Blu Skies

I’m about to let you in on a little secret that many in the United Arab Emirates don’t know about. It’s something I discovered on my very first visit to the UAE several years ago. Tucked away amongst the hotels on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island is an absolutely gorgeous hotel with breathtaking views, attentive staff, and fabulous food.
The Radisson Blu on Yas Island always brings a smile to my face, because it is where I fell in love with Abu Dhabi. I remember waking up my first morning in the emirate, and looking out from my balcony at the Radisson Blu in sheer amazement at the beautiful crystal clear Arabian Gulf, the beautifully manicured grounds of the hotel and the adjacent Yas Links Golf Course. As a matter of fact, it’s a picture taken from the balcony that morning that I share with people when I want to show off the place I now call home.

My favorite picture of Abu Dhabi taken from the Radisson Blu on Yas Island

Besides spectacular views, Radisson Blu on Yas Island boasts extremely comfortable and luxurious rooms with beds fit for a queen. The staff is extremely hospitable, and the customer service goes beyond that of many 5 star hotels. There are warm welcomes and smiling faces to greet you at every turn it seems.

As if the beautiful landscape and gracious staff aren’t enough to entice you to stay at Radisson Blu, they have absolutely amazing food. Whether it’s cheeseburgers and fries ordered from room service after midnight (I did this my first night, and my husband and I still talk about this meal), or the oh so fabulously delish Italian food offered at Filini, Radisson Blu’s dining choices are sure to please any palate. I highly recommend the PaccheriallaSiciliana at Filini, it’s a paccheri pasta with eggplant, smoked ricotta, and basil, it is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes.It will be love at first bite, trust me.

PaccheriallaSiciliana and Ravioli Gamberi 

Oh, and did I mention the spa? For the weary traveler or just someone that needs a relaxing escape from reality, the tranquil spa at Radisson Blu on Yas Island offers a variety of treatments to help you relieve stress and feel refreshed.  Or perhaps laying by the pool is how you like to unwind. Radisson Blu has your relaxation needs covered.

Are you thinking about booking a trip to Abu Dhabi, or perhaps a staycation here in the emirate? This fabulous hotel is close to all of Abu Dhabi’s attractions including Yas Marina Circuit F1 track, Ferrari World, and the new YasWaterworld. For a limited time guest can save 20% on bookings at Radisson BluYas Island in Abu Dhabi, and other select destinations including our neighbor to the north, Dubai. The Radisson Blu at Deira Creek in Dubai is also a splendid hotel with wonderful views of Deira Creek and it’s many dhow boats.

Book a stay with Radisson Blu, and I assure you an experience like no other. Make sure to sign up as a Club Carlson member and take advantage of future Radisson Blu offers around the world. I’ve stayed at several Radisson Blu hotels including properties in Milan and Salzburg and they all adhere to the same high level of customer service I’ve come to expect from this exceptional chain.

 I have been compensated for this article, but as a Club Carlson Member and Radisson Blu fan all experiences, thoughts, and opinions are my own.

Raha International School - An Excellent Choice

In May our son, Andrew, sported a cap and gown down the aisle and was recognized at Raha International School's Graduation or Celebration as they called it. A few days ago, we actually received his final results from the International Baccalaureate for his Diploma Program exams he took for all of his subjects in early May. These exams are what determines if a student actually receives the coveted IB diploma and truly graduates. Yes, it's a little "cart before the horse", but lots of things are different when you're an expat kid.

Prior to moving to the UAE, I did extensive research on schools and the various curricula for our two teenagers. With university in sight, I knew the educational choices we made for them would be paramount to any other made during our move.

In my research I found that the International Baccalaureate fit our children perfectly, as both were excelling in all of their subjects at the private school they had attended in the US for many years. I have never been a fan of curricula that teach to a test like the Virginia Standards of Learning offered in public schools in our home state. To each his own, but I prefer my children learn to be free thinkers and learn to apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom to become global citizens. To me this is far more important than being able to mark A,B, or C on a multiple choice test. The IB curriculum may not fit every child, but the learner profile can be found here for those interested.

In 2010 when we made our move, Raha International School was the only all IB school in Abu Dhabi catering to all 12 grade levels. I'll be honest when I say there are no perfect schools in Abu Dhabi, they are all run as businesses and this can lead to some hiccups from time to time. Still, I can not say enough positive things about our experience at Raha.

