DXBtoDOH

What do you do on your birthday, Millhouse?

scrubbedexpat141

A hearty chuckle at that.

Come on silly, I won't pass up an opportunity to call you cheap.

Millhouse

This year was spent nursing a hangover. It certainly didn’t involve going to work.

We don’t give a shit about each other in my office so certainly no concept of a little party. It’s the culture.

weasel decentral

Living in India I fully understand your pain, also due to all the various sects in India you will find your cake will have to satisfy all the Hindu, Muslim, Jain (no eggs!), Brahmin, veg and non veg criteria. So actually tasting good at the end of that is a difficult act.
I don't get the cake smearing act though, what's that about.

scot47

The Wahabis and Salafis agree with some posters here. Celebration of birthdays is in their eyes "haram" !

Bahtatboy

My 60th is coming up. I'll be here (work) -- actually I'd gladly let it slip by unnoticed, but a couple of my colleagues know so that probably won't happen. In which case I'll probably buy the food and drink for a dinner for my team (lobster sashimi, local bbq lamp, English sausages, Black Pud, Cava and whiskey). I'm definitely not excited about it.

We occasionally have b'day cake in the office if its one of the local employees' b'day, but certainly not if its my Korean colleagues -- far too reserved. The locals tend to go a bit bonkers, though.

mission

totally agree....i can't stand any desi sweets

jam25mack

100% agree. I feel so bad though when someone comes round and offers them as they look so hurt when I decline.... I'd rather nibble on my own finger tips than have one of them tho.

Desi deserts are also on the WTF is that rancid list.

scrubbedexpat141

It's a lot of Asia in general I've found - bizarre desserts generally consisting of savoury stuff mixed with sugar or something. Halo-Halo in the Philippines was ****ing awful.

All that said, patisseries in Japan. HO-LY SHIT. They make the French look like they bake turds.

DXBtoDOH

Japanese are excellent at minimising the sugar needed, which is a major improvement over their French equivalent, IMHO.

Made in Sheffield 1

The worst one is that really runny rice pudding type stuff. The texture, urgh!

scrubbedexpat141

I'll take your word for it, but some were just unreal. Superb pastries.

Miss Ann Thrope

Oh no, the burfi is a tooth-rotting delight especially pistachio ones. And Mysore pak.

But then again I like Carnation milk from the tin...

littlejimmy

There was what appeared to be a birthday party in the Red Lion last night. I was sat quietly trying to eat my dinner and this massive group of people with boxes slowly formed near me. A few smoked as well, which was nice. I finished my meal and got the heck outta there. I didn't hang around to see if there was any cake smearing antics.

DXBtoDOH

There's a few Japanese bakeries in Dubai. One on Al Wasl opposite Safa Park and another one in one of the new shopping centres further down in Jumeirah. They have some interesting pastries, including curry!

When I was in Paris last I had some macarons from a Japanese patisserie and it was easily much better than the famous Laduree macarons. Because it wasn't so sweet. Flavours came through much better.