Rodeo Grill: the genuine article



Watching my friend choose her steak at Rodeo Grill reminded me of a classic Quentin Tarantino scene. Remember the bit in Pulp Fiction where Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) selects his weapon from among the bric-a-brac in a pawn shop, rejecting a hammer, a baseball bat and a chainsaw before settling for a Japanese samurai sword? Well, it was like that.

First she picked up the menu and her eyes hovered over the certified US Angus fillet steak. She tilted her head slightly and nodded. Then she moved down the menu and clocked the Wagyu beef from Australia, marbling grade five. The nodding became faster. The nodding stopped but her eyes widened and pupils dilated when she saw the very same breed of Wagyu but with a superior marbling grade of nine. "I'm having that one," she said confidently, before noticing a sign that had been on the table all along, which read: "Certified Japanese Kobe Beef, Dh395 per 100g." Her jaw dropped and there was no other choice to make.

This proverbial no-brainer came with my full blessing. Very few restaurants in the UAE sell genuine Kobe beef, and you may occasionally come across an establishment trying to pass off Australian Wagyu as Kobe beef. The difference isn't in the breed (both are Wagyu cows) but true Kobe beef comes only from the Japanese city of Kobe in the Hyogo prefecture. Just as true balsamic vinegar can only come from Modena in Italy, only Kobe, it is believed, can produce Wagyu meat of such tenderness and intensity of flavour. So I was eager to try this most prized of meats, to see if it was worthy of all the fuss even if the price limited us to a cut weighing 150 grams.

We were suitably excited but our starters took so long to arrive it was as if the waiter was building the tension - Tarantino-style - before blowing our brains out with this steak of steaks. When my oak wood smoked Scottish salmon finally appeared with toast, lemon and ramekins of dill and mustard sauce, parsley and chopped chives backing it up like kung fu movie extras, I tore through the intensely flavoured fish with all the mercy and restraint of Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.

Likewise, my companion made very short work of her traditional Caesar salad, which she ordered without the roasted corn-fed chicken breast. The romaine lettuce leaves and "Tijuana-style" dressing were light, offered little resistance, and kept her palate fresh for the main event: the Kobe. Her plate eventually materialised, and I swear I could see a beam of ethereal light emanating from the modestly proportioned cut of meat. Her face certainly brightened up when she saw it, and her steak knife was immediately passed through its distinguished fibres like Willis's samurai sword through thin air.

There's an expression that flushes the face of somebody chewing an unfathomably tender and boldly flavoured piece of meat. It's a look of utter bliss and contentment, as if the person is being lowered gently into a hot bubble bath just after being told that their mortgage has been taken care of. In fact, "chewing" is the wrong word. You don't chew Kobe beef. You become one with it. This meat was so preposterously good that beside it, the accompanying baked potato and onion rings were like a couple of Lego models of the Acropolis huddling at the base of the real thing. Needless to say, the peppercorn, mushroom and Béarnaise steak sauces on the side remained untouched. Well, you wouldn't put a hat on Michelangelo's David, would you?

The trouble was that no matter how good the rest of the meal was, it all paled into insignificance. So, while my ostrich fillets had been pan-seared with pink precision, and the accompanying sweet potato, herb couscous and amarula cream sauce complemented each other well, it all seemed a bit dull in comparison. My dining partner knew this would be the case, so for dessert she selected nothing more highfalutin than a lemon sorbet. However, I was glad that I chose the Philadelphia cheesecake, which was thick, creamy and robust with an excellent cinnamon ice cream that perfectly offset the acidity of the mixed berry garnish. We indulged in a bit of post-meal relaxation and soaked up the gentlemen's club ambience of the restaurant. But no matter how long we lingered, the memory of the astonishingly good Kobe steak is bound to linger much longer. And to paraphrase Butch Coolidge, I'm sure I'll be back before you can say blueberry pie.

Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi, 02 644 3000. Average cost of a meal for two: Dh800-900.

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

The bio

Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions

School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira

Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

Dream City: San Francisco

Hometown: Dubai

City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala

The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:

Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.

Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.

Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.

Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.

Saraya Al Khorasani:  The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.

(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)

F1 2020 calendar

March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.

Essentials

The flights

Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes. 
 

The stay

A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018

Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: Health-tech

Size: 22 employees

Funding: Seed funding 

Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors

The Saga Continues

Wu-Tang Clan

(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.4-litre%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E637Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh375%2C900%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019

Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)

Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)

Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)

Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL

Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)

Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup

Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar

Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar

Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)

Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Klipit%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venkat%20Reddy%2C%20Mohammed%20Al%20Bulooki%2C%20Bilal%20Merchant%2C%20Asif%20Ahmed%2C%20Ovais%20Merchant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Digital%20receipts%2C%20finance%2C%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%244%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%2Fself-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra

Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa

Rating: 4/5


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