Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa for a third time as part of a group of tweeters (the Twitterati!). During previous trips I have enjoyed and sampled afternoon tea as well as ordered lunch from the A La Carte menu. This time the menu was devised especially for the group and we were served lunch in a private dining room which is always a special treat.
After a slightly late arrival at the resort – I somehow managed to miss a huge Pineapple shaped building in the desert and drove right past it – which is where I had arranged to pick up a fellow Twitter follower! – we arrived to the peace and tranquility of the resort. Despite this being my third visit, I still love the trip from the Al Ain Road to the resort which is a 15 minute drive through the desert, each journey being slightly different as the sand dunes change shape and of course the Gazelles and Oryz are always to be spotted too.
Unfortunately it was a little too hot to sit outside, however the private dining room that we had been given was just off the terrace and gave great views across the desert.
It’s always great meeting other people from Twitter, as you tend to come across people who you might not normally meet, and this Tweetup was no exception. The interesting part is that most of the people on my table were real foodies and so as well as enjoying the great food, most of us were also taking lots of pictures of our plates and tweeting about our experience too which makes for a fun meal and gave a few challenges to the waiting staff who had to wait for us to get the perfect shot before they could reveal our food.
The menu was great and I had some difficulty in deciding what to eat – but for me Scallops are always my starter of choice. These were beautifully cooked and sweet and the puree was tasty too. Not only did the food 
taste superb, but I loved how it was presented on a slate tile and it looked almost too pretty to eat (I say almost – because I ate all of it). I especially loved how all of the meals for the table were brought out at the same time and the staff lifted the glass cloches off of the scallops revealing a hint of smoke and revealing the beautiful aroma of fresh scallops at the same time.
For main course I chose the Wagyu Beef which was served on a bed of al dente fresh white asparagus which I love. The beef was served perfectly rare and melted in my mouth and the accompanying sauces were just perfect.
For dessert I had chosen the Cheesecake which was served 
on a beautiful platter adorned with an edible Twitter logo which was such a lovely touch. (I’ve since found out that this was made by @IconycsCakes) The texture of the cheesecake was very light, however for me it was surpassed, by a beautiful vanilla Crème brûlée which Chef David brought out as a little extra treat. The Al Maha Crème brûlée is still the best Crème brûlée I’ve ever tasted and I was pleased that I’d done a Club Energize workout that morning in anticipation of consuming some delicious sweet treats at lunchtime.
After our meal, we were taken ‘behind the scenes’ and got a chance to meet Chef Sebby and the team who had prepared our lunch and to see where our food was prepared, the foodie bloggers were soon quizzing the team on where they sourced their ingredients whilst the non foodie blogger was keen to start a discussion about football with the team !
We were also given a rare tour of the Presidential Suite which is the largest of the Suites at the resort. Located a short golf buggy ride away from the main lobby area, it’s very secluded and set in a stunn
ing location. With three bedrooms, it’s own dining room and a large infinity pool overlooking the desert it’s just stunning and I imagine if you were lucky enough to stay there you would not want to leave (I didn’t !).
Take a peek for yourself at a few pictures which I took whilst I was there (below). I was even a little cheeky and got to dip my feet into the pool – just to check the temperature out for my blog of course ! (it was suitably cooled but not too chilled in case you are wondering!)
Each time I visit Al Maha, it leaves me wanting to return again, in fact, it feels like my second home (well, a girl can always dream 
. The staff are always so friendly and welcoming and nothing is too much trouble. You get to feel like you’ve left the hussle and bussle of Dubai a million miles away (though in reality you are less than an hour away), and the attention to every detail of your visit makes you feel really appreciated.
Thanks to Chef David Miras and the team and General Manager Arne Silvis who made our visit extra special, as always it was a pleasure to visit.
Thanks also to @GeordieArmani who arranged the lunch.
For further information about Al Maha check www.al-maha.com or follow them on Twitter or Facebook
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