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Shanghai Me: Traditional Asian fare with a modern touch

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Updated 04 December 2020
Kateryna Kadabashy
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Shanghai Me: Traditional Asian fare with a modern touch

Updated 04 December 2020
Kateryna Kadabashy

DUBAI: Often, we’ll recommend a restaurant to friends based on the whole experience — the ambience, the service and the decor, as well as the food. But sometimes, you try a specific dish and it takes you on such a delightful journey that you’ll return to the same place over and over again just for that one dish. 

The Grilled Silver Cod with Yuzu Miso Sauce at Shanghai Me is one of those dishes. The Alaskan cod comes wrapped in a bamboo leaf, with a side of yuzu miso sauce for dipping, a lemon and hajikami (pickled ginger sprouts used for styling and flavor). Each bite is like an adventure gradually unraveling on your tastebuds. The tender flaky fish simply melts in your mouth, releasing its smokey and fatty flavors to roam. The portion is not big, but it’s packed with so much flavor that it will definitely satisfy. This dish would not be out of place at a Michelin-starred restaurant.




The Art Deco-style space is very much in line with the DIFC’s classy feel. Supplied

Shanghai Me is a 1930s-inspired Asian restaurant located in Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) — home to a growing number of excellent dining options. The Art Deco-style space is very much in line with the area’s classy feel. Its walls are adorned with wood carved in a traditional Asian style, artworks, and a generous helping of plants. The whole area is drenched in warm yellow light in the evening. Sitting in Shanghai Me felt like being nestled in the jungle, particularly on the terrace, which is lined with bamboo and banana trees.




Wild mushroom dumplings. Supplied

Aside from the wonderful cod dish already mentioned, the restaurant — which bills its fare as   “a contemporary take on traditional Asian cuisine” — also has excellent sushi. Although the selection is limited, the flavors and freshness do not disappoint.

The spicy tuna tartare cut roll is a great example. The fresh fish and spicy sauce are garnished with spring onions and placed on top of maki made with creamy avocados and juicy cucumbers rolled in roasted nori, sushi rice and tenkasu (Japanese deep-fried flour-batter). The flavors simply explode as all the ingredients crumble with each bite, while still retaining a perfect spicy-creamy balance.




Prawn and truffle dim sum. Supplied

The lobster corn shells are another gem. A perfect marriage of Latino and Asian cuisines, the crunchy corn taco shells are stuffed with avocado, chipotle mayonnaise, aji yuzu sauce and juicy chunks of lobster. If you’re a fan of shellfish, these are definitely for you as they are packed with soft, scrumptious meat with refreshingly zesty and warm spicy flavors.




Evgeny's wagyu sub. Supplied

No restaurant boasting traditional Asian cuisine would omit dumplings from the menu. Our pick of those on offer at Shanghai Me is the prawn and truffle dumpling — each bite was filled with tender meat enveloped in the earthiness of truffles. Meanwhile, the wild mushroom dumpling is a great vegetarian option, as the perfectly cooked meaty shiitake mushrooms unfold with a strong earthy umami flavor. 

For those with a sweet tooth, Shanghai Me has two great offerings that will satisfy two completely different pallets. 




The Giant Fortune Cookie comes complete with the traditional reading. Supplied

For the avid Instragrammer with a love for rich chocolate flavors, the Giant Fortune Cookie could be exactly what you are looking for — complete with the traditional reading. The crispy biscuit of the cookie is glazed with dark and milk chocolates and almonds, hiding a creamy, fluffy mousse inside. Prepare your cameras when the waiter brings out your order, as they crumble the giant structure in front of you.

Our other favorite dessert was a modern take on an Asian classic — a milk cake accompanied by black sesame ice-cream, some fruit jam and a thick milky sauce. The fluffiness of the cake, combined with the creamy sweetness of the milk, the sourness of the fruits and the slight bitterness of the ice-cream create a perfectly balanced and unique flavor with Asian flare.

While Shanghai Me’s prices are above average (as are those of most restaurants in DIFC), the quality of the food justifies the expense. If you want to indulge in an Asian fine-dining experience, this restaurant might be the place you’re looking for.

Topics: Shanghai Me restaurant review

Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club’ in Basel 

Saudi artist  Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club’ in Basel 
Updated 15 June 2025
Jasmine Bager
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Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club’ in Basel 

Updated 15 June 2025
Jasmine Bager

RIYADH: This month, Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi is turning up the heat at Basel Social Club — which runs until June 21 in the Swiss city — with her latest installation, “The Social Health Club.” 

Freshly conceived, but rooted in the artist’s past works, the yellow-drenched installation offers a layered, sensory experience — and sharp cultural commentary — as well as a first for the artist: a live-performance element. 

