Tinu Menachery

Tanuki is the newest addition to Dubai Mall’s gastronomical delights. It’s situated on the lower level offering Japanese cuisine, close to the water fountain. It makes for an ideal place with a beautiful view while dining especially at night, where you can watch the fountain and the Burj Khalifa – its one view that never gets old.

With both outdoor and indoor seating, Tanuki offers an amazing dining experience. We chose to sit inside as it was more private and cozy inside. The interiors were done in earthy hues of browns and greens with a pop of colors using the furniture and wall décor, with an open kitchen.

A friendly fun robot welcomes you inside the restaurant – you can place your order with the interactive robot. I also loved the Japanese live wall art which was a constant throughout the dinner with anime and et al. The place was truly a mini modern Japan.

The Menu is simple, which makes the ordering process easier. Images of how the food looks like aids selection.

We started off with Avocado Mint and Kiwi Celery. Of the two I loved the Kiwi celery. Both were fresh, however I loved the taste of Kiwi Celery more, and would definitely say it’s a must try (P:S – I love KIWI).

We were then served a delicious bowl of chili garlic edamame, and it’s so addictive – I just couldn’t stop eating them. When the miso soup was served, it looked really tiny for a one person portion – but it was equally filling and sumptuous.

For the next course, we ordered for maki’s – Philadelphia maki, mango ebi, Tanuki Kogase and Philadelphia unagi.

The Philadelphia maki had salmon, cucumber, avocado, green onion, soft cheese and sesame seeds . This was a huge bite but delish at that.

It was my first at tasting Unagi and what better way than a Philadelphia Unagi. It was a beautiful explosion of smoked eel, cream cheese, cucumber with unagi and Caesar sauce. One word – Yum.

Mango ebi was another delish dish which had Shrimp tempura, cucumber, mango and tobiko. The flavors were very nice and it is definitely a must try.

The star of what we ordered was undoubtedly the Tanuki Kogase. It’s served warm, and literally melts in your mouth. The lightly seared salmon and eel mixed with cream cheese are definitely a delight to one’s palate. It’s definitely one of their signature dishes and it’s a loss, if you don’t try this at Tanuki. It was so sumptuous we ordered a second helping.

We tried the chicken and mushroom XLB’s. I liked the mushroom more than the chicken bao. However, the maki’s were definitely the star in our tasting session.

We completed our dinner with Kuro Eru and Manila Roll. Being a chocolate lover, my choice may be a little biased towards the Kuro Eru. It’s sweet kiwi maki with fruits like pineapple, strawberries, banana, almond and cream cheese. It was novel for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The service is quick, our cutlery was changed post every meal. The staff was extremely warm and friendly and were making sure all their patrons are comfortable.

I would definitely recommend Tanuki, if you love Japanese food. And if you don’t, Tanuki would be the right place to start with.

Tanuki

Location: Near The Waterfall, Lower Ground Level, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, Dubai

Cost: AED 200 for two

Reserve your table at: 045808228

I was invited to Tanuki and all views and images are © Urbanmodish, unless stated otherwise.

Hey guys,

Have been wanting to share this with you from some time now. I'm sure we all have that staple 'white shirt' in our closet. I have used a button down white shirt to create five different looks.

Look 1

White on white

It's a classic combination, just like a denim jeans and white t-shirt. This look is effortless and can cater to both a casual and fun party look, depending on the accessories thrown in.

I have used an ankle length open toe sock heel in military green along with a brown leather belt to complete the look. I have used my favorite Daniel Wellington watch along with a bold lip color to complete the whole look.

Look 2

White on Red

One can never go wrong with a white and red combination. I have teamed the white shirt with red pants from Bershka, brown lipstick, statement rings and sailor heels from Vincci.

Look 3

White on sequins

Needless to say I had to add that dose of bling to this look. Anyone who knows me, knows my love for bling. I love how effortlessly this whole look can go from a formal office look to an evening outfit (at least for me). I have teamed it with pink lipstick, Daniel wellington watch with a gold strap and black stilettos.

