Saturday, October 31, 2009

Casa Goa

If you’re Mangalorean, East Indian or Goan, or a mix of all the above and are in Dubai, then there is no way that you still haven’t been to Casa Goa. You probably would not know the way to St. Mary’s Church but you sure do know the way to the sixth floor of the Palm Beach Hotel in Bur Dubai.

For those who are not Mangalorean, East Indian or Goan, or a mix of all the above and are maybe even not in Dubai, then let me tell you that Casa Goa is more than just a place that has Goa suffixed to its name. It’s a right of passage for all the Mangalorean, East Indian or Goan, and a mix of all the above and those by chance who are in Dubai to go and let their hair down, dance their worries away when they are quite drunk and get high licking the masala of the dish that probably had pork sorpotel about thirty seconds ago.

This place is easily the first place that I had been to when I first came to Dubai. Just like then, almost 3 years back, I didn’t think too much of the interiors which very sadly bears no resemblance to any sort of character that is remotely Goan. The ceiling is sort of layered with a bit of cross thatch, to probably give you the idea that you are in a village, or give you that feeling that you are at home (this is assuming that all the brethren there have come from thatch houses). Well very frankly it does not work and nor does the arrangement of the tables, which according to me can be a lot lot better. But yet it still works for all the very undemanding and very understanding clientele that come in there. There are no TV screens around except for one, which kind of limits your options of watching any sport games. With movies normally being the popular and unanimous choice to be played on mute, I guess it’s only when there is a cricket match that involves India that there is any sort of sport that is actually shown there.

But what it lacks in interiors and character is very well covered up and taken care of by the wonderful food and the live entertainment that they have to offer. Now the live entertainment is one man, one band, one of a kind show. Going by the stage name of Cajjie (short for Cajetan) and responding to Cajjie otherwise as well when seen on the streets of Bur Dubai, he is Dubai’s very own Stevie Wonder (not blind though). Earlier he would seem very limited by his choice of play list, but he has gotten a lot more diverse and better since the first time I saw him play there. The music does vary on what kind of crowd is present on the night and what kind of requests they have, but there is a good chance you will hear him belt out the all time Konkani classics such as Mog Tuzo, Meera Meera, Juliana and Claudia. And be sure to be brave enough to join the blokes on the floor when he is belting out the ever popular, never say die, baila. Other than the Konkani regulars, there is a lot of English that he sings as well, varying from James Blunt, to Stevie Wonder and the Eagles, to the Beatles as well. So there is something for almost everybody.

Prior to the recession hitting in, the place was one of the most popular places to hang out at and was kind of hard to get a table if you didn’t have a prior reservation. Sometimes you were given a table but didn’t have enough chairs to sit on. The busy schedule and the success they enjoyed sometimes drove the staff there to be quiet cocky and a very big turn off. But post recession, unfortunately the place bears a deserted look where you can walk in on any day very easily and get a table and even manage to get service with a smile with an option of which chair you going to park yourself on.

Now if you’re onto some good goan masala and can handle the spice, then you have to give the food a good try. It’s a welcome change from the usual pub fare that is to offer in most places here. It’s quite relishing to eat a form of pork that has a decent serving of gravy on it. They do serve the butter chicken masala and maybe even a fried rice, but if you going to indulge at Casa Goa, there is no way you can give the pork ribs a miss. Very popular for its Goan cuisine, try out the pork vindaloo, potato chops and also the chicken cafreal all served with either rice or pav (Indian bread bun). Once again, be sure to check you level of spice tolerance, because for the few of you cant handle it, you will be eating more tissue than anything else if you are not careful.

Coming to the prices, over here, most things do certainly come at a price. Both food and drink are priced slightly higher than most other establishments. Many may wonder what keeps them from reducing their prices as most places may be faring better by slashing the prices a bit. Plus there does not seem to be any sign of offers or happy hours on either food or drink. But I do think that it is very smart economic sense that is keeping the prices high. With a table of four easily spending a good 300 bucks on food and maybe a drink each, it hasn’t stopped the footfalls through the door. Offer or no offer it sure does become a habit and does make many a regular. Comparatively empty is what I said earlier but if you have had a taste of what they have had to offer here before, you will keep coming back, so it does have its regulars. The place will definitely burn a small hole in a poor mans pocket, but it’s a nice place to entertain friends, family, visitors when money is not an issue.

If you look back at what’s written you tend to wonder what is it that is so novel that brings people back to this place. Is it the food, is it the drink, is it, or the very apt location? Or maybe and just maybe, it is that one thing where you understand the meaning of casa is being at home and where you do get the feeling that everyone there has come in for the same. It kind of reminds me of the song by Gary Portnoy, where he goes

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.


Cheers ☺

How I wish I could believe in...YESTERDAY

Dubai lacks originality in sort of coming up with apt and appropriate names when it comes to naming bars or pubs. Almost catering to the English, pubs would have names that revolve around animals like lions and snakes with a crown on it or it would be one of the most common names that you would give a guy, say like Johnnies. But if you looking to get peoples attention, why not just call it “Yesterday”. First time I heard of it, I almost had a good laugh at the intelligence of the person wanting to name the place as something that was as good as yesterday. You know what I mean.

So it came down to another day of discovery, and a sms blast to gather the crowds and kind of let family know of my movements, so that they could kind of sleep easy. As has always been the case with the country, the telephone rates being so high, I shouldn’t really be expecting too much of a response. So then it took a phone call to the husband of the one they call “The Saint”. Now for all those who don’t know the Saint you will have to get the lowdown from an earlier post. Now the husband of the Saint is Mr. Clean, a good reflection of his character and the fact that he has decided to wipe off the growth they call a moustache, so as to make him look 20 years younger and grant him a licence to be questioned of his age whenever he enters an establishment that don’t allow under 21s. I think it makes everyone feel good when they stop you to know your age.

