CHINESE CRACKERS Occupying a great spot by the water in Madinat Jumeirah, Zheng He's (+971 4 432 3232, jumeirah.com) has been around long enough (over a decade) to fully master its signature dishes, the highlights of which are golden king prawns flavoured with Chinese mustard and topped with spicy mayo, and the duck, which is carved at your table and readied for you to roll in plum saucesmothered pancakes. Another purveyor of high-quality Chinese classics is Shiba (+971 4 381 3111, meydanhotels.com), at The Meydan Hotel, where the interactive open kitchen adds a sprinkling of theatre. For special occasions, request the Tatamistyle private dining room. TURKISH DELIGHTS In Souk Al Bahar, the outdoor terrace THIS MONTH'S Top table at Günaydin (+971 4 554 0700, gunaydindubai.com) is a top spot for views of Burj Khalifa and, at night, The Dubai Fountain. The Turkish ‘meatery’ serves meat in all its forms: traditional döner, succulent kebabs, juicy meatballs, and lovingly cooked steaks. Over at Grosvenor House Hotel, Dubai favourite Colin Clague can be found working his magic at high design Anatolian eatery Rüya (+971 4 399 9123, ruyadubai.com). Infused with caramelised and charcoal flavours, cağ kebabı (marinated lamb kebab) is the pick of the menu. TIME FOR THAI Showcasing unique regional dishes alongside street food favourites and authentic yet inventive classics, Tong Thai (+971 4 414 3000, FOODIE DISTRICT DUBAI DESIGN DISTRICT The stunning Dubai Design District (d3) is home to some of the city’s most cutting edge design and creative firms, as well as The Design Quarter, where visitors will find homegrown restaurant concepts, innovative boutiques and unique art installations. Concept store meets casual restaurant, The Lighthouse (+971 4 422 6024, thelighthouse.ae), is headed up by one of Dubai’s best chefs, Izu Ani. The licensed venue has a superb mezze menu – order the marinated salmon with cranberries and baked feta with oregano. Also licensed here is the quirky (in a good way) Molecule (+971 4 245 4700, molecule.restaurant), which offers a ‘bistronomy’ (‘bistro’ meets ‘gastronomy’) concept for better-than-bistro-standard food, including a rich risotto with truffle. Chez Charles Restaurant (+971 512 2444, chezcharlesrestaurant.ae), a modern brasserie, does staples like fish and chips, and carbonara very well. Molecule QUEENS GRILL, QE2 The QE2 celebrates the 50-year anniversary of her maiden transatlantic voyage on 2 <strong>May</strong> . The evening starts with a reception at the Gin Bar, and then moves to Queens Grill for a five-course menu replicating dishes from the 1969 voyage, with paired world grapes. A classic pianist and harpist will entertain, while passengers can take a free heritage tour before dinner. There’s also a live musical show on 1 and 3 <strong>May</strong>, along with deals on rooms allowing you to stay onboard anytime throughout the month to enjoy the ship’s F&B offerings. 50 th anniversary dinner, 2 <strong>May</strong>, 7-11pm, Queens Grill, Dhs850 per person. Book at +600 500 400 or reservations@qe2.com. 34
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