The value of Raha and the IB education have become extremely evident this past week as we received my son's final marks. He indeed passed and has officially earned an International Baccalaureate Diploma, but that is not all he has earned. You see his scores on his final exams translate to credit hours at universities in the United States. In fact, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University aka Virginia Tech, which he will be attending in the fall, these exam scores have earned him a year's worth of credits at the university and he hasn't even started taking classes there yet. Not only has the IB reduced the time it will take him to earn a bachelor's degree, it has saved us thousands of US dollars in tuition. The later of the two my son keeps pointing out to us.

For my husband and I, it's nice to see choices we made as new expats years ago were the right ones. You can do tons of research, but sometimes you just never know until you see them played out. We are both extremely proud of Andrew, and we look forward to him being just as successful at Virginia Tech as he has been at Raha. He currently plans to stick with his Arabic language studies, so that he can return to Abu Dhabi to work after earning a degree in business.

He left for the US in June, and was only gone for about a week before he was telling me how much he missed the UAE. It's nice to know he loves this country he now calls his second home, again some reassurance that we made the right choice by moving here.

Around Abu Dhabi Review: Koi At The Collection

It's officially February, and we all know what that means. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and in a city like Abu Dhabi there are no lack of choices. Allow me to make a recommendation if you are looking for something new to wow the love of your life.

Koi Restaurant and Lounge, a chic Japanese eatery born in LA, has found its way to Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. My husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy a magnificent meal at Koi a few nights ago, and I have to admit it exceeded my expectations. Koi is far from your everyday Japanese establishment, it is truly a culinary experience that will delight your senses.

I felt we were in for a treat the minute we walked into Koi welcomed by large flickering lanterns outside inviting us into a dimly lit sanctuary pulsing with up tempo music. We were given the option of relaxing and having a drink in Koi's swanky lounge area upon entering, but we both were famished and opted to go directly to a table instead. I contemplated the lounge, but feared I may get way too comfortable on one of the many cushioned sofas that dotted the room and not want to move.

We instead were taken to a lovely table that allowed us to soak up the ambiance and mystique that is Koi. Our server, Liz, was prompt to welcome us and offer to set our experience off with one of Koi's signature cocktails. I opted for a pomegranate and raspberry concoction called a Berry Bliss while my mango obsessed date opted for a more tropical Koi Fling. Both were delivered within what seemed only a few minutes, and they were as delightful as we had hoped and helped set the tone for the culinary carnival that ensued.

Berry Bliss

                                                         

At first glance of Koi's menu, one may feel overwhelmed and find themselves in a quandary over which of several appealing dishes to order. Now for the best part, one does not need to settle on merely one entree at Koi. Instead you can design your own feast choosing several options from the menu as portions are modest and meant to be shared. This is perfect for someone like me who tends to have trouble narrowing down my selections. Still we couldn't order the entire menu, so Liz who seemed to have extensive knowledge of the menu was able to help us narrow down our selections.

At Koi your dishes are delivered as they are finished, so the table becomes an every changing smorgasbord of fresh food. I'll refrain from listing every tasty morsel we devoured that night, but would like to highlight a few gems. A particular favorite of mine was a Lobster Avocado Salad with a wonderfully fresh tofu-lime dressing and generous portion of succulent lobster.  Paired with a Viogner from Australia it is like summer wrapped into a salad.

We also both were surprised by two of Koi's Signature Rolls we tried. The Dragon Rolls had me a little leery at first, because I'm not a fan of eel. I blame that on an experience I had catching one in the water behind our house back in Virginia. They just aren't the prettiest of creatures, and when I see it on a menu I flash back to the creature I accidentally reeled in one night behind our house. Sorry, I digress. The point is, I wasn't really keen to try a dish with eel, but with a little coaxing I did. I'm glad I didn't let the images in my head get the best of me, because the Dragon Rolls were absolutely delish. Stuffed with shrimp tempura, baked crab, and yes eel they come with a generous topping of tempura that can be a bit messy, but add a nice crunch and compliments the warm baked seafood. We enjoy laughing at ourselves, so having a competition to see you who can make less of a mess just added to our experience.