So leaving The Saint behind at home, Mr. Clean joined The Viral, Banger, Punk and his girl (yes we had one more girl, I think this whole thing is catching up with the fairer sex), and of course me the Beerman to find out what happens at Yesterday and find answers to some pressing questions like “What in the world can choke our balls in this lifetime?”

With some disturbing thoughts and a very odd feeling originating from regions not worth mentioning the few of us made our way through the doors of the Four Points by Sheraton in Mankhool. This is not to be confused with the Four Points on Bank Street in Bur Dubai. As we walked in with our sandals on our weary feet, it came as no surprise that the concierge knew very well what we were looking for and pointed his finger in the direction of a hallway. Not one to ask too many questions when thirsty we took his word and filed down through the door with a huge sign screaming YESTERDAY on it. If one expected to be walking through a time machine or portal that would take you backing time, they sure would be disappointed, because it has nothing of that sort. There isn’t any music or a jukebox belting out the oldies off vinyl records. The only thing that sort of takes you back in time, are black and white photos of events that aren’t really captioned. So it did come as no disappointment that such a drab name could actually throw up a drab environment as this. It’s like something I read off the net, that the place true to its name is nothing more than a place for has beens.

Not too packed either and I guess it really does not try to hard to attract too many clientele and I guess it does work for those who just want to have a quiet drink without having to scream their lungs out. The interiors have nothing new to say. It is fairly bright and thankfully the service and the staff are not as wooden as some of the people I have met at bars, who give the furniture a hard run for their money. It is only later when I was leaving the place did I find a corner that was dedicated to watching all the live sports. A small tunnel that houses four flat screens resembles a games room that Playstation may want to sponsor and brand sometime soon (I have a very good eye for marketing opportunities)…With four flat screens sitting next to each other, it could be really hard to be watching a game over there if there were to be a good crowd. I couldn’t say for sure but I will give it a try on a game night and let you all know what the experience is like.

The menu is not that expansive but better than most establishments that we have been to and some of the food on offer didn’t seem to be very expensive as compared to places of a similar nature. You could easily get a plate of greasy buffalo wings for around Dhs 30. And that is the price of most of the dishes that are there. The cost of the beers are more or less on par with most pubs in the country. They did have an offer on the beers, where a bucket of five caronas came in for about 108 bucks. Definitely not the best deal in town when it comes to serving cheap beers, but still works for some.

Well with a couple of beers down and buffalo wings taking flight in the belly region, and the shutters coming down in my weary head, it was time to take leave and make sure that the evening came to an end at a respectable hour. After some good chat flirting with the topic of marriage and wondering if it could be one of the things that could possibly make you go down on your knees in pain, we all settled the not so high bill and went our ways, wondering if we really know what to expect when our balls get choked…

Monday, October 12, 2009

Fibber Magees

It’s very rarely that a city like Dubai can take you by surprise… Well after an afterthought and a blink of an eye, I stand corrected. It does surprise me how a road that used to turn right, now turns left without as much as a hint of a warning, how speeding and flashing lights to get out of the way are as normal as downing a shawarma with a little bit of tahini sauce and screaming for more pickles, or how you can have one of the city’s oldest bars tucked away in the heart of a construction war zone and still be standing tall among all the skyscrapers around it. Ladies and gentlemen…it’s time you said hello to Fibber Magees.

Well going by its name and the colours associated with it, definitely Irish and from its website (yes it has a website of its own but unfortunately does not give much about its history), we learn that the place reopened in 2004. Why did it shut earlier or is it really one of the oldest bars in town as most people claim calls for a lot more than investigation. It calls for beers at the fibbers.

So donning by detective hat and sporting my imaginary magnifying glass, we ventured out on a Wednesday night to find answers to questions that were left unanswered and very seriously causing an uncomfortable dry lump in the throat. So as responsible residents of the city (a very rare kind) we jumped into a cab and headed to discover the unknown. Now I did happen to ask an ex sometime back as to how to get to this place. She seemed a frequent drinker and a quizzer there. Well all she said then was that I would not be able to find the place. Well me being also smart (another rare kind) knew when I was not wanted and realized that there will be a time and a place…Well not exactly what you guys are thinking, this story of mine has a happy ending, there will be a time and a place to find the Fibbers and down the lagers…

Anyways snapping out of the unnecessary flashback, which I may delete at the end of this write, lets get back to the story. So in the cab zipping on what has been labeled the deadliest road in the world, we really didn’t need to have one of the most friendliest drivers in the world, who thought it absolutely fine to look at me, leave the steering, and share a laugh with me and Cyril over some inane joke on something I don’t remember right now (yes the alcohol seems to be taking away those brain cells, but no complains there as it makes us forget easily things that are really worth mentioning) all at the same time while speeding at over 100km/h and changing lanes. Trust me like Cyril says, it’s probably safer to drink and drive these days.

