Latest news with #Amara
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amara Partners nears ₹800 cr debut fundraise
Amara Partners , the private equity fund launched by former Mahindra & Mahindra PE unit head Parag Shah , is set to raise its debut fund at ₹800 crore soon. The fund, which has roped in industrialist Anand Mahindra as an anchor investor, has seen participation from about 20 industrialists and their families across India. 'There is a shortage of capital for small and mid-sized companies , many of which have the vision and the ability to take India's capabilities forward. Our Growth Fund aims to be a catalytic force in this transformation,' Parag Shah told ET. The fund, which has already raised ₹650 crore from domestic pools, plans to raise about ₹150 crore from multinational executives and industry veterans, Shah said. As part of the green shoe option, Amara is launching an exclusive platform called the Amara Leadership Circle - a curated investor pool comprising CEOs and senior leaders of large Indian and multinational companies. The fund targets mid-sized companies in the manufacturing/industrials, financial services, consumer sector and healthcare. The fund has already made two investments - in auto components maker Lumax Auto Technologies and NBFC Fibe. Amara will focus on sub-segments such as precision manufacturing, auto components, electronics & semi, speciality materials and chemicals, building materials, speciality packaging. 'We have received commitments from limited partners which include 20 odd corporate and institutional families, which believe in the India manufacturing story ,' Shah said. The fund will target 10-12 investments over its lifecycle with ticket sizes ranging from $10-15 million and will have the ability to invest upto $20mn with co-investments from its LPs. On its advisory board, the fund has leaders such as Anand Mahindra, Haigreve Khaitan, M.M. Murugappan and Rafique Malik with Anand Mahindra being the anchor investor. Parag was the Managing Partner of Mahindra Partners, the $1 billion Private Equity & Venture Capital division of the Mahindra Group, which was responsible for incubation, turnaround and investments in several sectors. Amara Partners founding team consists of Piyush Soonee, a former director at Omidyar Network India & former investment professional at Mahindra Partners. India remains a priority market for PE and VC fund-raising, with domestic and global investors accelerating capital commitments. However, intensifying competition - marked by a 60-65% increase in funds active in India since 2016, and heightened LP expectations for performance, will require funds to demonstrate strong track records to secure commitments, said a recent report by Bain & Company. Fund-raising is becoming increasingly competitive, with LPs prioritizing past performance as one of the key drivers for investment, it said. Domestic funds continue to raise record capital for India, amidst a challenging environment for PE fundraising globally. Kedaara Capital raised its biggest fund (Fund IV) at $1.7 billion while ChrysCapital secured $2.1 billion for its latest fund in 2025, marking the biggest capital raise by an Indian fund. ChrysCapital also raised its Continuation Fund at $700 million.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hundreds of tiny gnomes hidden across town 'to make people' smile'
Hundreds of tiny gnomes have been hidden in nooks and crannies across a Lancashire town by a seven-year-old girl "to make other people smile".The colourful, bearded miniatures, found behind plant pots and windowsills in Accrington, were created by 3D printing shop owner Michael for his daughter Amara. He said she "loves to go hide them around town", and "it makes her feel happy" to think finding one of the gnomes might brighten someone's day. The gnome takeover has caused some confusion among residents, with one person posting online: "My daughter keeps finding these tiny gnomes around town... Does anybody know why?" Michael owns Geeks 'n' Gizmos, a shop selling 3D printed gaming miniatures, and began making the creatures for his daughter. The gnomes are tiny, between two and three centimetres tall. Michael said he has been inundated with messages since residents began discovering the said there have been "so many people wanting to find them, saying they're gonna go out just to look for gnomes."The shop owner said he plans to keep making them for his daughter to hide, and has encouraged people to take photos of the gnomes and post them online."It could be a little happy thing for Accrington town I think. It keeps her happy, and makes other people happy as well," he said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Top Restaurants Sign in or Subscribe Roasted salmon with scorched heirloom tomatoes from Amara in Belmont. Manuel Orbegozo/For S.F. Chronicle The Now List: 25 Bay Area Restaurants of the Moment A quarterly guide to the best new places to eat, from buzzy bars to hidden gems. Roasted salmon with scorched heirloom tomatoes from Amara in Belmont. Manuel Orbegozo/For S.F. Chronicle By MacKenzie Chung Fegan and Cesar Hernandez
