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Cloud Restaurant & Lounge launches new menu

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Dubai, UAE – Cloud Restaurant & Lounge, the trendy neighborhood eatery located in Studio One Hotel in Dubai Studio City, has revamped its menu, adding new eclectic specialties that are sure to excite even those with the most discerning appetite.

Known for serving the best Turkish and Lebanese cuisine, Cloud Restaurant & Lounge’s chef expanded the menu to include items with unique, creative recipes and serve fresh varieties to its loyal customers.

Experience the sumptuous new dishes at home as Cloud Restaurant is now offering food delivery through Deliveroo.

New on the menu is the Grilled Lamb Chops, cooked with a special ingredient to bring out a distinct and flavorful taste that will not  disappoint meat lovers. Another standout is the Shawarma Wrap, which is unlike any shawarma sandwich you have tried before. The experience will not be complete without something sweet to end the meal which is where the Halawa Cheesecake dessert comes in. Vegetarian choices are also available in the menu with Sebzelli Pide and Cheese Pide topping the list.

“Our goal is to evolve the restaurant menu to give our loyal customers interesting new dishes to try as well as attract those who want to enjoy authentic and fabulously fresh Lebanese and Turkish cuisine. But we have kept the most popular dishes since we opened Cloud so our guests will still enjoy their favorites,” said Executive Chef Mohanad Alshamali.

Cloud Restaurant & Lounge is a laidback venue that is ideal for a post-work catch-up with friends, dinner with family, business meetings, or an intimate dinner with your loved one. It has both indoor and outdoor seating and the terrace is perfect for hearty al fresco dining and enriching conversations. Hookah is also served in a variety of flavors.

For reservations, please call +971 56 219 8919. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook or visit http://cloud-lounge.com/ 

Burger patties from pea protein, anyone?

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Dubai, UAE: Global Food Industries (GFI), a world-class value-added food manufacturing firm and part of Albatha Holding – one of the largest conglomerates in the UAE, has taken its frozen food product portfolio a notch higher with the introduction of plant-based burger patties made from pea protein.

A product of GFI’s Frozen Division, the all-new Al Areesh plant-based burgers is 100-percent produced from plant-based ingredients and does not contain whey or egg-based protein powders. This makes it ideal for vegetarians, vegans and a fast-growing number of flexitarians. It is also soy-free, antibiotics-free and gluten-free, which likewise makes it safe for people who need to stay away from food that contains such ingredients.

Al Areesh plant-based burgers are proudly made in the UAE and are processed and manufactured utilizing cutting-edge technology that builds meat from ground up. As it is made with pea protein, the end-product is an uncompromisingly delicious burger with taste and texture like meat and comes in either chicken or beef flavor options.

The launch of Al Areesh plant-based burgers will coincide with GFI’s participation in Gulfood 2021 happening on 21-25 February at the Dubai World Trade Centre as it showcases its innovative lineup of products to the B2B market. In May this year, the Al Areesh plant-based burgers will be available to consumers across various retail outlets.

“GFI, through its Al Areesh brand, has been known for many years and is well-loved by consumers for its delicious and nutritious offerings that are quick and easy to prepare,” Tina Siegismund, Head of Marketing & Innovations at GFI’s Frozen Division, said. “With the ever-changing dietary requirements from an increasingly discerning and health-conscious consumers, GFI and Al Areesh’ priority is to always be there and ready to provide for their healthy and safe food needs.

“It is clear that healthy living has been a growing trend for quite some time,” Siegismund added. “And, under the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, global studies indicate that this has further pushed this trend forward as more people are now looking at healthier food options and alternative protein sources that help increase their stamina and resistance and reduce risks against infection and disease. The introduction of our plant-based burgers is testament to GFI and Al Areesh’ responsiveness to our customers’ needs and to the changing times as it also signals the start of more products to come from us along this line.”

