Jumeirah October 2018

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2018

ABU DHABI

CITY OF CULTURE The best of the city, beach and desert PLUS FASHION FORWARD COMES TO DUBAI | HOW KOREAN FOOD TOOK OVER LONDON THE FUTURE OF CHINESE FOOTBALL | MEET JUMEIRAH’S MICHELIN MAN

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MILLE MIGLIA CLASSIC CHRONOGRAPH Chopard is the historical partner and official timekeeper of the fabled Mille Miglia, the world’s most beautiful car race. Proudly created and assembled in our Manufacture, this unique 42 mm-diameter chronograph showcases the full range of watchmaking skills cultivated within the Maison Chopard.

Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner & Group Editor lan Fairservice Editorial Director Gina Johnson Senior Editorial Assistant Cecilia D’Souza Senior Art Director Olga Petroff Art Directors Prasadan T, Clarkwin Cruz Contributors Rachel Silvestri, Gareth Rees, Conor Purcell, Ann Marie McQueen, Sophia Serin, Guido Duken, Natalie Westernoff General Manager – Production S Sunil Kumar Production Manager R Murali Krishnan Production Supervisor Venita Pinto Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Publishing Director Carlos Pedroza Publisher Jaya Balakrishnan jaya@motivate.ae For Jumeirah Charlie Taylor, Claire Hill

ON THE COVER: Abu Dhabi – City of Culture

Head Office: Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 2331, Dubai UAE, Tel: +971 4 427 3000, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: +971 2 657 3490, Fax: +971 2 657 3489, E-mail: editor-wo@motivate.ae London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

Jumeirah International LLC its affiliates, parent companies and subsidiaries (“Jumeirah Group”) and the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication for whatever reason, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of Jumeirah Group or of the publishers. Readers are advised to solicit advice before acting on the information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. Jumeirah Group and the publishers take no responsibilty for the goods and services advertised. All materials are protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (Including photocopying or storage in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the copyright owner, except as may be permitted by applicable laws.

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Website: www.jumeirah.com Jumeirah is a trading name of Jumeirah International LLC. A Limited Liability company.

Registration Number 57869.

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Senator Cosmopolite

Glashütte Original Boutique ”The Dubai Mall“ Financial Centre Street ⋅ 00971 04 3 39 87 62 ⋅ glashuetteoriginal.dm@rivoligroup.com

Contents OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

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p. 32

FO RWA R D T H I N K E R Bong Guerrero takes UAE fashion to the world stage

38 CHINA - THE FUTURE O F FO OT BA L L? The next Messi, Bale or Ronaldo could be Chinese

42 T H E AWA K E N I N G OF ABU DHABI Abu Dhabi is fast raising its stakes in the world

50 RISING TIDE Could floating homes be the future?

60 REFRESH AND RENEW Jumeirah Beach Hotel opens with a brand new look

62 M O D E R N C L AS S I C S The new Al Seef development on Dubai Creek

p. 22

13 C I T Y WATC H

66

Key dates for your diary to events around the world

HERE COMES THE BRIDE

20

Introducing Jumeirah's enchanting wedding venues

T H E C H E F T H AT ( A L M O ST ) WAS N ’ T

72 S EO U L FO O D

Marco Garfagnini, executive chef at Jumeirah Al Naseem

Korean food is staking its claim on the streets of London

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80

MARIE A N TO I N E T T E ’S JEWELS

F E AT U R E D S PAC E S p. 56

Famous jewels to be auctioned at Sotheby's

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G LO B E T R OT T E R

ROLL WITH IT Sweptail from Rolls-Royce – true luxury on wheels

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Lalezar, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai

Amir Meghani and JW Watches

p. 72

City watch

DUBAI

TEE TIME November 15 to 18 The DP World Tour Championship returns to Jumeirah Golf Estates. Italy’s Francesco Molinari, who won his first major tournament, The Open Championship, in July currently tops the rankings, with last year’s champion, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, sitting in third, heading into the final event in the European Tour Race to Dubai.

DP World Tour Championship, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai. europeantour.com

October 9 to 13

1990s Classic Dubai Opera presents Ghost the Musical.

Screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin’s Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award-nominated adaptation of his Oscar-winning script for the classic 1990 film Ghost, starring Demi Moore,

the late Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg, features lyrics and music from Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.

GAME ON

Ghost the Musical, Dubai Opera, Dubai.

Sevens, one of the biggest

dubaiopera.com

events on both the Dubai

November 29 to December 1 Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby

social and sporting calendars, returns to The Sevens Stadium.

Founded in 1970, the event is the first leg of the World Rugby

C H I L D R E N ’S C L A S S I C

Sevens Series and the World

November 23 and 24

Rugby Women’s Sevens Series,

Madinat Theatre presents The

featuring 16 international men’s

Gruffalo’s Child, the stage adaptation

and 12 international women’s

of British writer Julia Donaldson and

teams. There is also an

German illustrator Axel Scheffler’s

Invitation Tournament featuring

best-selling 2004 children’s book.

300 teams. It promises

It follows on from the multi-million-

world-class sport and a

selling, multi-award-winning 1999

party atmosphere.

children’s book The Gruffalo.

Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby

The Gruffalo’s Child, Madinat Theatre,

Sevens, The Sevens Stadium,

Dubai. madinatjumeirah.etixdubai.com

Dubai. dubairugby7s.com

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City watch

November 12 to 17

Grand Design

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DUBAI

Dubai has been described as the “design capital of the Middle East”, and the annual Dubai Design Week is proof that the epithet is well deserved.

Last year the 10th edition of the sixday design festival, created by Art Group Dubai, the organisation behind several of Dubai’s foremost cultural events, including Art Dubai and Art Week in partnership with Dubai Design District, the emirate’s design hub, attracted 60,000 visitors.

Encompassing several events, Dubai Design Week celebrates multiple disciplines including architecture, products, furniture, interior and graphic design, focusing on both nascent and established regional and international talent.

Downtown Design (downtowndesign. com) is a trade fair that provides an

opportunity for brands and designers from the Middle East and beyond to network and showcase their designs. The Forum, a series of debates, seminars and workshops from prominent industry figures will run alongside it and new this year, Downtown Editions, will be dedicated to limited edition pieces from around the world.

Abwab is an exhibition of the work of regional designers, and the Global Grad Show, launched in 2015, will feature 150 projects by graduates from 90 of the world’s leading design schools.

The full programme has not been released yet, so keep an eye on the Dubai Design Week website for updates.

Dubai Design Week takes place at Dubai Design District in Dubai. See dubaidesignweek. ae for more details

ABU DHABI

BRUNCH SEASON

Jerome Barbeau, Director of Food and Beverage at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, explains the brunch at Nahaam What makes the Nahaam brunch special? The location. Its peaceful indoor and outdoor seating with views of the beach and pool along with a wide selection of food and beverages. We also have a fresh whole tuna, cut a la demande for Canadian artist Camille Zakharia specialises in abstract photomontage pieces

sashimi. We will also have a smoker

P H OTO G R A P H I C J O U R N E Y

for traditional Southern American

October 17 to 20

BBQ. For drinks, we have a taco

Dubai-based Cuadro Fine Art Gallery presents Redefining Space:

and tequila pass around, a classic

Between Borders, an exhibition celebrating the work of Lebanese-

cocktail bar and an espresso martini

Canadian artist Camille Zakharia in Abu Dhabi’s Warehouse 421.

trolley. This year, we are aiming to

Zakharia’s abstract photomontage pieces explore his experiences

deliver more to the table. There’s also

since fleeing his homeland in 1985 during the Lebanese Civil War.

free pool and beach access before

Redefining Space: Between Borders, Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi.

and after the brunch.

warehouse421.ae

What sort of atmosphere can guests expect? Elegant but not stuffy. We are getting away from a traditional band and bringing in a DJ and a saxophonist, to have something a bit different, a bit more interesting.

GAMERS’ DELIGHT

What themed brunches are planned

October 25 to 27

for the 2018/2019 brunch season?

Middle East Games Con, the annual

In October, during Discover America

gaming festival from the team behind

week, we will have an American

Dubai’s Middle East Film & Comic

brunch with the AFCENT band (a

Con (MEFCC), returns to Abu Dhabi

US armed forces band) playing.

National Exhibition Centre for its second

Don’t worry, they don’t play military

edition. Highlights include a chance to

music. For the first time we will have

meet pro players, YouTube gamers and

a brunch on Christmas day, and then

voice actors, a cosplay contest, gaming

a St Patrick’s Day brunch in March,

tournaments, product launches and

followed by an Easter brunch in April.

talks from industry insiders.

Middle East Games Con, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi. me-gamescon.com

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Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit

City watch

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THE WORLD

November 22 to 25

F1 Fever

The final race of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is one of the UAE’s most notable sporting occasions, but it has more to offer than a spectacle for die-hard motor racing fans. It is also one of the main events on the UAE social calendar.

If it’s the race you’re interested in, head to Yas Marina Circuit for practice on Friday and Saturday, qualifying on Saturday and the race itself on Sunday.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas won last year’s race, but this year it’s likely to be a battle between Lewis Hamilton, reigning F1 champion and currently top of the driver standings, and his arch-rival Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. For those of you who prefer the sweet sound of music to the roar of car engines and the screech of tires, Yasalam, the annual series of after-race concerts at du Arena might be more your speed. The artist performing on Thursday is yet to be confirmed, but Canadian R&B star The Weeknd will perform on Friday, followed by British charttopper Sam Smith on Saturday and rock legends Guns N’ Roses on Sunday.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix takes place from November 23 to November 25 at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. See abudhabi-grand-prix.com for more details Yasalam takes place from November 22 to November 25 at du Arena in Abu Dhabi. See yasalam.ae for more details

City watch

THE WORLD

Art Fair

October 4 to 7

The first major art fair to be held in the UK in 2003, Frieze London has since become one of the most important art fairs in the world. Frieze London consists of contemporary art from more than 160 international galleries; Frieze Projects and the Frieze Artist Award; new site-specific works; Frieze Film; Frieze Music; Frieze Talks; Focus, presentations from galleries opened in the last 12 years; and Live, a performance and participation art space. Frieze Masters, which runs concurrently, features 130 galleries showcasing work produced prior to the 21st century.

Frieze London, Regent’s Park, London. frieze.com

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FILM CLASSIC October 10 to 21 The 62nd edition of the annual BFI London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Oscar winner Steve McQueen’s heist film Widows and closes with Roger Federer

Jon S Baird’s Laurel and Hardy biopic, Stan & Ollie, starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly.

