud and a complimentary cocktail. Meet Tilak:

When the main course landed on our table, I was the happiest person on Earth. In front of me was a beautiful pink salmon cooked 40 minutes using some secret techniques, and a tender lamb wrapped in Arabic bread with rice and nuts, paired with the soothing tunes of Oud.

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Our night at Zahira turned out to be fun, entertaining and very very tasty. My advice, save enough space to try their incredible pavlova with marshmallowy center, fresh cream and slices of peach.

P.S. Zahira no longer exists in Dubai

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Tag: night out

The Blacksmith Smoke House

Night out at Zahira, H Hotel Dubai (it’s closed)