According to a report published by S&P Global Market Intelligence in December 2020, there is a “surging consumer demand for alternative protein sources” that have triggered even some of “the world’s biggest food companies to rapidly increase investments in plant-based products.” The report further cited data from the Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return, which showed that in the first half of 2020, more than US$1.1 billion of venture investment flowed into alternative proteins compared to US$534 million in 2019.

The S&P report also stated that “the pandemic has accelerated those shifts” as “many consumers are altering their diets for health reasons.”

A market research blog for Euromonitor International written by Maria Mascaraque last year supports such findings as it stated that, “Coronavirus (COVID-19) is expediting some of the key trends that have developed during the last few years in the food industry. One of these is plant-based eating, which has gained momentum during the pandemic, driven by health concerns and disruptions in the meat supply chain.”

In an earlier report, Euromonitor International indicated that the plant-based meat market is projected to expand at an annual rate of 6.7 percent until 2024, with the Middle East’ forecast growth placed at 4-5 percent in the next four years.

Riversong introduces new range of stylish wearables

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Dubai, UAE:  Riversong Technology, a global consumer electronics company has introduced a range of wearable products under two categories – smartwatches and air pods/ headphones with new and sophisticated design and features. 

The new product line includes:

Motive 2 series smartwatches featuring a trendy design, comfortable fit, waterproof, and cutting-edge technology. Boasting a usage of up to 10 –days, it has a customized watch face, smart messaging and notifies the users about incoming calls, emails etc. keeping them always connected. 

It also has a multi-sport mode and a health monitor that checks blood pressure/ oxygen levels and  alerts users on change in heart rate in real-time; allowing them to track and adjust the intensity of the activity/exercise.

Air pods / Headphones boasts all the craftsmanship of a high-end earpiece and stunning design – that is lightweight, comfortable to wear and provides high- audio quality.

Haitham Kalakeche, Global CEO, Riversong Technology said, “We have dedicated significant investments in R&D , which helps us in understanding what customers really want and offering them a premium product that is stylish, with the latest technology and fits with anyone’s’ budget.”

Riversong’s stylish wearables are available across all major retailers in the UAE. 

The wearable technology has evolved and according to reports1 – worldwide spending on wearable devices will total an approx. AED 299.35 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach an approx. AED 344.9 billion by 2022. This is largely attributed to individuals that are interested in improving their health and remote workers upgrading their headphones for video calling during the pandemic. Ranked by GFK, purchase of Riversong wearables have exceeded three times in 2020 due to its cutting-edge technology, premium quality, ultra-stylish designs and affordable price range.

‘The World is Too Much with Us’

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Dubai, UAE: Alliance Française Dubai is proud to present “The World is Too Much with Us,”  a collective art exhibition curated by Anna Seaman at La Galerie from February 22 to March 7.

Visual Arts writer and cultural journalist, Anna Seaman gathers six UAE resident artists raising their concerns for our planet.

The title of this exhibition comes from William Wordsworth’s poem of the same name, which was originally published in 1807 at the start of the Industrial Revolution. The words of the poem expressed the author’s shock and sadness at how the natural world was being forgotten and ignored by the emerging capitalist and consumerist existence that was just emerging. Today, after two centuries of overlooking the importance of protecting the environment and the planet’s ecosystem, this poem is still and perhaps increasingly relevant.

The artists in this exhibition speak out for the natural world. Focusing on issues such as climate change, plastic pollution, endangered species and the role of activists, the artworks present a diverse message of sustainability.

Curator Anna Seaman says: “If the past 12 months has taught us anything, it is that nature is ultimately more powerful than any man-made force. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to slow down and reconsider our habits. I chose the title of this Wordsworth sonnet for this exhibition because its powerful and heartfelt words are still so poignant. Best-selling author Naomi Klein called climate change “a battle between capitalism and the planet” and this battle is coming to a head with the need for radical action being more urgent than ever. All the artists, in their various ways, are using their art to call for change.”