Hello, and welcome to the Now List: 25 Bay Area Restaurants of the Moment. This is where you'll turn for the new, the hot, the right-this-second places to eat. Each of these 25 restaurants has opened within the past year, although the cohort is skewed towards more recent arrivals. We, your critics — Cesar Hernandez and I — recommend them all. When Cesar and I began our roles, we inherited a project called the Top 25, a list of the 'best' restaurants in the Bay Area that was updated quarterly. You might be thinking that it sounds like an impossible task to winnow down all the restaurants in the region to a tight 25, and you're exactly right. That's a large part of the reason why we brought back the Top 100 earlier this year. Even with 100 slots, many worthy restaurants didn't make the cut. Hence the Now List. These 25 spots might not all land on next year's Top 100 (although Sun Moon Studio, Fikscue, Outta Sight and Verjus made the 2025 list), but if you want to stay up on where to eat right now, this is the guide for you. One caveat: In situations where either Cesar or I might write a full review of a restaurant, we generally wait three to four weeks before paying our first visit. So if you're wondering why the brand new restaurant that's all over your feed isn't on this list, it might be because we are giving it some time before paying a call. — MacKenzie Chung Fegan Advertisement Dining options Takeout Delivery Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Showing 25 of 25 Amara 1015 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont See on map Add to wishlist Reena Miglani and Ajay Walia have been busy. Last year, they reopened Rasa, their formerly Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Burlingame, following it up in January with Amara, a Mediterranean restaurant in Belmont. The space is striking, with a large central bar topped with aquamarine stone and a verdant outdoor patio. Standout dishes include the dips and spreads, particularly a bright green hummus that smacks of pickled ramps, and the praline pistachio opera cake, a nutty, chocolatey, salty layered confection that melds silky mousse with crunchy feuilletine and candied nuts. Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Brunch Friday-Sunday, dinner Tuesday-Sunday Phone: 650-486-1703 Website Bon Délire Pier 3, San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist From Paris with butter-doused love, Bon Délire brings a bit of romance to the Embarcadero. It's a see-and-be-seen spot with a stylish, minimalist design, a gorgeous horseshoe-shaped bar and a booming soundtrack of hip hop and soul. Owner Kais Bouzidi is a native of Paris, and chef Vernon Morales has a steady grasp of French cooking, excelling at classics like croque madame and steak frites tweaked with contemporary finesse. Butter is a constant, used in everything from the escargot to butter-washed Paloma cocktail and the glorious baked-to-order madeleines for dessert. Stop by for brunch, when a DJ provides a soundtrack for velvety omelets. Takeout Outdoor seating Indoor seating Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday, brunch Sunday Phone: 415-969-0655 Website Read the full review Cơm Tấm Sài Gòn 1111 Story Rd., #1019, San Jose See on map Add to wishlist The most popular food court kiosk at Grand Century Mall in San Jose is Cơm Tấm Sài Gòn, whose platters of broken rice with charred meat appear across tables. To find it, search for the bright green sign splashing viridescent light onto the food court. Opt for a dac biet combination, like No. 54, which includes a tender egg cake; a sticky, smoky pork chop; and shrimp two ways: wrapped in tofu skin and fried, and minced then grilled on sugarcane. The sleeper hit is No. 65, a dish centered around woven nets of vermicelli noodles known as bánh hỏi, accompanied by grilled pork, a crackly egg roll and fresh greens. Cơm tấm has become a representative dish of the mall's current dining scene, which is apt as the dish is of two cultures. Takeout Indoor seating Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Soft drinks Hours: Lunch and dinner Thursday-Tuesday Phone: 669-246-0789 Website Order online Read the full review More Top Lists Top San Francisco Restaurants Top Affordable Restaurants Top Outdoor Restaurants Daytrip Counter 4316 Telegraph Ave., Oakland See on map Add to wishlist Finn Stern and Stella Dennig, the forces behind the now-closed Daytrip, are back with the ultimate lunch spot. Now known as Daytrip Counter, the casual restaurant is devoted to rotisserie chicken and invigorating salads, a major shift from the previous restaurant's reputation as the hot date night spot. Vinegar-brined and injected with schmaltz, the chicken is utterly drenched in moisture. It makes for a hearty addition to a salad like the crunchy, herby Caesar salad with fish sauce dressing or the oregano-scented Club Med, filled with creamy beans and tangy feta. The latest version of Datrip is unlike its predecessor in many ways, but it's wonderful in new ones. Takeout Delivery Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer and wine Hours: Lunch and