What we're loving: tennis, K's Cookies, Koshari and flavoured lip gloss

Satisfy mind and body

At the end of last summer and after a rather lengthy hiatus (about 10 years), I picked up a tennis racket and started to play again. Twenty minutes or so into my first lesson at Dubai Tennis Academy, I was well and truly hooked. Not only is tennis a brilliant form of exercise, there’s something both mentally and physically satisfying about the game – you have to really think about what you’re doing and there’s nothing like hearing that “thwack” when you hit a perfect topspin forehand.
Dubai Tennis Academy (at the American University in Media City) is run by two highly experienced coaches – Strath Sherriff and Sebastian Swierk – who are fantastic at picking apart your game and helping players to really improve, while still maintaining a sense of fun. They offer a wide range of courses for beginners and experienced players alike, from private lessons to clinics for women and children’s group sessions. For more information go to www.dubaitennisacademy.com or call 050 286 8025 or 050 655 6152.

* Emily Shardlow

Flavoured lip gloss by Victoria's Secret

If I had to, I could live without any make-up. Seriously. Well, all, except lip gloss. My most recent purchase is the Cherry Bomb flavoured gloss by Victoria’s Secret, and it is always close to hand. It is fruity, shiny and offers that added touch of glitter for the evening. It’s also not too thick, like a few other lip glosses can be, and has a soft colour tone so you can apply it on top of pretty much all shades of lipstick or simply by itself. The gloss costs Dh40 and you can find Victoria’s Secret beauty products in most malls across the UAE, but it is best to check your specific location before heading out.

* Maey El Shoush

K's Cookies

The next time you really need to send a gift – and fast – but are utterly stuck for what to get, call K’s Cookies. Within hours they will have delivered a warm tin of delicious, buttery goodness. As one colleague put it, at Dh85 for just nine of them, provided in a cute white metal tin, they are “the Rolls-Royce of cookies” in more ways than one. We ordered two tins and dug in before lunch: our favourites were mocha metropolis and peanut panic. Call 02 491 3113 or email info@ks-cookies.com for prompt delivery with minimal fuss.

* Ann Marie McQueen

Koshari

Long-time Abu Dhabi residents might remember a time when the Egyptian street food koshari was served at roadside stalls on the Corniche. Now, however, the meal has moved indoors and is served at many of the capital’s Egyptian restaurants. Koshari is viewed as a labourer’s food, meaning that it’s a high-carb affair. Using rice, lentils, chickpeas and macaroni, this dish is traditionally served in a bowl topped with a generous serving of tomato sauce. Fried onions with garlic and vinegar dressing are optional. In Egypt you can have the dish as early as breakfast, but in the UAE it is often served from lunchtime onwards. One place to find it is at any of the capital’s Gad restaurants. However, don’t leave it too late, as stragglers are often met with the news: “Sorry, we ran out of koshari.”

* Saeed Saeed