Friday GourMed Brunch at Basilico, The Cove Rotana Resort

It's no secret that brunches are the thing to do on Fridays in Dubai.  With countless hotels and restaurants having their own tempting packages, cuisines and activities, you can practically try a different one each week and still want to see what the others have to offer.

But what if the brunch was in a different emirate?  Would you be willing to drive a long way to get there? And would it be worth it?

Friday Lazy Brunch at The Market Place, Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf

Although Dubai is known to be fast-paced and busy because of so many things to see and do, the city slows down on Fridays because it's the weekend.  During the morning and afternoon, the roads are clear, people are more relaxed, and unless we have activities or appointments, most of us prefer to do our own things at our own leisurely pace.

Filipino Food Fiesta at Olive Oil, Jumeira Rotana

Manila, Manila. I keep coming back to Manila…

As my family and I stepped into the lobby of Jumeira Rotana and walked towards Olive Oil Restaurant last Friday, it was hard to miss the strains of the familiar song. We had been invited to try the Filipino Food Fiesta, which is Olive Oil’s new offering for their Friday brunch, and upon seeing that the hotel’s all-day dining outlet had been adorned with colourful buntings near the entrance and at the bar, it instantly put us in the festive mood. And the photobooth with the Philippines’ “King of the Road,” made us more excited to see what was in store for us.

La Dolce Vita Friday Brunch at Andiamo!

La Dolce Vita is Italian for "the sweet life."  Andiamo! means "let's go!" Put them together, and you get an invitation to enjoy a life full of pleasure and indulgence...or in my case last Friday, to a feast of delectable Italian dishes with Hubby and my two girls at Grand Hyatt Dubai's newly refurbished restaurant.

I remember being very satisfied with the food when I had dinner with my family at Andiamo! for my birthday three years ago; so having come from a tiring walking activity in the morning, I was really looking forward to our brunch that day.

Friday Brunch at Al Bahou, Ibn Battuta Gate

My entire family (including Mama, my sister, and Gabe) and I were invited to have brunch at Al Bahou in Ibn Battuta Gate last Friday.  And armed with the knowledge that the food and hotel were a sight to behold, I made sure to take pictures.

Upon entering the hotel, we were welcomed by this beautiful flower arrangement which adorned the lobby

And there were a couple of life-sized camel statues that we took pictures with

I'm sure these stunning Arabian lanterns hanging from the ceiling throughout the hall never ceases to amaze guests and visitors

At opposite ends of the hotel, you could see a huge image of Ibn Battuta on a horse on one, and a compass and sailboat on the other

At 12:30, we were led to the Al Bahou banqueting hall where we were given welcome drinks that were so refreshing, we consumed these during our meal instead of the softdrinks or other fresh juices they offered.

The Al Bahou Brunch includes the hotel's restaurants Chor Bazaar, Mistral, Moroc Bar, Sicilia, and Shanghai Chic.  Aside from this, they have dedicated rooms for Pork and Cheese, and, get ready for it, Dessert. That's right, an entire room full of delectable cakes and sweet pastries!  I was tempted to go there right away, but I stopped and reminded myself that I needed to eat "real food" first, else my daughters wouldn't eat properly.

With such a vast spread, it would make anyone confused as to where to begin, so we just started with the nearest stations to our table: the bread, and seafood, maki and sushi.

Hubby was overjoyed when he saw his favorite Arabic dish, the Lamb Ouzi.

We had a delightful time taking portions of dishes from the Indian, Italian, East Asian, Arabic and international cuisines that were spread all throughout the banquet hall.  It was a good thing we went there hungry, allowing us to taste a little of everything.  Our taste buds were definitely satisfied.

Of course I made sure to save some space in my tummy for dessert, and I was so glad I did. The roomful of mouth-watering sweets and treats was absolutely impressive with its wide selection

While we enjoyed our food, a couple of musicians performed on stage from time to time, entertaining the diners with relaxing songs

Adorning the hall, we saw this rickshaw from India and bright red scooter from Italy

There was even a Jack O' Lantern and pumpkins, reminding us that Halloween was only a few days away

Despite the hall's grand ambiance, the children were not left out. There was an indoor cinema for kids with a buffet of fruits, pasta, chicken nuggets, fish fingers, fries, and sandwiches, along with assorted sweets, cookies, and freshly cooked popcorn, all readily available for the young ones' little hands and tummies so they didn't have to go out and miss scenes from their favorite movies.

The young diners also had access to the Camel Kids Club where they could do all sorts of arts and crafts, while watching movies on the television screen.

A face painter, play area, and a bouncy castle were also available, much to the delight of the little ones.

The good thing is that all the kids' areas were supervised, so the parents had the option to leave their children without worrying too much, allowing them to enjoy their food.

After we had our fill and while our daughters enjoyed watching in the cinema, we helped ourselves to some hot drinks that were available just outside of the Dessert Room

Needless to say, our entire family had a great time at Al Bahou.  It's definitely one we'll return to.

The Al Bahou Friday Brunch takes place between 12:30pm to 4:00pm
Prices are Dhs295 (inclusive of soft beverages), Dhs395 (for selected house beverages), and Dhs95 (for kids aged 6 to 12 years old.  Children under 6 eat for free.

my birthday brunch at radisson blu

I turned the double 3 two Fridays ago. We didn’t celebrate it with a big bang or anything; I was just content to celebrate it with my family. So just like last year, we planned to eat out at a hotel restaurant. Fortunately, brunches are the norm here on Fridays (they’re considered as an institution), so after going over the different choices, I called the Sales Manager in Radisson Blu, Dubai Deira Creek on Thursday and asked him for their Friday Fun Food Festival details, and to make a reservation for us for the following day. He said he couldn’t give us a discount because the rate was already their promotional rate, but since it was my birthday, he said he would try to do something.

friday brunch at spice island

My family and I were fortunate to have received an invitation to have Friday brunch at Spice Island in Crowne Plaza (former Renaissance Hotel), Deira last Friday. Although we’ve tried the buffet dinner there a few times already (when it was still Renaissance Hotel), this was the first time for us to try their brunch.