Dubai: If you are craving some authentic Cajun in the New Year, I can help make your choice rather simple: head to the place that does it best in town. You may get the odd Jambalaya or the Maque choux here and there, but you mustn’t miss the treat at Cravin’ Cajun in Novotel, Al Barsha, if the great Acadian legacy is what you are looking to savour.
“You don’t need to fly all the way to New Orleans; New Orleans will come straight to you,” says chef Jeffrey Whitfield who comes from Louisiana’s largest city known for its distinct French Creole architecture, jazz legend Louis Armstrong and of course its fiery brand of Cajun culinary surprises. We got fair instances of the last two. Singer Ptah Brown from New York gave us a sample of what music in the days of Satchmo might have sounded like while Whitfield gave us what Cajun tastes like back home.
A Mickey Mouse (Dh25), a refreshing mocktail of freshly squeezed orange, raspberry and grenadine, welcomed us, but our real initiation into the Cajun carnival began with bowls of Chicken Gumbo soup (Dh45). Slow cooked in a dark roux (a thickening agent) with holy trinity – onions, bell peppers and Mirepoix (a mixture of chopped celery, onions and carrots sautéed with butter), it had a strong flavour of the grilled chicken and the sausage chunks in it, served with ‘jazzman’ rice and chopped green onions. You could detect the Cajun spices in every spoonful of the broth.
If meat’s not your order of the day, you could try the Louisiana Praline Salad (Dh45), a mesclun spring mix of chopped pecan pralines, roasted eggplant and red pepper terrine. It’s served with pickled apples and maple vinaigrette for a wonderful added flavour.
We weren’t done with salads though. Louisiana Crab Cake (Dh55) and the Cajun Fried Shrimp (Dh55) came next. With field greens and remoulade, a French version of the English tartar sauce if you like, one was a whole new take on crabs, New Orleans style, and the other a gorgeous looker. Crispy fried in a buttermilk batter and served with fried okra and onions on the side, the shrimps tasted as good.
Shrimp Étouffée (Dh70) was our first main course. Another signature New Orleans dish, it involves smothering, a Cajun style cooking in a covered pan over low heat, a little like stove-top braising. Sautéed shrimps cooked in a brown roux bore that taste. What made it different from the Gumbo soup though was the shellfish stock and the mouthful of ‘jazzmen’ rice flavoured with secret Cajun spices, rice and holy trinity.
Cajun Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles (Dh60) was an interesting item on our table next. A pair of fried chicken breasts marinated with buttermilk, it came sandwiched in crispy cornbread waffles and fried cabbage on the side. Potato puree and smoked turkey gravy garnished with a spicy maple syrup gave a real twist.
A Bread Pudding (Dh40) came for dessert. Served with Bourbon sauce, if you so desire, it’s a toasted French bread marinated in sweet cream custard and delectably baked.
I finished all that in about four lavish scoops and knew soon enough what Alejandro Fernandez, the Spanish restaurant manager meant when he said, “We are the only ones doing Cajun here in the UAE.”
Before this I had sampled some Cajun and creole cuisine in Gros Islet, St. Lucia, another bastion of the French influence in the Atlantic south east of New Orleans.
I haven’t been to the American mainland yet but don’t think finding Cajun will ever be a reason for me to go there. It’s all here in Dubai!
Details:
Breakfast for two: Dh 300
Location: Novotel Hotel AL Barsha
All Day dining from: 7pm to 11pm
Call: 04-304 9000
We recommend:
Chicken Gumbo Soup
Louisiana Praline Salad
Cajun Fried Shrimp
Cajun Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles
Bread Pudding