So after missing a few exits, going down the wrong alley and asking about two and a half people for directions, we realize we were just five minutes away from uncovering for us one of Dubai’s oldest and maybe even one of the few well kept open secrets of the city. Now for all of you who do decide to go there, this is how you get there. So you are headed to Jebel Ali from Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road. As you come out of the Trade Centre roundabout, there is an immediate exit for a service lane taking you to the Fairmont Hotel. The service road runs all the way after the Fairmont Hotel to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. So drive past the Fairmont, look out for the KFC, after which you will come across an Indian restaurant by the name Jashn. This is where you get out of your car and walk into the adjacent alley. Not much of very exciting entry, but take a few steps down and turn left, there is one lantern that should and will catch your eye. By the lantern don’t miss the wooden board, which basically was the Big X for us that marked the spot. Incase this description causes any problem in making you get the directions right. Just jump on their website (www.fibbersdubai.com) for a look at the map.

Now if you are a fan of football, the beautiful game, and a fan of London club Chelsea, then there is no better place for you to be. It so seems that the Dubai chapter of the Chelsea fan club, have made Fibbers their home for the moment. All matches that Chelsea play are without a doubt on the big screen, be it the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup…No better place to see the elephant strong Drogba stumble to the ground and wince around in pain after being brushed by a hair, or JT show people around what it is to don the Blue.

As it happens this night was Champions League night, Chelsea playing Apoel from Cyprus, so was a good night to get a good feel of the place. So as we walked in, first impressions were smoky, beer, drunk women and some awesome gigantically sized burgers…now that’s the way we like it. Not able to find ourselves a table, and seemingly a bit lost, we suddenly heard a voice over my shoulder. Not sounding like God for sure, and looking heavenwards (we were one of the shortest people in the bar, even the women seemed taller, wonder if it was the beer…good stuff I must say…). Tall white man ask, “you Juny (or something like that)…I say no…he say, “I’m sorry, I think you Juny (or something like that). I wait for coloured man, if you see another one of your kind, who look lost, please send my table.” Well not much happened after that conversation other than us taking the white mans table after he had waited long enough for Juny (or something like that).

So seated at the table and watching at least three live games at the same time, certainly seemed like a good start. We were later to be joined by none other than Dom, Kingsley and his wife Scarlett. Yes people we finally do have our first official woman beer drinker on Discover a Bar on Wednesday (DABOW). A big first in my campaign to let and help people attain beervana…To celebrate this great occasion we managed to get a few of our pics clicked and Scarlett drank straight out of the pitcher. Not much conversation this time round as people were engrossed in the game, except for this one man. It was an encounter of the racist kind (a very common kind here) who for some reason believed that you could support a team only if you were from that country. His nationalistic approach and narrow minded thinking got me a bit wound up, but Cyril immediately got the pitcher in front of me and hypnotically I seemed to forget. This time round thankfully it wasn’t the brain cells going blaaah…well it saved me the effort of clenching my fist and not holding a glass. But other than that Dom very carefully continued sipping away on his Carlsberg and Cyril watched the game. On the other hand Kingsley worried about when he would get back home so that he could catch up on his mandatory 8-hour sleep. Shetty refused to come out because he needs to study and get to work the next day. I ask you what is happening to the 25 year olds these days. The adventurous, the enigmatic, the dynamic, the plain stupid and drunk, they are a diminishing kind. Dubai is making these people stare at mid life crises a little too early, don’t you think…

The menu does seem diverse but it does end up being pub grub again…all fried and crispy most of the time. Do check out the offers on though, they do seem to work out more reasonable. Especially the lunch offers are worth a try if you can sneak up to there during a workday. Be ready to down a pint as well when you are down there. According to their website they do seem to have a lot of catering going on as well, so maybe somebody could give them a try and let me know what they think of their services. Prices on the menu not a poor mans price, but it can be done once a week. Check out some of the other activities they have happening there as well. Believe they have a comedy night.

Now most reviews on the net do not really give it too much credit on its interiors. But according to me its one of those bars that don’t really have too much pretense going on, and the décor of the place very intelligently maintained giving the bar a great ambience which makes you just want to revel and drown the night away in your beer. The crowd on the night was mostly football fans, who quickly disperse once the games were over. But I do believe that there are a few regulars over there and plus I like mentioned earlier the quiz nights are certainly a big draw. In addition to it being close to quarters of air hostesses, they do sure seem to make an entry there, thus leading to more footfalls of pot bellied fifty plus men. And that certainly does not make for bad business.

Bad business is not what we gave them either. Another review calls the place a workman like bar, but the prices of the beer or the food are definitely not workman at all. Pretty much the average cost of a beer in Dubai. This is the city that probably serves the most expensive beer in the world. Can you beat the fact that a mug of beer in this city costs close to $10. Don’t know if that’s workmanlike at all. Certainly does not work for me, but you cant really help it. There are some things that just have to be done no matter the cost or the consequence. Like me writing this blog and putting people through the torture of listening to my rants.

The evening on the whole was definitely a good one, with Chelsea winning in Cyprus, us discovering a bar, Kingsley probably going late to work the next day and Shetty continuing to fool himself that he is studying at home while watching Hindi reality TV at home. By all means a place to visit for one and all when in Dubai. Just make sure to get there early and be equipped with your best humour for a hearty laugh and probably some not so smart quips from the uninformed…I’m sure the best of us will be able to handle it. Not fibbing at all…

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Nasha hi Nasha hai...

Well its been a long time coming, People were beginning to ask if the Beerman had disappeared never to return again. And though a bit bizarre and ridiculous to be asking such things, it did seem like a very quiet month not actually being able to say much and not really having an audience to listen to the rants.

Well it being the holy month of Ramadan and me being as tolerant as most people are to beer and its following antics, I decided to take a sabbatical to get some thoughts in place. The place was easy to find but not the thoughts. It all just felt so empty with no beer.


