20 Comments
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Wellness Butter's avatar

Really enjoyed Yubi - the handrolls and Yubi maki were incredible!

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

I’m glad I don’t live close by 😂

TroisGuns's avatar

Turbot (aka Kalkan from my days in Turkey) is a supreme(ly ugly) fish. Not sure it should command the prices that it does but it used to be top 5 for me. however, its been a while since I have tried it and have tried many more fish since then. No.1 - monkfish cooked BBQ style in the Basque country

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

Having eaten the famous turbot at Elkano in the Basque country, for me, it does not live up to the hype. Too bony and not enough flesh. I’ll take a good salt-baked seabass any day.

Liam Collens's avatar

The short, punchy format works well, but I implore you to put out the long form pieces where appropriate because the art form is dying out, and you've done more than your share to sustain it in Dubai.

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

I hear you…and I adore longform. Substack over Instagram any day. On the latter, I spend more time writing captions and copy - than the visuals. The consensus so far in the poll is for a mix of the two formats.

Gin Wingfield's avatar

Again greedily started reading in the email only to remind myself how much better your sub version is with the gorgeous photos fully visible

Desperate to try all three so this is just perfect timing

Thanks Sam

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

Thanks Gin - appreciated. I've always included photos, but I might have snapped more at these restaurants! Which tends to happen when am enjoying myself ;) I'll try and make the visuals even more front and centre with the next round of restaurants. I hope your experience matches mine :)

Sanjay Varman's avatar

Love the short reviews, will also take them as they come to be honest!

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

Thank you. Appears to be the consensus so far 😜

Sultan Al Banna's avatar

Thank you for being transparent with your bill , integrity is a rare these days. I’m glad this wasn’t written by AI either , That said,

I find many of these concepts increasingly repetitive, with replicas menu’s, whether it’s copied dishes from Spain or closer to home.

I’ve grown tired of Michelin appeasing excessive storytelling , especially when it’s wrapped around something as simple as a burger.

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

In my book, honesty is the best policy 😋

Are others writing reviews with AI?!

I hear you, however inspiration has to come from somewhere?

Long winded storytelling is one of my biggest bug bearers, prevalent in tasting menu concepts. I’ve written about this before but essentially good food should speak for itself (as should the menu). A two second descriptor should suffice.

Expat Retirement Re-Imagined's avatar

Love the short reviews. Names and locations I no longer recognise 🤣 and really miss the Dubai dining scene. There is nowhere quite like it.

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

Thanks Caroline. You must plan a visit. Much-changed! And much traffic 🤯😂

Expat Retirement Re-Imagined's avatar

Off to Antarctica in Feb, so maybe autumn next year - would love to go to Armenia, so a stop in Dubai would make sense.

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

Armenia on my bucket list too! Lahmajun galore 😋

Expat Retirement Re-Imagined's avatar

We should make a plan!

Hani AlMalki's avatar

I like the short reviews.

FooDiva - Restaurant Whisperer's avatar

Noted. I'll try and stick to 'short'.