NEW BALLS, PLEASE

DESERT RUN

The festival features The Great

October 6 to 14

PROGRESS IN SHANGHAI

November 17

Victorian Moving Picture Show,

Shanghai’s Qi Zhong Tennis

November 10 to March 10, 2019

Named for the number of

an evening of rare Victorian

Centre hosts the 10th edition

Shanghai Biennale is

muscles in the human body,

era films from the BFI National

of the annual Shanghai

the principal biennale in

the 642 Marathon is the first

Archive screened on the UK’s

Masters, the eighth of the

China and one of the most

road race in Kuwait and its

biggest screen at BFI IMAX.

nine ATP World Tour Masters

prestigious art events in

10KM, 21KM (half marathon)

BFI London Film Festival,

1000 tournaments on the ATP

Asia. The theme of the 12th

42KM (marathon) categories

various locations, London.

World Tour and the climax of

Shanghai Biennale, which

are accredited by the

bfi.org.uk

the Asian Swing (following the

runs until March 2019 at

Association of International

China Open in Beijing and the

Power Station of Art in

Marathons and Distance

Japan Open in Tokyo). Current

Shanghai, is ‘Proregress’, a

Races (AIMS) and the

world number two Roger

concept created by American

International Association of

Federer is the defending

poet E E Cummings by

Athletics Federations (IAAF

champion having defeated

condensing and combining

Athletics). The start and finish

current world number one

the words ‘progress’

lines are located in the Souq

Rafael Nadal in the 2017 final.

and ‘regress’.

Sharq shopping centre.

Shanghai Masters, Qi Zhong

Shanghai Biennale, Power

642 Marathon,

Tennis Centre, Shanghai.

Station of Art, Shanghai.

Souq Sharq, Kuwait.

en.shanghairolexmasters.com

powerstationofart.com

gulfbank642marathon.com

WEIMAR ART Until March 17, 2019 Städel Museum presents

P O M P A N D C I R C U M STA N C E

Lotte Laserstein: Face to Face,

November 10

an exhibition of the work of

Since 1215 and the reign of King John

20th century German painter

the newly elected Lord Mayor of London

Lotte Laserstein. Laserstein

has travelled from Guildhall in the City

produced most of her major

of London to the City of Westminster to

paintings, including Russian

swear loyalty to the crown. Known as

Girl with Compact from 1928

the Lord Mayor’s Show, this civic parade

and Boy with Kasper Puppet

is one of London’s oldest and best-

(Wolfgang Karger) from

loved traditions, promising a carnival

1933 – both on display here –

atmosphere and attracting crowds of

during the Weimar Republic.

enthusiastic onlookers.

Lotte Laserstein: Face to Face,

The Lord Mayor’s Show, various locations,

Städel Museum, Frankfurt.

London. lordmayorsshow.london

staedelmuseum.de/en

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People

SPOTLIGHT

THE CHEF THAT (ALMOST) WASN’T Marco Garfagnini, the recently appointed executive chef at Jumeirah Al Naseem, brings Italian flair and a world of experience to Dubai’s thriving culinary scene B Y VA R U N G O D I N H O early on in his career, Garfagnini returned to his native Italy in 1998 to start his own restaurant Ninan in Carrara. The following year, the twenty-something chef bagged his first Michelin star.

In 2016, he was once again awarded one Michelin-star after taking over the Château De Noirieux Relais et Châteaux in France as its executive chef. More recently, he worked at the three Michelin-star Pierre Gagnaire restaurant in Paris before joining Jumeirah Al Naseem as its executive chef in May this year.

Below, the 45-year-old chef – who says his creativity is influenced by blues music and counts the late chef Angelo Paracucchi (with whom he worked) and Nobu Matsuhisa as two chefs he most respects - explains what it takes to get to the top – and stay there.

Marco Garfagnini brings his Michelinstarred experience to Jumeirah Al Naseem

M

arco Garfagnini is an accidental chef.

Growing up, he dreamt of becoming a veterinarian. But on a college tour straight after finishing senior school, he visited a hospitality and culinary institute and decided that he wanted to become a chef rather than a vet.

That epiphany led him to kitchens around the world. He was a sous chef for a three Michelin-star restaurant Gualtiero Marchesi L’Albereta Relais et Chateaux in Italy before becoming the executive chef at the opening of Coco Pazza Restaurant in New York and Cleveland. Having found considerable success

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Did you ever face the impostor syndrome?

During the early years of my career there were moments when I doubted my capabilities and felt insecure in my decision to become a chef. This changed when I found employment that inspired me and a chef who mentored me.

When was the first time you felt confident as a chef?

My first true exposure to ownership and leadership happened when I was employed as a Chef de partie at the one Michelinstar Il Carpaccio restaurant in Hotel Le Royal Monceau. I was empowered to manage my area of responsibility and also lead those junior to me. Chef Angelo Paracucchi was my executive chef.

Through him I grew as a culinarian and my career catapulted.

Tell us about your work at Jumeirah Al Naseem.

As the executive chef, I now lead a team of 154 chefs and stewards and am responsible for seven restaurants – The Palmery, Rockfish, Summersalt, Kalsa, Ambar, Al Mandhar, and Sugarmash. I also manage the banquet operations and private dining.

How does the Jumeirah group do things differently in comparison to other global conglomerates on the culinary front?

Jumeirah offers a variety of different cuisines across the hotels.

Additionally, many of the theme restaurants are led by chefs from the country or region of the cuisine the restaurant offers, thus ensuring the food is authentic.

“My goal is to ensure that Jumeirah Al Naseem is not only the place to stay but also to make it the hotel with the best food.”

Which are the restaurants where you’ve eaten your most memorable meals?

In Dubai it is at Nobu, Coya and Zuma. Globally, it is at Le Petite Maison in London, El Celler de Can Roca and Martín Berasategui – both of which are in Spain.

In the age of celebrity chefs, do you think it’s important for chefs to step outside the kitchen and become the face of their restaurant?

I am neutral on this topic as I believe that the magic a chef creates happens in the kitchen. However, with the social media craze I find it is important for them to be very unrestricted and step out of their comfort zone and ‘be seen’.

How does Dubai measure up to global gastronomy standards?

Compared to Europe it is certainly different, but I think it measures up very well. Dubai offers a variety of gastronomy cuisines in both casual and fine dining restaurants.

What culinary direction have you charted for Jumeirah Al Naseem?

My goal is to ensure that Jumeirah Al Naseem is not only the place to stay but I also want to work with my amazing team to make it the hotel with the best food in Dubai. Jumeirah Al Naseem will be to the culinary world what Burj Al Arab is to luxury hotels.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Let your dishes express your passion for the art. Keep it simple and flavoursome.

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Diamond tiara given by Emperor Franz Joseph to Marie Anna of Austria

Marie Antoinette’s Jewels These never before seen breathtaking jewels go under the hammer

Fashion

Jewels

Fashion

Jewels

Fashion

Jewels

“It’s one of the most important royal jewellery collections to appear on the market. Each and every piece is imbued with history”

S

otheby’s, one of the world’s oldest auction houses, has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Over the years, its patrons may have grown somewhat accustomed to the auction house handling the most unusual treasures, but few would have ever expected actual treasures boasting more than 200 years of history.

On November 12, 2018, Sotheby’s is set to auction more than 100 lots of one of the most important royal jewellery collections ever. The collection, called Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family, features antiques spanning centuries of European history, from the reign of King Louis XVI to the fall of the AustroHungarian Empire. The collection includes ill-fated Queen Marie-Antoinette’s pendants, necklaces, and a ruby and diamond brooch that are expected to sell for over US$1 million in total. The entire collection could net tens of millions of dollars.

Legend has it that as King Louis and Antoinette prepared to escape in 1791, the queen hid all of her jewellery in a wooden chest, which eventually made its way to Vienna in the care of Count Mercy Argentau, a loyal retainer to the queen. After they were executed in 1793, the couple’s surviving daughter, Marie-Thérèse, reclaimed the jewellery from her cousin, the Austrian Emperor, upon her arrival in Vienna in 1796 after being released from captivity.

“It is one of the most important royal jewellery collections ever to appear on the market,” said Daniela Mascetti, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Europe. “Each and every jewel is absolutely imbued with history. Never before seen in public, this extraordinary group of jewels offers a captivating insight into the lives of its owners going back hundreds of years.”

After extensively tracing the descendants of the crown through the annals of history, Sotheby’s confirmed the authenticity of the jewellery. Queen Antoinette’s treasures were showcased in Munich before the actual auction in Geneva.

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Fashion

Jewels CLOCKWISE: Sapphire and diamond brooch; A natural pearl and diamond necklace; A pair of natural pearl drop earrings; Ruby and diamond brooch; Pink diamond ring; Girandole diamond earrings

The Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family

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Fashion

Jewels

Bespoke

Cars

Roll with it

While everyone else claims they treat their customers like kings, Rolls-Royce is the only brand laying out the red carpet and crafting bespoke vehicles fit for royalty

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magination should never be shackled,” says Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “And at Rolls-Royce it never is.”

You could pass that off as an off-themill PR-equipped quote, but Rolls-Royce has been delivering on anything and everything its deep-pocketed customers could imagine. No tale emphasizes the British luxury automobile maker’s commitment to its customers more than that of the Rolls-Royce Sweptail. Before 2013, the Rolls-Royce Sweptail was known as the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé.

JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

After a couple of sessions with the Rolls-Royce Bespoke team – a collective of extraordinary designers, engineers and craftspeople – the anonymous customer worked with design director, Giles Taylor. “The result was a one-off coachbuilt masterpiece; nothing less than the haute couture of automobiles,” says Müller-Ötvös. Premiered in 2017, Sweptail is a compelling representation of true luxury, taking bespoke coachbuild personalisation to new heights. It is the result of an über-successful collaboration between patron and artisan. Today, almost every motor car that leaves the home of Rolls-

BELOW: A RollsRoyce Sweptail, the world’s most expensive car OPPOSITE PAGE: Utmost care is taken with the finishing touches; The racing yacht inspired Sweptail interiors

Royce in Goodwood, is bespoke. When a customer – usually ranging from heads of industry to heads of state, movie stars, musicians and other luminaries – comes to Goodwood to order their Bespoke Roller, they are invited into a lounge filled with images, materials and other elements of inspiration for their car. There, the customer sits with a team of designers who will work on the car, from colour experts to experienced leather craftsmen and master woodworkers. Each works with the customer to help bring their vision to life by adding ideas or demonstrating techniques.

Exterior paint is one of the most common ways Rolls-Royce buyers customize their cars. “If the 44,000 colours of paint that we offer don’t precisely fit a customer’s needs, they can always bring in a particular flower, or even a pet for us to scan and colour match,” says Müller-Ötvös. “We have also crushed diamonds, gold and silver and infused it into paints.”

