With Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year) to fall this weekend, it's time to look for ways to celebrate.
The Year of the Dragon begins on February 10 and there are several restaurants celebrating with limited-time menus and one-off meals.
As festivities kick off, here are some places to usher in the occasion.
The Citronelle Club
Enjoy a specially curated Chinese New Year set menu at The Citronelle Club. Appetisers consist of cavier and shrimp roll, foie gras and abalone, Norwegian salmon and impossible swan puff, and a layered cha-sui vegan meat. Mains include grilled veal rack with apple fennel salad and katsu sauce, red mullet with a selection of seafood and tom yum bouillabaisse and ginger glazed duck breast topped with white grape and galangal lime gel. For something sweet, there will be a sharing-style platter with desserts, fruits and sorbet.
February 8 to 15, 12.30pm-3.30pm and 6pm-midnight; Dh888 per couple; SO/ Uptown Dubai; 050 421 0753, www.so-hotels.com
BA Boldly Asian
Fairmont the Palm is hosting a series of weekend brunches to celebrate Lunar New Year. These include a multi-course menu with the first comprising steamed edamame with maldon salt and yee sang salad with salmon sashimi.
Followed by a dragon sushi platter with salmon, tuna and sea bass sashimi. The third course is Korean fried chicken and hot and sour prawn and wanton soup. Sea bass with Szechuan butter and Asian greens will be served for the fourth course, alongside Chinese pork ribs, wok friend black pepper beef and steamed rice. The final course is a trio of desserts: red coconut cloud, chocolate torte and exotic fruits.
February 9, 10, 16 and 17, 6pm-2am; packages start at Dh250; Fairmont the Palm; 04 457 3457, www.fairmont.com
Demon Duck
The restaurant at Banyan Tree Dubai has launched its five-course Dragon New Year tasting menu. Dishes include Lo hei salmon slaw, dragon beard dumplings, hot and sour lobster soup and signature slow-roasted Demon Duck served with lettuce wraps, calamansi buns and CNY sauce. There will also be lobster with green onion and ginger and 48-hour beef short ribs with kalbi sauce. Dessert is crepe flambe served with mandarin and coconut ice cream. On February 9 and 10, there will be live entertainment including a traditional dragon dance.
February 9 to 18; Sunday to Friday, 6pm-midnight; Saturdays, 1pm-4pm and 6pm-midnight; Dh520 per person; Bluewaters Island, Dubai; 04 556 6466, www.banyantree.com
Ingredients
Anantara Eastern Mangroves in the capital will host a brunch at Ingredients restaurant for Chinese New Year. Dishes include sweet and sour chicken, vegetable chow mein, sesame and honey roasted vegetables, while cakes are on the menu for after: chocolate and five spice, and fortune.
February 10, 1pm-4pm; Dh295 per person; Anantara Eastern Mangroves, Abu Dhabi; 02 656 1000, www.anantara.com
Hakkasan
The Michelin-starred restaurant will have a limited-edition menu in its Abu Dhabi and Dubai locations. A collaborative creation – Smoked Eight Treasure Duck – by executive chefs from Hakkasan Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha will be the centrepiece.
Other dishes include Wishes of Prosperity dim sum duo, from Hakkasan Riyadh, and wild red king prawn with braised dragon Beard Noodles, from Hakkasan London.
Hakkasan Abu Dhabi will offer its limited-edition menu, priced at Dh488, until February 24. Meanwhile, Hakkasan Dubai will have an eight-course menu, priced at Dh788, with dishes such as a lobster salad with nashi pear, persimmon, dragon fruit and lime dressing and claypot Galician sea bass with spring onion and pepper.
On February 9 and 10, there will be a lion dance performance at both locations starting at 8pm. There will also be a wishing ribbon ritual in which guests can write their wishes for the new year on ribbons hung throughout the restaurants.
February 9-24; 6pm-11.30pm; prices vary; 02 690 7739 (Abu Dhabi) or 04 426 0752 (Dubai); www.hakkasan.com
Ling Ling
Guests can enjoy new dishes for the occasion, starting from Dh105, including a yee sang prosperity salad featuring salmon sashimi and yuzu dressing, lobster prawn toast with yuzu mustard aioli, longevity noodles with Boston lobster, as well as a whole steamed sea bass with ginger, scallion and soya. Themed drinks are also available for pairing.