Look 4

White with ripped overall

This is my favorite look of all 5. Reason being I love how comfortable these overalls are and they scream casual. They can be dressed down, as I have by throwing in a pair of Steve Madden quilted loafers or can be dressed up with a colorful pair of stiletto.

Look 5

White with Gray wrap slit skirt

There's an understated elegance about this whole look. The wrap slit is a very classy and sexy number and the white shirt mellows it a notch down. Worn with black stiletto and pink lipstick to give a very soft feminine look.

Which one of the 5 did you like the most?

Let me know in the comments below :)

Much love

xoxo

Hello there,

If you are reading this, we both know why you happened to chance on this page.

Breaking up with someone is ALWAYS hard. No matter how long you were dating, It is always going to be difficult. That heavy feeling in your chest, that lump in your throat, those fleeting memories that play in your head are all a package that comes along with a heart break.

I’m not going to tell you any different from the innumerable articles you may have read. Because as clichéd as they may sound, they are in fact the best thing to do. I went through a separation a year ago and I was grateful for the support I did have around me, however, there were times that I had to manage my emotions on my own. When I reflect back on those days, the below helped me a lot, and I hope it helps you too.

Acceptance

This 10 letter word has changed my entire perspective on life. Irrespective of whether you broke up or your partner broke up with you, acceptance of the situation is something that will help you heal faster. Acceptance of the reason you two decided to move on in separate directions, acceptance of the fact that you’d have to do a lot of things by yourself, that you need to cherish those memories as memories and that THIS choice or situation is temporary and as my favorite quote goes “ This too shall pass”

Acknowledge

Acknowledge how you feel rather that suppressing it. It is completely alright to feel like you are a mess. It is alright if you feel like crying at the drop of a hat, if everything reminds you of your partner, if you want to socialize, if you don’t want to. Anything you feel like is alright, except harming yourself. YES, I would never ever want YOU to harm yourself just because something didn’t work out.

Take the time to heal, learn and understand how you feel - anger, sadness, hurt, disappointment are all emotions that you would feel. Allow them, do not suppress any of it. Embrace them all, they make you more of you

Introspection

Do take some time out for yourself and understand how you feel. Your feelings of hurt, anger, rejection, hatred is all valid. However, knowing how you feel is imperative for self-healing. I don’t intend on encouraging to walk around like a mess owning your feelings. I purely intend on having you acknowledge and accept your feelings and comprehend why it didn’t work out and what you need in a relationship.

The more you reflect on what makes you happy, and how beneficial this is - the better you heal.

Grieve

Take your own time to grieve. It need not be defined by another person. This was my biggest mistake. I forced myself to being busy and deprived myself of self-healing. I took the onus of being strong so my family and friends don’t worry much. But I ended up doing more harm than good for myself, and I realized that sooner than later. Grieve, till your soul heals. I feel the day you can tell your story without choking is when you have truly healed. And today, I’m so proud to say that not only have I healed, but I know what I want.

You can grieve for a day, a week, a month or even years. It's your emotion, don't let anyone decide or judge you for the time you took to move on. You know how you feel better than anyone else.

Indulge

Indulge in an activity that makes you happy. It needn’t be something extraordinary, it can be as simple as writing or walking on the beach. For me, it was running. Running was (is) so therapeutic for me, that I continued it whenever I was stressed or felt low. Indulge in what makes you happy, or takes your mind off things. Keeping yourself busy is also extremely helpful, as it keeps your mind occupied. However, at the same time - don’t forget to heal your soul.

Apart from running, going to church helped me a lot. I always felt like I was recharging my soul for the week (as crazy as that may sound). I mentally visualized being happy and healed and today here I am, writing this down.