Besides paint jobs, Rolls-Royce Bespoke has matched the design of a Wraith to a customer’s superyacht, produced bespoke Rolls-Royce hiking sticks, custom luggage, picnic hampers, teak floor mats and even Starlight Headliners that match star constellations on a specific day.

All this because the brand believes in ‘Customer Hyper-centricity’. In a market where customer centricity is not simply a differentiating factor but a determining factor for the success of the brand,

power is in the hands of customers who have found out that their true value for companies goes far beyond the spending style. Now, everything is played out on the dynamics of the relationship. And since its customers have fruitfully leveraged their personal brand with excellent results, it makes sense that they would be exceptionally discerning about the products they purchase and the lifestyles they lead. “It is for this reason that so many successful individuals are attracted to the extreme customercentric approach of Rolls-Royce,” says Müller-Ötvös.

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Collectibles

Montblanc

The mystery of

MONTBLANC

Montblanc’s all-new Homer Writers Edition is a luxury writing instrument collection set to enhance the German marque’s rich legacy 30

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B Y VA R U N G O D I N H O

H

omer is an enigma. Thousands of years after his existence – he’s believed to have lived at some point between the 12th and 8th century BCE – no one has conclusively determined his identity. Speculation is rife that Homer might indeed not have been a single person, but a collection of writers and poets who compiled their classic writings in the Iliad and Odyssey.

However, what is beyond a reasonable doubt is that Homer is regarded as the father of Western literature. This fact has not been lost on Montblanc who, since 1992, has been releasing an annual Writers Edition pen honouring a famous scribe each year.

The club of writers that Montblanc has paid homage to over the last two-and-a-half decades has spanned from Cervantes and Jules Verne to William Faulkner and George Bernard Shaw. With the Homer Writers Edition, Montblanc is going back to the origins of modern literature itself.

The matte black version of the Homage to Homer, which starts at AED3,065, is available as a fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint and has a stylized version of the silhouette of a Trojan horse on its black resin barrel while the nib has an engraving of Odysseus’ helmet. There are also champagne gold trimmings on the body and the clip is a nod to Achilles’ spear.

A second variation is the Homage to Homer Limited Edition 1581, priced at AED16,200, in which the black has been replaced

by Greek coral paired with champagne gold trimmings. The silhouette of the Trojan horse is in gold, there are engravings of Achilles’ armour on its barrel and that of the Trojan horse on its nib. The clip resembles Achilles’ spear and there are two sails on the cap, one representing Odysseus on his way to war and the other his son who went searching for his father.

The number of pieces that Montblanc limits a pen to is always deliberate and significant. In the case of the Montblanc Leo Tolstoy limited edition, for example, the fountain pen was capped at 1868 pieces as that was the year of the first edition of his literary sensation War and Peace. In the case of Homer, 1581 is the year of the first translation of the Odyssey to English. Interestingly, it wasn’t translated from Greek to English, but from French to English. A direct translation from Greek to English was made only years later.

The Writers Edition collection has existed for the past 27 years, but Montblanc has broken new ground with the Homer collection. “It’s the first time we’ve used the biggest nib from our entire collection, the 149, in a Writers Edition pen. This was due to a request from our collectors. Also, it is the first Writers Edition where we don’t have an engraving of the signature of the writer as no one has conclusively established the identity of Homer,” explains Franck Juhel, president of Montblanc for the Middle East, Africa and India.

Montblanc, founded in 1906, has created outstanding masterpieces such as the Meisterstück collection and several other collectables, many of them inspired by the arts. Montblanc today accounts for roughly 75 per cent of the global production of luxury writing instruments.

There’s absolute craftsmanship involved in the creation of these writing instruments from nib to crown, with every element of these pens made in-house at its manufacture in Hamburg. It’s an all-women team, some of whom are third-generation employees within the department, that hand-grind the nibs for every Montblanc pen. You can order a bespoke nib or an all-out bespoke Montblanc pen that takes up to 18 months to craft.

With this Homer Writers Edition, you have a ready-made masterpiece in your hands.

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Forward thinker

Bong Guerrero, through the famous style event Fashion Forward Dubai, has taken the UAE’s runways to the world stage

BY SOPHIA SER I N

People

Fashion

Fashion

People

T

he UAE is famous for hosting the globe’s most prestigious events, from the world’s richest horse race to the planet’s longest New Year’s Eve light show. Dubai’s event diary, after the summer break, is now back to its best (and busiest) and there is one anticipated weekend that stands out from the rest. It has the world’s media, tastemakers and fashion folk flock to Dubai to get their fill on all things style. Now in its 10th season, Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) is the region’s premier platform for the Middle East’s fashion industry. Sewn together with a series of fashion shows and presentations, the event also hosts talks and seminars covering the ever-evolving world of fashion, both regional and international.

Bong Guerrero, CEO and co-founder of Fashion Forward Dubai, notes the difference between FFWD and other global fashion weeks. “Fashion Forward Dubai is an event that is predominantly dedicated to

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CLOCKWISE: Fashion talks being held at d3; Models on catwalk wearing Michael Cinco creations

highlighting the best of the fashion talent. We aim to showcase Middle Eastern designers who excel in their practice and introduce emerging talent. As FFWD has evolved over five years, we have expanded the event beyond shows and presentations to include entertainment, art and culture. It has taken on its own identity which is shaped by Dubai’s creative demands, retail strength, and is driven by the government’s vision for the city to become a creative hub.”

An entrepreneur, creative and visionary, Guerrero has been at the forefront of the fashion, events and cultural movement in the UAE for over two decades. “Being a part of developing the region’s creative ecosystem and witnessing the progress we have made over a short space of time has been an incredibly rewarding experience and one that I feel privileged to be part of with my peers. With the support of partners such as d3 and Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC) we have been able to spearhead initiatives that have shaped the creative regional landscape. The Middle East is home to a wealth of seasoned designers and untapped talent, which we are proud to showcase to the world at FFWD and support further via our development initiatives throughout the rest of the year,” says Guerrero.

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Fashion

People

Dairy dates FFWD will run from October 26 to 28 and will be held at the Design Quarter in D3. To book a hotel close to the action and with access to the Dubai Metro, check into Jumeirah Emirates Towers or Jumeirah Living World Trade Centre Residence. Go to Jumeirah.com for bookings.

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CLOCKWISE: Models wearing Sauce X Shoestova; Model showcasing Mohanad Kojak, detailed veiw of pants by designer Mohaned Kojak; creation by Hussein Bazaza; A model showcasing design by Amine Bendriouich, behind the scenes at FFWD

There is a team working behind the scenes all year round on the bi-annual event. “We have a core team (of 15) who work throughout the year on FFWD. They connect with designers, editors and key industry members for feedback on the event and explore future opportunities. Most importantly, they work towards how we can improve next season.

Months prior to FFWD our team grows to over 100 members,” Guerrero explains.

Unlike other fashion weeks who practice an ‘invite only’ rule, FFWD recently opened its doors to the public. “The decision to open its doors to everybody was an easy one. There has been growing interest from the fashion community to be part of the event, whether as a guest or participating in some capacity. Feedback showed us that people across the region want to experience FFWD and are very supportive of locally driven events. Moving to the Design Quarter space at d3 enabled us to open the event to everyone while keeping FFWD’s essence of a collective creative gathering,” explains Guerrero.

Whilst the excitement of watching a runway show is undeniable, other aspects of FFWD like the talks, round table discussions and accessories hall ‘The Garden’ has become a significant part of the success of FFWD for both designers and industry professionals alike. “The d3 Fashion Talks are the developmental pillar of our platform and have evolved to become highly anticipated features of the schedule. We study topics that are trending globally and regionally, looking at the opportunities and challenges designers are faced with and approach speakers who can provide insight. The Garden is an amazing space for accessory and jewellery designers to showcase their homegrown collections and sell. I love the diversity of the space as guests can experience the breadth of talent and the opportunity to engage with the product.”

Guerrero assures us that FROW seats haven’t been allocated yet but will be reserved for “buyers, editors, influencers, prominent industry profiles, with a percentage dedicated to the designer’s VIP guests.” When further probed regarding any bigname designers, famous faces or newcomers of interest, Guerrero smiles and states “This upcoming season’s schedule is still a work in progress, so I am not at liberty to publish this just yet. But it is definitely exciting, and as always we have a few surprises up our sleeve!”

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Travel

Football

China: The future of football?

Chinese Super League clubs splashed out more than US$450 million on high-profile foreign talent in 2016, but last year the Chinese Football Association decided to limit clubs to a maximum of three foreign players in a bid to encourage investment in young Chinese footballers.

Will the next Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale be Chinese?

BY G A R E T H R E E S

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Travel

Football

R

owan Simons arrived in China from the UK in 1987 having taken his great aunt’s advice to “learn a strange language” and opted to study Chinese. On his first day in China, he discovered the patch of mud Beijing Foreign Studies University called a football pitch and formed a scratch team that became known as Big Nose FC, a reference to the name the locals used for foreigners.

There was no amateur football in China, let alone a professional league. Jia-A, the precursor to the Chinese Super League (CSL), wasn’t formed until 1994.

British journalist Cameron Wilson arrived in China in 2000, by which time football in the country had made some progress.

He went to watch Shanghai Shenua play in Jia-A, at that time the highest tier of professional football in China and was “blown away by the atmosphere and the energy of the fans”. He was hooked.

In 2010, having grown tired of reading negative stories in the foreign press, Wilson founded Wild East Football, a website dedicated to football in China. “I wanted to show the other side [of things], which was a burgeoning fan culture and entertaining football matches,” he says. Wild East Football is unashamedly “100 per cent pro-Chinese football”, but Wilson says he and his team don’t withhold criticism when it is merited.

Meanwhile, Simons had committed himself to the grassroots.

“Everyone who loves football must face the question: What have I done to contribute?” he says.

In 2001, inspired by his belief that China can only become a true football nation when the people love it enough to build their own network of voluntary local football clubs, like the rest of the world, Simons established China ClubFootball. Simons is Chairman of the organisation, which is currently the biggest grassroots football network in Beijing with plans to expand into other cities across China soon.

“The major challenges we have faced over the last 20 years include political, economic, educational, social and cultural barriers,” he says. “Uniquely in China, these have combined historically to create a nation that loves to watch football but that is missing the highly passionate local community infrastructure that would normally organise football as a participation sport.” China ClubFootball is a success, but there is a long way to go if amateur football in China is to flourish. Simons says the amateur game in China is lagging, partly because all the money is being pumped into the professional game.

In 2016, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) separated from the State General Administration of Sports, a measure Simons called for in his 2008 book Bamboo Goalposts: One Man’s Quest to Teach the People’s Republic of China to Love Football.

