Frankie’s Italian Bar & Grill along Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residence has injected a bit of mystery into dining out. The restaurant has launched a ‘surprise’ concept which allows diners to choose from a four or six course menu put together by executive chef Fabio Nompleggio.
If you have a particular food preference, be it meat, fish or vegetarian dishes, then chef will tailor your meal accordingly. Equally, if you are wheat or dairy intolerant then the kitchen will make sure your needs are catered for. Want extra heat, less garlic, only pasta? No problemo! You can, of course, still order a la carte and opt for Frankie’s favourites like the Burrata & basil Caprese salad or one of its award winning pizzas. However, if you are feeling more adventurous, here’s our guide to off-piste dining.
Food:
Standout dishes we tried included some of Frankie’s staples like the Mediterranean octopus and feather-light fettuccine with monkfish. We also loved the seared tuna with a pistachio-polenta crust and cannellini cream. If you’re mad for truffles, you’ll adore the generous shavings that come with the house risotto and the chef cooked our Angus fillet with porcini sauce to pink perfection. For those with a sweet tooth the croccantino di caffe, or coffee parfait coated in hazelnut crunch and chocolate mousse, can’t be beaten.
Atmosphere:
We’re loving the live music that has become part of Frankie’s DNA. Head to the restaurant at lunchtime on Saturday’s, Sunday’s and Monday’s to catch a soulful performance by jazz singer Cassandra. The restaurant also now has a festive feel with a 7ft Christmas tree twinkling in the bar area.
New Year treats:
In January, Frankie’s will make an olive oil based menu available for two weeks. The four-course meal will start with an olive oil crème brulee, followed by pasta buttons infused with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and chili. Diners can then choose from roasted lobster with sautéed turnip tops and olive oil zabione or succulent veal cheek, served on a celeriac puree with red chicory confit. Dessert will be a yogurt mousse, cherry tomato sorbet and basil jelly with a hint of olive oil. The menu starts from Dh365 per person and is available from January 18-24.
Frankie's Italian Bar & Grill is located on the Ground Floor of Oasis Beach Tower, Jumeirah Beach Residence and is open every day from 5:30pm until 2:00am. The Surprise Menu starts from Dh300. For reservations call +971 (4) 3994311 or email frankiesalfattan@rmalhospitality.ae
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
57%20Seconds
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