What – ‘The World is Too Much with Us’ – A collective art exhibition
Where – La Galerie, Alliance Française Dubai, Oud Metha (in the vicinity of Healthcare City)
When – From February 22 to March 7, 2021
Free entry
More info afdubai.org

Artists

Soraya Sikander
Through her abstract style, Soraya is interested in highlighting multiple issues such as deforestation, climate change and sea temperature changes. The pieces are landscapes but without distinct shape or form, mimicking the melting away of the world as we know it.

Stephanie Neville
Through installation and textile art, Stephanie creates hanging sculptures from embroidery and stitching that encapsulates the suffocation of the ocean under the blankets of plastic waste. She is also working with recycled textiles to create pieces to summarize life-giving forces such as water, light, plants, wind, rain.

Huma Shoaib
Using papercut drawings that reference sacred geometry and the natural equilibrium found in the natural world, Huma uses bees and birds positioned in circular patterns, which also have spiritual and religious connotations, echoing the circulation of pilgrims around the Kaaba or the whirling motion of a dervish.

Emma Skinner
A skilled painter with an interest in underwater animals, Emma uses light and colour in her works to comment on the emotion of the oceans, which littered with carelessness are purple with rage and crying for their losses. Her animal protagonists often face away from the viewer as if trying to escape the pollution of the world that humans have forced upon them.

Valentina Alexeevna
Using ink drawings, Valentina’s art is about the subject of energy and consciousness. She focuses on the parts of life that we cannot see but that underpin all of life. Energy is life and life is so diverse, just like the shapes and patterns in her artworks.

Jennifer Stelco
Jennifer is a mixed media artist who for this exhibition is creating a collage from found objects and waste material to depict a desert scene. It is her objective to highlight the need for better waste management and protection of all species.

Start your Thai street food restaurant with AED200 – here’s how

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 Dubai, UAE: Café Isan, Dubai’s most authentic Thai street food restaurant and tea bar has spent the last year supporting the community and its customers – old and new – with a variety of ideas, incentives and support.

Now celebrating its fifth birthday with the desire to help people pursue their dreams in the midst of the ongoing pandemic struggles, Café Isan, the buzzing JLT joint, is launching a micro-franchise scheme, which will help those who qualify to take charge of a fully kitted out, ready to operate Thai street food cart – at a location of their choice to be proposed during the application process. 

Left: Bradley DeVries with Chef New (center) and a friend before the pandemic.

Single item carts, no cooking experience is required as Chef New, co-founder, will fully train all successful applicants who’ll undoubtedly become accomplished streetfood vendors representing Café Isan with pride. 

Chef New explains: “After starting my venture, accidentally in way over a decade ago and with just AED200, I found what I love to do and I’m so grateful I’ve been able to make a living from my passion.”

“So, it’s a great time to give something back. We’ve decided to help people who also have a dream of running their own food business, by offering them the chance to run their own Café Isan cart – with our help and guidance – starting with just AED200 as I did.”

The initial cart is being piloted with Bradley DeVries, a Café Isan regular who lost his job due to the pandemic.

He says: “Once a devoted customer and now part of the team. I lost my job due to the pandemic and I’m ecstatic at the opportunity given to me by Café Isan. I’m honored to be the first vendor.”

Vendors like Bradley will receive training, cookery training and support from Chef New and the Café Isan team, along with the chance for the highest-performing food cart annually to win a trip to Thailand’s Isan region.

The choice of location for the cashless carts is down to the franchisee, but Cafe Isan is calling on property and landowners, mall managers and other forward-thinking venues to step up and offer a vending space to these new-era entrepreneurs.

Co-founder Lisa Knight explains: “We’re looking for passionate people with drive, ambition a solid work ethic and a little business acumen – but most of all, we want to help some of our most entrepreneurial customers who first and foremost, love Thai food, and secondly, have perhaps fallen on tough times as a result of the pandemic. 