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Head of the CFA, Cai Zhenhua, said he saw it as an “opportunity to solve issues of self-discipline which have existed in the football industry”. The CFA also set out a plan stating China’s intention to become a “world football superpower” by 2050. China aims to have 50 million football players, of which 30 million would be elementary and high school pupils, 20,000 football training centres and 70,000 pitches by 2020.

This initiative is widely believed to be driven by the football-loving President Xi Jinping. “My biggest hope for Chinese soccer is that its teams become among the world’s best,” he said in 2015.

CSL clubs spent US$451.3 million in transfer fees in 2016, a 168.2 per cent increase on 2015, making China the fifth biggest-spending nation behind traditional football goliaths England, Germany, Spain and Italy.

Much of the money was spent on foreign players, with high-profile signings such as Brazilian midfielder Oscar, who transferred from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG for US$63 million.

For Wilson the influx of foreign stars into China’s top tier has improved the level of football being played, but the effects have not all been positive. “The advantages of big names are the commercial benefits for the league, improved standards on the pitch and more bums on seats,” he says, adding that the downside is that the millions of dollars spent on inflated transfer fees could have been better spent elsewhere.

RISING STA R S

C A M E R O N W I L S O N ’S F I V E C H I N E S E P L AY E R S TO WATC H I N T H E C H I N E S E S U P E R L E AG U E Ba Dun (Beijing Sinobo Guoan), Wei Shihao (Beijing Sinobo Guoan), Liu Ruofan (Shanghai Shenhua), Huang Zichang (Jiangsu Suning), Deng Hanwen (Guangzhou Evergrande)

In 2017, the CSL declared that clubs would only be allowed to play three non-Chinese players per game – previously the rule was “4 + 1” i.e. four foreign players of any nationality plus one Asian player – and would be required to name two Chinese players under 23 in their matchday squads, with at least one in the starting eleven. The Chinese FA later announced a 100 per cent tax on the signing of foreign players. “The introduction of foreign players and managers can be positive for Chinese football, but the fees did reach irrational levels,” says Simons.

“No matter how many [foreign] stars come, China has to develop its youth players into world stars, and this is yet to be achieved.”

For Simons it is highly unlikely that the next football superstar will come from China. “If any junior player is talented enough to interest top professional European clubs, they would be best advised to move to Europe to ensure optimum training conditions,” he says. He doesn’t believe the CSL can become one of the top leagues in the world without abandoning restrictions on foreign players.

Wilson is slightly more positive, highlighting the steady improvement he has witnessed since he first started following the CSL in 2000, which he puts down to Chinese players adopting a more professional attitude and the impact of top foreign talent.

“I think it will get there one day,” he says. “In 25 years it will most likely be the undisputed top league in Asia and probably the most important league outside of Europe. I don’t think it can go further than that within that timeframe, if ever.”

ABOVE: Chinese Super League match LEFT: Rowan Simons

STAY AT When in China you can choose to stay in comfort and luxury at Jumeirah Nanjing (pictured above), which is home to classic oriental elegance on the bank of the Yangtze River, and the artistic haven Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel , Shanghai. jumeirah.com

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The awakening of Abu Dhabi The capital is growing in all directions, with a huge new theme park, a burgeoning arts hub and a luxury resort due to open deep in the desert

BY A N N M A R I E M C Q U E E N

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Cover story

Abu Dhabi

View of Rub al Khali Desert (Empty Quarter)

Cover story

Abu Dhabi

ABOVE: Sheikh Zayed Bridge TOP RIGHT: The UAE Pavilion from the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai has been moved piece by piece to Saadiyat Island

When Mohammed Al Fahim travels the streets of the capital today, he sees more than a rapidly growing metropolis surrounded by brilliant blue water and vast, mystical stretches of ancient sand.

As the author of the historical memoir Rags to Riches: A Story of Abu Dhabi told an audience at the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, when he grew up in the 1950s, it was merely the home of fewer than 2,000 Bedouins. “For us who were born here and lived here, this is a dream come true,” said Al Fahim.

“In fact, we could not have dreamt something like this – to see Abu Dhabi as you see today.” The essence of that small Bedouin community remains in Abu Dhabi, the more laid-back cousin of Dubai. There is a beating heart and vibrant soul mixed in among the shopping malls and the mirrored towers, the majestic bridges, lush mangroves and tranquil beaches.

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Jason Moore, an American who is president of the Spanish natural mineral water company Lanjaron Arabia, has lived in the city for 10 years. He believes the essence of Abu Dhabi is something he was told about the capital upon moving there.

“Abu Dhabi is the home of selfless hospitality,” he says. “It offers Emirati spirit.” Like many residents, Moore is also partial to the capital’s golf courses.

In addition to the long-established Abu Dhabi Golf Club, there are also Yas Links and the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. “You actually have gazelle jumping through in the afternoon while you’re playing golf,” says Moore. “What a cool spot.”

Heba Al Fazari, the Emirati founder of the new online fashion retailer Coveti.com, was adamant that she would base her company in the city where she grew up, and not Dubai. “Three spots you cannot

BELOW LEFT: The Founders Memorial sits right across from the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers hotel

“For us who were born here and lived here, this is a dream come true, In fact, we could not have dreamt something like this – to see Abu Dhabi as you see today.” miss in Abu Dhabi are the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the viewing deck at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers and the Yas Marina circuit,” she says.

Although Dubai gets most of the attention, Abu Dhabi also has stunning architecture. Al Ain Tower – also known as “the wavy building” – is a Corniche landmark, as is the St Regis Abu Dhabi/ Nation Towers complex, with its conjoining 48th and 49th-floor World’s Highest Suspended Suite.

But in many ways Jumeirah at Etihad Towers has become one of the city’s most important landmarks, a fact that was made global by the starring role the stunning five-tower complex played in the 2015 film Fast & Furious 7. The soaring towers stand beside the sprawling new Presidential Palace, which now dwarfs the palatial Emirates Palace hotel. Jumeirah at Etihad Towers is also opposite one of the most beautiful sights in Abu Dhabi and one of the newest: The Founders Memorial.

For years a simple billboard with a photograph of Sheikh Zayed, founder of the nation, marked the spot at the end of the Corniche, just before Emirates Palace, and residents turning that busy corner toward Marina Mall were left wondering what might ever be built there. Then, last February, the permanent tribute was finally unveiled. Dubbed The Constellation, the unexpected installation was nothing short of magical, offering an ethereal likeness of Sheikh Zayed that shifts and reflects from all angles. Composed of 1,327 illuminated shapes suspended from 1,110 cables, the three-dimensional exhibit weighs 250 tons and sits on 33,000 square metres of land. Since its opening in April, more than 28,000 people have visited the artwork, which was designed by the American sculptor and public artist Ralph Helmick.

It took Helmick six years to create the image.

He researched Sheikh Zayed extensively, telling The National newspaper that with the founder’s image so ubiquitous in the capital, his challenge was to find a portrait no one had seen. He settled on imagining Sheikh Zayed as a little boy growing up in Al Ain, before oil. “A constellation is how we humans from all

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Cover story

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Abu Dhabi

ABOVE: Flamingos at Mangrove National Park BELOW: The majestic sand dunes and Bedouin tents OPPOSITE PAGE: View of Sheikh Zayed Mosque from the beach

over the world translate an abstract bunch of stars into a significant form.”

The newest attraction is not only directly across the city – and on an island – it’s about as different culturally as it could be. Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi opened in July, the first such large tourist attraction of its kind in the capital. The partnership between Warner Bros and Miral Asset Management has resulted in a $1 billion (AED367 million) indoor amusement park spread across 139,000 square metres. It offers six immersive lands based on DC

Super Heroes including Batman and Superman alongside classic Warner Bros characters such as the Road Runner, Scooby-Doo and the Flintstones.

They all branch off from the central restaurantsand-shops hub that is Warner Bros Plaza. Cartoon Junction offers hours of fun, including 3D target shooting at Ani-Mayhem and the appropriately scary Scooby-Doo! The Museum of Mysteries. When the park opened, HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, tweeted: “Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi is another tourist attraction that will contribute to the promotion of family tourism in Yas Island. We will continue to translate our strategic development plans into reality to achieve global leadership.”

For years the focus of the capital has been its opulent crown jewel, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which remains a must-see and do. But the city continues to expand its offerings in a variety of directions. In the Mina Zayed area, Warehouse 421 is taking cues from Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue and transforming an industrial district into an artistic hub. The centre offers workshops, film screenings, production spaces and exhibitions. Just 10 minutes away, the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi in late 2017 marked Saadiyat Island’s official launch into a cultural centre, with the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum both due in the coming

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Cover story

Abu Dhabi

OPENING IN N OV E M B E R years. While Abu Dhabi has its share of hotels, this autumn two pivotal offerings are due to open, both of them Jumeirah properties.

The first will take travellers deep into Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter Desert, which is the largest sand expanse in the world. Its quiet vastness was summed up by the British explorer William Thesinger, who wrote about his 1947 journey through the space in his book Arabian Sands.

“It was very still,” wrote Thesinger, “with the silence which we have driven from our world.”

Al Wathba Desert Resort, located 50 kilometres from Abu Dhabi, will offer a taste of this deep tranquility to guests starting this month. The luxury hotel will be spread over more than 20,000 metres, offering 90 hotel rooms, 13 villas and an offsite desert camp set against a backdrop of pristine sand. Back in the city Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort, due to open in November, will be set on 400 metres of protected sand dunes beside the brilliant turquoise waters of the Gulf. In the spirit of the surroundings, which include mangroves, dolphins and turtles, the 293-room hotel will focus on sustainable tourism and be the UAE’s first establishment to be plastic-free.

While some people in Dubai like to poke good natured fun at their Abu Dhabi neighbours, with the more charitable calling the city quiet, its residents know it is anything but.

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ABOVE: Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort OPPOSITE PAGE: The mangroves

S

et to be a jewel

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Floating houses in IJburg, Amsterdam

Floating

solutions

The focus is increasingly falling on floating homes as a response to flooding, crowded cities and unaffordable housing

BY GUIDO DUKEN

Innovation

Floating home

L

uxury afloat is nothing new. Billionaire superyachts and specialised cruises are available for the well-heeled with nautical ambitions. Yet floating homes, which are designed to stay in one place and therefore lack propulsion, are a fairly new addition to the UAE’s real estate, or maybe that should be marine estate, market.

The concept of floating real estate is not uncommon in many parts of Europe, with cities such as Amsterdam, Helsinki and Hamburg making use of their extensive canal systems with homes sitting both alongside and on the water. In the USA and Canada extensive use is also made of lakes, marinas and canals to house floating homes of all shapes and sizes.

