Flight with Emirates Dublin - Dubai - Kuala Lumpur and return in Economy Class

Our holiday in July 2015 took us to Malaysia and Singapore.

We booked our flights with Emirates to Kuala Lumpur via Dubai in economy class.

A few days before our departure we received an email containing the inflight menu and what was on offer at ICE, the entertainment system.
Check in in Dublin at Terminal 2 was done efficient and with a smile. Originally we had chosen all our seats online at the time of booking our flights, but for some reason on the leg between Dubai International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport it was changed. 
Since seat selections are complimentary we used this service on each leg, but we still sat  together and it was just a row or so behind the original selection we didn’t mind. Our luggage was checked through to Kuala Lumpur. We also liked that the baggage claim tag was stuck onto a separate card than the boarding passes or one of our passports.
On the return flight our seat choice was honored.

On this occasion we had purchased Fast Track security access from DAA for 5.99 Euro (ca. 6.65 USD) per person, online. It also included a voucher for free coffee. Without fast track the waiting time was approximately 15 minutes. We were through security with no waiting at all and took maybe two minutes or less.

We had lunch at Flutes, one of our favorite outlets airside in Terminal 2. A review is going to follow.

Afterwards we browsed the shops a bit and went to our gate when it was time to board.

All flights were on a Boeing 777-300 ER. The seats were comfortable and in a 3-4-3 configuration. Only on one leg nobody sat beside us in the aisle seats. All flights were booked out or near capacity and had families with small children, who were overall well behaved, on board.

The food was as always good and there were two main courses to choose from. It was either a fish and meat option or beef and chicken. On one leg the chicken was in hot demand. Some guests might have been scared by the idea of eating an unfamiliar perch, a fresh water fish. It was what we would have chosen in the first place, so it didn’t matter to us. We liked it. Of course the desserts and ice cream were the highlight. The meals reflected where we started from and the destination, for example there were curries and braised beef, a lentil salad and other dishes.
Vegetarian and other special dietary needs meals have to be pre-ordered.
Non-alcoholic beverages were served regularly. There were also tea and coffee, wine and liquor available after meals, plus there was the option to enjoy a snipe of Champagne for USD 15.

ICE, Emirates in-flight entertainment system had a wide selection, but on some older Boeings we had problems with the touch screens (They weren’t very intuitive or suddenly stopped in the middle of a documentary or film and it took some effort to get it working again.)
When it was functioning, we watched documentaries, a classic, foreign movies and played “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”.

Toilets were spotless clean. Only once I saw crew discarding left over juices and some of it splashed on the walls, leaving a sticky mess and a sweet smell in the toilet.

The crew was overall attentive and friendly.
The flight attendants on our leg between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai were a bit stressed out and tired, because their journey began in Australia.

There were turbulences over India, because of the monsoon season and the seat belt sign was on while passing through.

We had planned in a generous layover of around three hours each time we had to connect in Dubai to have enough time for a meal and to avoid generally stress. There’s nothing worse than running through a large airport to catch your flight.
Arriving in Dubai from Dublin we had a remote stand and had to take a shuttle to bring as to the B Gates. It was a fairly long ride, around 25 minutes.

We had ice cream at Haagen Dazs and on the return lunch at Carluccio’s, located at the A Gates.  Reviews for those are going to follow.

One important thing about Kuala Lumpur International Airport: There are two security checks, one directly at the gate, so it is not possible to bring water bottles on board.

Of course we will fly with Emirates again. It is one of our favorite airlines. We like breaking up a long-haul flight to the Far East in Dubai. The service is great and reliable, the food good and the entertainment system should cater to most tastes.

©2015 

Sophie's Restaurant @ The Dean Hotel Dublin, Ireland

Sophie’s Restaurant is located on the rooftop of The Dean Hotel, Dublin, Ireland.

We had heard only good things about it from Hotel Chatter and after checking the menus online, we decided to reserve a table for brunch, dinner and breakfast during our stay at The Dean. Please see also our review.

Arriving at the landing on the 5th floor we were intrigued by the swings.

When entering the restaurant the rest rooms are to the right and the open kitchen to the left.

The interior design was modern. The bar was the center piece with some bar stools to sit around it, booths to the left and tables at every floor to ceiling window, which covered three sides. 

The views were stunning. 

There is also a heated rooftop terrace, where cocktails are served for those, who don’t want to have a meal.

Our brunch

The Maître d’ welcomed us, but had at first problems finding our reservation. We learned it had been booked under my fiancé’s name. As soon as it was cleared we were brought to our table.

It was buzzing on the Sunday afternoon. There were families with small children, a birthday party and couples. The noise level was amazing, but conversations could be still had.

Sometimes it was difficult to get the attention of the waiters, because they were so extremely busy. When we got hold of them they were friendly and accurate.

We ordered two carrot, ginger, apple and kale juices, two cappuccinos, two Eggs Benedict, one homemade granola with Glenilen natural yogurt and honey and one French Toast with Canadian Buckwud maple syrup.

The syrup came in a squirt bottle – a good idea, because customers can decide how much they need.
The coffee and tea are from Clement & Pekoe. The cappuccinos were smooth and milky, just as we like it.

All was very delicious. 

We also liked that the Eggs Benedict came with a grilled tomato and herbs. 

The cost for our brunch was 49.15 Euro (ca. 51.95 USD).

Our dinner

The atmosphere was different when we arrived in the evening. The music was upbeat and the lightning reduced. It might looked like you wouldn’t be able to see what was on your plate. The lightning was cleverly placed, for example over the bar, creating a bright island and over the tables too.

This time around the guests were couples and a small group, celebrating a birthday. 

