Xiao Fei Yang
EATING
Xiao Fei Yang, or Little Fat Sheep, is an authentic Chinese hot pot restaurant in International City. It’s so popular in mainland China that you’ll find a Xiao Fei Yang on the corner of most crossroads. Hot pot is the epitome of communal dining – you order a selection of uncooked items, from cabbage and mushrooms to fish and chicken balls, then place them in the boiling cauldron that’s split into two flavours: a mild chicken broth and a spicy Sichuan soup. The flavours are eclectic, the produce is fresh, and the atmosphere is lively.
Building B03, China District, International City, Dubai, daily 5pm to 1am. Tel: (04) 4327211. Taxi: Dragon Mart
Roseleaf Café
Concealed in the back of the Garden Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road, in between a second hand bookstore and the barbecue department, is a family-run, home-grown café that serves freshly baked produce. The fresh desserts and brownies alone are worth driving from the other side of town for. If that’s not enough their house band, Kudos By Proxy, plays most Saturdays. Get there at 8.30am and their deliriously tasty passion fruit muffins are still warm. Keep an eye out for the old-fashioned tea cups too.
Dubai Garden Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, daily 8am to 7pm. Tel: (056) 6449886. Metro: First Gulf Bank. facebook.com/theroseleafcafe