It’s not like there weren’t visits to the bars and there wasn’t opportunity enough to down enough and more beer. But as is my endeavour to find stories before and after every beer, everything during this period of fast, abstinence and government restraint everything just seemed monochrome. I did come across the Mallu with the double cuffs, there was the swine flu party at D’Cellar, visits to the Belgian Beer Bar and Café and there were visits to places that just missed their soul during this period.


But all that aside now and back to the Wednesdays. Yesterday was the first Wednesday after Eid and it felt like just perfect to get the whole show on the road again. It feels nice to know that people actually come up to me and ask me, “Where is it going to be tonight?” It’s a totally different story as to why not so many people actually turn up. But keeping the faith and lifting a beer mug every Wednesday the few that we are, we shall go on gulping.


Well yesterday ended up being a long day at my job that brings in the bread and butter. It’s the very job that pays my internet bills that helps me post the verbal diarrhea on the world wide web and hope that someone or somebody sees potential and even money to invest in this beerchild. But yeah it was an unusually long day. Tired, weary and almost resigned to ending the day with no beer which could have proven to be sacrilegious to the whole concept of Discover a Bar on Wednesday (DABOW), the Gods aligned the stars and threw a bit of the moon into the mix for a fair amount of gravity, thus bringing in front of me the one we know as the ‘Saint’.


Now the Saint is no ordinary person because the Saint does try hard to live up to the name. Not one to point a wrong finger and not one to place any sort of inconvenience on anybody’s lap. Going by these traits, examples set and wanting to be in close proximity to something so saintly, I agreed to give her a lift back home. Now the drive back home is long, strenuous, distracting and just one long straight road. So after dragging the car all the way to the other side of town, it would have been plain stupid not to have a glass or two of lager and just finally relax. So after making a total of exactly one call I decided to don the cape of Beerman and hit the streets of K-Town…Let’s all thank The Saint to making the Wednesday happen now…Clapclapclapclap…


Now K-Town is no ordinary place and nor is it a very cheap place as per many peoples misplaced notions. As you can notice, nothing in my stories are even remotely ordinary. But yeah coming back to the whole thing about K-Town. It does give you this illusion that it was just meant to be the way it is, crowded, cramped and Asian. Speaking of Asian reminds me of this one conversation I had with one of my few exes in my life. How is it that when people say Asian, most people who live under the delusion that they originate from the West (haven’t they heard that Christopher Colombus lost his way and went round in circles, hence proving to the world that its round and no longer flat), seem to give credit to all the chinks. Now no offence there, nor am I even trying to be racist here, but I do believe that people from the Arab world, the Indian subcontinent would love to be associated with the worlds largest continent. Well if I remember well, and from my past experiences, its best to let women believe whatever they believe, because what goes on in their head, very seriously just goes on in their head. And if you try to play with that, you just going to be banging your head on a wall. So it’s best sometimes to let them love and live in ignorance. But I do seriously believe that all those people with the grand delusion, must make a point to sit in a geography class. Its like all of them seemed to have skipped a class together.


But seriously that’s not why you people are here, not to hear my views on the east or the west…we are here to know what yeast can do to make some feel like a waste…yes and that is my poetic streak there. But yeah after the grand call, and with Dom turning up we knew there is only one place that we could and wanted to go, without having to drive too long or look for a darn parking. Plus we trying to be good citizens and making sure that we go somewhere that wouldn’t actually make us drive back home. There was only one place that suited us and the dark night. So off we went straight to Nasha in Karama Hotel. Well the way to Nasha is not really a straight one. There are just too many rights and lefts, but we boys have been down those hall ways so many times that we could probably walk over there with our eyes closed. There was no way that we would make a wrong turn there. So as we came to the end of a long stretch of tiles, and before we took that final left turn that would take us through the doors of Nasha, we were greeted by the friendly smileless bouncer, who must have flirted with the idea of checking if we were underage. But with the confidence of gymnasts and with the help of looks that screamed that we were well over 21, we skipped into the bar, mazed our way through tables, squinted to see through the dim light and stopped by a waitress to ask for directions to an empty table. Seated and thirsty and painfully tired, Dom and I went through the motions of ordering our beers and a plate of buffalo wings. Hungry I almost polished off the whole plate of wings, with the fries included. Must say that they were dry and surprisingly quite alright to chew on.


Now since it was just the two of us seated there and not much really happening, We discussed the day and some family business that shall not make its way into the blog right away, and that’s about it. I really don’t have much of a story to say. But here is the scene with Nasha. It’s a very dimly lit and dingy looking joint, which has Filipino waitresses wearing white, so that the light from the TV would bounce off their tops hence spreading light into the room. Mostly frequented by the men who are looking for a cheap drink a malyali movie or just a cricket game. Gets pretty crowded and smoky as well. You do see a woman here or there, but in general all you Church going, Buddha Bar frequenting crowd, could easily be put off by the place’s ambience. It’s a good social experiment to see if anybody can get a bunch of women to come into the shady Nasha have a drink and a good time and walk out. I’m sure we can, but I just haven’t been successful with the women that I have been with. But here is the good thing about Nasha. If you like your beef, and you like it spicy, this is where you have to go. Very good Kerala fare and cheap beers. A sure shot combination for a good evening. In fact I would recommend the place to people who would like to throw a party for colleagues, friends and me.


