Luxe Retreat

Marina Byblos Hotel, Dubai

This beautiful 4-star property offering air-conditioned rooms overlooking the Dubai Marina, is located at just five minutes walk from Jumeirah Beach. It has six on-site restaurants, spa, sauna, gym, activities such as billiards and darts, and a panoramic rooftop pool. Spacious rooms at the Marina Byblos feature designer furnishings, minibar, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, courtesy toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, all fit for a luxurious getaway. Traditional English food is served at Marina Byblos’ English Pub. Guests can relax with a cup of freshly-brewed coffee at the coffee shop or sip cocktails at the on-site nightclub. The hotel is a two-minute walk from Jumeirah Lakes Towers Metro Station. The Yacht Club and Marina Mall are within walking distance as well, while the Emirates Golf Club and Ibn Battuta Mall are less than 4km away. This means there are lots of interesting and fun activities to keep you occupied during your trip. Needless to say, Dubai Marina is a great choice for travellers interested in beaches, food and relaxation in a luxury setting.

Table To Book

Sobramesa

This dimly lit cosy space at Khyaban-e-Bukhari, DHA phase 6, Karachi, stands true to its Spanish name – time spent in conversation, relaxing and enjoying after a delightful meal. They have courteous staff and a great collection of soundtrack to occupy brief silent moments between conversation. The food there, though, tries hard to match up the high quality of ambience. The eatery, that opened about two years back, offers a good variety of food to enjoy, the most talked about these days being their deep dish pizza selection. The Spicy Mexican Fajita flavour is one to try, for its hot red sauce and plenty of stringing cheese in every bite. Its crust is biscuit-like and not of soft bread-like texture, and that is important or the pizza would not be able to hold its shape and weight. Regardless, the pizza packs a punch of flavour and is a must-try! We were served Gambas De Espana as appetiser – a Spanish delight of prawns in a tempering of olive oil, sliced garlic and dry red chillies, flaked and whole. This was accompanied with fresh hot dinner rolls. The sizzling prawns tasted amazingly juicy with the spice mix and dinner rolls, although some bites felt saltier than the others. We also tried their cocktail Ferrari – a sweet and tangy combination of pineapple, oranges and strawberries. This cooler is perfect to sip with the food or just on its own on a hot summer day. – Sidra S. Khan

What’s in the menu?

Rendang

The spicy meat dish originated from Indonesia and is now commonly served across the country. It is usually served at ceremonial occasions and to honour guests. Although culinary experts often describe rendang as a curry, it is typically richer and contains less liquid than is normal for Indonesian curries. This dish is made by slowly simmering beef with coconut milk and a mixture of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chillies, then left to stew for a few hours. Traditionally, the term ‘rendang’ does not refer to a certain type of dish. The verb ‘merendang’ actually refers to a method of slow cooking; continuously churning the ingredients in a pot or frying pan, on a small fire, until all of the liquids evaporate and the meat is well done. The cooking technique flourished because of its role in preserving meat in a tropical climate. Prior to refrigeration technology, this style of cooking enabled preservation of large amount of meat. If cooked properly, dry rendang can last for as long as four weeks. The dish is often served with steamed rice, compressed rice cake or glutinous rice cooked in bamboo tubes, accompanied with vegetable side dishes. A 100g serving of rendang provide approximately 195 calories; 11g fat, 19.6g of protein, 4.5g of carbohydrate, 373mg of potassium, 184mg of sodium and 29mg of cholestrol.