“Those with space, such as retail site owners – where one of our carts might fit are asked to get in touch, as we’d love to place carts where they are needed, and even help bring new customers to some different places across Dubai.” 

Applicants must send a short application to the Café Isan team – uploaded via the Team Café Isan website to be shortlisted to take on a cart, followed by interviews. 

Café Isan will support all the carts by acting as a centralised kitchen, providing ingredients and sauces, not only to ensure the distinctive Café Isan authenticity is maintained, but for the sake of consistency and safety. 

Initial concepts for the carts include:

Tea Bar – No cooking experience required (Dairy & Vegan)

Mango Sticky Rice Cart – No cooking experience required (Vegan)

Som Tum Station – Some cooking experience required (Vegan, Veg)

Snack food Cart* – No cooking experience required (Vegan, Veg, Shrimp) – *with a vegan, or mixed cart option

Tom Yum Soup Cart – Some cooking experience required (Seafood)

Satay Station – Minimal cooking experience required (Chicken)

More and more cart concepts will be introduced throughout the year, as Café Insan hopes to kickstart a streetfood revolution right here in the UAE.

The JLT Cluster B-based outlet, which won Best Thai restaurant in the Time Out Restaurant Awards 2020, will waiver upfront license fees and cover the cost of the actual cart/kiosk, refrigeration, equipment, POS system, training with Chef New, branded packaging, hygiene and safety certifications, fire extinguishers and blankets (where required), packaging and even initial food/ingredient costs. 

On top of this, the program really enables people to get started with their own cart by also covering Dubai municipality permits, public liability and workmen’s insurance, legal and accounting fees.

Already a winner of the “Best Budget” and shortlisted for the “Best Thai” Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards in 2017, the cosy, friendly restaurant also won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in both 2017 and 2020, and was proudly nominated for a BBC Good Food Award in 2018 and 2020. 

The distinctive dishes and memorable flavors come from north eastern Thailand – the Isan region – with Chef New working hard to reflect the renowned warmth of the region’s food, people and culture. 

Multi-award winning Café Isan, Dubai’s most authentic Thai streetfood and tea bar restaurant, is the jewel in the crown of JLT’s dining scene and is the heart of the local Thai community. 

Serving up genuine Isan specialties and Thai classics, Chef New is renowned for memorable dishes, great prices and happy customers. Opened in 2016, Café Isan is down-to-earth, vintage Thai with a smile. Food from Isan is lesser known than its central Thai counterpart. Soups are clear and made without a coconut base, and the food is traditionally spicier. However, don’t sweat as everything is made fresh, so you can choose your preferred spice level!

Café Isan – Thai Streetfood & Tea Bar Restaurant Dubai. 

Waterfront, Cluster B, JLT (Free parking at Lake View Tower)

Open daily from midday – 10pm

+971 (0)4 5579778 / +971 (0)50 913 2611 (Whatsapp only)

Visit: cafeisan.co 

Social Media: @cafeisan

Market vendors’ son now operates UAE’s fastest-growing seafood restaurant chain

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By Josh Trias

‘Nang pumunta ako dito, ang mindset ko ay hindi ako magiging empleyado lang forever.’ – Rolly Brucales

DUBAI: Among top casual dining destinations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) these days is Off The Hook Seafood Restaurant, which in recent years has expanded so fast almost to the point of becoming ubiquitous.

The restaurant, which prides itself in serving only the freshest fresh catch as the phrase “off the hook” connotes, has a very interesting story to it.

Rolly D. Brucales, managing director at Off The Hook Seafood Restaurant

The first branch opened in May 2016 in Abu Dhabi. Today, the establishment, which has grown to become a popular dining destination not only among Filipinos, but for locals and tourists as well, has eight branches, the ninth set to open in April this year.

“When I came here, I already had this mindset that I will not be an employee forever,” said Rolly D. Brucales, managing director at Off The Hook Seafood Restaurant.

