Time to relax
It’s not often we get a window of time completely to ourselves, with no interferences, no one to talk to, no social media, no emails. But sometimes, for our own sanity, we have to create this downtime and put ourselves in a position where we are forced to relax. I recently tried the AlphaSphere Deluxe at Talise Spa, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. It’s a marvellously sci-fi space in one of the treatment rooms where you have no choice but to succumb to relaxation. Inside the blacked-out room, there are two moulded “beds” that are illuminated and heated and rock gently when you move. After choosing a colour based on your mood or what you want to achieve from the session – Basic Blue, Sensitive Pink, Intense Red or Energy Orange – you lay down on the bed and close your eyes. The room is bathed in your chosen colour and even though your eyes are closed, you can almost feel it. The music starts, in fabulous surround sound. It’s a blend of nature noises, musical instruments and singing. The music enveloped me and combined with ever-so-slight gentle vibrations in the bed, I felt like every cell in my body was humming. It is a full-on sensory experience – a soothing bath for the mind and body. During the half-hour, I managed to drift off to sleep briefly, but emerged feeling relaxed, calm and content.
A 30-minute session in the AlphaSphere Deluxe costs Dh225. Contact Talise Spa on 04 366 6818 or www.jumeirah.com.
* Amanda Tomlinson
More power to iherb.ae
I’ve long been frustrated with the spotty and pricey supply of supplements and vitamins in local stores. I’m sure they are all here somewhere, but it seems that just when you find somewhere that stocks what you like, they no longer have it. It’s difficult to get proper advice on what to take. And those brands I favour, without unnecessary additives? I mostly can’t find them. Vegan protein powder is nearly impossible to find – and overpriced when it is available. So I was excited to hear about the website iherb.ae, which stocks a wide range of reasonably priced supplements, vitamins, healthy protein powders and snacks. I nabbed Garden of Life, RAW Protein, Beyond Organic Protein Formula, a sprouted brown rice protein powder my yoga friends back home insist – after trying all the rest – is the best. And I paid Dh121 for 622 grams, which is about 40 per cent cheaper than anything else I found. The products arrived within five days via Aramex, with breakables such vitamin bottles safely bubble-wrapped, and came with loyalty credits. I’m sold.
* Ann Marie McQueen
Feast on this
I’ve always favoured food that includes onions – I just can’t seem to get enough of the pungent, sweetness that onions and garlic add to a dish. But when I heard good things about Satvik Restaurant, a hole-in-the wall, four-table, Indian vegetarian restaurant in Abu Dhabi that specialises in South Indian and Maharashtrian food and prides itself on its “no onion, no garlic” cooking, I decided to give it a go. On Fridays, Satvik does a thali, which literally means round plate, but ends up being a set meal consisting of several small portions, much like a mezze platter. I chose the Maharashtrian thali; my husband opted for the South Indian meal – both cost Dh15 each. While mine was served on a round stainless steel plate, his came on a banana leaf – a nod to serving traditions at South Indian weddings and religious ceremonies. In fact, his meal reminded me of a festival spread: unlimited servings of yellow lentils, pickles and papads, vegetables, raita, avial (a mixed vegetable stew), rice, sambar, rasam, mor kuzhambu (the last three are soupy dishes, and while the first two are made with tamarind, the third is buttermilk-based) and dessert.
My thali came with rotis. But unlike regular restaurant fare of naan, parathas or tandoori rotis, these lean on the healthy side – missi rotis (flat bread made of wholewheat and gram flour), or raagi/millet rotis. My meal also included two types of lentils, two vegetable dishes, a stew, a raita and dessert – a total of seven sides that change every week.
The charm of Satvik is that the food is as close to home-cooked as I’ve had when dining out. It’s not about fancy presentation or exotic ingredients. It’s about wholesome food cooked with minimal oil and a keen sense of what’s healthy. As the ultimate test, I took my parents for lunch recently and when my dad said, “It was first-class”, that’s as a good an endorsement as any food gets. Now for the big question: What about the onions? If I hadn’t known better, I wouldn’t have realised they were missing. During Ramadan, Satvik does not serve the Friday thali, but does a pared-down version during the week for Dh10 and there are plenty of delicacies to try à la carte.
Satvik Restaurant is off 7th Street / Sheikh Zayed the First Street, Abu Dhabi. Contact 056 124 5158 or 02 671 0720.
* Kalpana Ramgopal
Worth taking a swing at
For many golfers, the summer months spell an end to the weekly 18 holes. Not for me though – I never let a hot day get in the way of golf. Those who do, however, might be interested to try Performance Golf’s high-definition golf simulator at Zayed Sports City. I discovered it a few weeks ago and can honestly say it’s the best golf simulator I’ve played – and I’ve tried a few.
It allows you to take on some of the most famous courses in the world, using high-definition photography instead of graphics, which gives a real-life look from the tee box to the green. I chose Pinehurst and Quail Hollow courses in the United States, and while you can play all 18 holes, I chose to play nine of each so I could work on my swing.
Trevor Bundus, who co-founded Performance Golf with his brother Travis, was on hand to help me work on my swing and analyse the type of shaft I should be using on my driver. I found him extremely knowledgeable – he can advise on all aspects of your game, including customised golf club fitting. It helps that he’s a scratch golfer and can smash a ball like a pro.
If you want to work on your game, avoid the heat or have some fun competitions with your friends, give this a go. It costs Dh250 per hour.
Performance Golf is at the International Tennis Stadium in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. Contact 050 103 0234 or visit www.performancegolfuae.com.
* Shane O’ Neill
