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Jing Asia, as its name suggests, is an Asian-inspired all day dining restaurant at Crowne Plaza on Yas Island. My daughter and I recently visited their brunch.

The strong dishes are obviously the Asian ones. Chilli crab, tempura, wok fried noodles, sashimi and the spring rolls were my favourite dishes. The spring rolls especially were gorgeously crispy - even my daughter had a  couple.

In addition to the Asia dishes, Jing Asia is known for its salad station and again, they did not disappoint. There is a wide choice of salads, which ensured a few trips by myself to this station. I especially enjoyed the asparagus salad. Fresh and crunchy. For those needing more substantial dishes, a lot of favourites were on hand - butter chicken, Paneer mutter and even Beef and mushroom pie!  However, the grill and pasta stations offered the best variety. 



On the drinks' side, there was a generous choice of wines. They offer a Nederburg sparkling wine and then a rather generous 2 reds and 2 whites. T…

The entrance to The Grill, the new steakhouse concept at The Marriott Hotel Al Forsan in Abu Dhabi captures the different approach that the restaurant is taking to the traditional steakhouse. It is light and bright, immediately sending out a family friendly vibe.  The bar too is quite bright so it will be interesting to see how The Grill marries what is traditionally a low-lit area to the family friendliness of the restaurant. I sit down at the bar and have one of the restaurant's signature cocktails. But I feel a  bit exposed in the light. 


As I make way to my seat, I am drawn to the open kitchen where I watch the chefs in action. I catch Chef de Cusine Aytekin Ergun as he pours sauce over one of his dishes. The yes. The focus. The passion. I am feeling hungry. 


My guest orders the Beef Angus steak tartar. Rather than the traditional tabasco sauce adding spice, the tomato base makes it lighter on the palate. But my attention is drawn away soon as my Rockefeller oysters are served. …

Sacci, the family friendly Italian restaurant at The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa, has been around for a couple of years now. I enjoyed the fact that it is uncomplicated, reliable but good. One of the elements that has been missing for me on previous visits to Sacci, is probably the lack of a noise in the restaurant. It has never detracted from an enjoyable evening for me, but at the back of my mind I knew it was there. 

The recent visit by Michelin-starred Ron Blaauw signalled a change in the direction Sacci was heading - it added a much needed cool aspect to the restaurant. It was around that time too that I saw the new uniforms at Sacci. More importantly though, the last 9 months saw new Sacci Chef de Cuisine Leonardo Brancati create a new menu. Having tried his dishes when he cooked at BOA, I was, needless to say, excited about trying the new menu. 



The wine list at Sacci is simple, with pricing really guest and pocket-friendly. Expect to pay 160-180AED for some wines. This …

I have always liked Capital Grill, the steakhouse at Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi. On my previous visits, I thought the affordability tag in a stylish setting offers guests a  decent balance bewteen price, aesthetics and of course, steaks! With its recent relaunch that sees the bar more discreetly positioned and a new menu offered, I was first in line to see how it has grown relative to the what I experienced more than a year ago...
I start off at the bar with a glass of Prosecco, taking in the cosiness of this intimate bar. I immediately like the music - somewhere in the Buddha Bar zone. It is indeed a nice change from the standard stuff played at steakhouses these days. 

The menu is fairly straightforward; quite succinct I might say. An entry level steak goes for around 145AED, while a wagyu burger goes for 105AED. You see, I want to see a steakhouse giving a  guest a taste of what it has for 200AED and Capital Grill does exactly that. There is nothing overwhelming about the options…