dinner daily Website Order online Read the full review Related story Enclos 139 E Napa St., Sonoma See on map Add to wishlist Enclos, which opened in late 2024 in downtown Sonoma, rocketed from zero to two — Michelin stars, that is. There is much to find charming about the fine dining restaurant, from its Victorian building to the copper pots and dried flowers framing the kitchen to the personalized, illustrated welcome note waiting for you at your table. If there's a conceit to the restaurant, it's that the 13 or so courses in chef Brian Limoges' menu refract his New England upbringing through a California lens. There's a chawanmushi that nods to clam chowder, venison tartare tarts that reference the state animal of New Hampshire, where Limoges grew up. Pastry chef Sophie Hau, most recently of Californios, ensures the meal ends on an operatic high note with two wee honey ice cream sandwiches perched on a frame of honeycomb from a local beehive. Indoor seating Price: $$$$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full Bar Hours: Dinner Wednesday-Saturday Phone: 707-387-1724 Website Related story Eylan 500 El Camino Real Suite 101, Menlo Park See on map Add to wishlist If you'd like a general orientation to Eylan, know that it's the third collaboration between chef Srijith Gopinathan and restaurateur Ayesha Thapar, and their first two, Ettan and Copra, both landed on our Top 100. Eylan opened in January, anchoring a Menlo Park live-work development where, if you're so inclined, you can shop for extravagant Swiss watches before your dinner reservation. But as soon as you step through the imposing front door, festooned with artificial flowering vines, you're miles away from Silicon Valley condos. The menu focuses on wood-fired Cal-Indian cuisine. A whole butterflied sea bream, cartoonishly flattened as if squashed by an Acme anvil, wears the imprint of a grill basket on its skin. Cured hamachi sits in a pool of fermented hot sauce made with charred red peppers. With Eylan, Gopinathan and Thapar are three for three. Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full Bar Hours: Dinner Tuesday-Sunday Phone: 650-420-6866 Website Read the full review Fikscue 7 Warriors Way, Suite 208, San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Texas wishes it had barbecue like Fikscue, which first opened in Alameda and recently expanded to San Francisco's Thrive City. The original location has become famous for long lines, but the new spot makes it easier to experience this spectacular blend of Indonesian cooking and Lone Star State-style smoked meats. Where else can you find hulking dino ribs and smoked brisket rendang? The idea for the 'Indo-Tex' combination started at the dinner table of married owners Fik and Reka Saleh. Fik brings Texas technique with his wobbly, bark-encrusted brisket, while Reka handles the Indonesian offerings like the rendang, cubed beef tossed with a complex paste made of red pepper and coconut milk. The latest location introduces worthy new menu items like sticky smoked beef cheek and lumpia stuffed with smoked chicken. Eat your heart out, Texas. Takeout Outdoor seating Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Soft drinks Hours: Lunch and dinner Thursday-Sunday Website Read the full review Jules 237 Fillmore St., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Jules' ascension from a popup to the one of the most hopping pizza parlors in San Francisco was blazing fast. Max Blachman-Gentile honed his breadmaking talents at Tartine and his pizza skills at famous New York restaurants Emily and Roberta's. Fermented for a day, the dough has more whole-grain wheat than is typical, adding more chew to the otherwise fluffy, crispy crust. The Spicy Ronny (pepperoni and Calabrian chiles) is the top dog of the red pies, followed by a riff on eggplant parm, littered with toasted bread crumbs and opal basil. Start with a small plate like charred cabbage dressed with chili crisp and end with a licorice-y, anise-flavored Sambuca gelato. The pizza restaurant has limited capacity for walk-ins, so set your alarms to book a reservation a month in advance. Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer and wine Hours: Dinner Tuesday-Saturday Website Related story Mian 3540 Homestead Rd., Santa Clara See on map Add to wishlist Los Angeles noodle operation Mian opened a Sichuan-style shop in a Santa Clara strip mall, and it is as excellent as ever. Loved by Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic Jonathan Gold, the noodle shop has quick service and a space decorated with wallpaper illustrations of Chengu street life. Thin and supple house-made noodles deserve the top billing. In the Chengdu zajiang noodles, the bouncy strings are slick with ground pork, fermented broad bean sauce and mouth-numbing chile oil so dark red it could make a vampire salivate. Supplement your meal with savory steamed eggs or a warm cup of sweet soy milk with a crunchy baton-shaped doughnut. Mian is temporarily closed through August. Takeout Delivery Indoor seating Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Soft drinks