Originally Posted by Bahtatboy (Post 10228688)

Thanks for all your suggestions. From what we did I can recommend the following:

Evening buffet at The Arboretum, Al Qasir Hotel, Madinat Jumeirhah. AED190 a head (can use Entertainer vouchers). Plus points: High-end setting (although the restaurant itself was good but not great), sushi, sashimi, salads (and in addition to the "standard" ones they'll make you what you want at the Salad Station), various other veg stuff, salmon, desserts, service. Minus points: Took them a long time to clear out the Iftar hordes, no roast beef, no wet curries. Would go again.

Koreana. Can't rate this highly enough. Run by Koreans (so the Korean nosh is obviously good), but they do Japanese too which is excellent. Wide menu, with pictures and adequate explanations. The Korean BBQ (marinated meat, cut into thin strips and seared in front of you) is very good, as are: bibimbap, omelettes, gyouza (Chinese dumplings), gyouza soup and not-too-hot kimchi. Japanese set menus are great and great value. Service excellent, spick 'n' span, good honest food. AED 400 for 4, and we were stuffed.

Bento (we went to the Media City outlet, but there are various). Cheap 'n' cheerful sushi, excellent quality and prices. Unagi (eel) is very good, and reasonably priced considering there's a real shortage just now in Japan. Can use Entertainer vouchers (BOGOF on the Bentos—the boxed meals). AED 250 using two vouchers, and we had plenty (bear in mind this was my wife, my two late-teenage sons and me, the latter three of whom can pack a fair amount away).

Dusit Thani Iftar Buffet (bit late now, I now, but I've had their Friday Brunch before which was excellent, and great value at AED 225 including decent booze). AED 190 (I think), can use Entertainer vouchers. Great array of food, about ½ Arabic ½ international. Excellent service and attention to detail, wonderful food.

Itsu, Dubai Marina Walk. AED 89 all-you-can-eat kuru-kuru (conveyor belt) sushi. Not too much variety, but ok. Salmon skin teriyaki is superb, as is the sashimi (but, as with every sushi restaurant I've been to out here, the only sashimi available is salmon and tuna). Good after a workout.

Iranian restaurant in the food court near the cinema in Ibn Battuta Mall. Ok, I don't particularly like eating in a shopping mall, but on ocassions its ok. The food is really good, service typical (ie surly, but you know what to expect when you see slicked-back hair and pointy shoes—they're not Iranian, but the management is), and reasonably priced. Been there a couple of time. AED 200-ish for 4.

Lebanese in Mall of the Emirates. Takeaway this time, but have eaten there before. High quality food. AED 300-ish which provides enough food for about 6 people.

Iranian in Mall of the Emirates (next to the Lebanese). Similar to the Lebanese in terms of price and quality, ie not cheap 'n' cheerful but great food. Does take away and eat-in.

And, of course, NKD Pizza (but only once). Without doubt the best take-away / delivery pizza, and agruably the healthiest pizza ever. If it was listed I'd buy shares in it.

Karting at Motor City--boys said it was better than the indoor tracks in UK. Will try the outdoors when the weather cools down.

Burj Khalifa. Worth the experience.

Wild Wadi. Boys really enjoyed it, the missus and I did too.

Aquaventure. Boys said it was as good as Wild Wadi.

Originally Posted by The Dean (Post 10229124)

Dusit Thani? Did you go to the main restaurant (The Californian, I think?) or one of the others?

Originally Posted by Autonomy (Post 10228911)

B-Boy - sounds like they had a great time and glad the karting worked out well - Koreana sounds good, I'll check that out - where is it?

Originally Posted by miuser2 (Post 10228983)

Is it this one? http://goo.gl/maps/a7GGu (New place - above the Korean supermarket). I thought it was very good.

Originally Posted by Bahtatboy (Post 10229905)

Al Barsha, next to a German kitchen shop (sorry, can't remember the name). On SZR going towards Dubai from the Marina its on the right hand side just after the turn off for the German Hospital. Bit fiddly, you have to exit SZR well before the road that goes to the German Hospital (R61?), then run parallel with SZR for some time, get to a small roundabout and turn right so that your running parallel again to SZR but in the opposite direction. Follow that road till it does a 90 degree left turn, and the restaurant's on your left. Not very precise--I'll try to go again at the weekend and post more clear directions.