The other Signature Rolls we tried were the Rok N' Rolls which stopped us in our tracks when presented, because these little beauties come adorned with real flakes of gold. A gorgeous dish that you ponder rather you should dig in or take a picture. I confess, we took a picture before devouring them. These rolls are a treat wrapped into each delicious bite featuring a nice slice of toro and avocado that that is like the icing on the cake for these seafood laden rolls.

Dragon Rolls

Rok N' Rolls

Lobster Tacos

Another favorite of mine for the night were the mini Lobster Tacos. Like the Lobster and Avocado salad they were delightfully fresh, and in my opinion anything with mango salsa and guacamole has to be good which was my logic when ordering these crispy crescents. They most definitely did not let me down. They in fact were so go good I have been craving them ever since.

My husband's favorite for the night were the Sauteed Tiger Prawns that came glazed with just the right amount of sweet and then spicy to counterbalance. I enjoyed them as well and the warm heartier dish added some variety to our meal.

Koi is a Japanese restaurant, so I would be remiss not to mention its sushi and sashimi. Both were fresh and flavorful, and did not disappoint. My favorite was the tuna sashimi, but after having the toro on the Rok N'Rolls I may opt for toro sashimi next time we visit.

We did squeeze in some veggies enjoying sea salted edamame, a must for me at any Japanese establishment. Even something as common to any Japanese menu like edamame was above average at Koi. The Japanese grilled eggplant was sweet and almost dessert like in my opinion, but was a nice contrast to the edamame.

Given the size of our feast we normally would have passed on dessert, but we were so impressed by the culinary show Koi gave our taste buds, that we just had to know what was in store for dessert. Leaving without dessert would be like walking out on a concert or play before the final act. Staying with the Japanese theme, I opted for the mochi plate with various flavors. My husband decided on what I thought would be a run of the mill chocolate brownie sundae. Our desserts were delivered, and this chocolate loving girl had a true case of dessert envy. While the mochi was good, it did not hold a candle to the chocolate banana creation that sat before my husband. Luckily for me the sundae portion is generous, and he was willing to share.

Mochi

Koi Sundae

                                                                                                                                             

I would like to stress that in addition to an excellent meal, we also received impeccable service. I was in the restaurant industry once upon a time, so I can be a little critical when it comes to service. The staff at Koi are friendly and welcoming. They are knowledgeable, and more than happy to assist with helping you make choices that suit you and even in my case helping you step out of your comfort zone a little to discover something wonderful. We had the pleasure of meeting the manager, Irfan, a very hands on guy that works the room assisting his staff and checking on guests rather than hiding in the shadows as I have seen in other establishments. Koi seems to not only have a winning menu, but a winning team of professionals that are passionate about their jobs.

So if you want to impress your Valentine this year, I highly recommend a romantic dinner at Koi. I'm told the Chef has lots of delicious culinary surprises planned. After the amazing meal we had, I couldn't help but inquire as to what Koi is cooking up for Valentine's Day. So here is a sneak peek at the performance they have planned for Valentine's Day:

Amuse Bouche

Uni Truffle Chawanmushi

Aloe-Green Tea Dashi / Edamame / Crispy Gobo / Chive Sprout

First Course

Hamachi Carpaccio

Elderflower-Yuzu Essence / Green Tea Panna Cotta / Pickled Baby Carrot /

Shaved Celery

Second Course

Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

Brioche / Comte Cheese / Pickled Red Pepper / Micro Borage / 

Five Spice Port Wine Reduction

Third Course

Sushi Tasting

Choice Of Chef's Selection

Forth Course

Choice of

Pan Roasted Chilean Sea Bass

Boursin Miso / Tomato Confit / Compressed Cantaloupe / Fava Bean

Or

Pan Seared Wagyu Strip

Chocolate Miso / Crispy Yuba / Creamed Morel Mushroom / Baby Turnip / Strawberry Balsamic Coulis

Dessert

Strawberry Mango Duet & Red Velvet Cake

Chocolate Mousse / Glazed Pistachio / White Chocolate Flakes

5 course set menu with a French bubbly cocktail on arrival AED 400

5 course set menu with a bottle of selected grape AED 550

5 course set menu with a bottle of selected French bubbles AED 650

For reservations: Email: reservations@koirestaurant.ae

                              Phone: +971- 2 678 3334