Where does @arianabundy the chef and owner of @arianaspersiankitchen at Atlantis The Royal dine out? 😋

In this #WhereRestaurateursEat column, super woman Ariana shares her favourite restaurants encompassing:

🔪 Three in the UAE
🔪 One in her home country
🔪 One located elsewhere internationally

Actually she sneaked in a few more 😜

Link in bio for her top picks.

Nominations for female restaurateur-entrepreneurs are always much appreciated 🙏🏼

#UAERestaurantsUnite #foodiva Dubai Restaurants ...

💯 reasons we love the Middle East & North Africa ♥️ A cover story for Conde Nast Traveller Middle East’s May/ June print edition 🙏🏼 Perfect timing for Eid.

A commission to pen eight reasons why I adore this region from a chef and food perspective. Needless to say I could have picked 100 food-related factors, but CNT is a broader travel magazine after all 😜 So you’ll have to settle for five chefs and three dishes from me. Swipe to see.

@selinadenman writes in her editor’s letter, “At a time of unrest and uncertainty across the region, we present 100 reasons we love the Middle East – an ode, of sorts, to the incredible people, places, hotels, food, fashion, crafts and traditions that shape this mesmerising, often-misunderstood corner of the world. And a reminder, in unsettling times, of what endures.”

100 things to add to our bucket lists 🩷

Out on shelves now. Links to the feature on the @cntravellerme website. Eid Mubarak folks. May peace prevail 🇦🇪🕊️

#UAERestaurantsUnite #SupportLocalUAE ...

Where does @diana_shi_dxb - the owner, founder and CEO of @shihospitalitygroup dine out? She’s the operator and creator behind Chinese and Pan-Asian restaurants @shi.dxb @mei.dxb and @moli.dxb

In this #WhereRestaurateursEat column, super woman Diana shares her favourite restaurants encompassing:

🔪 Three in the UAE
🔪 One in her home country
🔪 One located elsewhere internationally

Click link in bio for her top picks. This post landed in inboxes yesterday. Feel free to subscribe, if not already.

Nominations for female restaurateur-entrepreneurs are always much appreciated 🙏🏼

#UAERestaurantsUnite #foodiva Dubai Restaurants ...

I’ve been dining out frequently recently, more so than pre-war. I counted 38 restaurant visits here since the conflict kicked off exactly two months ago today. And that’s proper meals. I don’t leave the house just for a cuppa. Food deliveries are additional. Don’t worry I won’t bore you by naming them all. They’re pinned to highlights for the curious.

However, I do want to flag a dinner at a hot new opening. Not a review though given these are on hold, as I explained when the war kicked off. Plus first-time visits to what turned out to be three gems serving their own version of country-specific comfort fare.

So let’s tuck in…link in bio for a read 🔗

Where do you go when you’re after comfort food? 😋

@window.dxb by @tamer_elk @gonzaloplatero_
@kima_izakaya by @pawel.dxb
@hanu_dubai by @chef_moooon
@arianaspersiankitchen by @arianabundy

#UAERestaurantsUnite #SupportLocalUAE ...

A week in Saudi earlier this month where there was magic in Alula’s serenity 🇸🇦 And good room rates! A vast desert region with jaw-dropping sandstone landscapes and ancient sites, anchored by the Nabataean ruins of Hegra, the latter similar to Petra. A bucket list birthday trip 🩷

In contrast, Jeddah and Riyadh were frantic and business as usual with minimal 🚀 Traffic has not abated.

On the dining front, two restaurants caught my eye…or palate I should say. Both doing something different with Saudi cuisine that we have yet to see here with ‘Emirati’ restaurants.

1️⃣ @joontos_alula in the @dartantora hotel smack bang in the stunningly restored old town. A charming medina-style design. Middle Eastern meze meets Spanish tapas. With Saudi’s fertile terroir very amenable to farming, 80% of ingredients are locally sourced. 100% organic produce. Dinner was so deliciously impressive, we returned for my birthday breakfast. A deserving Bib Gourmand that rivals many a Dubai restaurant. I would stay in this hotel because of Joontos.

2️⃣ @maizriyadh (no affiliation to Maiz here). A homegrown concept operated by the Saudi franchisee of LPM. A refined, modern spin on Saudi fare, like the aish bil laham, a Hejazi pie version of lahmajun with minced lamb as stuffing. Ghee for dipping. At the utterly enchanting @bujairiterrace - part of @visitdiriyah another lovingly restored destination. A UNESCO-listed mud brick township that once served as the capital of the first Saudi dynasty.

Many a country would do well to note the beauty of regeneration over rebuilding (my home of Cyprus included).

There’s no alcohol in hotels and restaurants for now. Residents can purchase for home consumption and prices are not as high as you might think. A little like Dubai when I first arrived 25+ years ago. As someone who only drinks the odd glass every now and again, I didn’t miss it. And neither did wineaholic Mr S. Go for a detox 😜

A few visuals in this carousel including a rare selfie. More tips in stories pinned to highlights. Happy to answer any questions you may have 🙏🏼

@experiencealula @visitsaudi @banyantree.alula @marayaalula #SaudiDiva ...

