The Arabic Restaurant
Diabetic Diva
Wild thyme salad, deer machboos, camel meat kofta and fig birds (read sparrow) are all on the menu at this oasis of calm and light. On the fifth floor of the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, as Ramadan approaches and people prepare for the holy month, it was easy to express delight that a five-star restaurant would include Emirati cuisine and give it pride of place.
In a previous avatar I would have feasted on these delicacies with gusto. Currently though, with daily doses of Metmorphin in mind, I decided to take it easy and just taste each dish as it was presented.
We had salads galore and very special ones. Wild thyme has a slightly bitter, nutty flavour, which cleans the palate well. The Al Ain salad is a homely mix of chopped lettuce, tomato and a hint of red chilli with salt and lemon. The last, which is my favourite, is the capsicum, tomato, walnuts and pomegranate salad, which accompanied by tiny little morsels of the more exotic dishes, was a true taste bud buster.
I chickened out of tasting the sparrow, which was cooked to perfection in a condensed pomegranate sauce. The Caveman tried one of the three in his dish and was instructed to eat it whole, bones and all. Desert food at its best, but then I’m a fishy person and that’s what I wanted and got.
Chef Youssef Issa ensured both our health problems were catered for. There was no sugar added to my meal and no grain for the Caveman.
My fillets of hammour were cooked to perfection in a truly satisfying fresh tomato sauce. The simplicity of the sauce amazed me. It was neither sweet nor sour; just fresh tomatoes cooked perfectly with onions and a sprinkling of spices and green herbs. The saffron rice, which came as an accompaniment was very tempting, so I ate a spoonful. Lovely!
While the Caveman gorged on fresh cream with honey and pistachio nuts, I sipped my tea with mint — very soothed as life went on beyond the bay windows of the tranquil restaurant.
Caveman
Who will eat a little sparrow? I will, I said to the Diva, and eat it I did — bones and all. It was delicious and took me right back to Palaeolithic times. If I hadn’t been stuffed to bursting by the sheer variety of food on offer at this Ramadan iftar preview, I’d probably have eaten more than one.
Barely bigger than a large date, these fig birds, as Chef Issa refers to them, are a popular delicacy in Lebanon, and certainly were the highlight of my meal at the Arabian restaurant of the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. You’re meant to chew them whole, and while the strong, sweet pomegranate sauce overrides the disconcerting crunch, a lovely gaminess soon takes over, making for a rich, moreish finish.
I try a serving of deer machboos next, eating just the meat and leaving the rice. It’s been slow cooked in its own juices and works really well with Chef Issa’s Al Ain salad, a home-style chop-up of garden vegetables with a light lemon dressing that pairs beautifully with the full-on venison.
So far, so healthy — but there’s camel kofta next. Ground, lean meat that is very delicately spiced, the kebabs were a little too dry for me although they certainly delivered in terms of flavour, punching far above the everyday lahm. For someone who likes exotic meat, this is the iftar to be heading to — since this was a tasting, but be warned, not all of these delights may be available every day. They are, however, on the restaurant’s à la carte menu.
The Diva, of course, was delighted by the fact that there was fish — hammour harra — on offer and insisted I try some. It was good, but hammour isn’t my favourite. I did her a favour and insisted she try the walnut and capsicum salad, which was a revelation.
The highlight, though, had to be the excellent fresh za’atar salad. Although a bit grassy to the taste, Chef Issa tosses it in a sweet pomegranate dressing, which works very well indeed.
New flavours were just one part of the experience. With its modern Levantine interiors, the restaurant is a wonderful place for a romantic Ramadan evening. It is beautifully lit, with candles in large silver lanterns and a massive fountain running through the middle of the room. I’m going back soon — maybe even without the Diva.
The Arabic Restaurant, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, 04 414 0000
Constellation Ballroom
Diabetic Diva
The iftar buffet at The Address Dubai Marina would surely put a Las Vegas all-day breakfast to shame.
Arranged in the setting of its Constellation Ballroom — a humongous but warm place — the buffet looks like the who’s who of food and is arranged in true Arabian hospitality style.
With Arab, Asian, Indian and international cuisines, it was an extremely difficult task to pick and choose, so I tried the best option: get a chef to recommend his choice.
So I went for hot freshly made saj bread, picked tiny portions off the salad range, which included a Japanese maki roll, roast pumpkin salad, broccoli and almond salad and a rocket and parmesan salad. Each tasted different, clean and delicious and helped sort out the fog in my brain as to the next course.
A delicious fresh Nile perch, cooked on the spot and served with broccoli, lemon butter and a tiny portion of vegetable au gratin made my evening. I could not be coaxed to eat more as I wanted the pleasure of both the perch and vegetables to linger for quite a while.
It was a Ramadan buffet, however, so how could I refrain from at least looking at the vast array of sweets, cakes and warm and cold desserts? Even a strong will like mine could not have walked away without one delicious simple katayef… It comes around only during Ramadan and it is so good, I dream of it all year long. It’s creamy, it’s not too sweet but it’s oh-so-satisfyingly delicious.
Caveman
For some, Ramadan is an excuse to gorge on Arabian food. I am of the opinion that variety is the spice of life — even for cavemen. When we return to try out the iftar at The Address Dubai Marina, then, I head straight for everything non-Arabian.
My favourite, a little cheat for those on a strict no-grain and no-lentils diet, are the pakoras. Traditional iftar food all over India, these spicy snacks are made to order — so they arrive hot and crispy. They’re also light on the stomach, so are the perfect way to prep it for a meal that can go on for hours.