However, most of these tend to be low-cost, while in the UAE the houses float in the luxury bracket with top-notch materials, smart home technology and swimming pools. The first 10 twostorey units – ranging in size from 1,615 square feet to 2,690 square feet with two, three and four bedrooms – are now anchored in the AED1 billion Marasi Business Bay development that is slated for completion by 2023. While the floating homes on Dubai Canal are being sold as status symbols with each having a berth for a 55-foot yacht, great views and exclusive marina access, in other parts of the world they are being explored as a possible response to flooding, crowded cities and unaffordable housing. In the summer of 2017 alone, Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 50 inches of rain over Texas, a monster monsoon season damaged more than 800,000 homes in India, and flash floods and mudslides claimed at least 500 lives in Sierra Leone. In the past two decades, the world’s 10 worst floods have done more than a $165 billion worth of damage and driven more than billion people from their homes.

In 2015, think-tank New London Architecture (NLA) launched a housing competition aimed at creating affordable housing and addressing the River Thames’ flood waters. In response, Londonbased Baca Architects in conjunction with manufacturer Floating Homes developed a GBP200,000 two-bedroom prototype.

Ultimately the company wants to unlock redundant waterways by building on “bluespace” sites – manmade docks, canals and marinas – across London.

In Copenhagen, architecture firm Urban Rigger has unveiled floating student housing made from end of life shipping containers.

Each Urban Rigger has 12 studio apartments which share a courtyard complete with a BBQ area, bike racks and a kayak landing, and is powered in part by solar energy.

The Netherlands, where one-third of the country is situated either at sea level or below it, “Leven met water” (Living with water) is a new civil planning strategy that attempts to work with water rather than against it. One result of this new approach is Amsterdam’s IJburg, built on six artificial islands that are connected to each other and the rest of the city via bridges. Around the islands are floating houses that accommodate around 21,000 inhabitants, the first of whom moved there in early 2002. Earlier this year a more radical concept for IJburg was unveiled by Danish firm BIG and Rotterdam studio Barcode. It consists of a 46,000-squaremetre floating housing complex. Meanwhile in Rotterdam, work began in March on the world’s first floating dairy farm.

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TOP: Homes In nearby Maasbommel amphibious

by Urban Rigger homes are being built on the ground.

RIGHT TOP Each house is made of lightweight wood AND MIDDLE: WaterNest 100 is an and the concrete base is hollow, giving it eco-friendly folating ship-like buoyancy. With no foundations home made entirely of recycled laminated anchored in the earth, the structure rests timber. The hull is on the ground and is fastened to 15-footaluminiuim. RIGHT BELOW: Chichester long mooring posts with sliding rings, floating home. allowing it to float upward should the river Photo Mark Junak flood. All the electrical cables, water and sewage flow through flexible pipes inside the mooring piles. A similar concept is being used by the LEED Platinum-certified FLOAT House designed by Morphosis for Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward.

The house is built on a prefabricated chassis made of polystyrene foam coated in glass fibre-reinforced concrete that’s lightweight enough to serve as a raft when floodwaters buoy the home up.

One city where the risk of flooding is more critical than most is Lagos, Nigeria. In a bid to overcome the challenges of the rising tide, architect Kunlé Adeyemi has designed a number of floating buildings, including a school and a radio station. The Seasteading Institute, a global team of biologists, engineers, investors and environmentalists, banded together in 2008 to take on an ambitious goal: to design a modular, fully-functioning and

A N AT U R A L EXPERIENCE

J

umeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort, which will open its doors in

November 2018, has been designed to seamlessly cohabit with the mangroves, dolphins and the endangered Hawksbill turtles that surround it. It is natural that the 293-room hotel, which overlooks 400 metres of protected sand dunes, takes sustainable tourism seriously with the elimination of plastic straws and single-use plastic bottles. Thanks to complimentary, reusable plastic bottles guests will be encouraged to refill at water stations, and, in this way enjoy the unique local fauna and flora while doing their bit for the

floating “eco-village.” The Floating Island Project uses concrete float platforms that are chained to the ocean bed. In January, the government of French Polynesia signed a memorandum with the Institute and its affiliated Singapore-based startup Blue Frontiers to begin the development of a floating island pilot project as soon as 2020. The Miami-based design company Arkup is offering the best of both worlds with 75-foot vessels that feature four bedrooms and more than 4,000 square feet of luxury. It boasts state-of-theart, environmentally-friendly technologies by being entirely solarpowered and contains its own water purification systems and local waste management, allowing the vessel to exist fully off the grid.

Electric thrusters on the underside propel the yacht, but the $3 million vessel’s biggest party trick are four 40-foot hydraulic spuds (long, pipe-shaped protrusions) at every corner that anchor it in water up to 20 feet deep and lift it above the surface of the ocean.

It is also built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane.

A slightly more affordable solution is Giancarlo Zema’s floating WaterNest 100 home that retails for around $550,000. The 100m2 dwelling is 12m in diameter and 4m high and includes living and dining rooms, sleeping quarters, kitchen, and lavatory. Up to 98% of the dwelling is recyclable.

It is clear that architects, designers and engineers are coming up with some very innovative solutions that embrace water rather than fight against it.

MARK JUNAK

environment. Jumeirah.com

CLOCKWISE: Al Fateh Grand Mosque; General view of Bahrain; Central business district of Bahrain; Dhows sailing out of Bahrain

Travel

Bahrain

on the map

B A H R A I N

Bahrain was coveted by conquerors, pirates and kings alike throughout its 4,000 years of settlement. Today, the pearl of the Arabian Gulf is a thriving island state with a bustling capital city blending tradition and modernity B Y S . H OT T I N G E R - B E H M E R

T

he Kingdom of Bahrain’s history goes back a long, long way. Situated between today’s Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain was once home to one of the great empires of antiquity, the Dilmun, thanks to its strategic location on the routes from Mesopotamia to India. Between the 9th and 11th centuries, Bahrain was part of the Umayyad Caliphate and was later taken over by the Abbasids. The Omanis conquered Bahrain in the fifth century. In the 16th century, it was dominated by Portugal, then falling into the hands of Iran. The Utub tribe’s Al-Khalifa family expelled the Persians, eventually creating the emirate of Bahrain as we know it today, gaining its independence in 1971.

Modern Bahrain is a thriving and strategically located commercial centre. Before the discovery of oil in 1932, the country was a quiet and isolated island state.

The inhabitants lived off the commerce of pearls until the 1930s, the manufacture of crafts and fishing.

Storied and legendary, the Kingdom’s history is as colourful as it is impressive. Legend has it that the island was the location of the Garden of Eden. It is said that the Tree of Life, located in the desert and thriving alone for over 400 years, was planted to mark the exact location of the garden of gardens. With no other vegetation around and hardly a drop of water, its leafy branches have been standing for centuries.

The water source from which it lives still puzzles locals today.

But Bahrain is much more than just history and legend.

As one of the most important business hubs in the region, it offers visitors a vibrant mix of culture, gastronomy and shopping options. Within easy reach from the Middle East’s capital cities, it has established itself as the staycation spot of choice for travellers in the know and a must-see destination for discerning travellers.

Gold digging Gold Souk Famous for its pearls, Bahrain entertains proud and thriving jewellery traditions. The Gold Souk encompasses an entire building close to Bab Al-Bahrain, with the newer Gold City between them. Hundreds of jewellery shops feature 21, 22 or even 24-carat gold pieces, rather than the usual 18 carats more popular in the West.

A R C H E O L O G I CA L RICHES

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Qal’at Al-Bahrain

Block 338

Constructed over an artificial

Hailed as Bahrain’s hottest

hill built over more than

dining district, this charming

4,000 years of continuous

pedestrian quarter is dotted

occupation, the site of the

with great eateries, galleries and

former capital of Dilmun and

boutiques. It has also been a hot

its ancient harbour are one

spot for local galleries, fostering

of the Arabian Gulf’s most

young local talents and

important archaeological

showcasing international artists.

sites. The fort standing

Albareh Art Gallery is a must-

today was built by the

see space to discover works

Portuguese in the 16th century

by emerging and established

and is best visited early

artists exploring historical and

morning to avoid the heat.

contemporary themes.

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Travel

Bahrain

Legend has it that the island was the location of the Garden of Eden.

Pride and glory Bahrain National Museum One of the first museums of its kind in the region, the Bahrain National Museum opened its doors in 1988 by the sea. The contemporary building with its travertine faรงade and dramatic courtyard serves as the perfect backdrop to the permanent exhibition underpinning the long-standing history of the island. Separate pavilions showcase local customs, traditions, housing and crafts covering thousands of years of settlement.

MARKET TIME

Bab Al-Bahrain Built in 1949, the main building once housed governmental offices. Today, it marks the entrance to the Manama Souk, a vibrant collection of shops selling a wide range of goods from fragrances, incense, handicrafts, spices, rich fabrics, carpets and modern convenience products from around the globe. Traditional coffee shops offer refuge from the crowds in this pedestrianised area of the city.

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HIGH SPEED

Bahrain International Circuit A year-round destination and the epicentre of local social life during the Formula 1 season, Bahrain’s International racing circuit – or BIC as it is known to locals – is an ultramodern motorsport facility located in the heart of the Sakhir desert. Due to

H E R I TAG E

Sheikh Isa Bin Ali Al-Khalifa House

its state-of-the-art floodlighting system, it

H O T T E S T TA B L E I N T OW N

One of the leading examples

Play Restaurant & Lounge

of traditional Islamic

Bahrain’s outpost of Dubai-

architecture is the Sheikh

based Play has quickly

Isa bin Ali Al-Khalifa house

established itself as the

in Bahrain’s former capital

number one address in

Muharraq. Several quarters

town. Located at Jumeirah

are arranged around four

Royal Saray, it is the

courtyards with traditional

hottest dining destination

wind towers. Take a stroll

in Seef district. Why not

through the neighbourhood’s

pop into Jumeirah’s gin

dusty alleyways to explore

bar for an aperitivo before

further landmarks that have

heading next door for

been restored as part of the

Pan-Asian and fusion

Sheikh Ebrahim Centre for

delicacies in contemporary

Culture and Research.

surroundings?

is also home to some of the world’s most memorable night-races.

