If you ever get a dinner invite from Shamim Ehsani (yes, the same Ehsani family of Tribe Hotel and Village Market), don’t pass it up, especially when it applies to Tribe’s new restaurant, Jiko, and especially when it’s his treat. You couldn’t ask for a better meal mate in Sham -- funny, warm and ever the consummate host. For the mere mortals who will need to work through their next five degrees of separation before receiving such a VIP invite, not to worry. Jiko is a full-fledged democratic restaurant fit for everyone.

In the heart of Westlands lies Havana, a Cuban-style bar/ restaurant renowned for kicking off what has become known as Electric Avenue. The whole of Woodvale Grove has burst upon the nighttime scene, much like a pumping carnival. This was all triggered by Havana’s Latino heart and soul, where Thursday-night parties overflowed from the bar and coursed down the street. A scattering of new places for food and drink have popped up all around Havana, jumping on the bandwagon of its success.

At the back end of Village Market’s robust shopping and recreation centre are some rare treats, baked in a special section of Tribe. The hotel’s architectural design is jaw dropping, just like the perfect pastries that spill forth from its kitchen, which houses 11 chefs, eight of them women.

Bien Acabo is a self-made man. He started his career mopping floors at the number one Japanese restaurant in the Philippines. From there he got promoted to dishwasher and continued to climb the ladder, eventually ending up as a chef behind the teppanyaki grill. Having been born in the former Spanish colony, of the Philipines, Bien Acabo was given a Spanish name, which roughly translates into “just good”. This is exactly what he is when standing behind the teppanyaki grill, chopping, grilling, and flambée-ing his way through all the shrimp, lobster, chicken, beef and vegetables that your heart can desire.