The Bard @ Souk Al Bahar with Burj Dubai View

dubai is world-renown for its list of firsts, biggest and tallest. so it's only apt that we took our guests to view the building that was so tall that, according to syida, it looked like it's literally scraping the sky.

the burj dubai.


it's scheduled to open 4th january 2010, making it the tallest building in the world. it even has the fastest elevator in the world!

tapi serius cakap my fellow malaysians, rupa dia ade lebih kurang tower kesayangan kita - cuma kita punya pastinya lagi cun, dah la kita ade dua! (bak kata dr. m) dah tu pulak, bangunan tertinggi di dunia ni terletak betul-betul sebelah dubai mall - seperti jugak menara kembar kita terletak sebelah pusat membeli-belah klcc! ditambah pulak dengan ade lake ngan fountain berdepan dengan bangunan tinggi dan mall tu - samalah dengan klcc ngan twin towers ye tak?

hmm, do i detect a pattern here? *snickering*


oh-kay! whatever it is, it was still an amazing sight! we turned and twisted our hands and bodies to get the best angle for our camera shot but this was the best shot that syida was able to take that include the whole of the tower - from base to peak.

that was how high and tall it was. looking up at it, we can only imagine its peak as it disappeared among the clouds!

right opposite the tallest building in the world is 'souk al-bahar' (which means 'market of the sailor) - sort off a upscale shopping mall cum makan and lepak place for the hip and happening crowd of dubai, as well as families looking to have a nice meal with the view of the magnificent burj and the arabic atmosphere through its architecture.

punyala susahnya nak amik satu shot yang include the whole tower, jadi amik je asing2, and sambung kat sini. hihi

the waterfront cafes and restaurants overlook the burj dubai, making al fresco dining and lunchin a little more extraordinary.

souk al-bahar

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menu pun lawa!

we had some snacks at one of the cafes - 'shakespeare and co', and it has a great view of the burj, and the 'dancing fountain' of dubai mall (more on that later). i've been to its branch inside dubai mall, but that one is just a small wall-less cafe. the one we went to at souk al-bahar was so classical-english slash victorian kinda pretty.

the food is typical of fusion cafes - a mix of soups, italian pizzas and pastas, sandwiches, even steaks and chops. you can get those at dome, central perk or even any other unknown cafes. so the single, most attractive thing about the place is the decor. the decor was breathtaking! see more pictures at my first trip to the one in dubai mall, here.


the victorian wall lamp, the edwardian couch, the elizabethan mirror - ok i'm just naming english names here - but they're so english, so queen victoria, so brit, so shakespeare!

i really went nuts! i want my home to be exactly like this! but how-lah? mr. khairul is more downtown manhattan slash zen-ish. and me more like shakespeare and all things brit of yore - bad combo!


sigh. even the drawers and cupboards that boarded the kitchen looked english. it was really like dining at one of the english marm's houses.

and the thing is, as classy as it supposed to look - it's not too posh. even for a family bringing noisy kids and wailing babies - it can still be a family place despite it apparent class and poshness.

heck, khaleef even slept on one of the long couches! memang buat macam rumah sendiri!


the desserts are adorable, elaborately decorated and yes - very english too - especially the biscuits! syida got some as complimentary along with her hot choc and we even asked for another free plate of those jam cookies. hihi.

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as we enjoyed our light meal at shakespeare and co, we were not only served with the view of the burj dubai, but was entertained by a wondrous feast of light, music and water as well!

it's the largest fountain in the world (biase la dubai mesti nak yang '-est'!) with some parts of the 'water performance' shooting up as tall as 50 storeys high!


the beams of light shining upward that are used to brighten the 'water performance' are said to be so bright, that it could possibly be seen from space - making it the brightest spot in the middle east. (tak tau la boleh lawan vegas ke!)

it is shown daily, starting at 6pm onwards, till 10pm, or till 11pm on weekends. the water-music-light mega-performance is shown every 20 minutes so you can sit for hours and be able to admire the awesome display a few times!

i'm not sure where exactly is the best spot to view the fountains from the souk al-bahar, but we went to the entrance near an ice-cream shop, and it provided one fantastic view. look for it, yah!

it's truly an amazing sight watching the dancing, prancing lights accompanied by classical arabian music and paired up with the intensifying light work. some of the viewers actually clapped hands when the show ended. and they still stayed, waited for another 20 minutes, to catch the following show.

well done, dubai!