Hours: Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Sunday Phone: 650-308-4364 Order online Read the full review Mijo 55 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera See on map Add to wishlist Mjio, which opened in March, is located in a Corte Madera strip mall, sandwiched in between Book Passage and an outpost of the spectacularly named bakery chain Nothing Bundt Cakes. But once you're inside Mijo, you're transported to —OK, not literal Spain, but a quite nice restaurant, one where attention has clearly been paid to the decor. There's a colorful mural on the back wall, cozy upholstered booths for two and larger ones for four, a long copper bar, lots of tile. As for the food, seasonal California ingredients update Spanish classics like patatas bravas and jamón croquetas. Don't miss the market salad, bathed in an aged sherry vinaigrette that you could happily drink on its own. Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full Bar Hours: Dinner daily Phone: 415-891-3552 Website Related story Outta Sight Pizza 643 Clay St., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Top 100 restaurant Outta Sight opened its second location in Chinatown in January, and the stars of the show here are chunky, rectangular grandma slices loaded with Asian American-inspired toppings like butter chicken and Peking duck. Under no circumstances should you skip the mapo slice. A squiggle of tangy whipped tofu stands in for ricotta, cushioning dollops of chile crisp packed with Sichuan peppercorns. Keep an eye out for happy hour deals on weekday afternoons when slices are discounted and bottles of wine are half off. Takeout Delivery Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer and wine Hours: Brunch and dinner Monday-Friday Phone: 415-829-3108 Website Piccino Presidio 1 Letterman Dr., Building D, San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist When restaurants open an additional location, the name of the new spot is usually the same as the original. But Piccino is so synonymous with Dogpatch that its second location, nearly 20 years in the making, is called Piccino Presidio. Although the space is considerably larger than the OG Piccino, the ethos is the same, with easy-to-love pizzas and pastas dominating the menu. A corn pie with spicy n'duja and fontina is a celebration of summer, but a salad of shaved fennel, endive, soft feta, pickled sultanas and olive chermoula dressed in a fragrant saffron vinaigrette steals the show. Takeout Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Lunch daily, dinner Monday-Saturday Phone: 415-824-4224 Website Prelude 333 Battery St., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Someone (and by someone we mean private equity firm KHP Capital Partners) poured a lot of money into the Jay Hotel, formerly Le Mérdien San Francisco. AvroKO, the firm behind some of the most luxurious restaurants and hotels in the world, gave the building a complete overhaul using a design vocabulary they're calling 'warm Brutalism.' Prelude, the hotel's ground-floor restaurant, is awash in marble, an extravagant background for chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones' build-your-own grits bar. Served with a variety of fixin's, from crispy Benton's ham to pickled okra, the blue Oaxacan corn grits are a highlight of the Southern-with-a-swerve menu. There's even ambrosia for dessert. Don't be scared! Hendrickson-Jones' take, with homemade marshmallows, orange jelly and a potent swirl of Absinthe and passion fruit foam, is the rehabilitation this maligned 'salad' needs. Price: $$$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Dinner Tuesday-Saturday Phone: 415-375-8041 Website Order online Rasa 209 Park Rd., Burlingame See on map Add to wishlist After a three-year closure, Rasa, a trailblazing contemporary Indian restaurant in Burlingame, resurrected in 2024. It's as strong as ever. Signature dishes like arm-length dosas and crunchy potato fritter sliders are still worthy, while the flaky, juicy halibut drenched in coconut sauce is an awesome newcomer. Or try the darling egg curry served with yielding saffron rice — the sleeper hit from brunch service. Rasa remains an impressive thread in the fabric of the larger Indian food scene. Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Lunch and dinner daily Phone: 650-910-6351 Website Read the full review Rusty Ladle 3645 Lawton St., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Rusty Ladle, a soup spot mere minutes away from Ocean Beach, feels like a remedy for hard times. You can leave the restaurant with a happy belly for under $15. Inside is a long counter, decorated with lines of pennies, that doubles as an art installation — a nod to owner John Lindsey's background as an artist. The menu strictly consists of sandwiches and soups, including a thick chowder loaded with Bodega Bay clams and a tangy-sweet tomato soup cooled with slightly pungent basil cream. You'll want to pair the latter with an obscenely cheesy schmelty, a grilled cheese encrusted with a crisp skirt. As food prices spike, affordable spots like Rusty Ladle are more vital than