DUBAI: Seamood, a new seafood outlet on Mankhool Road, does not serve the popular hammour, kingfish and normal emperor fishes (Sherry). It’s done on purpose – and for a good reason.
“We’re a sustainable restaurant,” said Mohammad Eid, the Egyptian-Finn who launched the outlet in May. Upon advice from the marine conservation group Choose Wisely, he made exceptions for these “red line” listers of overfished species. “They must be given time to regenerate.”
Seamood diners, however, can enjoy most of the ocean’s bounty without feeling guilty. The restaurant serves scrumptious Mediterranean cuisine and comfortably seats 60. I went to the restaurant worried about what Eid’s kitchen hands might throw at me. His three chefs make orders from scratch. Eid and his team are not afraid to experiment. “Engineering dishes is a proper science,” said Eid. “One must know which ingredient goes with what.”
Eid’s passion for food made him invent things, a talent he gained while growing up in Cairo’s Shoubra district. He moved to Finland in 1996 and started working as a project manager for a private company, but he also was inventing dishes in his kitchen on the side.
“The allure of food always beckoned,” he said, recalling how he formed partnerships with European friends to open seafood outlets in Zurich and Helsinki.
Seamood is his latest personal project. It’s actually a fast seafood restaurant. “We aim to serve an order within 20 minutes, including grilled items.”
So let’s get on with what my dining partner (photographer Virendra Saklani) and I discovered.
First came the Ocean Mix soup, a creamy paste with seafood thrown in. Next came the stuffed eggplant – fried – but this was balanced by the lemon-infused carrot strips tossed into a pan with onions and garlic and a smidgen of spices. One try led to another piece, then another. The three-piece ensemble is a simple yet perfect appetiser in my book.
The sizzling Shrimps Fajita served flaming hot came with large prawns sautéed in garlic and onion and mixed vegetables. I thought this Med-Mex delight was the highlight of the night until our Ocean Mix meal came. It includes deboned pink-eared Sherry, two large prawns, Mediterranean-style Sayadiya rice, with tahina and chopped parsley on the side. There’s oven-fresh Arabic bread too.
My lemon juice – milky in texture – washed it all down neatly.
The dessert, Mango Float madness, is a story in itself (not on the menu yet) with a mango strip floating in the middle of a biscuit, topped with crushed almonds and whipped cream. It was neither too sweet nor too bland. And at Dh10, this was a real steal. Seamood is the no-airs hangout waiting to be discovered by seafood lovers, without burning a hole in their pockets. Altogether, our bill came up to Dh108.
And if you and your dining partner get caught up in tall tales and your food gets a bit cold, Seamood’s amiable staff offer to reheat your soup or whatever food is in front of you – and you are ready for some more!
DETAILS
Meal for two: Dh110-Dh120
Location: Mankhool Road, Al Hudaiba district, across Al Hanna Centre
Timings: 11am to 1am
Contact: 04-385 7977
www.seamoodrestaurant.com