Well after practically getting bored watching a cricket game, and then being forced out by the language that we don’t understand, Dom and I walked out into the bright hallways of Karama Hotel not knowing if this was the end of the night. We were very pretty sober, it was pretty early and we both had to report to work tomorrow. This could only mean one thing to the both of us. Slow steps, pretty determined, and led by the music and the sound of dancing feet on a stage we took a right turn... :D

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Spiral-D'Fusion...A bit of confusion

Spirals

A lot of people are certainly surprised by my resolve to carry on with the discovery, and yes I am proving to the detractors and to the non believers, that with every Wednesday, we can find something new and something beautiful. This is one where curiosity does not kill the cat…well it may get the cat drunk, but lets save that for another day and another post.

But for now lets get down to what happened on Wednesday and whether Spirals made the cut. I really didn’t expect a huge number to turn up, but was hopefully looking for new faces. I certainly didn’t expect to stay out for more than one beer and probably even make it back by midnight, but truth is that we had such a ball of a time that yeah we ended up staying till closing time.

With the venue shifting this time round to Al Barsha, a lot of people couldn’t and didn’t make it. But there was Leon and Cyril as I walked through the door of the Grandeur Hotel. Now this place is certainly not very big and is not very well known by name as the cabbie hadn’t heard of it. But after a little brief as to where it could be, he knew where we had to be. My first impression of the place was that it just wasn’t frequented enough and that the three of us may just end up being the only ones sitting in Spirals. We had to walk through a very empty, restaurant No.1 to get to Spirals, and the décor of the place certainly didn’t flatter to deceive. The only thing spiral, were just the lamp holders dangling from the ceiling. High tables and bar stools with a total of maybe 4 tables, and one would have thought that this place could certainly have seen better days. But with Dwight on the table we were pretty confident that this could be one of those nights that could lead to a long post from me. Dwight once again has raised a lot of questions in many a mind and there has been a barrage of questions as to who he is. I have one lady from Sharjah who is hounding me for a photograph of Dwight. I am still sort of grappling with the settings of the blog and trying to see if we can have albums posted on it. If any one of you have any insights on this please do let me know.

With beers ordered and resting ourselves on those high stools, we looked around again hoping to see something of interest. Right in front of us was a pool table that looked like it was pretty new. Two gentlemen were already on it and having a game, so we waited our turn before we could hog it. A projector screen and two 32” plasma screens showing Ten Sports and ART Prime Sport sort of gave Spirals the licence to call itself a sports bar. A bunch of popular numbers in the background kind of set the mood for the evening.

Now something that is really worth mentioning is the staff. Each one of them had something that was very positive that was going through them. I don’t know what it was, and I tried to find out, but all that came across from these great guys was a smile and the question, “More beer, Sir…” It was as if there was a connect, as if they could read our mind, and we were hypnotized in just saying “Yes”. I told them they had to teach me how this thing works, so that I could try it on some woman someday if not everyday. Try to make them say YES to me. Maybe I should approach the woman with the beer question rather than talk to them of the days when I had hair…Definitely worth a shot the next time round.

As I was debating and imagining who I would be questioning in the future, the staff at the Spirals said something else that made them grow even greater in my eyes. The pool table was free…and when I say free, I not only mean that the first two gentlemen and left but that we could play as much as we wanted without having to pay for the frames. Now my friends, this is another discovery. This is for the books. As far as I know this could be the only bar in town that is not making at least five odd bucks on people torpedoing balls down a hole with a narrow stick. Now that got the three of us in the mood and we had nothing left to say but “YES”.

Now as we readied ourselves for a good game of pool, it wasn’t that we weren’t noticing the ladies that were walking in from the next door restaurant No. 2. Them with their blackberry phones in one hand and a cigarette in the other, they sat on the table behind where there were a bunch of men with blackberries as well. Fidgeting with their hyped phones they made conversation with one another and shot the occasional glance over to the pool table waiting when we would vacate it.

Now every time these well dressed Indian women, walked in through that door, there was the sound of loud music, a man on the mic and the smell of karaoke coming through. I had to see, I had to know, so I had to go. And I was right, a bright lit restaurant, with half the tables full and a karaoke machine. This was D’Fusion, the Indian restaurant with a twist. Well it was decided that once we were done with drinks that’s where we would be headed for dinner. Little did we know that later would mean 2 am.

As we played pool we met an interesting character who went by the name of Neil. Neil is from Delhi and was in Dubai for business. According Neil from Delhi, he manages small sportstars like Suresh Raina. He also sells Manchester United perfumes to duty frees all over the world and plays a good game of pool. Later we would also see that he loves to rap like Wyclef Jean and shake like Mithun Chakraboty. Being a slightly older character, these attributes seemed to make him quite endearing to the fairer younger sex. So all you men out there, there is still hope.

In addition to Neil, we came across a Dutch, by the name Cheppih. In Dubai on holiday with his nephews and daughter, he had a flight to catch to back home first thing in the morning, but he still chose to hang out with us boys and he also joined us for a bit of karaoke fun as well. Cheppih by the way is from Eindhoven and is involved in a lot of charity work. So Leon and he have promised to stay in touch so that they can work something out. Though he didn’t get to hear either Cyril or Leon sing, he and the whole lot of us present were quite taken aback by this lady who was belting out Hindi songs of the 70s so effortlessly and melodiously, that it just seemed unreal. But that’s not to take away from Cyril and Leon who with their singing prowess did manage to attract questioning glances as to who those shabby boys with the bass voices are? In fact this place had the most talented karaoke singers I have seen in Dubai under one roof. The songs ranged from Hindi classics to retro English, to love songs, to rock. There was the group that had Reshma and her friend, who chose to sing the most dramatically slow songs one could imagine. But they did sing it well. By the way did I mention that Reshma’s friend is Caucasian, pretty and loves beer too?

