HOT SPOT: The Cheesecake Factory, Dubai Mall, Dubai

Once you get over how overwhelmingly huge and shiny Dubai is in general, and you narrow in your fascination to finding good food, then the Cheesecake Factory is a good deal after you have been walking round and round trying to peel your eyes away either from the aquarium, the humongous bookstore and the sales in every store.

For a Kenyan who likes Greenview, the Cheesecake Factory is the perfect place to fulfil your search for the correct portion of food that should be given to a customer. The one up on Greenview, obviously, is the rapid and conscientious service.

The Cheesecake Factory menu is predominantly American, and so the starters (and extensive menu) is oriented in that direction: from nachos and steady free refills for any sodas you have, to steaks, burgers, pastas, combos, and of course, cheesecake. The booths are reminiscent of a Texas Corral-like setup, separated and pushed against the corners with a wider family style seating area in the middle and as you walk in through the doors, as well as a dim, yellow-hued lighting which you will see in the pictures, fortunately or unfortunately.

Be warned – if you are actually planning to get to that cheesecake that you will so desire, you might want to simply avoid the drinks and the starters all together, because I guarantee you, there will be no space. Four of us with drinks, starters and a man course spent about KES10,000.