🇦🇪 A PERSONAL MESSAGE 🇦🇪

If you’re reading this post from the Middle East, I hope you and your loved ones are as well as can be, given the conflict on our doorstep.

As a Dubai resident of 26+ years, I have faith that the UAE’s robust defence forces, who have done an extraordinary job so far intercepting missiles and drones, will continue to keep us safe. And even though flight routes have opened up, like many fellow expats, we have chosen to remain here in our adopted home.

For those outside the region, please don’t believe the Dubai-bashing, clickbait press coverage, which just leaves us long-term residents disgusted.

Mr S and I are continuing to go about our daily lives, and we’re sticking to our routines, as much as possible. That includes frequenting restaurants. Dining out is mandatory for my mental health. If you’re comfortable venturing out and about in line with the UAE’s safety directives, Dubai restaurants could do with our collective support.

But I appreciate in moments of crisis, we all react differently, and you may prefer to stay at home. Ordering deliveries also supports our local F&B community.

As with post-lockdown six years ago, my longform reviews of new openings are on hold until we’re back to regular programming. It’s unfair to judge a restaurant when some imported ingredients are in short supply, and atmosphere is naturally affected.

I toyed with writing a newsletter, however I surmised that you could do with some light-hearted reading as a respite from the doom and gloom. And because I love a theme, my post (link in bio) is dedicated to a twist on the popular Victorian bridal rhyme, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.”

Please stay safe 🙏🏼🇦🇪🩷

#MyDubai #UAERestaurantsUnite #foodiva ...

Before I dig into this month’s review of @orilladxb - a couple of points:

1️⃣ Reading @marinagpoloughlin’s FT column earlier this month in defence of restaurant criticism had me nodding along to every word. My favourite sentence that sums up her argument:

“The clue’s in the name: a critic without criticism is PR.”

Something that, undoubtedly, Gordon Ramsay would disagree with, given his foul-mouthed objection to traditional restaurant critics in his new Netflix docu-series.

What’s important to add is that reviews can only by classified as such when the reviewer has paid the bill. A word so often abused here in this age of freebie meals.

2️⃣ On that note, I often get asked how I select restaurants to review - so I thought I would share my decision process:

I have a rolling list on Evernote of new homegrown openings with a link to the restaurant website, menu and opening date. I try and dine at these restaurants between one month (allowing time to settle in) and three months of opening. If that doesn’t happen because of too many openings, and well…a busy life, the restaurant drops off the review list - and wings its way to a ‘when I have time to visit’ list.

Mid-week, I take a look and decide where I fancy dining at the weekend, which is when I typically review. If reservations are required I’ll book a day or two in advance (under a pseudonym of course), unless it’s one of those tiresome, hard-to-get-a-table restaurants, which forces me to plan well in advance.

I mix up different locations and cuisines. And I like to prioritise new restaurants that I’ve heard of through word of mouth, aka the underdogs - over those whose press releases have landed in my inbox or are plastered all over social media.

Onto Orilla. The first solo venture of chef @saradhi_dakara - formerly executive chef of The Maine Group, serving a ‘Mediterrasian’ menu, as per the restaurant’s publicity.

Sometimes I give restaurants a second chance. Allow me to rewind…link in bio for a read 🔗

How do you feel about paying via QR code at a high-end licensed restaurant with no waiter in sight? ...

I sometimes get asked in person, how I make money. As much as I would love to just eat and write, like any business, I need to generate revenue.

So, for the first time, I’m sharing my response publicly by penning an insight into my commercial strategy for FooDiva. Rather timely, because I officially launched my company 15 years ago this month!

✨ On that note, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of FooDiva, I’m offering a one-off 15% discount on monthly and annual Substack subscriptions - redeemable until end of this week, midnight on Sunday 22nd February. It’s where I spend the majority of my editorial time. Link in bio for the subscription benefits - and to redeem ✨

I owe my brand name and moniker - FooDiva - to a shower moment, where all my good ideas come from.

It’s a full-time role and a constant hustle, juggling a number of hats with, like many entrepreneurial journeys, an ever-changing business plan - and in my case, one that evolves along with the fluctuating media landscape. So, as of now, I earn my keep with the following revenue streams. Full post/ details of all seven at the link in bio.

🔪 Writing
🔪 Partnerships
🔪 Dining experiences
🔪 Speaking opportunities
🔪 Fam trips
🔪 Dubai restaurant itineraries
🔪 Strategic advisory

If you, or someone you know would like to discuss any of the above opportunities, please feel free to drop me an email (see link in bio…again!)

* Note on image for illustration purposes: I held off jumping on the ChatGPT caricature trend, but in the end, I was so intrigued to see the outcome, I caved. Initially, it couldn’t come up with anything that resembled me and my life, so I was forced to upload a photo with a prompt, sadly. Others haven’t had to apparently? Proof that I rarely use ChatGPT 😂 A little late to the party, but voilà. At least my three Cs are acknowledged - Champagne, caviar and cheese. Oh and my other favourite tipple, a dirty (vodka) martini 😜

#UAERestaurantsUnite #foodiva ...