Now D’Fusion for an Indian place isn’t really a cheap option because a meal for three recommended by Joheb (another example of an excellent staff, who not only made sure that we were comfortable but also won worthy praise from our very own Leon, who at other times has a problem mincing the expletives), would easily cost you a good 200 odd bucks. They do serve the guests a complimentary welcome drink where you have the option of it being alcoholic or otherwise. The food too is quite good, a bit on the sweeter, blander side, that caters to people who want to experiment with the butter chicken. But it is fresh, and served hot. A beer there too costs about 30 bucks which is about the norm for hotels in and around the Barsha area, who believe that people who stay in and around the area don’t really care dishing out almost $10 for a beer. This must be the most expensive beer in the whole wide world. In fact this is the place where the most expensive beer is sold in bars…Damn…Spirals is a place that one would go to if there weren,t too many options, which isn’t the case these days. There is still a lot that needs to be done in terms of the interiors, which would make the place a little more attractive. As an afterthought, it does resemble a small storeroom that has been converted into a bar, with the entrance of the kitchen opening up into the bar area. And funnily enough it did seem that all the food for D’Fusion went through Spirals but they wouldn’t serve us the same food if we were seated in Spirals. Not too sure if that makes sense to anybody now?

But like always we guys managed to have a good time and come back happy. Would definitely recommend it to all the people who have recently moved to Discovery Gardens and the surrounding areas for a nice quiet evening. Do not miss the Karaoke nights that happen on Wednesday. And if you feel like a smoke over there, you can always step into Spirals which is a door away.

So my friends that’s another Wednesday, another discovery. Next week is the last Wednesday prior to Ramadan, and I have got a lot of hands up saying that they would like to give it a shot. I would love to see more new faces. If there are any suggestions, any recommendations in terms of bars or just simply about how long these write ups are, do drop me a line. Spread the word and tell your friends good things about discovery.

We are a good laugh and the Beer is a good drink. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Cheers

The Beerman

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Pre Spiral

Ooooh the pressure to deliver every weekend, balance out the personal, the professional and the rant, is something that I have not been used to. Earlier the professional used to mix with the personal and the personal somehow managed to find its way in the professional. The decision to try and keep the two apart was a sound one but now the juggle has started and for some reason time these days just isn’t enough, when you’re having fun…

Hello my beer guzzling buddies…hope all is well and that discovery is what you are yearning for and a Bar is what you are screaming for. Another Wednesday is upon us and we shall not put ourselves in a predicament or in front of the idiot box to make us believe that this is life. Damn the philosophy is coming out and I haven’t had a drop yet.

But as is the custom, before we sort of venture into where our next adventure is going to be. I take this opportunity to say what I have to say without having anybody cutting me short or trying to prove me wrong.

I’ve been getting a lot of reviews on the style of writing and though people have been appreciative of the attempt and the humour, what hasn’t gone down very well with people has been the length of the whole read. Now a lot of people would agree with me that size does matter, and not too many people are proud of small bits that don’t get you excited. But yeah I know sometimes too big is too bad and can be a pain is what some say, and I can imagine that it can be butt boring (all puns intentionally intended). So will try to limit what I have to say and get straight to the point, if at all there is any point.

There have been a lot of requests to pepper the whole thing with pictures and show people who Dwight is and is he really that super and dashing as I claim him to be. Well like I earlier I may not be a very good juggler of the various aspects to my life, but the pictures will be up sooner rather than later. But keeping all these things aside, its time to pursue the other and more pressing issues at hand.

Now in the past, the attendance though low has never been dismal and people always seemed to be walking out happy and not in a straight line. But yes it is true that the faces have been the same. We tried sticking to the city centre side of town to attract a bigger attendance, but it seems that side of town does not necessarily bring out our people at or after 9 pm. So for today the idea is to be closer to home and check out a bar in Barsha. Some founder members may find it hard to make a trip out here but if you do your efforts are certainly appreciated. A little birdy with a survey chart is predicting that by me shifting to this side of town will see popularity surge upwards, may even attract the opposite sex and might even see me become a star. The question is how much should I listen to this birdy. Well am thinking that I have nothing to lose, so will go with the bird who is forecasting some chicks tonight.

Now what is the place that we will be gracing tonight? Well a small search and minus any sort of good reviews but banking on one dimly lit pic, and the idea of adventure, the choice by my sole popular vote is SPIRALS. Now this is what I know and have found out about the place. It is located in the Grandeur Hotel in Al Barsha, very close to the Lulu Hyper Market. One review claims that this place has the biggest concentration of spiral furniture in the city and that it’s a good place for a game of pool and for sports. Well that sounds just fine for me and I hope it does for the rest of the attendees. As usual we will try to get there by 9 pm. Dwight will be present too and am not too sure about who else is going to make it, but as always you can be guaranteed a discovery and a good time.

Well I have restrained myself this time round, but the question is how long will I be able to keep the monster of words within me? We’ll have to wait and see…

And yes before I forget do make sure that all you people get yourself down to the HopFest at the Aviation club starting this weekend. It is going to be a blast, with beer from all over the world, people from all over the world, bands, food and drunks. You don’t want to miss it. I personally will be there on Friday with a huge bunch of people I may not remember and refuse to recognize after a couple of swigs, but if you do see me in the crowd, stick your hand up in the air, wave it like you just don’t care…and say the Beerman was here….

Cheers

The Beerman

Sunday, August 9, 2009

High Mile Club

Hello to the DABOW family. Hope all of you had a great weekend. A little sorry for the delay in letting all of you know how last Wednesday was. Had a few pressing matters to attend to and now that they have been pressed away, I am here once again.