ever. Takeout Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer and wine Hours: Lunch and dinner Thursday-Sunday Phone: 415-205-0860 Website Read the full review Shoji 140 New Montgomery St., Suite 1200, San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Shoji is a daytime cafe, restaurant and bar from Ingi Son of Michelin-starred sushi restaurant the Shota. But what's arguably more exciting is that he teamed up with chef Intu-on Kornnawong, the force that brought Jo's Modern Thai in Oakland to prominence. The Japanese-leaning restaurant is slicker than slick, with round comfy booths, heavy stone tables and an intricate mural of animals in traditional Japanese painting style. Kornnawong's mastery of Thai flavor shines in creamy oysters flavored with beet chile jam and fish ceviche laced with fiery, herby nam jim. She proves equally adept at cooking Japanese dishes like a donburi, rice stacked with cured, naturally sweet shrimp, seasoned ikura and melty uni. It's so indulgent that it almost feels forbidden, the edible equivalent of staring at the sun. Outdoor seating Indoor seating Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Dinner Monday-Friday Related story Side A 2814 19th St., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Parker Brown climbed the ladder at fine dining spots like Aphotic, but at his Mission District restaurant Side A, he maintains a strict 'no microgreens' policy. Instead, you'll find hearty portions of creative Midwestern-inflected fare, from Italian beef gnocchi — one of the best dishes we've had all year — to chicken schnitzel served with a nostalgia-inducing honey mustard sauce. Brown is chasing, in his words, yumminess, not stars. His wife and business partner, Caroline, a music industry veteran, pulls from a deep selection of vinyl, spinning everything from Peter Gabriel to OutKast in the DJ booth at the front of the restaurant. A visit to Side A is like stopping by a house party where the host also happens to be a first-rate chef. Indoor seating Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Dinner Thursday-Monday Phone: 415-231-4969 Website Read the full review Sirene 3308 Grand Ave., Oakland See on map Add to wishlist Paul Einbund and Gavin Schmidt, the duo behind the Morris in San Francisco, are back with another smash restaurant: Sirene in Oakland. The two are like the Abbott and Costello of the Bay Area food world, and they bring their passion for warm hospitality to Sirene. The menu is an oddball mix of seafood and fried chicken. Cozy up to the bar for a glass of wine or a Chartreuse slushy and a hearty bowl of wood-fired mussels. For a full meal, start with something light like marinated raw fish and end with something heavy like the fried chicken. The chicken sports a thin, crackly shell and can be accompanied with accordion-like biscuits and an awesome kimchi octopus sauce — a riff inspired the duo's love of late-night Korean fried chicken. Exposed brick lends the dining room rustic character; there's also a charming back patio covered in vines. Takeout Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Breakfast and dinner Wednesday-Sunday Phone: 510-200-8750 Website Read the full review Smish Smash 945 Market St., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist After gaining a reputation for making the Bay Area's best smashburger as a roving popup, Smish Smash settled into downtown San Francisco's Saluhall earlier this year. Run by couple Amy Han and Vic Donado, Smish's supremacy boils down to its execution and consistency, informed by obsessive, innovative technique. There are always six burgers on the menu, such as the the signature, with a sherry wine-vinegar-infused secret sauce, and the Cheeseboiga, a messy number inspired by the Big Mac. But don't ignore the specials, which test the limits of imagination. Smish Smash is temporarily closed. Takeout Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Soft drinks Phone: Website Order online Read the full review Sun Moon Studio 1940 Union St., Suite 21, Oakland See on map Add to wishlist Sun Moon Studio is an odd name for a restaurant. It suggests artists at work, a place devoted to experimentation and craft rather than the practical exchange of meals for money. It might seem pretentious were it not for chef-owners Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu's extremely unpretentious geniality, and also the fact that Sun Moon Studio is one of the best restaurants to open in the Bay Area in 2024. On an industrial block in West Oakland in a space that seats 12, they're serving a tasting menu that surprises and delights, from the housemade lap cheong on a steamed brioche bun to the savory egg custard tart, a showcase for Cooper's pastry prowess. It would all be impressive were it cooked by a team of 10, but it's only Hsu and Cooper in the kitchen, honing their craft night after night. The Michelin Guide took note this summer, awarding Sun Moon Studio its first star. Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$$$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer and wine Hours: Dinner Thursday-Saturday Website Read the full review Supreme Dumplings 3251 20th Ave., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist In June, our colleagues reported that while most San Francisco malls are struggling, Stonestown Galleria is thriving. The reason? The mall's management has invested heavily in Asian retailers and restaurants. The latest concept to open is Supreme Dumplings, a Washington-based mini chain that is, some might say, a homegrown Din Tai Fung dupe. (One of its two head chefs led Din Tai Fung's original central kitchen.) It should come as no surprise that the thing to get here is the soup dumplings, particularly the supreme pork xiao long bao, which come eight to an order and burst with a generous amount of liquid. Grab a reservation if you can; in the weeks after opening, Supreme Dumplings proved so popular that waits topped two hours and walk-in diners were turned away well before close. Takeout Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer and wine Hours: Lunch and diiner daily Phone: 877-839-4283 Website The Roll 921 Folsom St., San Francisco See on map Add to wishlist Sushi Hakko is all about pristine omakase. The team's new casual restaurant, the Roll, is rooted in futomaki. But what makes the spot a standout is the stuffed spins on inari sushi, which typically feature rice tucked inside pockets of fried tofu. Each one resembles a sweet little boat. The Roll offers three for $17 or five for $26, including a side of seaweed salad, and each piece is big enough to split between two people, if somewhat difficult to cut in half. In addition to more usual topping suspects like dry-aged tuna and salmon with yuzu kosho, there are less conventional options like corn cheese and yakiniku beef topped with a quail egg. Takeout Delivery Indoor seating Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer, wine and sake Hours: Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday Phone: 415-489-8610 Website Order online Tsujita Artisan Noodle 4330 Moorpark Ave., San Jose See on map Add to wishlist Tsujita, a Tokyo-born ramen shop that opened its first stateside shop in Los Angeles, recently expanded to San Jose. The noodle shop is known for its tsukemen, a ramen variant where you dip cold noodles into hot, fortified broth. The cool temperature of the thick yellow noodles helps preserve their springy chew. The most basic tsukemen includes only noodles and potent broth; the spicy version adds prickly chile paste, and the deluxe gets a double portion of melty braised pork and a seasoned egg. The Los Angeles Tsujita has a reputation for its long lines, and the new 30-seat outpost is no different. Waits can range from 30 minutes up to several hours. Indoor seating Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer, wine and sake Hours: Lunch and dinner Sunday-Thursday Website Under-Study 595 St Helena Hwy., St Helena See on map Add to wishlist After an unexpected permitting hiccup that forced a temporary closure, Under-study in St. Helena is back open. As of early July, the museum café-bakery-marketplace still doesn't have its seating sorted out, but until then visitors can eat their expertly laminated danishes and sweet and sour pig ears on the adjacent patio at sister restaurant Press. You should definitely get both, and be sure to tack on the heirloom tomato as well. On the menu, it's described as coming with 'preserved plum, toasted sourdough,' but this is no toast. Expect instead an intensely flavorful sculptural salad with precariously stacked tomato and plum segments, tweezered herbs and lacy sourdough crisps. Takeout Outdoor seating Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Beer and wine Hours: Breakfast and lunch daily Phone: 707-286-0070 Website Related story Verjus 550 Washington St., San Francisco, CA 94111 See on map Add to wishlist After a four-year closure, Lindsay and Michael Tusk's wine bar across from the Transamerica Pyramid is back and firing on all cylinders. The dramatic interiors are as captivating as ever, with the menu displayed on a lit marquee running the length of the room and an oxblood lacquered ceiling as glossy as the caramel sauce on the godly pain perdu. But the food from executive chef Walker Stern will pull your attention squarely back to what is on your plate. The breadth of France is represented, from chicken Normande ($32), resplendent in a Calvados sauce, to a Provençal-style soupe de crabe ($38) inspired by bouillabaisse. The wine list — 'thick with under-the-radar producers,' according to our colleague Esther Mobley — hews Gallic as well. More of a cocktail drinker? Thad Vogler has compiled a list of classics made with his Bar Agricole single-origin spirits. Indoor seating Vegetarian options Price: $$ Payment options: Credit cards accepted Drinks: Full bar Hours: Dinner Tuesday-Saturday Phone: 415-944-4600 Website Related story Advertisement Save your wishlist Add to your wishlist by checking the boxes above Copy wish list to clipboardEmail wish list To come up with the price designations, the Chronicle estimated what two people would spend on a meal without drinks or dessert. $: up to $50 $$: $51-$100 $$$: $101-$250 $$$$: more than $250 Insights