Jeddah-based Alamoudi is known for creating immersive multimedia installations drawing from and exploring the complex dynamics of her evolving homeland. “The Social Health Club” is built around pieces found in Jeddah’s Haraj market in 2018 — a range of exercise equipment including a rowing machine.  

Ahaad Alamoudi. (Supplied)

“These are pieces I collected from thrifting. I like the fact that no instructions came with the machines — I don’t have their name or the source of where they came from or who made them. But they’ve become part of the urban landscape that I’ve been in. And I was trying to create fun within the space,” Alamoudi told Arab News. 

In “The Social Health Club,” the equipment, painted predominantly in vibrantly-saturated monochrome yellow, stands untouched, serving as symbols of a culture obsessed with self-optimization. At the core of the installation is a cameo from a yellow-painted iron previously featured in her 2020 video work “Makwah Man.” (Makwah means iron in Arabic.) 

 Part of Ahaad Alamoudi's 'The Social Health Club' at Basel Social Club. (Supplied)

“A lot of my pieces stem from a narrative I create within a video. In ‘Makwah Man,’ this man wearing a yellow thobe is ironing a long piece of yellow fabric in the middle of the desert. And as he’s ironing, he tells us how to live our lives. But in the process of him telling us how to live our lives, he also starts questioning his own in the process — understanding the role of power, understanding the pressure of change, adaptation,” Alamoudi explained. 

“The yellow exists within the video piece, but he’s also wearing yellow thobe in the video piece. And (in this iteration at Art Basel) there’s also a rack of yellow thobes twirling in the exhibition. For me, the yellow thobe is like a unifying symbol. I’m trying to say that we’re all experiencing this in different ways. So in the performance (for “The Social Health Club”) a man (a local body builder) in a yellow thobe will be performing on these machines. He has no rule book. He doesn’t know anything; he doesn’t know how to ‘properly’ use the equipment. He’s going to go into the space and do things with the machines. 

“The performance will be recorded. But I think it’s more like an activation,” she continued. “It’s not the piece itself. The piece itself exists as the machines.” 

“The Social Health Club” was shaped through close collaboration with curator Amal Khalaf, who combed Jeddah’s market with Alamoudi in search of “machines that were a little bit abnormal, like not your typical machines that people would directly know what it is in the gym,” Alamoudi said.  

“She’s quite incredible,” she continued. “And we really built the space together. Essentially, the main thing that I created was the video; everything else was built off of that. She really helped. She really looked at social change and how we navigate that. Our collaboration was perfect.” 

Yellow dominates every inch of the piece—deliberately and intensely. 

“I obsess over symbols within certain works I create. And with that also comes a color,” Alamoudi said. “I wanted to showcase something that was luxurious, colorful, almost like gold, but it’s not gold. It’s quite stark in its appearance.” 

Yellow is both invitation and warning. “I think that yellow is also quite deceptive. I like it as a color to get people excited to come closer and see what’s happening, but at the same time question what it is — it’s so aggressive that it becomes a bit uncomfortable.” 

 A still from Alamoudi's 2020 video work 'Makwah Man,' which is also part of 'The Social Health Club'. (Supplied)

The viewer’s interaction is critical to the piece’s meaning. 

“I think the machines represent something and they carry something, but they really are activated by the people — what people are doing with them,” Alamoudi said. “And that’s why I’m encouraging a lot of viewers to engage with and use the pieces, or try to use them without any instruction. A lot of people entering into the space (might) fear even touching or engaging with them. Having the performer there activating the structures is going to add another layer to the piece itself.” 

She hopes visitors feel free to explore, unburdened by expectations. 

“People are meant to use it any way that they want to use it. They can sit on it, stand on it, touch it — they can leave it alone,” she concluded with a laugh. 

From Shanghai to New York, stars show off Lebanese looks

Updated 15 June 2025
Arab News
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From Shanghai to New York, stars show off Lebanese looks

Updated 15 June 2025
Arab News

DUBAI: International stars including Hollywood actress Emily Blunt and Chinese K-Pop singer Victoria Song showed off glittering looks by Lebanese designers at global events.

Blunt attended the American Institute for Stuttering's Annual Gala in New York late last week in a gown from Lebanese label Elie Saab’s  pre-fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection.

