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“Dubai? During August? You must be crazy” said my friends. “Firstly, the heat will kill you, and secondly it’s Ramadan! Nothing happens during Ramadan – you can’t eat, you can’t drink – what’s the point?”. I have to say – they were spot-on regarding the heat. 40C heat at 80% humidity is like walking through warm syrup, a passage lubricated by your own perspiration. Nice. But they were pretty wide of the mark about nothing happening during Ramadan.
Ramadan is the Muslim holy month, a time during which observant Muslims fast between the hours of sunrise and sunset and offer more daily prayers than usual. It is a time of spiritual contemplation and charitable works, but also a time for visiting family and friends. During…
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%20and%20even%20in%20the%20resorts%20no%20alcohol%20may%20be%20served%20during%20daylight%20hours.%20%20Shops%20are%20open%20(although%20sometimes%20with%20different%20trading%20hours)%20but%20restaurants%20outside%20of%20the%20resorts%20are%20closed%20during%20daylight%20hours.%20%20However,%20they%20usually%20extend%20their%20opening%20hours%20at%20night%20and%20night-life%20during%20Ramadan%20is%20usually%20lively%20as%20people%20pack%20all%20their%20eating%20activities%20into%20the%20hours%20of%20darkness%20(although%20there%20is%20no%20nightclubbing).%20%20And%20of%20course,%20Ramadan%20is%20the%20only%20time%20when%20you%20can%20enjoy%20two%20unusual%20traditional%20meals%20%E2%80%93%20Suhoor%20(a%20pre-sunrise%20or%20late-night%20meal%20to%20see%20people%20through%20the%20day%E2%80%99s%20fast)%20and%20Iftar%20(the%20evening%20meal%20at%20sunset%20when%20the%20day%E2%80%99s%20fast%20is%20broken.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAt%20Atlantis%20The%20Palm,%20you%20can%20enjoy%20Iftar%20at%20Kaleidoskope%20or%20Saffron%20restaurants,%20or%20(as%20we%20did)%20at%20the%20spectacular%20Asateer,%20a%20huge%20function%20venue%20near%20the%20beach%20that%20draped%20inside%20to%20look%20like%20a%20traditional%20tent.%20Asateer%20can%20seat%20600%20guests%20and%20overlooks%20the%20waters%20of%20the%20Palm%20and%20the%20Dubai%20Marina%20skyline,%20thanks%20to%20floor-to-ceiling%20windows%20that%20span%20an%20entire%20length%20of%20the%20tent.%20In%20most%20Muslim%20countries,%20Ramadan%20is%20associated%20with%20lights%20and%20I%20have%20to%20say%20that%20this%20was%20my%20first%20imperession%20of%20Asateer%20%E2%80%93%20so%20many%20pretty,%20sparkling%20lights!%20%20From%20the%20gorgeous%20backlit%20silver%20cutouts%20that%20lines%20the%20entrance,%20to%20the%20candles%20flickering%20around%20the%20rose-petal%20filled%20pool%20in%20the%20lobby,%20to%20the%20312%20custom-made%20egg-shaped%20twinkling%20chandeliers%20in%20the%20dining%20area%20itself%20%E2%80%93%20pretty%20sparkles%20everywhere.%20%20I%20was%20already%20in%20love%20and%20I%20hadn%E2%80%99t%20yet%20eaten%20a%20thing.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOnce%20we%20were%20comfortably%20seated%20in%20the%20airy%20dining%20area%20(the%20apex%20of%20the%20tent%20is%208%20metres%20high!)%20at%20our%20intimate%20circular%20booth,%20we%20were%20offered%20the%20traditional%20dates%20and%20water%20that%20Muslim%20people%20around%20the%20world%20use%20to%20break%20their%20daily%20Ramadan%20fast.%20%20All%20around%20us%20were%20what%20appeared%20to%20be%20local%20people%20%E2%80%93%20so%20Asateer%20is%20definitely%20not%20a%20tourist%20attraction,%20but%20a%20place%20where%20locals%20come%20to%20enjoy%20an%20Iftar%20treat%20and%20play%20chess%20and%20backgammon%20late%20into%20the%20night%20to%20the%20sounds%20of%20oud%20players.