Dishes from the Ling Ling a la carte menu can also be ordered. Children under 10 are welcome for family dining, but must depart by 8.30pm.
February 10-24; 6pm-1am; prices vary; Atlantis The Royal, Dubai; 056 997 1642; www.linglingdubai.com
Maiden Shanghai
If you're a brunch person, consider one themed around the Year of the Dragon at Maiden Shanghai, Five Palm Jumeirah.
The Naughty Noodles brunch hosted by Secret Parties offers dishes such as boom boom chicken, crispy seafood roll, dim sum, kung pao prawns, wild mushroom with smoked chilli, plus a selection of desserts.
February 10 and 17; 12.30pm-4pm; packages start at Dh350; Maiden Shanghai, Five Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; maiden-shanghai.com
Shi
The Bluewaters Dubai venue is hosting what it calls “dragon feast”. On arrival, guests can pluck out a traditional red envelope, symbolising good luck and prosperity, from the bonsai trees at the entrance.
A dragon-themed welcome drink awaits diners, along with dishes such as dragonfruit tiger prawn, crispy duck maki roll with volcano sauce, braised lamb pot, Wagyu beef with black vinegar and a chef’s special dessert.
February 5-11; Dh400 per person, free for children under 6; Bluewaters Dubai; 04 393 9990; www.shirestaurant.com
Sea Fu
Welcoming guests with traditional fortune cookies, Sea Fu will present a new dish for the occasion – crispy orange baby chicken bao bun.
Guests can write their wishes for the Lunar New Year and hang them from the olive tree on the terrace. They will also receive a lucky card, containing a complimentary offering of small bites to be enjoyed during their visit.
February 9-11; 12.30pm-10.30pm; prices vary; Four Seasons Resort Dubai; 04 270 7770; www.seafudubai.com
Shanghai Me
A specially curated menu awaits at Shanghai Me's Dragon Unleashed event with dishes such as temari dragon rolls, creamy lobster soup, Chinese-style salmon sashimi and scallop xiao long bao.
On February 10 at 7.30pm, there will be a celebration featuring a lion dance. A calligrapher will be on hand to write the names of guests on red paper. Diners will also receive a traditional red envelope and have the chance to win prizes.
February 7-22; noon-4pm and 6pm-midnight; prices vary; DIFC, Dubai; 04 564 0505, shanghaime-restaurant.com
Eauzone
The restaurant in One&Only Royal Mirage will have a Taste of Abundance Reunion dinner, featuring a customary prosperity toss of raw fish salad, meant to symbolise wealth. The menu features yee-sang (prosperity toss salad), chicken dumplings, dragon roll, Peking duck and Chinese mango pudding.
February 9 and 10; noon-11pm; Dh388 per person excluding beverages; One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai; 04 315 2412; www.oneandonlyresorts.com
Xu
A sharing-plate menu is on offer at this recently launched Dubai restaurant, including crispy lemon grass chicken, Asian-style buttermilk prawns, osmanthus plum-baked Chilean sea bass and cornfed chicken. There will also be a dim sum selection that includes har gow and chicken shumai, as well as desserts.
A wishing tree will stand at the entrance of Xu as a symbol of good luck, prosperity and positive energy for the coming year. Guests can share their hopes by writing them on wishing cards to adorn the tree.
February 9-17; Sunday to Wednesday, 6pm-1am, Thursday to Saturday, 6pm-3am; Kempinski Hotel at Mall of the Emirates, Dubai; 04 394 6252; www.xudubai.ae
Moli by Shi
Diners who visit the newly opened venue in Dubai Hills Business Park can try out a four-course set menu with dishes, such as dragonfruit tiger prawn and crispy Angus beef eggplant roll; followed by a selection of dim sum featuring lobster dumplings, Angus beef kimchi and prawn har gau. There will also be live entertainment in the form of lion dancers on February 9 and 10 at 7pm.
February 5-11; Monday to Thursday, noon-1am; Friday to Sunday, noon-2am; Dh350 per person, free for children below 6; Dubai Hills Business Park; 04 276 3338; www.molibyshi.com
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
