An anthology of all things amongst and beneath the stars that I admire.: December 2013

Monday 30 December 2013

Holiday party at Royal China

This year I hit a lot of lifetime milestones, but I think the most memorable was my first office Christmas party! We had the amazing opportunity to launch Royal China's new 'Duck and Bubbles' concept. Comprising of a number of traditional Chinese recipes, it really was the perfect option for our party as it is laid out to be shared and enjoyed with whomever you are with.

Duck is considered a Chinese national dish, which has been prepared since the imperial era, when it was served for the Emperor of China in the Yuan Dynasty. At Royal China, the duck is cooked to perfection by the team of Chinese chefs who have practiced the art cooking tender, moist and mouth-watering dishes served with steamed pancakes, fresh spring onions and hoisin sauce.

At the party we enjoyed the Royal China Duck Dishes such as crispy aromatic duck served with pancakes, spring onions and cucumber, Peking duck served with pancakes, spring onions and cucumber and roasted duck with plum sauce. Of course, all of these dishes were followed by their delicious dim sum and complimented with a glass of bubbly.

Thursday 19 December 2013

A love for design

Anyone and their mother who knows me understands that my true passions are art & design. Whether it be sculpting and watercolours or music and interior design - I am all over it. Hands-on art makes me feel like I can creatively take control of my life whereas art you practice such as interior design and singing makes me feel like the space around me is more of my own.

That being said, I can't wait for February because Chelsea College of Arts is coming back to Dubai for their renowned short courses! There really is something for everyone, including a three-day short course dedicated to Curating Contemporary Art. If you are interested in learning more about the enormous scope of contemporary art and it’s practice internationally, you may be interested in this extremely specialised course that will focus on the explicitly global perspective on the current role of the curator, prompting students to approach the field critically, theoretically and through best practice in commissioning, exhibition-making, programming and art writing in museums and galleries.

CCA is also hosting a specialist portfolio of Interior Design and Interior Decoration short courses. If there are any budding interior designers out there, definitely check out their course list and choose from a range of courses that are suitable for both practicing interior designers looking to learn new skills or update their existing ones, or beginners wishing to pursue the subject as a hobby, each course is an excellent opportunity to learn.

CCA even asked its team of professional tutors to unveil their top design trends for 2014.

· 2014 is about optimism both in terms of colour and pattern - softer shades of bright, bold colours will become available allowing people to pair the bolder colours with more neutral ones

· Yellow will be on trend but can be a challenge to work with so it will need to be paired with a grey, taupe or sand colour to get the correct accent within a space

· Geometric patterns have been dominant for the last few years in terms of textiles and pattern and 2014 will see the angles being replaced with softer classical patterns

· The most exhilarating homes are ones that have objects that provoke conversations. For example, take a 1950s bamboo Chippendale Chair paint it grey or taupe then add the colour or pattern in the fabric. One of the best ways to incorporate colours is by accessories.

· The future of design will be divided into two - one will convey our desire to look to the future to tech-savvy advancements as our way to survive this fast paced living and the other is our need to renew some of the past traditions in a quest for authenticity

If you aren't familiar with CCA's qualifications, just take a look at their list of alumni including Alexander McQueen, Anish Kapoor, Mojeb Al-Dousari and Florence Welch. Have a look at their website to see all the offered courses, I am really hoping to have a chance to try one of them out!

www.arts.ac.uk/chelsea/courses/short-courses/middle-east

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Sushi as an art...

Having recently moved to Dubai, I am having a seriously fantastic time trying out all the fantastic new restaurants at my disposal. Having been here 6 months, I have finally discovered the DIFC: a F&B haven. This week I heard of an amazing new menu at SushiArt, the sister company of the globally renowned SushiShop. SushiArt has excitingly just announced its official collaboration with celebrated French chef, Joël Robuchon. In January 2014, I am definitely preparing to test out every single thing off of their completely revamped menu, including seven mouth-watering recipes by Robuchon, who operates an array of Michelin-starred restaurants across the globe. (Hawaiian roll pictured above)

Each year, the SushiShop group, invites a renowned chef to develop its unique menu, which has impressed sushi enthusiasts worldwide. Robuchon, a firm believer that ‘sushi is an art’, has created a selection of recipes that will inspire the customer aesthetically whilst tantalising taste buds. In keeping with the SushiArt’s quest for simplicity and maximizing the flavour of ingredients, Robuchon’s delightful sushi creations include a symphony of tastes that embraces authentic Japanese culinary concepts with the best of French influences. (Spicy Ebi Roll above)

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at their new menu additions, have a look for yourself!

SALMON TARTAR NEW STYLE - Finely chopped salmon seasoned with a sauce Robuchon