Brucales, 46, is fifth among nine children born to merchant parents who own a meat stall at Albay Public Market in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. The place is popular for the world’s most perfectly coned shaped volcano – the Mt. Mayon.

Folklore has it that natives of the region have taken off from Mt. Mayon and  pride themselves for being perfectionist in their craft.

Business acumen

Brucales grew up with keen familiarity in business and developed acumen such that he was already running his tailoring shop in Abu Dhabi at 36 years of age – or nine years after he arrived in the city in 2004. 

“I was raised in a public market. My parents have a stall there selling meat. It is still open today,” Brucales said. 

Brucales, an accounting graduate from Divine Word College in Legazpi City in Albay, had earlier worked at a medical company also in Abu Dhabi, during which he learned the ropes of the trade and started selling medical supplies at hospitals across the city.

“I got bored staying in the office the whole day, so I tried to learn about doing sales and soon I was going out selling supplies,” Brucales said. 

First branch

Rolly D. Brucales and his business partners. From left: Pol Ryan Hernandez, Marjorie Sac, Erick Olete, Apple Hernandez, Angie Brucales, Rolly and Bert Garde. (Contributed photo) 

Brucales found a local businessman, and with help from six other OFW partners, including his wife, Angie, opened casual dining Off The Hook (OTH) Seafood Restaurant in May of 2016.  

Two years later in 2018, the second OTH would open in Deira; the third and fourth would open in Al Ain and in Abu Dhabi’s “tourist club” district also in the same year – for a total of three branches in a year’s time.

The fifth OTH opened in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall a year later in 2019.

Despite the pandemic’s stifling impact on businesses with its quarantine measures and restrictions on movements of people last year, three OTH branches were set up in March and December, where two more opened in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai Mall.

The ninth is set to open in south Dubai’s Ibn Battuta Mall in the first week of April, according to Brucales.

Each OTH restaurant has 11 tables. The restaurant chain employs a total of 86 employees – all OFWs.

Brucales said there were plans to open an OTH branch in the Philippines but this was sidelined by the pandemic.

International 

Brucales said that up to 70% of OTH’s customers were non-Filipinos. “I was surprised. The customers were of different nationalities,” he said, also in a mix of English and the vernacular.

Notably too, is OTH’s positioning, where branches were located not only in areas frequented by Filipinos but in those visible to other market segments.  “I want to compete with the international brand, not the Filipino brands,” said Brucales, father of three kids, the eldest of whom is a 22-year-old lad.

Brucales said he owes OTH’s success to its staff and on the company’s incentive plans like giving a certain percentage of the sales whenever the month’s quota was met.

Brucales said he is grateful to the UAE government for giving business-friendly opportunities to people of other nationalities.

Oakley unveils new MSK3 mask

Maximizing functionality, with a focus on fit.

Established in 1976, Oakley® has always been a driving force in product design for sports performance products worldwide. Favoured by world-class athletes competing at the highest level possible, Oakley has always been at the forefront of performance innovation.

This year, Oakley has unveiled an unparalleled mask design with the MSK3. Designed with seal, filtration, fit and eyewear integration in mind, the mask is designed to work seamlessly with your eyewear and fit snugly on your face. With its unique design, MSK3 helps to reduce eyewear crash and lens fogging, to ensure its wearer is comfortable all day long.

The newly launched MSK3 is designed to work seamlessly with your eyewear and fit snugly on the face with an integrated seal and filtration system that has two high-performance filter options for added breathability. The disposable filter has over 95% filtration efficiency of particles down to size of 0.3 microns, with another reusable filter provides protection against air pollutant and dust particles. Special Thermoform parts provide space between your mouth and mask for increased breathability and comfort.

Eat all you can for free as Khau Galli opens at Mall of the Emirates

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The popular filmy, vibrant and colorful Dubai restaurant Khau Galli  is all set to extend its magic with the opening of its third branch in Mall of the Emirates on Tuesday, February 16. 