It’s been quite an exciting weekend for me where there has been a lot of enlightenment and there was a lot of discussion. Some of them very interesting and the others were just discussions. But these discussions are leading to exciting times, more on this and a whole lot more when the time is right. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of announcements in the near future.

Now before we head down the rant, a small observation that has been brought to my notice. It has been said that I may get a little too critical and maybe even pushy. Well I would like to think that’s the idea. Its fodder for everybody in one way or the other and everything said here is said in the utmost humorous faith anybody can ever manage. For the record there is no malice. Well if anybody looking for an apology may have to wait till my love for beer diminishes. This is not a democracy here. It’s more like I speak, you listen, you like, you don’t like. But yeah you have the option of commenting. Now that I have got that weight of my shoulder and a mug in one hand, it’s time for discovery.

So last Wednesday was The International Beer Day and it was a good cause for celebration and to get a few like minded people together. With the venue fixed on the Manhattan, all that was left was to get ourselves there. So as we readied ourselves not knowing for sure what the Manhattan held for us, we took a quick headcount before we headed out to see if there were any surprises. Well Shetty was there, as always, screaming his support out for the planet on his T-shirt, “Trees Rock”. Dom who was just back from work and dressed quite formally, refused to change his clothes till he had had his fill of beer for the night, and then there was Leon who was back with us after an absence of a week. Amit who was still on holiday, was getting used to drinking like a fish. Cyril was going to meet us there straight at the venue. And the star of last evening, Dwight was there hoping to make a rock star appearance once again. A lot of people said they would love to or would try to make it on that night, and though we waited and we hoped, this would be the final number for the night.

Well we got a little delayed and could not really make it there by 9.30 pm. So Cyril who was wandering the streets of Bur Dubai wondering what was taking us guys so long decided to walk in and be the first to know what the Manhattan had to offer. Even I am wondering now, what was taking us for long? Since Cyril had religiously read the last posting, he went searching for Murphy’s – the sports bar. Not much of a fan of the dance bars be it Indian or South Indian, he skipped past these joints and after still not being able to find the joint, it was time to use the secret language of the brotherhood to get some information. So with a wave of both his hands and kicking one foot in front, he posed the question where he would he able to find Murphy’s. Well much to the dismay of an awkwardly standing Cyril, he was informed that Murphy’s no longer existed and instead there was Cyclone in its place. And as if a thousand bottles of beer came crashing down, Cyril was caught with panic and a bit of uncertainty and then these questions stormed right out...Would he have to sit with the boys in a loud Indian dance bar tonight? Would anyone be able to hear him speak? Would he be able to hear anyone but himself speak? Would he be able to bear it? Would there be beer? Would there be no discovery tonight? Did he have his credit card? Wonder what’s for dinner? Where are these guys? What time is it? Wonder if there are potatoes at home? What’s the scene? Where is the loo?

Well not really waiting for the guy in front of him to answer that question, the storm called Cyril approached the doors of Cyclone? With every step that Cyril took he knew that he had the responsibility of either making this night or breaking it. Breaking it would be like another round of thousand bottles breaking and another set of questions. Don’t think he wanted that, I didn’t want it, neither did the other guys, and trust me you don’t want it as well.

Well as he opened the door, it seemed like the lights just seemed to go out and the sounds in there just got very loud. Maybe this is the idea of letting people know how it would feel if your eyes failed you. No lights and lots of loud sounds that you would probably even end up making you deaf. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he once again saw nothing. Two silhouettes in the corner occupied a table, and that was all the attendance that was there. Scrambling for the exit, and stumbling through the door, and looking for a cigarette, Cyril smsed me to let me know what the scene was. We still weren’t there and nowhere near. It was time to take a call and there was just one place left in the Manhattan to check out if we could really make a night of it. So speaking very hurriedly to ensure that urgency was key, he told me that we needed to take a call. Well it was really simple and we had to give Manhattan a decent shot of a review, so told him to walk through the doors of the High Mile Club…Now Cyril was thirsty, and isn’t used to so much exertion for beer and that too alone. So as he approached the door that resembled the entrance of a plane. He had his doubts and once again there was a barrage of questions that followed…Hope this evening does not come crashing down? Can I say bomb in there without getting thrown out? Will they serve beer on this flight? What time is it? Where is the loo? Where are these guys? Wonder if they have any offers in there that Ryan was mentioning about? Well after not getting any response from the man who was holding the door open for him, he decided to step in…

I and the rest of the guys after Cyril smsed, were wondering what kind of questions Cyril would be posing when we met. Most of us were maybe even preparing replies. But not Shetty, he was busy trying to get his laundry delivered and after a few calls to his folks, his broker and the laundry, he still wasn’t ready. With Leon finishing his third cigarette without having a drop, we decided that Cyril had waited alone long enough and we had to join him and besides we needed two cabs anyways. So Amit, Leon, Dwight and I moved ahead with Domnic and Shetty to follow. Cyril had messaged again saying that he had ordered himself a draught and was in the High Mile Club. Well at least now we knew that he wasn’t alone and had a Heineken to keep him company. He did warn us about some bizarre interiors and that offers were on and happening at the joint. The cabbie we hailed knew where the Manhattan was, so the new name was catching up and the cab had already made a few trips to the hotel. As he whizzed us out of the busy streets of Karama and through to the busy Mankhool area, I really don’t remember what we were discussing. So we may have to just skip this part and fast forward to us entering the doors of the Manhattan.