Support System

Open up to your support system and not everyone. Learn to distinguish between people who want to listen to enjoy and gossip about your problems later and people who really care. I was luckily blessed with the latter, and once I did get everything out of my system I was at peace. Towards the end, I started listening to what I was saying and it indeed helped me realize how strong I was.

Certain people would listen only for their benefit or just 'to listen'. It annoys me even now, when people respond with "it's okay" or "chill". I prefer not having deep intense conversations with people who respond to any given situation with rehearsed replies.

Choose your circle wisely.

Learning

I believe every relation teaches us something if we are willing to learn. Learn from your mistakes and analyse the why’s, what’s and how’s. They help you to better understand what you want out of your relations. This period, although it’s a period of hurt and anger will be your best teacher and will also help filter out and help get ‘your’ people.

You will emerge a better, stronger, empathetic individual who knows what he/she wants and believe you me, there's nothing more attractive than that.

I hope these help you to heal from what you are going through. It’s not going to be easy, but this journey is going to help you in ways you would have never imagined it will. Your heart will learn to love, you will learn to believe again, your endless tears will cease, you will laugh and Life will surprise you.

This comes from someone who has healed and is in love with life and herself all over again. And if I can do it, my love you too can. I wish you the best in this journey. Sending you loads of love and good vibes.

To love and endless amounts of love.

Much Love,

xoxo

Hey Guys,

This was my second day in Mestia.

I woke up to the most serene and calming view ever, excited and pumped for what the day had to offer. Since I woke up really early, I made the most of it by sipping on some coffee and spending time with the home owner’s dogs. I LOVE dogs, and these two babies were the most squeezable one’s ever. It was as though two fluffy clouds were walking around on fours.

Most of the dogs is Georgia are bigger in size. There are some common breeds like the Caucasian shepherd, which are bigger than the regular shepherd dogs you see (I need to stop talking about Dogs).

Moving on, we left for the 8 hour (you read that right) hike to the lake equipped with food and water. When he said 8 hours, I mentally fainted and contemplated on my physique and strength (the latter which I do lack). I did a nervous giggle and promised myself that I’d push myself and make it uphill (short-lived).

The road uphill was steep, which is just an indicator to let you know that I ignored my previous statement even before trying. Giorgi, an experienced and seasonal hiker was definitely fascinated (read: disgusted), that I started panting in the first 20 minutes itself. However, I haven’t seen such an encouraging, supportive and patient guide ever. He was so kind and may have already grasped my lack of physical strength.

Uphill, was a beautiful journey which included 87259446565544646513556564 , 2 minute breaks. But the view, the clean spring water, the company all made it a fun and an experience I'd always cherish. We (I) huffed and puffed and walked uphill through winding lanes, houses (secluded at the top), dirt tracks, pebble tracks, and rocky terrains (aka bigger pebbles).

I was excited with the prospect of drinking water from the waterfall, and that was one of the pit stops where we had crisp ice cold water. It tasted so fresh and unlike what I have had. We reached a main pit stop, wherein we decided to have lunch and then proceed. A shade structure that overlooked a giant iron cross was a considerate stop to rest and move.

We sat there for some time, ate our lunch and joined in with a singing and dancing session with another group.

The lake was another 3 hours to go (in my case 5 hours), and since we were running short of time and breath we decided to head back through another trail. it was filled with flowers and was nothing short of a fairy tale, and I also spotted a cute little house nestled cozily amidst trees generously covering it up. It was an abandoned house, and so we decided to explore the quaint house and its surroundings.

The hike downwards was easier and much faster with one stop. We just continued amidst conversation, and picking flowers and making a flower crown. It was fun and downright crazy. But oodles of fun.

We reached back and I requested to go on top of the tower. We sat there for a good amount of time. The stillness of it all, the way nature danced and changed colors in front of us. That very moment was breathtakingly beautiful. I felt so grateful and full of happy emotions at the sight of nature. It was inexplicable.