Emily Blunt attended the American Institute for Stuttering's Annual Gala in New York late last week in a gown from Lebanese label Elie Saab. (Getty Images)

The pleated gown came in a simmering shade of burnt sienna and incorporated a bouquet of ruffles on one shoulder. The Oscar-nominated actress chose to keep things relatively simple when it came to her accessories, opting for minimal earrings, bracelets and a few shimmering rings. Blunt’s look was put together by celebrity stylist Jessica Paster, who also works with singer Paris Jackson and actress and comedian Quinta Brunson. Launched in 1998, the American Institute for Stuttering is a non-profit organization offering speech therapy and community support for people of who stutter.

Blunt previously wore an Elie Saab design for the 2024 BAFTAs in London and proved she’s a fan of Lebanese creations by attending the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s Albie Awards in a hot red dress by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad in September 2023.

Meanwhile, Chinese songstress Song showed off a full beaded lilac number by Elie Saab at the 2025 2025 Sina Weibo Movie Night Awards on Friday.

The red carpet in Shanghai, China, played host to a number of decadent Lebanese designs, with the likes of Elaine Zhong showing off a Zuhair Murad gown as Tong Li Ya opted for Georges Hobeika and Chen Du Ling stunned in Georges Chakra.

The actresses all opted for floor-length shimmering gowns in various shades of gold, with Zuhair Murad’s social media team describing the fashion house’s creation as “an embroidered corset with leaf petal detailing in champagne and silver paired with a draped silk chiffon skirt from the Zuhair Murad Couture Spring 2025 collection.”

Egyptian film ‘Happy Birthday’ takes top honors at Tribeca Film Festival

Updated 14 June 2025
Arab News
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Egyptian film ‘Happy Birthday’ takes top honors at Tribeca Film Festival

Updated 14 June 2025
Arab News

DUBAI: Egyptian film “Happy Birthday,” the debut feature by writer-director Sarah Goher, this week took two of the international festival’s top honors — for best international narrative feature and for best screenplay.

The film, which stars Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, Hanan Youssef and Doha Ramadan, tells the story of Toha, an eight-year-old girl working as a child maid for a wealthy family in Cairo. She forms a close bond with the family’s daughter, Nelly, and becomes determined to give her the perfect birthday — something Toha herself has never experienced.

As her connection with Nelly’s mother begins to blur the lines of class and duty, Toha is forced to confront the stark social hierarchies of modern Egypt.

Goher co-wrote the film with acclaimed Egyptian director Mohamed Diab, internationally recognized for Marvel’s “Moon Knight.” Diab also took on the role of executive producer.

Topics: Tribeca Film Festival Happy Birthday

Bella Hadid’s Orebella named conscious brand of the year

Updated 14 June 2025
Arab News
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Bella Hadid’s Orebella named conscious brand of the year

Updated 14 June 2025
Arab News

DUBAI: Ulta Beauty — one of the largest beauty retailers in the US — has awarded Bella Hadid’s fragrance brand, Orebella, its prestigious “conscious brand of the year” title, recognizing the label’s commitment to clean ingredients, ethical practices and sustainable packaging.

Hadid took to Instagram to announce the news with her followers. “Thank you to our Ulta Beauty family for recognizing our commitment to creating a healthy daily ritual for all,” she wrote.

Hadid went on to share the criteria that helped Orebella to earn the title, noting that the brand meets Ulta’s guidelines across several categories. These include clean ingredients — excluding parabens, phthalates and more than 20 other substances on Ulta’s “Made Without” list.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Orebella (@orebella)

Orebella goes further, she said, banning more than 1,300 ingredients in line with EU standards.

She also emphasized that the brand is certified cruelty-free by PETA and Leaping Bunny, and is entirely vegan, formulated without any animal products or byproducts. In addition, all Orebella packaging is recyclable, refillable or made from recycled or bio-sourced materials, including its line of perfumes.

Hadid also highlighted Orebella’s philanthropic efforts, explaining that the brand’s Alchemy Foundation donates at least 1 percent of domestic net sales to causes “close to our hearts.”

The alcohol-free scents of Orebella, which launched in 2024, were Hadid’s answer to traditional perfumes.

Hadid wrote on her website: “For me, fragrance has always been at the center of my life — helping me feel in charge of who I am and my surroundings,” she said. “From my home to nostalgic memories, to my own energy and connection with others, scent has been an outlet for me. It made me feel safe in my own world.

“Through my healing journey, I found that I was extremely sensitive to the alcohol in traditional perfumes — both physically and mentally — it became something that was more overwhelming than calming to me,” she added. “That is the main reason I wanted to find an alternative, so essential oils became an artistic and experimental process for me.”

She started growing lavender on her farm, walking through the garden every morning and learning about her family’s tradition of making homemade scents. “I realized I might have a calling in this. I found healing, joy and love within nature’s scents,” she said.