Jumeirah Royal Saray

Sunset at the reconstructed Bahrain Fort near Manama

C O F F E E C U LT U R E

Palm Lounge at Jumeirah Royal Saray Bahrain’s newest living room has quickly established itself as the meeting point of the wellto-do with dazzling views over the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf. No other location serves such a refined pick of artisan coffee blends. To offer guests expert coffee culture, baristas have been specially

Weekend escape

flown in from Colombia to

Jumeirah Royal Saray

operate the five à la mode

For the perfect pool day, book one of the swanky pool cabanas at

machines to serve the city’s

Jumeirah Royal Saray for up to 8 people. Enjoy the service and

best brews. Pick from the

understated luxury at this majestic resort in a serene setting with

Palm Lounge’s handcrafted

sweeping views over the private beach and the Arabian Sea beyond.

chocolates, French pastries

Pop into the spa for a relaxing treatment and return to the privacy of

and other elaborate sweet

your cabana for the ultimate weekend getaway.

concoctions, courtesy of the hotel’s very own classically trained pastry chef.

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Travel

Jumeirah Beach Hotel

Refresh and renew B Y R AC H E L S I LV E ST R I

Reopening this October with a stunning new look, Jumeirah’s grande dame Dubai beach resort has had a dramatic makeover. With breathtaking dÊcor and facilities as well as all of her original charm, take a look inside the new world of Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

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I

t’s hard to believe that the rolling curve of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel has been a fixture of Dubai’s sea views for more than 20 years – but that’s indeed how long this beachside favourite has been delighting both international visitors and residents of the emirate. Opening its doors back in 1997, Jumeirah Beach Hotel launched when Dubai was a very different place – and the moment has now come for the resort to move with the times.

Closing for a full refurbishment, the hotel’s new look is light-filled, bright and airy, with colours that reflect the building’s breaking wave shape and seaside location. Contemporary sand tones and calming blues flow throughout the redesign, with rich wood surfaces and sumptuous textured fabrics

OPPOSITE PAGE: The all new Presidential Lounge.

TOP: A view of Kitchen Connection restaurant.

ABOVE: View from the north wing suite.

completing the look. Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s new atmosphere is apparent from the first step on to the lobby’s elegant white marble floor. Soaring art pieces including an interactive light installation that ‘blooms’ as guests pass beneath and dazzling glass wall coverings add a sense of ‘under the sea’ sparkle, and the atmosphere continues into the hotel’s 425 rooms as well.

Natural daylight streams into the rooms, illuminating the subtle blues and beiges, while stone wall coverings have a touch of shimmer that’s reflected by the stunning Arabian Gulf views.

For relaxing times with your nearest and dearest, the eight ground-floor Family Garden Suites offer a great chance to kick back in natural surroundings, while the two luxurious duplexstyle Presidental Suites have a slick, city-loft feel while still being havens of cosy comfort. One of the things that originally made Jumeirah Beach Hotel so renowned was its varied dining options, and care has been taken during the refurbishment to maintain this reputation. Kitchen Connection, formerly known as Latitude, was designed based on guest feedback so it is sure to be a crowdpleaser. Nine interactive cooking stations will serve cuisines ranging from Chinese and Indian to Italian, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and – of course – the unmissable Friday brunch. An expanded outdoor area will delight sunseekers, while a sea-inspired kids’ area will ensure all members of the family will savour a trip to Kitchen Connection.

Flowing seamlessly from the nautically-inspired lobby, Pearl Lounge – previously called Palm Court – is a serene spot to partake in some gourmet sandwiches, tartines and a pearl-inspired afternoon tea. A large outdoor space overlooks the Burj Al Arab’s distinctive profile, with cooling shades for daytime that can be retracted for evening stargazing.

For guests that enjoy Club access, their food and drink options are even wider – the fully renovated Premium Leisure Club serves snacks and beverages throughout the day.

The improvements also continue outdoors – a complete rebuild of Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s main beach stretch includes new sun loungers, umbrellas and beverage stations, as well as Talise Spa facilities for beachside treatments. There is a new leisure swimming pool, while children will be delighted to visit the underwater-inspired KiDS Club, complete with tropical fish, play submarine and children’s pool. Naturally, some aspects of Jumeirah Beach Hotel were perfect as they were and have remain unchanged. After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t renovate it! Gastropub Dhow & Anchor and Argentine steakhouse La Parilla will reopen after minor uplifts, while fan favourites Beachcombers, Villa Beach and Uptown Bar will also reopen their doors in mid-October.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel will reopen in mid-October 2018 with some exciting new concepts and experiences.

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Travel

Al Seef

Modern classics The new Al Seef development by the Dubai Creek has it all – history, beauty and all the modern facilities you could need. This includes three new Jumeirah hotels, each with its own distinct personality. Take a closer look and stay where the Dubai story began.

H

BY R AC H E L S I LV E ST R I

ave you ever fancied yourself an Indiana Jones-type explorer, finding yourself ensconced in a classic Arabian residence, complete with rough-plastered walls, intimate courtyards and the cooling wind towers that are so evocative of Dubai’s Creek? Then again, perhaps you’re a more modern traveller, in search of loft-style sophistication, Instaworthy rooftop pool and clean, designer lines? Or maybe you’re just looking for somewhere with a

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JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

bit of fizz, a fun and lively location perfect for city explorers? Whatever your flavour, Jumeirah’s trio of new hotels in the landmark Al Seef development has something for you.

Al Seef Hotel by Jumeirah pays tribute to its historic surroundings by drawing on local crafts and building techniques to transport you to the Dubai of old. “Huge attention has been given to the design of the rooms and courtyards to ensure our guests are immersed in the spirit of the past and, for the time they stay with us, feel worlds away

FAR LEFT: Welcoming guets in the lobby, views and bedroom suite of Al Seef Hotel

by Jumeirah BELOW: Relaxing in a suite of Zabeel House Al Seef by Jumeirah

from the pace of modern life,” says Alessandro Cabella, Area General Manager at Jumeirah Group. “By having the 180 rooms spread over 22 separated buildings, areas of personal peace are created, so it will feel like staying in someone’s home.

The property pays homage to the age-old days of the region, offering a relaxing choice for inquisitive, quality-conscious travellers who appreciate authenticity; and enjoy the experiences that uniquely designed spaces offer as an insight to local history.”

At the opposite end of the Al Seef promenade sit the sophisticated Zabeel House by Jumeirah Al Seef and its ‘little sister’ Zabeel House MINI by Jumeirah.

Zabeel House brings upscale, design-led spaces at a moderate price point, with comfortable rooms complemented by luxe touches and welcoming, understated service. Four restaurants and bars, pop-up events and a rooftop infinity pool are high on style, while complementary WiFi and easy access to Dubai’s business districts also keep the substance going. Next door, Zabeel House MINI’s colourpopping pocket rooms and street food-inspired restaurants promise to deliver the same style and comfort as its ‘big sister’, for the traveller who wants atmosphere and class without breaking the bank.

Whether you’re in search of Arabian nights, stylish home comforts or just to add a bit of zing to your stay in the Emirates, it’s all happening along the Creek – the true heart and soul of Dubai.

Out and about D I V E I N TO D U B A I ’S H I STO R Y I N A N D A R O U N D A L S E E F, A N D D I S C OV E R T H AT THERE’S SO MUC H TO S E E W H E N YO U ’ R E BESIDE THE CREEK. • LEARN about Dubai’s origins at the Dubai Museum, in the ancient Al Fahidi Fort • LINGER in the inspiring Majlis Gallery, an arts centre which opened in 1989 in the historic Bastakiya district, also known as the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

• BREATHE in the salty air on an abra trip across the Creek. Still a daily form of transport for many of the area’s residents, it’s a great way to take in the sights and will be the best one dirham you spend all day – a real bargain!

• OPEN your wallet – and your taste buds – at Dubai’s spectacular Gold and Spice Souks just across the Creek, where traders will tempt you with all manner of goodies.

• COOL OFF in the modern boutiques and atmospheric alleyways of the Al Seef development, the perfect location to relax and unwind.

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Destinations

Weddings

Here comes the bride When it comes to destination weddings, not just any setting will do. Jumeirah runs down the hottest far-flung spots for tying the knot in style B Y R AC H E L S I LV E ST R I

jaws dropping at its beauty.

The overwater wedding chapel combines 360-degree views of

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MALDIVES

the beautiful Indian Ocean with

Something blue

panoramic glass doors, should

OPPOSITE PAGE: Jumeirah Vittaveli Maldives’ natural beauty is the perfect backdrop for nuptials

proximity to French fine dining venue Fenesse, newly-opened wine library Cuvée and overwater lounge Cyan, it’s the perfect place for a truly refined ceremony and

guests need to be sheltered

reception. For couples who prefer

from the elements. There’s

to feel the sand between their

even a glass walkway through

toes, various elegant locations

For most visitors to the Maldives,

the centre of the chapel, so the

around the island can also play

the idea of getting closer to

happy couple can look down and

host to ceremonies and recep-

nature is what draws them to

see the lapping waves as they

tions, with traditional Maldivian

this island nation. For brides

take their journey down the aisle.

bodu beru performances, can-

and grooms-to-be, an idyllic

The chapel’s décor can be

dlelit beachside dinners and cel-

beachside ceremony may be just

adjusted to the tastes of each

ebratory champagne breakfasts

the ticket – and now at Jumeirah

couple, ensuring personalised

all completing the island fantasy.

Vittaveli Maldives there’s a new

touches will make the day spe-

Wedding Chapel, Jumeirah

wedding location that’ll have

cial. And with the chapel’s close

Vittaveli, Maldives

JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

Destinations

Weddings

M A L LO R C A

Take the plunge A famous psychological study from 1974 found that, if two people meet up high on a suspension bridge, they are more likely to be attracted to each other. So what better place to tie the knot than at Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa in beautiful Mallorca, as its clifftop location is sure to set hearts a-flutter in more ways than one.

Dramatic mountain vistas plunge to the sparkling ocean, and Jumeirah Port Soller’s idyllic terraces are the perfect places for exchanging heartfelt vows. After all, with the citrusMediterranean sun, there can be few locations more romantic.

The Tramuntana, named after the spectacular mountain range that rings the resort, is a terrace that can accommodate up to 100 guests for ceremonies, cocktail receptions, dinner or even all three. Then there’s the Cap Roig restaurant, complete with extensive terrace and outdoor seating shaded by pines and olive trees, overlooking the sea and Jumeirah Port Soller’s beautiful swimming pool. A super spot to enjoy a sumptuous wedding dinner of succulent red Sóller prawns and flavourful cap roig, the local fish from which the restaurant takes its name. Local Mallorcan wines from the temperature-controlled glass-fronted wine cellar and gorgeous regional décor complete the picture-perfect scene. Que viven los novios!

