Pearls & Caviar Restaurant & Lounge

So ever since my computer died, and I had to have the Apple Dr. resuscitate it, I can't seem to get the Bluetooth to work. I like to take pics on my Palm and then Bluetooth them to my computer. This was always easier that trying to remember my camera every where I went not to mention keeping the battery charged. But now this doesn't work. I was going to do a new restaurant review with fabulous pics of the venue but alas after hours or trying to get my Palm and Apple to sync it's just not going to happen.

So here is a restaurant review sans pictures... just pretend I didn't add the pics so that the mystery would be overwhelming and you would just have to go to this fabulous place to see it with your own eyes.

I have decided I am not good about writing reviews about places I don't like. There are definitely places in that category *cough* Bricco in Khalidiya Mall *cough*. I just don't like wasting my time with them. My reviews are more to share the little gems I find while out n about. I want everyone to enjoy them as much as I did... So here is another gem or rather pearl

Pearls & Caviar Restaurant and Lounge is a another great find for those of you who want to enjoy a nice drink, some great food and a fabulous atmosphere.

Pearls & Caviar sits at the end of Shangri La Hotel in Abu Dhabi. In fact it's so far on the edge of the hotel that they drive you out to the restaurant from the main lobby in a cart! I love it! When you enter you can either go into the restaurant down stairs where there is a dramatic and romantic atmosphere of black, chrome and crystals everywhere.

If you arrive on a Friday and want something a little more relaxing that I suggest you head up stairs to the lounge that sits outside on the roof.

The bar is in the middle of the roof with the seating all the way around it. There are canvas sheets that shade the area from the sun during the day and add some coziness in the evening. The seating is huge white couches that beg you to lounge on to them and get comfortable. Order your drink, snuggle up with you favorite person and watch the sun set. There's a nice selection of chill house music coming from the DJ that sets a great mood leaving you to feel comfortable to get up and dance or stay relaxed on the oversized couches.

The food is a simple beach menu but perfect for the setting. Fish n Chips. Nachos or Chicken Fingers sounds simple but are mastered by the chef. And the fries... Oh the fries! They are perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned.

As the sky darkens the lounge lights with hidden lights in the floors, under the tables, and behind the couches leaving you with the soft light feel of the sunset. But make sure to bring your sweater as it can get quite chilly as the sun goes down.

Overall I completely enjoyed Pearls & Caviar and would recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice night out, especially if they have guests they want to impress....

If I can get my hands on some pictures I'll be sure to post them for you until then go check it out!

Eight Restaurant & Lounge

i had never really considered doing a restaurant review before until i realized that people started coming to me to ask which restaurants to go to or find out which ones are good.

SO i will start (sporadically) doing restaurant reviews. when i try something new or if i have an exceptionally good (or bad) experience i will share it with you.

the first place i will mention is Eight Restaurant & Lounge located at Shangri La Souk. you may remember that i visited this lounge last weekend but it was more just to check out the venu.

A few days ago we got to go back for dinner.

we arrived at 8:30 and were asked if we wanted to sit inside where the atmosphere was dark with the colors of black, white and silver running though out and the bar with a back wall of lit up bottles in blues and red. or we could sit outside in a more relaxed atmosphere with couches and low tables over looking the water and the Zayed Mosqe. we hesitated a minute as both options were equally appealing but finally decided to sit outside remembering that it isn't often we have such lovely weather out here.


we sat down and were immediately served drinks and handed menus. i ordered the chicken salad to start and the barbecue beef skewers for the main. OMGsh it was AMAZING

the chicken salad had a warm chicken breast cut up and mixed in a bed of cabbage, bell peppers, cucumber and carrot with a ginger soy sauce dressing that added the perfect amount of tang. it tasted sensational.

the beef came in little bite size pieces along 4 or 5 skewers with barbecue sauce covering them. the beef you could tell was high quality and not over cooked as it seemed to melt in your mouth. the sauce wasn't too sweet and it wasn't too spicy, nor did it cover up the flavor of the beef.

i received similar praise on the roasted salmon and avocado salsa my husband had. he's not even a big fan of salmon but couldn't stop talking about his dinner the rest of the way home.

after dinner you can walk around outside and through the the Souk where there are conveniently placed Baskin Robbins and Starbucks for your after dinner enjoyment.

I definitely will be heading back to Eight again and again and it would be a great place to take visitors whether they are visiting from out side the country or even from dubai.

Enjoy! and if you visit Eight please let me know what you think!

weekend... Part 1

ok this weekend is a two part series blog post because... well... there were too many great things that happened this weekend that i want to tell you about but i don't want one eternally long post. so the solution is two posts!

part 1 (thursday and friday)

the weekend started off to a great start with my husband taking me out for steak! i know! yuuummmy! i met him and one of his friends at The Meat Co. which JUST opened up at the Souk in Shangri La, Abu Dhabi. The Shangri La has done something to the Madinat Jumierah in Dubai in that they have an old looking (but very new) souk that you can walk around and go shopping and it offers a few restaurant selections and I must say the Souk at Shangri La is offering some fabulous restaurants and clubs.... including Noodle House. Left Bank. Sho Chos, and Eight restaurant and bar (same as the one in Beirut, Lebanon). After our fantastic steak at the Meat Co. we wandered upstairs to get a sneak peak at Eight and i must say that that is definitely a place to check out.

as we wondered outside i found these



Dragon Boats!!!!

i thought i was having flash backs to Portland Oregon!!


photo courtesy of city data

i had heard that Abu Dhabi was going to start a Dragon Boat race every year and it was great to be able to check out the boats! i knot that the tradition is a lot of fun back in Portland with a lot of businesses competing in the friendly competition. it would be great if the same happens out here

on Friday we had our SnB!!!! it was in the usual place: Caribou Coffee at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi

it was so much fun!! we were there for hours talking and knitting, knitting and talking. it was fantastic. we had 2 new joiners who were curious to learn how to knit... fortunately (or unfortunately) for them we were all willing to put our two cents in and probably completely overwhelmed them with information and fiber obsession... but hope to see you both on ravelry soon!!! hehehe

Lulu taught me the trick to cables (woot woot!) and another important lessing: READ THE ENTIRE PATTERN BEFORE YOU START!! i had gotten a little ahead of my self on the cable thing and decided i didn't need to read the whole pattern.... my cables looked wrong. ALL WRONG. but i ripped it and got back to work and now my cables look beautiful! i'm so surprised with my self when i'm able to pull such complicated things off... (the trick is they look harder than they are but ssshhhh. don't tell)

we also had to compete with a band while we were there! but i'll let Charmaine tell you all about that... and don't worry even a navy couldn't get between us and our knitting and gabbing!