%20%20And%20once%20we%20had%20ordered%20some%20fresh%20fruit%20juices,%20we%20set%20off%20to%20explore%20the%20extensive%20buffet%20which%20is%20mirrored%20on%20either%20side%20of%20the%20serving%20area,%20so%20no%20tedious%20waiting%20for%20the%20hummus%20to%20be%20replenished!%20%20The%20buffet%20is%20served%20at%20individual%20can%20only%20be%20described%20as%20sumptuous,%20spanning%20soups;%20a%20fantastic%20selection%20of%20Middle-Eastern%20salads%20(fattoush,%20baba%20ganoush,%20dolmades,%20hummus%20and%20more);%20traditional%20Indian%20dishes%20such%20as%20biriyani;%20more%20substantial%20Middle-Eastern%20dishes%20(including%20foul%20mudammas,%20fatteh,%20kibbeh%20and%20lamb%20tagine);%20and%20(wait%20for%20it)%E2%80%A6%20a%20tahini%20fountain.%20%20The%20tahini%20is%20diluted%20until%20it%20is%20the%20consistency%20of%20melted%20chocolate%20and%20then%20pumped%20through%20a%20fountain%20%E2%80%93%20like%20chocolate.%20%20You%20dip%20falafel%20balls%20and%20spicy%20za%E2%80%99atar%20pastry%20straws%20in%20it.%20%20Seriously.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20wish%20I%20had%20been%20hungrier%20so%20that%20I%20could%20have%20done%20the%20buffet%20justice.%20%20As%20it%20was,%20I%20had%20probably%20the%20best%20and%20silkiest%20hummus%20I%20have%20ever%20eaten,%20ditto%20the%20spectacularly%20good%20and%20fresh%20fattoush%20salad.%20%20Elsewhere%20on%20my%20plate,%20the%20dolmades,%20baba%20ganoush,%20spicy%20za%E2%80%99atar%20and%20sumac%20pastry%20straws,%20wonderful%20feta,%20and%20an%20intriguing%20spicy%20walnut%20(?)%20dip%20found%20a%20happy%20home,%20followed%20later%20by%20meltingly%20tender%20lamb%20tagine%20and%20excellent%20foul%20mudammas.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20dessert%20table%20proved%20to%20be%20too%20tempting%20to%20turn%20down,%20and%20soon%20we%20were%20clustering%20around%20the%20buffet%20for%20syrupy,%20nutty,%20flaky%20Middle-Eastern%20desserts%20as%20well%20as%20markedly%20more%20Western%20treats%20such%20as%20the%20chocolate%20fountain;%20the%20macaron%20topiaries,%20and%20the%20strawberry%20and%20chocolate%20ganache%20topiary.%20%20We%20were%20also%20intrigued%20by%20the%20hand-made%20and%20very%20pretty%20traditional%20Middle-Easten%20sweets%20that%20were%20being%20made%20to%20order%20on%20the%20spot%20and%20could%20be%20bought%20in%20boxes%20to%20take%20home%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnd%20when%20we%20had%20eaten%20our%20fill,%20what%20better%20way%20to%20walk%20off%20the%20meal%20than%20a%20stroll%20back%20to%20the%20hotel%20along%20the%20beach%20(although%20even%20at%2011pm%20it%20was%20still%20well%20above%2035C!!),%20snapping%20a%20few%20pics%20of%20the%20hotel%20and%20the%20spectacular%20view%20across%20the%20water%20towards%20the%20Dubai%20Marina?%20A%20few%20extra%20pics%20are%20available%20in%20my%20Flickr%20album.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAlthough%20Asateer%20is%20available%20year-round%20to%20rent%20as%20a%20venue%20for%20weddings,%20parties%20and%20corporate%20functions,%20the%20spectacular%20Iftar%20decor%20and%20buffet%20(165AED%20per%20person%20including%20water%20and%20juices)%20which%20we%20enjoyed%20is%20only%20served%20for%20the%20month%20of%20Ramadan,%20which%20runs%20until%20approximately%20the%20end%20of%20August.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAsateer%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAtlantis,%20Palm%20Jumeirah%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPalm%20Jumeirah%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDubai%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETel.%20+971%20(0)%204%20426%200800%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EE-mail%20%20asateer@atlantisthepalm.com%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMore%20deliciousness%20for%20you!%3C/p%3E){kind=link}