The Tramuntana & Cap Roig, Jumeirah Port Soller, Mallorca

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JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

LEFT: Cap Roig terrace at Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa is perfect for romance BELOW: Views of Tramuntana from Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa, Mallorca

MOMENTS BODAS Y EVENTOS

scented ocean breeze and warm,

ABOVE: Wedding cakes at Jumeirah BELOW: Fort Island entrance and water terrace at Madinat Jumeirah

facilities yet still discreetly private. Preside over your royal court with romance, fun and

DUBAI

merriment, with music permitted

Queen of the castle

to go on until 2am, and revel

Want to be prince and princess

Madinat provide an incredible

of your own tower for the day?

backdrop for the first day of your

Madinat Jumeirah’s stunning

very own fairy-tale ending.

Fort Island is a magical water-

If a sea view is more your pace,

bound wedding location at the

Layali at the Al Qasr Beach has

very heart of the resort, situated

views over to the unmistakeable

in a lagoon and accessed

Burj Al Arab, soft sands and pris-

by an elevated walkway. In

tine green gardens to fulfil your

keeping with the Madinat

beachside wedding fantasies.

Jumeirah’s traditional Arabian

Also known as the Al Qasr Beach

feel, Fort Island is at once both

Platform, this 500-square-metre

atmospheric and comfortable,

wooden deck has banqueting

the ideal spot for a wedding with

room for 250 guests, or 400 for

a difference. This outdoor venue

cocktails. Either way, as the sun

can accommodate up to 700 of

sinks over the Arabian Gulf, there

your nearest and dearest for the

will be no place you’d rather be.

most spectacular of festivities

Fort Island & Layali, Madinat

– close to all the Madinat’s

Jumeirah, Dubai

in the novel atmosphere of being in your own island castle.

Spectacular views of the

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JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

Destinations

Weddings

One-off honeymoons If you’re looking for a little flair to your afternuptial vacation, try these unusual trips for size.

LO N D O N Whether you’re after a glamorous city getaway or simply a stop-off on your way to more tropical climes, Jumeirah Carlton Tower in

70

the heart of one of London’s

DUBAI

SHANGHAI

ABU DHABI

most exclusive areas has the

Take your city break to the

Bask in Asian splendour at

Scheduled to open this

full package. Shop for little

next level with a stay in

Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel

December, be one of the

luxuries at nearby Harrods and

the heart of Dubai’s oldest

Shanghai, where traditional

first guests to experience

Harvey Nichols or recharge

neighbourhood. The

Chinese design meets

the romance of the desert

your batteries at The Peak Spa

atmospheric Al Seef Hotel

contemporary comfort.

at Jumeirah Al Wathba

– and if you take advantage of

by Jumeirah is a step back

Known as the Paris of the

Desert Resort & Spa for a

the fabulous Live the Suite Life

in time to the origins of

East, you’ll find a mesmerising

Bedouin honeymoon amid

package you’ll get all manner

this ultra-modern emirate.

kind of allure in Shanghai –

the dunes. Dine at the

of honeymoon extras too.

Linger in inviting courtyards

be electrified by the modernity

Al Mabeet Desert Camp,

With Spa and Luxury Suites to

and on stunning rooftops to

of Pudong, or enchanted by

surrounded by the shifting

choose from, it’s a jolly holiday

up the romance factor a few

the nostalgia of the city’s old

sands, and take in the lovely

in London.

more notches.

concession districts.

Arabian atmosphere.

JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

THE EPITOME OF LUXURY FROM DUBAI TO NANJING

0086 25 5878 0888 jumeirah.com

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Gourmet

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JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

Korean

Seoul food

BY CONOR PURCELL

A new and exciting breed of Korean restaurants has taken London by storm in recent years

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Gourmet

Korean

K

orean food is having something of a moment internationally, and nowhere is that more apparent than in London, where a host of Korean restaurants have opened in recent years. These are not just your average BBQ joints either, but places that help showcase the vast array of choices that Korean food offers. While Asian food has always been popular, it’s been Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese that has led the way, with Korean food often underrated and underrepresented in the capital’s culinary scene.

To see how, pay a visit to The Petite Coree, a cosy restaurant in West Hampstead, founded by Jae Park, who is also the chef. Jae worked in many of London’s top restaurants (including Nobu) before opening this neighbourhood space, which is billed as a ‘modern bistro with a Korean twist’ “There was so much trial and error. I tried many different dishes – things like soy beurre blanc and kimchi risotto – and there were only a few that actually worked,” Park says. “The key was getting the balance right, and when I could do that it was very exciting.”

Park’s memories of Korean cooking came from his childhood. “I never worked in Korean restaurants.

All my memories came from my mother’s cooking as she is the best chef in my opinion.”

These memories are combined with an openmindedness to create dishes that are as tasty as they are visually interesting. From the soft-shell crab and truffle burrata to the octopus and miso brownies, The Petite Coree has managed to bring a Korean twist to London’s neighbourhood dining scene.

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LEFT: Bibimbap (Vegetarian korean rice bowl with mushroom, spinach, cucumber, carrot and fried egg) TOP LEFT: Age Watari Gani (softshell crab, cucumber, kimchi and chilli mayonnaise) BOTTOM LEFT: Beef Galbi cooked on grills set on tables

On the Bab, a few miles across town in Covent Garden, is a very different type of Korean restaurant.

It was set up by Linda Lee, a restaurat eur who opened her first restaurant called Koba in Fitzrovia in 2005. She now owns seven restaurants across London and has seen the rise in interest around Korean food in the past few years. “I think travel has helped popularise Korean food. South Korea and Seoul in particular, has become a popular

destination, and people discover the food culture there and want to enjoy it when they get home. Asian food in general has become more popular as diners are getting more adventurous, and there’s definitely more curiosity for national and regional specialities.”

Those who have made the trip to South Korea will know that street food is ubiquitous over there, something that On the Bab taps into. “We specialise in what’s known in Korea as anju – food for enjoying with drink,” Lee says. “This doesn’t mean you have to drink, but it’s the kind of filling, stronglyflavoured food you might want to have with a cold soju, our national spirit. Think rice bowls (Bab means rice), jjigae or stews, pancakes, and delicious fried chicken. It’s the kind of fun, casual street food Koreans eat every day.”

Luckily these days you don’t have to travel to Seoul to find the best Korean food. Take the plunge and enter a whole new world of Asian cuisine.

Five to try Bibimbap

Kimchi Jigae

Budae Chigae

Galbi

Jjajangmyeon

The ultimate in comfort

A staple of Korean

Loosely translated as

Usually made with beef,

This tastes a lot better

food, Bibimbap is dish of

cuisine, kimchi is the

army stew, Budae Jigae is

Galbi is cooked in front

than it looks: a mix

mixed vegetables, rice

backbone of many

a hot pot that was popu-

of the diners on grills

of thick noodles and

and beef, served with a

dishes. Kimchi Jigae is a

larised after the Korean

set into the tables. It’s

black bean sauce. It is

fried egg on top. Some

broth that is perfect for

war when Koreans would

served with rice, some

incredibly popular in

versions are served in a

a cold day: a spicy stew

cobble together food

sort of jjigae (broth),

South Korea, particularly

hot stone bowl, but most

(it can contain meat or

handed out from the US

lettuce and a variety of

for takeaway. In fact,

often it’s served in a cold

tuna) filled with kimchi,

army bases. It consists of

side dishes. The best

most Koreans have

bowl. It’s surprisingly

onions, tofu and garlic.

kimchi, spam, sausages,

way to enjoy it is to wrap

their local restaurant on

delicious and probably

It’s something of a lunch

ramen noodles and a host

the beef in the lettuce

speed dial. Add an order

the most popular Korean

staple in Korea, served

of other vegetables. It

(adding kimchi, sauce

of Good Mandu (Korean

dish in the world.

with rice, making it a

may not sound much, but

and rice) and eating it

fried dumplings) to add a

cheap and effective meal.

it’s delicious.

with your hands.

nice contrast.

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JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

Health Living Gourmet Pastries

Le Sacrilège

For years, no chef dared to try to improve the croissant. Now, though, a new generation of bakers is reinventing the most iconic of French patisserie.

B Y L I G AYA M I S B A N

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JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

Gourmet

Pastries

T

he croissants of Baker Doe – a deliveryonly pastry service in San Francisco, run by a husband and wife who decline to reveal their identities – appear like a new species startled in the wild. One is striped blue, with a coif of cotton candy in hydrangea hues and a lode of chillienflamed orange curd waiting to be unleashed; another, ringed in deep purple, flaunts a lavender shard of ube (purple yam) like a lone, useless wing.

They are originals, yet they don’t exist in isolation: Others of their kin – that is, pastries in thrillingly deviant forms with classical French lineage but non-canonical ingredients (often drawn from Asian cuisines), as likely to be savoury as sweet – can be spotted at Sugarbloom Bakery in Los Angeles, confettied in nori; at Bake Code in Toronto,

Chef Leslie D’souza, Resort Head Baker at Madinat Jumeirah, The Arabian Resort – Dubai.

Bake off Food, in this day and age, is no

Arabian Resort – Dubai. And,

precisely and carefully. Which

gives immense pleasure and

longer a necessity. Now, it's

the fact remains that producing

is your most favourite type

satisfaction to serve to our

an indulgence of the highest

good quality pastries need skill,

of croissant? Why? A freshly

guests. Favourite ingredient to

order – one that goads its

passion, dedication and most

baked homemade 40 per cent

work with? Fresh yeast as it is

consumers to look at it as a

importantly patience.

plain butter croissant gets my

alive and needs to be controlled

vote because of its fantastic

carefully on temperature and

pleasurable experience rather

78

blackened by charcoal under a rosy crust of mentaiko (cod roe); and at Supermoon Bakehouse in New York, piped with rum crème pâtissière and pineapple jelly in the mirage of a piña colada.

Is this blasphemy or natural evolution? It’s not the first time pastries have undergone mutations in recent history. Nearly five years ago, the French-trained pastry chef Dominique Ansel trademarked the cronut, that cannily named croissant-doughnut hybrid sold from his storefront in SoHo, New York. Hoards lined up before dawn for limited-batch runs that vanished within the hour, to be resold on the black market by scalpers at a 1,900-per cent markup (as much as $100 each). The cronut was fetishized, then scorned for being fetishized, then imperfectly and ubiquitously reproduced. Dunkin' Donuts sold millions (of a version that a corporate spokesman insisted had been in development for decades).