The restaurant is celebrating this occasion by inviting guests for a free meal to savor the taste and flavors of their food spread. All that the guests have to do is tag Khau Galli on their Instagram feed to avail “All You Can Eat For Free” offer on the launch day.

“We are extending this offer as we are absolutely delighted to bring authentic vegetarian meal to the food court in MoE and of course, as a part of the celebrations of our new branch opening. “Aaj ki party humari taraf se”.  (A popular bollywood song translating to today’s party on us). Customers can pay us by cash / card or instagram (by posting and tagging us). We would be really grateful if our guests spread a word about us as they are indeed the real influencers for us,” said the owners of Khau Galli chain of restaurants.

Speaking of safety measures in light of the coronavirus pandemic, they added, “The mall has tables three meters apart. Social distancing will also be managed by the mall as we are in the food court. We are making sure that in all cases we are compliant with the recommended safety rules.” 

The Indian restaurant brand was launched by a passionate Dubai couple – Priyanka Agarwal Mandelia and Aanand Mandelia, both qualified Chartered Accountants – who left their jobs to follow their heart and embark on their love for their roots, the Indian culture and the heartwarming Indian food. 

The couple opened the fun-filled, colorful Indian restaurant Khau Galli by the Lakeside in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers community in 2019. The team has only grown from strength to strength, bolstered with their two friends coming on board and who share the vision and expansion plans – Aarti Agarwal and Rahul Agarwal, as they opened their second outlet in Ibn Batutta Mall in 2020, despite COVID challenges. 

The finger-licking good food at Khau Galli is the key reason that the F&B brand is now set to open its third branch in Mall of the Emirates in under two years.

Khau Galli, a 100% “sudh desi” filmy restaurant serves multi cuisine food specializing in street food, North Indian, South Indian, Chinese and Italian food. The taste of India is presented in a vibrant and colorful way. Some of the tempting dishes include Chaat Platter, Khau Galli Special Thali, Chole Bhatura, Maggi Masala and Jalebi Rabri.

Valentine’s Day Trends: Your 2021 eyewear sorted

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, it’s still not too late to find that perfect gift for your loved one. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to go all out and try something new and below is a wide range of on-trend eyewear for you to choose from. From modern chic to classic and even futuristic, you’ll find something that’s guaranteed to impress that special someone in your life.

It’s never too early to start planning for your ‘something blue’, and these exquisite sunnies are a fun twist to an age-old tradition. Get them something they’ll cherish, from brands that never go out of style. Play with shapes for an extra edge and make that outfit ‘pop’.

Show them how they make your world go round with a classic pair of round frames. This evergreen style suits everyone and are a constant crowd pleaser. A round shape will accentuate your features and give you that minimalist chic look that is always on trend. Experiment with an oval lens for some extra chicness!

Valentine urban pieces from Fila

The season of love is upon us and Fila put together key his and her pieces perfect for a relaxed Valentine’s night in or out. From accessories, athleisure staples to sneakers we have everything set for the perfect gift.

Gifts for him

For a chill evening in, choose from a selection of tracksuits in navy with a bold Fila tape running down the sides to snuggle up with your special lady watching romantic movies. If you opt for a socially distant night out, a classic white FILA tee is an iconic staple to rock this February.

A range of caps and sleek sneakers are also available to gift your special someone this Valentine’s Day.

Gifts for her

In classic Valentine’s fashion, Fila has put together a collection of red looks to celebrate the day of love. The Ahani long sleeve zip up dress in a bold crimson red pairs well with the classic Ryzer sneakers for a flawless, feminine FILA look. Sink your feet into perfectly designed sneakers that are made to fit your feet just right. With foam-styled memory foam technology and an intricate lace-up closure, there is no better sneaker to match yours and your man’s relaxed Valentine’s looks.

The Fila Valentine’s Day Edit is available for purchase at the FILA store in Mall of the Emirates or online at www.fila.ae.