A waiter soon arrived and took our order.

We had a large bottle of water, a Capone cocktail, an orange juice, the corn fed chicken with charred leeks, potatoes and chorizo foam, the baked hake with kale, brown shrimps, potatoes and tomato dressing, an avocado salad to share, the pana cotta with blueberry jelly and the frangipane with rum raisin ice cream and prunes. 

The cocktail was refreshing and similar to the one I had at the Merrion’s Cellar Bar during brunch there earlier in the year (See also our review).

The chicken and the fish melted in the mouth. The flavors of each dish were very balanced, light and healthy. 

Of course the highlight was the dessert. The pana cotta wasn’t sweet at all, but tasty. The frangipane was fragrant and the contrast between hot cake and cold ice cream was nice.

The staff was attentive and always there when needed. Somehow dinner seemed slightly better organized than brunch. 

We enjoyed our experience and thought the meal was a good value at 82 Euro (ca. 87 USD).
The meal had very high standards and was comparable to our dining experiences at other hotels in Dublin, like The Merrion or the Westbury.

We believe Sophie’s management team has higher ambitions and there is maybe a Bib Gourmand on the horizon in the future.

Our breakfast

After a good night’s rest we arrived for breakfast. Originally we had reserved a table for 08.00 hours, but were running late. It wasn’t a problem. We were the only ones at this early hour on a Monday morning.

In room dining was also in high demand, though, and by the time we left the restaurant had filled up a bit, but wasn’t that busy.

We were given the best table in one of the corners of the restaurant, allowing an at least 180 degree view over Dublin including Dame Street, the Central Bank, St. Patrick’s and Christchurch Cathedral amongst others.

We had also “spies” during brunch and breakfast. Curious seagulls flew by, looking what we humans were up to.

The breakfast and brunch menu were identical. They offered enough choice to try something new.
In this case we had two cappuccinos, carrot, ginger, apple and kale juices, two bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, two bowls of fruit salad and a pancake stack with orange butter. Originally we had intended to have a portion of porridge each, but felt this would stuff as too much, so we shared the pancakes. There were three and they were big. The orange butter was melting and all smelled delicious. Buckwud, which means maple syrup in native Canadian, was supplied again.

The juice this time around contained more carrot and ginger than the day before. 

The bagels were delicious and easy to eat. The amount of salmon was just right and the presentation was creative.

The bowls, where the fruit salad came in, were vintage looking with chipped enamel. The other plates, cups and saucers were by Ras Al Kheimah Porcelain. The crockery fit well with the ambience.

Our waitress was one of the members of staff we had the previous afternoon. She recognized us immediately, which was a surprise and pleasure, considering how many guests she had encountered. She was very attentive and took good care of us.

Breakfast came in at 45.45 Euro (ca. 50 USD).

Our take: We liked the contemporary interior, the friendly staff and the different atmospheres during our meals, plus the wonderful views over Dublin from the rooftop.

Brunch, dinner and breakfast were of a very high standard.

The value was good.

We will return later in the year.

©2015

Lunch @ Balfes, The Westbury Hotel, Dublin, Ireland

Every year we try to have a pre-Christmas lunch. This time we went to Balfes at the Westbury Hotel, Dublin. We have frequented Balfes for breakfast and brunch before.

We arrived shortly before Midday and were brought to a table near the window.

The staff was totally new to us. All members encountered were friendly, attentive and non-obstructive.

All menus are available online, so we had already checked out what we wanted to have.

Choosing our drinks was easy, but what to have as starter, main course and dessert wasn't so obvious.

We ordered four Chai Latte, two each, one carrot, orange and ginger juice and apple, celery, spinach and kale juice. Later we were told that unfortunately the spinach was not available, but they could make an apple, carrot and kale juice, so I took that. There was no big difference between the juices. Mine was slightly more bitter.

We shared a starter sized chicken salad. It was generous and contained green leaves and guacamole.

Our main courses were two chicken fillets with cassoulet. We were surprised how light the dish was and the meat portion really large, but the chicken was tender and juicy.

A meal wouldn't be complete without a dessert. We had mixed berries with champagne sabayon and Banoffi with hot chocolate mousse. We know both desserts. As always they were delicious. We liked the contrast between ice cold banana and warm chocolate mousse.
The berries with sabayon were delicately flavored and well balanced.

When we arrived the restaurant was empty, but when we left it was nearly full. Having learned this, we might consider booking a table in advance to avoid disappointment.

Noise levels weren't very high, considering how many guests were dining with us.

Overall we had a leisurely lunch and stayed for around two hours.

The cost was 90 Euro (ca. 112.40 USD) excluding tip.

We will be back again.

 ©2014

Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

On one of our evenings we went to Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab at Rua Nova de Abaixo, 20 (Pza. Fuenterrabia, 5) in Santiago de Compostela.

The restaurant is just about 100 m from the cathedral and in the Old Town.

The restaurant is clean and simple furnished.

We liked the dark furniture, colorful lampshades and the industrial kitchen.

When ordering we went to the counter. We had a set meal with a soft drink and a chicken doener kebab included for 5 Euro each, ca. 6.80 USD. Our choice was water.

We were then asked to sit down and our order was delivered as soon as it was ready.

The doener was different than what we were used to from Germany or Poland.

It was lighter, less spicy, had more salad leaves, which makes the doener healthier, and was easy to eat, aka "no mess here".

We liked the succulent meat, textures and flavors.

The staff was friendly and spoke good English.

Payment was taken at the counter.

When we are back in Santiago we definitely are going to stop at Newroz again.

It's an affordable option in the heart of this fascinating city.

©2013