Within a year, the oracular sciencefiction writer William Gibson had published a novel forecasting a future in which cronuts were churned out by 3-D printers. People still line up for Ansel's cronuts today, at his outposts in Tokyo, London and Los Angeles, where seasonal flavours like pineapple-chocolatebasil and eggnog-caramel are introduced monthly, for we are not yet immune to the novelty of pastry portmanteaus. The cruffin, made of croissant dough fastidiously draped in muffin tins to achieve a bouffant's rise, was invented the same year as the cronut by the pastry chef Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne, Australia. When another Melbourne native, Ry Stephen (currently of New York's Supermoon) started making the puffy hybrids at San Francisco's Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in 2014, his curd-filled cruffins

than the mundane essentiality

How important is a croissant

taste and flavour. How many

time. It is also the most difficult

that is nourishment. While

to pastry? Croissant is the

types of croissants do you

one to work with. What is the

continuous innovations and

most essential pastry in a

serve at Jumeirah Al Qasr?

best compliment you have

implementation of latest

selection of breakfast goodies

Six. Namely plain, cheese,

received? A well-travelled guest

techniques and ingredients are

all over the world. How

almond, zatar, whole meal

who has been visiting Madinat

essential, so too is preserving

many layers are there in a

and Pain Au Chocolate. What

Jumeirah since 2004 recently

the traditional values of the

croissant? It all depends on

is your signature pastry

commented that this was the

croissants and pastries feels

the bakers’ lamination. Usually

dish? Why? The Cronut, as its

freshest and best selection of

Leslie D’souza, Resort Head

it would be 27 layers but can

unique and very challenging to

bread and pastries he has seen

Baker at Madinat Jumeirah, The

go up to 81 if butter is handled

produce and when done right

anywhere in the world.

JUMEIRAH MAGAZINE

©2018 THE NEW YORK TIMES

proved so popular that a burglar broke in one night and ignored the cash register and equipment, grabbing only a binder of recipes.

Like the cronut, these latter-day pastries – rustic kouignamanns at Sugarbloom laminated with white miso; éclairs at patisserie Chanson entombed under Day-Glo plaques of painted chocolate – draw skepticism in part because they’re so swiftly and widely worshipped. In a culture beholden to images, it's easy to simultaneously embrace and dismiss them as idle provocations.

But for all the black garlic in the dough, the kimchi-spiked filling, the blood orange slices mashed on top, they are still viennoiserie, made in accordance with French tradition, precision-engineered with high-grade butter. (Stephen, for instance, is faithful to the revered Beurre d'Isigny, imported from Normandy.) In the croissants and their variations, the layers are as distinct as ribs, from slabs of cold butter immured in fold after fold of dough; the interior resembles a honeycomb of air, due to steam released during baking as the butter slowly melts. Some mock these as “Frankenpastries,” a term with echoes of “Frankenfood,” coined in 1992 by an English professor at Boston College expressing dismay over genetically engineered crops. That label is tongue-in-cheek, though just as Mary Shelley's fevered novel hints at societal fears of miscegenation and “impurity,” the notion that these baked goods represent unholy unions suggests that there are clear borders in the culinary world that one ought not cross.

Two centuries ago, the French led a shift from free-form cooking to codified techniques and built a system for achieving and recognizing mastery that still defines the professional kitchen, pastry or otherwise. So inevitably it’s the croissant that's seen as being in danger of degradation: the noble, labour-intensive French pastry sullied by its union with the crude, arriviste American doughnut or muffin. (Another iteration was unveiled in January by Vive la Tarte in San Francisco: the tacro, a savoury chicken-stuffed taco with a croissant shell.)

Yet the croissant itself was born of crossed borders. The butter-laden layered dough has roots in medieval Arab practice, and the pastry’s shape comes from the Viennese kipferl, said to have been modelled after the Islamic crescent borne on the banners of 17th-century Ottoman invaders. (Although this back story is likely apocryphal, in 2013 a rebel stronghold in Syria banned croissants as symbols of colonialism.) Few dishes, let alone desserts, have remained static over time: Blancmange, a moulded milk pudding, was once a chicken casserole; craggy coconut Italian-Jewish macaroons share ancestry (going back to early Sicilian pasta) with the polished round French macarons that have ruffled hems, which languished as solitary disks until someone sandwiched them around ganache a little over a century ago.

If anything, today's nouvelle pastries mark a return to the spirit championed by Marie-Antoine Carême, the early 19th-century forefather of French cooking, inventor of the soufflé and the croquembouche and architect of monumental confectionery centrepieces that rose up to three feet – nearly as high as the sculptured hairstyles of his late namesake, Marie Antoinette, the Austrian princess whose own love for viennoiserie may have inspired the myth of her declaring, “Let them eat cake.”

Carême has disciples in Paris today, including Christophe Adam, known for éclairs ornamented with edible silver, popcorn and Mona Lisa eyes; Jonathan Blot, conjurer of macarons that taste like bubblegum; and, of course, Pierre Hermé, who daubs raspberry-lychee pâté inside croissants and showers them with candied rose petals.

Like the original viennoiserie, which were painstakingly elegant pastries designed for the Hapsburg court in imperial Vienna that eventually became indispensable to the city’s sidewalks, their decadence is matched by the virtuosity of their construction and their element of surprise: They are, then as now, as much for beholding as for eating.

Their contemporary allure is aided by the diminishment of desserts at midrange restaurants, which after the recession of 2008 began to shed pastry chefs, unable to justify the expense for a course that yields little profit. As restaurant desserts have become simpler and homier – olive-oil cake, anything with chocolate – once plainspoken baked goods have turned rococo, offering an aura of luxury, enhanced by how difficult they are to procure before selling out each morning. At $4 to $8 each, these small but elaborate edifices seem worthier than the run-of-the-mill pastries available at every urban corner deli and curbside coffee cart, enabling their artisans to cover the ever-increasing cost of basic ingredients, particularly butter, whose price hit a historic high last year.

Indeed, French butter, which has a higher percentage of fat and a pronounced tang from cultured cream, is so desirable across the globe, it’s starting to disappear from grocery shelves in France.

This is partly because more people are making pastries than ever before; as a French professor explained to The Economist in November, “China has discovered croissants.” But if the trend continues, the croissant as we know it – a straightforward compact of butter, flour, milk, sugar, yeast and salt – may be no more. And in its place? These overgrown crescents too big to fit in the palm of the hand, spangled and swagged, glutted with fillings, arrayed like objets d'art in austere concrete-walled patisseries where the bakers fuss like apothecaries. They’re absurd until you try them: salty and sweet and shattering everywhere, leaving behind smears of cream and tell-tale butter fingerprints. The croissant is dead; long live the croissant.

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Gourmet

Lalezar

Fit for a Sultan

I

Lalezar, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

f you find yourself craving Ottoman era culinary excellence, don’t think twice, just book a table at Lalezar. Under the expert guidance of the Chef De Cuisine and manager Ferhat Gurbuz – both of Turkish descent – the restaurant offers the most authentic experience in the region, with hot and cold mezze, lentil soups, refreshing salads, delectable meat mains and desserts from their motherland.

Ferhat Gurbuz believes it’s ‘good to be transparent’. That’s precisely why you’ll see diners often going behind-the-scenes for a tour of the kitchen. He also says it’s important to source ingredients directly from Turkey.

Signature dishes include Dobo – a stuffed lamb shank with almond, dried apricot, garlic and thyme with bulgur rice and vermicelli cooked in sade butter (a pure butter created by a special cooking technique) – which hails from the 15th century and was traditionally made for the sultans. The dish is cooked for five hours and only a select number are

made each evening. “Once it’s sold out that’s it for the day. Whoever gets to eat it is lucky.

Almost everyone who does is amazed by the tenderness and flavours”, says the chef.

Another firm favourite is Manti – a Turkish pasta stuffed with minced beef, Manti sauce, sumac and garlic-yoghurt.

This handmade creation takes two hours to prepare. For dessert he recommends the Katmer – a sweet pastry pan-fried, filled with clotted cream and pistachios. Relish the Lalezar ‘Cilingir Sograsi’ menu featuring the signature Humus Al Tugra salad, fried calamari and shrimp casserole; or enjoy an afternoon Turkish delight and pop in for one of the lunch specials. At dinner get a bottle of the specially imported Turkish grape and enjoy a complimentary Mezze Tasting Platter.

Lalezar serves dinner from 7:00pm to 11:30pm from Wednesday to Monday. Call +971 4 453 0444 or email jzsrestaurants@jumeirah.com to book a table.

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Globetrotter

AMIR MEGHANI

Amir Meghani, designer for luxury watch brand JBW watches, shares his success story How does JBW differentiate itself from other watch brands in such a competitive marketplace?

We set ourselves apart with our product line and a different point of view on luxury.

It starts with our designs. Also, we are focused on building a watch brand for the next generation of risk-takers who, like us, have a unique point of view on luxury – exclusive yet achievable.

You started your business extremely young. Did you always have a natural panache for creativity and design?

I never saw myself as a creative or worked in the design field, I studied business.

However, at the same time I could never do anything that was process oriented or operational. I needed to have an open mind and the freedom to be able to make things happen. It’s a different type of creativity in business, and with experience it’s become one of my strengths.

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How often do you travel to Dubai, and when you are here what do you do?

I travel to Dubai three to four times a year.

This can include meetings with existing and new online retail buyers, media interviews and a collection launch event to engage with regional influencers. I also love to dine and shop, Dubai has so many amazing restaurants!

Do you think growing up in Dallas has impacted the way you view the luxury market?

Yes and no, Dallas is not a mainstay when it comes to luxury or fashion. We are a global watch brand, which keeps me traveling for

“People in the Middle East love their brands”

business. Going to New York, LA, Dubai, London and many other cities – keeps me inspired and provides a different perspective.

In this region what attracts customers to your brand?

The Middle East customer desires exclusivity and statement making pieces.

As a brand we offer statement making watches in all our collections, but the bolder the better for the Middle East.

Is there anything that inspires you about the region?

The people are extremely informed on fashion and brands. You don’t realize how close Dubai is to Europe until you travel here often. People in this region love brands.

We’ve been selling watches here for over six years now, and our business is growing every year. We are adding new customers, but the support from our repeat buyers drives us to keep developing new products with the Middle East customer in mind.

Where do you see your business in the next five years?

A growing watch brand with more sales points across the world, and hopefully opening our first ever flagship store. A larger collection of watches that expands into more complicated designs and diamond embellishments unseen in the market. We are working on some very exciting product innovations to push our brand forward.

Is the business purely a family affair?

The whole family is involved, and we have a larger team that compliments us. My older sister, Shabeena, is my co-founder and COO. My younger sister, Neelum, leads the sales. My father started the company and is a managing partner, while my mother is the emotional support and holds it all together!

Our larger team is our extended family.

JBW has been doing business for 10 years, what do you think is the secret behind the brand’s success?

It is no secret that we have our own identity and stay true to who we are. We consistently deliver value to our customer every year – luxury products that are exclusive, yet achievable.

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