The ‘Vintage’ Experience

After an intense evening work out session at the gym, the vision of a relaxed night at home, DVD on, some good food - it comforted the mind and not to mention my exhausted body parts. About a minute later it all changed. Persistence is the name of her game and she always gets what she wants. But this time she’s gone too far - Cheese fondue? On the one hand, the brutal work out meant that a little indulgence was well earned. On the other hand, all that effort, 150 sit ups, 2 km run, weights, stretches, all of it gone to waste? When has the mind overruled the heart when it comes to some fine company?

The reviews on MenuPages.ae suggested that Vintage would be the perfect choice for the evening. In any case Wafi’s restaurants have always been my favourite – Persia Persia for Iranian, Asha’s for Indian, Thai Chi for Thai & Chinese.

A walk into Vintage and immediately we knew it had the right ambience for the evening. Greeted by our smiling hostess, we were offered seating at the high chaired tables or the more comfortable couches. A discussion was not required; an executive decision was already made by my ‘fine company’.

The menu had all sorts of exotic cheese, meats and wine offerings. Cheese boards with different exotic cheeses, red wines and white wines. This time I appreciated the ‘executive decision’ made. “We will take your special for tonight – traditional fondue & a bottle of merlot” she said confidently.

A look around while we waited for the fondue, told us that Vintage was a very popular place amongst the western expatriates. The right amount of lighting with a sophisticated setting complemented with cheerful personnel makes it the right atmosphere for an evening of cheese and wine indulgence.

The traditional fondue was worth the wait and we savoured it to the final piece of bread covered with melted cheese. The merlot was the right flavour to enhance the fondue experience. The word ‘vintage’ when used as an adjective also means “Characterized by maturity, and enduring appeal; classic”, which summarizes our ‘Vintage’ experience.

Dubai 20

A term that kept repeating itself during my days in college was the “Freshmen 15” – a phenomenon that took first year students by storm as their mass x gravity showed an increase of 15 lbs between the arrival date in college and the return home for the summer. My situation however was contrary and I took the other extreme. The first semester, I was 5 kilos down and I was still going south with the fear of male anorexia. Fortunately, there was a weight stabilization factor that kicked in every holiday season – destination Dubai (home).

Dubai is known for its lavish lifestyle that attracts thousands of immigrants every year. Fat pay cheques with comforts of domestic help means that the general “size” of the population is higher (or heavier!) every year.

Dubai’s vision to be one of the most sought after tourist hubs in the world is evident in the tremendous flourish in it’s hospitality sector. Every holiday in Dubai was an eye opener as to what mankind can accomplish with great leadership and direction. Hotels, restaurants, cafes & night life have sprung up in the city faster than Schumy’s lap records at the Spanish grand prix.

Now Dubai has over 1200 restaurants (excluding the “menu-less” ones) that cater to every taste of its residents which include people from over 200 countries. The wealth of nationalities has contributed quite literally to a melting pot of different cultures and is evident in the different cuisines offered around town.

Whilst the quantity of restaurants increases, there is no compromise on quality either. Some of the finest restaurants in the world have opened branches in Dubai to get a piece of the Emirate’s economic success and of course contribute to every new immigrant’s “Dubai 20”!