on Northern California's culinary scene, from the Chronicle Food team Sign up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Notice. Credits Reporting by MacKenzie Chung Fegan / Restaurant Critic and Cesar Hernandez / Associate Restaurant Critic. Visuals by Chronicle Photo Editors, Photographers, and Contributors. Editing by Janelle Bitker and Caleb Pershan. Audience engagement by Jess Shaw and Elisabeth Smith. Project management by Brittany Schell / Hearst DevHub and Alex Fong / Deputy Creative Director, Design. Design and development by Danielle Rindler / Hearst DevHub and Evan Wagstaff / Hearst DevHub. Powered by the Hearst Newspapers DevHub. Homepage To Top About Our Company Terms of Use Privacy Notice CA Notice at Collection Your CA Privacy Rights (Shine the Light) DAA Industry Opt Out Careers Advertising Newsroom Ethics Policy Our Use of AI Endorsement Process News Tips Newsroom News Contact Customer Service FAQ Newsroom Contacts Services Subscriber Services e-Edition Reprints & Permissions Corporate Subscriptions App Archives Membership Place an Obituary Store Subscription Offers Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads) ©2025 Hearst
What's On
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
7 fun things to do in Abu Dhabi this week: June 23 to 26
Looking to switch up your routine or just add a little fun to your week? From the high speed thrills of the new F1 movie to ceviche week at COYA to wild encounters at the zoo, Here's your midweek guide to the best things to do in Abu Dhabi right now, where to eat, what to watch, and where to wander in the capital. Monday, June 23 Ceviche Night at COYA Abu Dhabi COYA Abu Dhabi is marking National Ceviche Day with a limited time Mistura de Ceviche platter, a six course tasting of Peru's most iconic dish, elevated with bold flavours and signature flair. Expect everything from prawn and truffle snapper to beetroot and spicy yellowfin tuna. Location: COYA Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island Price: Dhs348 Operating hours: 6:30pm to 11:30pm Contact: (0)2 306 7000, @coyaabudhabi Tuesday, June 24 Craving Chinese at Hakkasan Tuesdays call for something indulgent, why not satisfy your cravings with world-class Chinese cuisine at Hakkasan? Located inside the stunning Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, this award-winning spot serves up modern Cantonese dishes in a chic, dimly lit setting. Think crispy duck salad, signature dim sum, and decadent mains that hit the spot every time. Location: Hakkasan, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi Operating hours: 6pm to 11:30pm Contact: (0)2 690 7739, @hakkasanabudhabi Strike up some fun at Bowling City Have fun at City Bowling Get the ball rolling at Bowling City, a cheeky 12 lane ten pin bowling spot tucked inside Al Ain Mall. Not just lanes here challenge friends to billiards, table tennis, or chill with the resident PlayStation. Perfect for all skill levels and good vibes. Location: Bowling City, Al Ain Mall Operating hours: 12pm to 12am Contact: (03) 751 0006, @ Wednesday, June 25 Lebanese feast at Amara Midweek pick me up with a delicious dive into Lebanese classics at Amara. From vibrant mezze and tender lamb chops to indulgent desserts like baklava cheesecake, this stylish spot at The WB Abu Dhabi offers a modern twist on traditional flavours. Perfect for a relaxed yet elegant Monday night out. Location: Amara, The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, Yas Island Operating hours: 12pm to 2am Contact: (050) 777 0543, @amararestaurantabudhabi Wild Wednesday out at Emirates Park Zoo & Resort Looking for a fun-filled family outing? Head to Emirates Park Zoo & Resort, where you can meet exotic animals, enjoy interactive feeding sessions, and explore shaded walkways perfect for summer strolls. It's educational, entertaining, and open all day for adventure. Location: Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi Operating hours: 9am to 9pm Contact: (02) 501 0000, @emiratesparkzoo Thursday, June 26 Tapas Thursdays at The Warehouse Wine & Tapas Bar Kick off the weekend early with Tapas Thursdays at The Warehouse. Enjoy flavour packed Spanish bites while a live singer sets the vibe with Spanish and Latin tunes a perfect midweek escape with flair. Location: The Warehouse Wine & Tapas Bar, Pearl Rotana Capital Centre Operating hours: 5pm to 2am Contact: 02 307 5552, @thewarehouseabudhabi F1 Movie Premiere at VOX Cinemas Abu Dhabi Start your engines! The highly anticipated F1 movie hits VOX Cinemas this Thursday. Get front row seats to all the high speed drama, behind the scenes rivalries, and heart pounding action of the Formula 1 world. A must watch for racing fans and movie lovers alike. Location: VOX Cinemas, Yas Mall Contact: 600 599905, @voxcinemas Don't miss a thing , follow What's On on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for the latest news, events and everything in between… Images: Supplied, Archive and Instagram
Khaleej Times
19-06-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
When the ideal isn't real: What's cognitive dissonance and how to tackle it?