Next, I turn to the Far Eastern section of the buffet — there’s sushi and sashimi, which some evenings is all I eat for dinner. It’s fresh, nicely cut and beautifully presented — what more can you ask for? I pile my plate high with other Asian favourites: beef in black bean sauce and vegetables in XO sauce. The former is nice and spicy, while the latter is a rich Cantonese garlic and fish sauce that livens up boring old broccoli.
It’s back to the Indian section for my next course. Chicken tikka, lamb masala and vegetable jalfrezi — all done in authentic style and by the hotel’s talented Indian chefs. Their lamb masala is well worth trying and the jalfrezi tastes exactly as it should — although those who’ve eaten the taste bud-killing version served up by the UK’s Bangladeshi restaurants will disagree. After all that, I only have space for a little fruit — but the lamb ouzi, so memorable from last year, beckons, and I can’t stop myself from lining up and asking the chef to cut me a nice piece from near the bone. With a little vegetable saloona — heaven!
I skip the puddings — although there are both fresh waffles and doughnuts, I stand firm — and choose instead to wash it all down with a nice refreshing cup of American coffee. Shisha in hand, I’m ready for the night ahead.
Constellation Ballroom, The Address Dubai Marina, 04 436 7777
Azur Restaurant
Diabetic Diva
Iftar at Azur is a traditional royal treat.Quality food in the ambience of the picturesque Raffles Botanical Garden left me yearning for more. More than 50 kinds of hot and cold Arabian and international starters left me a trifle confused but the Caveman with unusual charm and grace decided to pre-taste everything before he recommended the best of what he considered was good for me… Not a bad choice I found in retrospect as I took a little bit of the baby lamb for starters and then went ballistic on the bits of stuffed grilled chicken, the fish sayadia and herb-roasted potato cubes. The garden of course fascinated me no end. Even on a hot, humid evening it was amazingly pleasant as I sat outdoors sipping my sage tea and dreaming of far-off forests in Bali and Brazil… until the Caveman knocked me out of my reverie with a smidgen of very dark chocolate.
Caveman
Azur is a sprawling restaurant at the Raffles Hotel Dubai, a bit of a trek from Wafi Mall, but well worth going to on a summer Ramadan evening. There’s an excellent spread and a lovely airy ambience, but the famous Raffles service ensures we’re well taken care of. The Diva and I also bump into a few old friends and we stay late into the evening, talking of Cairo, Beirut, Dubai and Ramadans past. When the early rush of diners has stepped away from the buffet, we head over. Some 20 different kinds of meze and salads compete for our attention, but I stay with tried-andtasted favourites. The baba ganoush is excellent, the chicken tikka tender and the beef and artichokes salad is both unusual and well combined. For my main course, it’s the mixed grill, but I can’t resist putting a little shrimp curry on my plate for good measure. The kebabs are actually quite good. They’re juicy and delicately flavoured and I try without success to get the Diva to eat some, as she’s sworn off red meat for an obscure reason that’s hard for a lowly caveman to understand. The shrimp curry has an easy, rolling burn that has me going back for more. But instead, I stop by the dessert station and pile my plate high with fruit and pyramidshaped pralines — which the Diva promptly relieves me of.
Azur Restaurant, Raffles Dubai, 04 324 8888
Delhi Darbar
Diabetic Diva
The order was very clear: less oil, less salt, no frills. The food has to be so good that there should be no complaints. It arrived in time, neatly packed in person size portions and as usual, the food was hearty and amazing. My samosas, cutlet, chicken spring roll and cream tikka came over smooth and oil-free and yet there was no change in the delicious taste. With no fish on the menu I thought, “Well let’s be a little flexible and eat mutton.” It was the best decision I made as the mutton kadai accompanied by rumali roti was really out of this world. Tender, juicy bits of boneless mutton slowly cooked to perfection in a sauce that was to die for. The Caveman tried his best to tempt me with the butter chicken but I did not want to have my pleasure disturbed. A couple of dates for dessert and I was fully satisfied. Delhi Darbar’s iftar packs come in various combinations. They are delivered to the home or office.
Caveman
Six hours of work is the norm during Ramadan, but some days it’s hard to get home in time for a family iftar. When a colleague suggested we try Delhi Darbar’s delivery service, we accepted at once — and promptly invited friends and acquaintances to join the party. Having reviewed them last year, we were happy for a second stab at the pot. The original Delhi Darbar venue in Mumbai’s Colaba area is packed to bursting each Ramadan, and it’s easy to see why. With Ramadan menus at the restaurant ranging from Dh16 to Dh68 per person, it’s good home-style — albeit a little greasy — food that’s great value for money. People on carbohydrate-free diets may have some difficulty, but besides the samosa and biryanis, there are kebabs aplenty to tuck into. The crisp but moist Iranian-style egg-battered mutton patties are very good indeed and the cream tikka is supremely delicious. Butter chicken, mutton kadai, biryani, egg fried rice — there was plenty to choose from, although the pairing was a little incongruous. I’m told that in some Mumbai homes, fried rice has replaced the staple white dinnertable variety. A British expatriate friend we invited to dinner raved about the mutton kadai and a young twentysomething made a serious dent in the butter chicken. For dessert, you get fruit salad or gulab jamuns — healthy or traditional, take your pick. If you’re going to order home delivery this Ramadan, you could do a lot worse than Delhi Darbar.
Delhi Darbar, www.delhi-darbar.com