Topics: Bella Hadid Orebella

Pakistani films attracted ‘biggest’ Eid collections in 5 years, says largest cinema chain

Updated 13 June 2025
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Pakistani films attracted ‘biggest’ Eid collections in 5 years, says largest cinema chain

  • Pakistani films ‘Love Guru’ and ‘Deemak’ led box office collections surge this Eid Al-Adha, says Cinepax Cinemas sales head
  • Love Guru’s team says flick generated $676,500 during first five days, Deemak distributor says movie collected $142,000
Updated 13 June 2025
BURAQ SHABBIR

KARACHI: Pakistani films that released on the Eid Al-Adha last week attracted the highest Eid box office collections in five years, the sales and marketing head of the country’s largest cinema chain said on Friday.

Pakistani romantic comedy ‘Love Guru,’ starring acting powerhouses Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan released in cinemas worldwide on Eid-ul-Adha. The other prominent Pakistani movie that released in theaters across the world was “Deemak,” a horror movie with A-list actors Faysal Qureshi, Sonya Hussyn and Samina Peerzada starring in lead roles.

As per official figures released by Love Guru, the Pakistani film collected Rs 12.8 crores [$457,143] in Pakistan during the first three days of Eid Al-Adha, making it the biggest ever Eid weekend opener in the country.

“If we look at Eid [film] business since Covid, we did the biggest business this year [on Eid],” Adnan Ali Khan, the sales and marketing head of Cinepax Cinemas, told Arab News. “Meaning highest in five years.”

He said this does not include The Legend of Maula Jatt film, which enjoyed record-breaking box office business but was not released on Eid.

People gather outside cinema hall at the Cinepax, Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on June 10, 2024, during Eid Al-Adha celebrations in Pakistan. (Photo courtesy: Azadar Kazmi)

“Love Guru got 50 percent of the shows and that is why it generated huge numbers,” Khan explained, adding that Deemak was the second-best performing film on Eid while Hollywood flick “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” secured the third-highest collections.

The film’s official team announced that its international box office collections for the opening weekend surged to Rs15.4 crores [$546,000]. This means the film raked in a total of Rs28.2 crores [$999,186] in the first three days of the release.

After the first five days of their release, Love Guru’s team said it collected Rs19.10 crores [$676,500] locally while Deemak distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla said the horror flick generated around Rs4 crores [$142,000] at the box office.

Mandviwalla said the film is expected to secure over Rs7 crores [$248,000] in box office collections by the end of this week.

“It is a very encouraging figure for Deemak,” Mandviwalla said.

However, there have been speculations around the authenticity of these figures, particularly at the local box office. There hasn’t been an official detailed division of box office collections in cinemas across Pakistan.

Pakistani film critic Kamran Jawaid, however, brushed aside claims that Love Guru’s box office collections were fabricated.

‘ONLY FOR THE DELUDED’

“When the audience comes out of cinemas in droves at seven in the morning— and that too from multiple shows— then countering claims about fabricated figures is only for the deluded,” Jawaid told Arab News.

He said the high footfall in cinemas across the country puts to rest the opinion that attendances at cinemas are too low due to expensive ticket prices or that audiences no longer harbor interest in Pakistani movie.

“One just has to make movies that people are willing to shell money out on, whether it is Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which also ran shows till morning two weeks before Eid, or Love Guru,” Jawaid said.

The Pakistani film critic broke down the numbers based on the number of screens and seating capacity of Pakistani cinemas.

People gather outside cinema hall at the Cinepax, Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on June 10, 2024, during Eid Al-Adha celebrations in Pakistan. (Photo courtesy: Azadar Kazmi)

“Although not big, counting all 91 screens, Pakistan’s total seating capacity is a little above 21,000, which equates to 21 million in ticket sales per show/slot, with an average ticket price of a thousand,” he said.

“An average of four shows per day leads to 84 million in gross income. Depending on the number of screens a film like Love Guru gets — which is roughly between 30-40 percent of the country — per-day estimates range between 25 to 33 million in gross receipts,” Jawaid explained.

“Given that the tickets are selling hot, one cannot refute the legitimacy of the quoted figures.”

Khan said the movies garnered the highest numbers at its cinemas in Packages Mall in Lahore, followed by Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi.

“We are running late night shows every day,” Khan said, adding that the coming weekend was also expected to feature “packed” theaters as the cinemas have bookings in advance.

“We need four Pakistani movies like Love Guru every year,” he said. “However, Deemak has started gaining momentum now alongside Love Guru.”

Jawaid, however, looked toward the future of Pakistani cinema.

“Pakistan’s cinema needs one Love Guru a month to revive audience’s interest,” he said.

Topics: Mahira Khan Humayun Saeed Love Guru Movie

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