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#OnTheRun

There are no words to describe this epic ending to Beyonce and Jay Z's On the Run tour - my only regret is that i wasn't there to witness it. The below clip is well worth a watch - enjoy x

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmfmdKOLzVI

Now everybody dance!

Zumba (yes as in the dancing..) debuts its first ever TV spot - and it ain't half bad!

WATCH HERE: http://creativity-online.com/work/zumba-contagious/37063

How many years does it take to change a light bulb?

Philips has the answer..

Philips is hoping to change the way we think about light bulbs with this fun new film, which fast-forwards us through the century, starting with when the bulb was first introduced. The aim is to show the people that lighting has changed, which they have manged to do in a simple and clear manner.

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVUTEVZCqsg

Welcome to the IKEA climbing wall

Ikea promoted the opening of its 30th store in France by building an apartment with a twist.. this is no ordinary apartment, in actual fact its a 9 meter high rock climbing wall built in the city of Clermont-Ferrand allowing customers to navigate among stylish beds, cabinets, tables and chairs etc all using a harness of course.  The Swedish retailer has been on flying creative form recently with other notable efforts including 'lighting a forest with LED lamps' and 'spending a night in IKEA' - hats off to ya!

Comptoir 102 - Beach Road, Jumeirah Road, Dubai

 Raw in Dubai - the first of its kind that Ive actually come across since living in the UAE which came as a welcomed surprise. Comptoir 102 is a destination rather than just a restaurant. Not only does it offer super healthy dishes which comprise of fresh food and huge nutritional benefits, they also play host to a small shop featuring exquisite interiors, delicate jewellery, fashion accessories and art with each individual piece being handpicked by the owners, Alex and Emma. Other unique aspects of the eatery include an ever changing menu. Based of traditional dietary wisdom and refined according to modern nutritional research, each dish revolves around seasonal fresh fruit and veg. Veggie heavy with not a lot of 'flesh' on offer, this eatery also prides itself on being gluten free/dairy free and even vegan friendly.

The place made a great first impression when we arrived for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, with the outside area particularly appealing to me. Low arches led to sofas covering the back wall and low deck chairs surrounding circular tables - the perfect spot for a cool winters afternoon. We were welcomed inside to a tranquil space full of character covered in trinkets and knick knacks. The shop was my idea of heaven with delicate necklaces, rings and bracelets, amazing interiors and a small handful of carefully selected clothes. The restaurant itself featured all the interiors from the shops - everything was a bit miss-match yet full of charisma and the cutlery and plates were basic but quirky (and obviously EXTREMELY expensive!).

The menu was swiftly placed in front of us which automatically led to a bit of confusion. Pages and pages of fresh juices and smoothies lay before us with a small sandwich section on the end - no sign of salads, hummos or nothing that everyone had continued to rave about. Moments later the waitress arrived to explain the concept - the daily dishes were displayed on the specials boards. Three starters, three mains, three deserts, all available for one day only. After a selection of juices and smoothies arrived, the trio of hummos, a special of theres' coming in a range of colors, flavors and textures accompanied by a seedy crisp bread, adding the perfect crunch was served (and devoured very quickly). This was swiftly followed by a seaweed and quinoa salad which despite the lack of meat did not disappoint whilst my pal went for a salmon and lentil salad.

Overall I was very impressed from what i saw/consumed - the restaurant was consistent and true to what it stood for - healthy eating one spoonful at a time. And for the icing on the cake, the damage wasn't too bad either. In a country where paying for healthy food breaks the bank, Comptoir 102 was refreshingly affordable - an excellent addition to Dubai and a place i will be 100% visiting again.

Alta Badia - Emirates Towers, Dubai

This journey really starts with a bang... on entering Emirates Towers you are directed to the lift to whizz you up to Alta Badia, the Italian situated on the 50th floor. After an ear popping start, we were met with a warm reception by an extremely friendly lady at the reservations desk who led us directly to our table, which was conveniently situated in the middle of the restaurant in a semi-circle cove, with amazing views looking over Downtown Dubai. The light was dim and even though the interiors didnt tickle my fancy or overly stand out, this was made up for by the amazing view and the perfect table setting. The restaurant isnt huge but there was enough space to breath between each table. There was a bar at one end of the room with the official Alta Badia bar just one floor up where smokers can puff away without having to head back down to the ground.

Our very friendly waiter arrived at the table to take a drinks order and take us through the menu. Swiftly after, a bread basket arrived followed by an amuse bouche - compliments of the chef. The a la carte menu that was presented to us was minimal but in the best way. Every dish made my mouth water so having a two page menu was definitely hard enough to choose from. Finally, we came to a decision starting with the breasola of yellow fin tuna and the wagyu beef tartare. Thinly sliced light pink tuna was presented with mandarin and tomato segments scattered over the top. The tuna was brilliantly tasty but the main highlight was the wagyu tartare. Being a meat fan, steak tartare is always my tipple and this particular dish did not disappoint. Complete with a quail egg on top, the dish was full of flavor, moist in a good way and topped off with a crunchy potato crisp.

For the main event, we dined on a dish from the sea coming in the form of Scottish scallops and a dish from the land - the Australian beef tenderloin. The scallops were good - not the best i have ever had but the clam sauce made the dish slightly more exciting. The tenderloin on the other hand was perfect, displayed on a bed of smooth mash, drizzled in sauce with incredibly soft fois gras grazing on the top. It was obvious to see how fantastic the food was, as there was not a plate with food left on in the house, including ours (which were basically licked clean). It really made a change going to an Italian which didnt just offer up pizza and pasta and it was great how the chef turned normal every day food into exceptional dishes.

The final stage of the meal included a chocolate fondant pudding complete with strawberries and ice-cream, washed down by a delicious espresso martini - the perfect end to the dinner. Accounting for the great service  fantastic food by legendary chef Claudio Melis, breath-taking views and reasonable price tag, this is an Italian which is not to be missed.