Amara* had always associated success with stability – the kind rooted in a familiar neighbourhood and a fulfilling career, all within the close-knit community she grew up in. As the daughter of Caribbean immigrants who built a modest, middle-class life in the US, she was raised to believe that education was the surest path to that success. So with her parents' support, she earned degrees from Stanford University and the University of Michigan, and seemed firmly on track to create the life she had long envisioned for herself. But now, seven years into her expat journey in Qatar, her reality looks very different. 'I really figured that by this age I would be living in a nice gated community in the US, balancing raising my kids with a fulfilling career at a multinational company, surrounded by the friends and family that I grew up with,' said Amara, 38. 'I never dreamed of living so far away from home, and being just a stay-at-home mum.' Her move to Doha in 2018 to be with her husband marked a detour that, over time, began to feel like a derailment. 'For my first job in Qatar, I opted to take what felt like a step backwards in order to move my marriage and my family forward. Looking back, I think that this step moved me further away from achieving my imagined reality than I could have thought,' she reflected. A mismatch Amara's experience is far from unique. According to Vinita Mane, a CDA-licensed therapist and faculty leader at Westford University College in Sharjah, 'Cognitive dissonance, in this context, occurs when there's a mismatch between the ideal life one envisioned and the reality of daily struggles, lack of employment or job insecurity, and multitasking between roles that may not align with one's skills or specialisation.' This inner tension can have far-reaching effects. 'It can cause emotional distress, strained relationships, and sometimes the development of maladaptive behaviours or coping mechanisms,' Mane explained. For Amara, the dissonance became most palpable after the birth of her second child. 'I knew that going back to work at the time wasn't going to be my reality. And from there I watched my unemployment gap widen and widen,' she said. 'Now, with three kids, I feel less and less confident that I will be able to seamlessly re-enter the workforce and do the things I once wanted to do professionally.' Distance from home and a lack of support system only magnified Amara's feelings of dissonance. 'I believe that having community that you can lean on for help and that you can be vulnerable with in times of challenge are so important,' she said. 'Now I am in a place that can feel very lonely. Folks come and go frequently so it can feel emotionally draining to invest in relationships only to see them end abruptly and unexpectedly.' Expatriates like Amara, whether in the Gulf or elsewhere, arrive with many expectations. They then face difficult choices: to assimilate, integrate, or separate from the dominant culture. 'One of humanity's greatest strengths is adaptability. We possess the ability to learn, evolve, and integrate into new environments. Those who embrace change with openness and curiosity are more likely to manage dissonance effectively,' Mane explained. 'One's emotional and psychological well-being – and even physical health – can be directly impacted by the inability to adapt, especially when individuals cling too tightly to their original expectations instead of adjusting to their current reality.' For a long time, Amara experienced what she described as a persistent, heavy emotional state marked by deep sadness. This stemmed from unmet expectations and the loss of the life she had once envisioned – one that included a career, financial autonomy, and a rooted sense of home. Seeking help Through therapy, she began to process that grief, giving herself permission to feel disappointment while working to reshape her goals within her current reality. Amara has learned that acknowledgment is key. 'I've worked hard not to brush away my feelings but to name them, to understand what is driving them and to affirm that not having been able to build that life that I wanted does not make me less valuable or less competent or less worthy of love and appreciation and admiration.' Therapy has encouraged her to re-frame success and find new meaning. 'I've been able to dig deep to identify my core values and how my prior goals aligned with them. Moving forward, I'm working on creating new goals based on those core values, but within my current context.' In addition to this type of work, Mane recommends cognitive restructuring: a therapeutic technique that challenges negative or irrational thought patterns and helps to develop a growth mindset. 'A psychologist can guide you through this journey, helping you better understand your emotions, build resilience, and develop healthier ways of thinking.' Today, Amara's expat experience is deeply intentional. 'Cultivating gratitude and grace are things that have taken me a long way in managing the discomfort that comes along with the dissonance. 'As I have begun to re-frame and redefine my goals, my expat experience has improved. I am able to see so much value in it and to have a lot of gratitude in it while still holding space for the fact that there are some aspects of it that I do not like.' She added, 'My goal is not to erase the dissonance but to claim it, and keep on re-envisioning my life day after day." Qatar