The first thing that caught my attention was the door that looked like it was taking us into a plane. I sort of imagined that the seats in there would resemble the ones that you find in planes with push back seats and with a head towel and each seat having its own tray table. Women would be dressed as airhostesses serving us and the manager would be the Captain of the ship, and though a good idea the High Mile Club didn’t seem to catch on it. Instead we walked into an egg shaped room. The lighting resembled that of some UV chamber. Michael Jackson (RIP) if he had to see the place may even have had the set up replicated in Neverland to help in his skin treatment or whatever he was trying to do. With the bar in the centre of the egg and four 32’ plasma screens strategically placed so that you could watch either MTV Arabia, Dubai One, MBC 4 and MBC 2, this place certainly didn’t seem like the most appealing. There weren’t any airhostesses, nor was there a Captain. Instead there was one barman, who could use some cheering up and there was one more guy to help him around with the serving. Looking around, we found Cyril placed under the plasma showing MTV Arabia. So as we got through the customary greetings of a nod, a handshake and an expletive, we seated ourselves and waited with bated breath to know what the offer was.

Well ladies and all you gentlemen holding those ladies, you guys better take a seat because we have found the offer of the week at this corner joint in Mankhool. Now everybody knows that there are buckets of beer to offer at many places where they give you five bottles for the price of six or five bottles for say maybe Dhs 90. But this is the point where most of us found those uncomfortable chairs that we were seated on a little bit comforting and I’m sure you’ll will agree when you hear the sound that we heard. It went something like this - five bottles of Kingfisher for Dhs 55. OK if you think there has been a typo, I am going to repeat myself here - five bottles of Kingfisher for Dhs 55. Now isn’t that a steal for anybody out here in Dubai and to top it all it’s Kingfisher. I am not sure how much Kingfisher costs in other places, its something that I will have to check. But it is a fact that this is easily the cheapest beer I have had in Dubai.

After we had soaked in most of the shock and excitement and seen in real the bucket in front of us, it was time to cheer and wish each other a Happy International Beer Day. After that formality it was time to have a look around. The bar really wasn’t filled up nor was it empty. A lot of Indians and not many women, with weird lighting, this place didn’t really scream it was a hit. Well Dwight certainly wasn’t impressed because he wouldn’t really stand out in this place and there just weren’t any women around who would be attracted or just understand him. So he had a quiet evening and this was Cyril and Shetty got into an interesting conversation on Indian television and the latest reality offering of Rakhi ka Swayamvar.

I haven’t really watched the show but here is some information that I have picked out from Wikipedia and subbed so that you guys get an idea.

Rakhi Ka Swayamwar is a reality show broadcast on NDTV Imagine. The show started on June 29, 2009. Wikipedia claims that Rakhi Sawant, is a popular but controversial actress and even a talk show host. Don’t know which talk show she has hopsted but in reality she has done a few dance numbers and drags the media to cover her so called realities which she calls controversies. There was a claim once that she was a man in drag as well. The nedia so straved to fill up their air time and print space are more than happy to spend a few precious minutes on her.
In the final episode held on 2nd August 2009, Rakhi Sawant selected Elesh Parujanwala as her future Bridegroom from among the three finalists. They exchanged Garlands and Bridal Rings, thus being "Engaged". But they have decided in favour of postponing their marriage for sometime, and allow themselves to know each other better.
Now not many may know and I don’t remember most of the stuff that was discussed that night. But an important observation that Cyril threw up is that the initial few weeks of the show, drew three times more the audience than the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now that’s one for the ratings and one for all those who say that only cricket sells. The new mantra these days, if you want to be a celebrity, get married and let the world know. In your face all you cricket worshippers…The talk the continued on with television and I think there was a brief mention of movies as well.

After talking about Freddie Mercury and his track Bohemian Rhapsody we ended the night early which was a very conscious decision as most people who do not turn up believe that these nights end up going till very late. Also I was suffering from a bad case of flu (not the piggy one) which I have shaken off since then and feeling much better now. So by 11.15 pm the lot of us bundled out of the bar happy and having something new to talk about. Not bad for a good evening out and I am imagining that everybody was

Alright so here is the review of the place now. The High Mile Club is not a place to go to if you trying to impress somebody. The place is gaudily weird and the service does leave a lot to be desired. We didn’t really try the food there but am guessing that it won’t be much to write home about. The interiors are funny and make for maybe two great pics at the most. Now we come to the best part of the place. It’s the beer which comes for cheap. A draught of Heineken would cost around Dhs 22 and like I mentioned earlier the offer is quite a killer one. So drinks are cheap and it’s a good place to go out with the mates. The man to woman ratio was 100:0, but to be fair the place could do with some woman folk around and they wouldn’t be uncomfortable. The televisions are a bit distracting and the music is quite faint, which is a bad thing because I would probably hear the guy next to me fart and that’s not something I want. The choice of music also could do with some change. I would personally recommend some Disco and retro stuff to go with the ambience. The furniture is simple mixed with an attempt to look a bit modern. You have high barstools that resemble a urinal and there are low single seat chairs that are simply put as uncomfortable. The bill for a bunch of five odd guys was Dhs 132 for just beers and it was quite a sight to see people pulling out 10 buck notes rather than the usual scene of 100 bucks. I would imagine that a joint like this would have regular customers and that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for anybody to become a regular there.

So another exciting evening, another long post, people you better get used to it. I would like to see a little more participation if people can manage it, because people may be getting a little restless seeing the same faces. A new catalyst would be welcome. So if you all do decide to come along, don’t forget to get a friend along. We are a good laugh and the Beer is a good drink. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Cheers

The Beerman

Gonz Beer Trivia
Beer is an essential source of B complex vitamins.