BRU: Chin Restaurant

Last time in Brussels, I heard about a Mongolian Barbeque restaurant called Chin. This time, I decided to check it out.

Chin Restaurant
Rue de l'Aqueduc 103
1050 Ixelles
Tel: 02 537 22 90
(google maps)
From the Sheraton, go across Avenue Louise on Rue du Bailli (past Michael Collins). At the end of the road (in front of the church) turn left onto Rue de l'Amazone. When you get to the intersection, you'll see Chin on the next street over.

Mongolian Barbeque style is where you choose your raw plate items yourself and a chef cooks them up for you. Chin is no different. You have your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp and calamari for the meats, and there were about 15 or so different veggie items that you can add to the meats. You have a choice of 10 different sauces of varying spice ranges to add to your meal.

After you've chosen all your raw items, take it to the cook or waitress and tell them which sauce you want. In about 5 to 10 minutes, your food will be cooked and brought to your table. They will bring out a bowl of white rice to go with your meal.

The price for the meal was €14.50, and it is all you can eat. I ate two plates, the first one with a spicy curry sauce, and the second with a Japanese Teriyaki style sauce.

The restaurant opens at 6pm, so plan accordingly. They weren't busy when we went, but I've heard that it can get a bit crowded.

During my Air Force years, Mongolian BBQ nights were always a feast of fun, and this meal at Chin was no different. It's a great value and very good food that you get to select yourself. And that flexibility makes Chin a great group visit as well.

Choose your fixins


The chef cooks it up adding your sauce choice.


And voila! A hearty meal with all the stuff that you picked!

DXB: Ski Dubai!

Hello Fellow Dubaiers!

Well, I'd heard about Ski Dubai from other folks, and I really wanted to check it out. Sure, it's one of those gimmicky kinda things, but it's certainly worth some bragging rights at the bar.

Also, I wanted to try my hand again at skiing after a 22 year hiatus. The last time I donned skis was in 1987 (ouch!). And since I'll probably be taking my kids skiing this year for their first time (we did snowboarding last year), I wanted to reacquaint myself.



Until the tram gets in service, the best way to get to and from the Mall is via a cab. It's a 20-30 minute ride from the Festival City Marriot, and will cost you about 50 dirhams, which is about $14.


The 2 hour skiing pass costs 180 dirhams ($49) and that covers everything except a hat and gloves. Yes, the snowsuit and jacket are provided. There is a little upper arm zippered pocket which is where you're supposed to keep your little RFID lift ticket. That way, you can easily scan it each time you enter the chairlift line. It will tell you how much time you have remaining

You'll probably want to bring a hat and gloves as it's pretty cold in there, as it should be. They keep it at -1 Celsius, just below the freezing mark, but you can manage without. You'll just be mildly uncomfortable, but its just for 2 hours anyway... I'd wear long pants, and a long sleeve shirt would be nice. You can bring a few more layers and rent a locker if you want to have more clothing options.

For an experienced skier, you'll be bored, except for the thought that your skiing on a layover when its 125 outside! There is only about 200 feet of vertical drop, and the longest run is 450 yards long. But I had a lot of fun nonetheless. The snow is actually pretty good. Not powder, but well made man made snow. The lack of sun helps to keep out the slushy and icy spots that an east coast skier might be acquainted with.



The quad chair lift goes up to a midway optional drop off point, and then continues the rest of the way up to the top. The queue forms just like at any other ski resort. The lift is a bit slow at times, however.

Overall, I'd give the Ski Dubai thing a thumbs up. It such a unique experience to ski indoors in a desert that it allows you to accept the various shortcomings with a grin!

Below is a short video of my Ski Dubai experience... Enjoy!

FRA: Baseler Eck

Baseler Platz 7
60329 Gutleutviertel, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
069 252439

Finally, I had a layover with a crowd that wanted to visit the Baseler Eck. I've heard a lot about this restaurant, and was anxious to get my Jaegerschnitzel currency updated!

To get to the Baseler Eck from the Marriot, just take the #16 S-Bahn (or any Bahn that'll get you to Baseler Platz, here's a map) and then follow the map below. Don't forget that you can do a GruppenKarte for gaggles of up to 5. If it's nice out, its not a bad walk if you want a little exercise.



Schweinshaxe is apparently the fave at the restaurant. I'd had that dish a few weeks ago, and I wanted Jaegerschnitzel, so there you go. One guy ordered the bratwurst, but I always get bratwursts at the airport, so that didn't interest me.

Everyone loved their dishes! I scarfed down my Jaegerschnitzel, with a coupla Erdinger Weissbieren. Totally way cool!

So, meander your way over to the Eck. You won't be disappointed. It's been a fave of airline crews for quite some time. Clearly evident with the number of Aviation stickers on the walls. Bring yours and get it posted! Enjoy!

FRA: Palmengarten

Hello folks!
This is a much delayed post. I had it in edit mode so long that I forgot about it! But better late than never.

Anyhoo, on your next Frankfurt layover, be sure to stop by the Palmengarten. It is a very short 13 minute (0.7 mi) walk from the Marriot Hotel.

Directions (Google Map):
Go north on Senckenburganlage, and a right at the partially submerged trolly car (subway entrance, really) onto Bockenheimer Landstrasse. Take a left onto Palmengartenstrasse (it's called Beethoven Strasse on the right) and there you are!

The cost is 5 euros, and you can spend as long as you want in there. Check the concert schedule as there may be a concert that you can see also. There are a couple of cafes on the premises, so you can grab a cup of joe or a bratwurst and do some naturewatching.

There is a mini-railroad for the kids as well as a small splash water park. The train wasn't running during my visit, and the splash park I'm sure is seasonal.

If you're a jogger, you can waltz over to the Gruneburg Park across Siesmayerstrasse for some nice running atmosphere...

Don't forget your camera! Enjoy!