Delightful duck
We may live in a multicultural city, but it’s invariably Arabic food on iftar buffets across the UAE in Ramadan. So the idea of Thai food perked us up considerably — and we fetched up to our table on the 24th floor of the Dusit Thani Dubai.
Iftar takes up the entire floor, with buffet tables laid out in the centre and guests seated in one of the adjoining restaurants. We were initially seated in the noisy family section — albeit with a view of the Burj Khalifa — but soon moved to a quieter side of the floor, where we had an separate alcove to ourselves.
Although there are no dates on the table, there are five different kinds on the buffet, and you can break your fast with fresh dates if you’re so inclined.
There’s a variety of mezzeh, but we were there for the international fare. A seafood salad with fennel works very well, and a roulade of beef pastrami stuffed with and herbed mushrooms is refreshing. My friend, a recent vegetarian, was delighted to find a bell pepper and onion quiche.
My main course was duck in red curry. The bird had been roasted before being curried, so while the skin was nice and crisp, the meat was tender and succulent, helped by the sweet and spicy curry. I tried a few other things: the samak harra — soft, flaky fish with a very mildy spiced sauce, lamb ouzi, and pan-fried beef medallions with roasted artichokes — done to medium with the artichokes a nice nutty counterpoint.
My friend was happiest with the unusual vegetable tagine from the live pasta station. Vegetables are often cooked to death in tagines, but she was pleased that each component was individually identifiable.
For dessert there were no less than a dozen multicultural dishes on offer — but in the spirit of Ramadan, I opted for a black coffee instead.
— By Keith Fernandez/Editor - GN Focus
Say yay to Nay
Having the same staid, traditional fare during Ramadan can get weary. Luckily Nay’s Ramadan offering takes the road less travelled, with Lebanese dishes presented in a whole new way.
Incorporating alternative ingredients (hummus with basil pesto and a red pepper variation, alongside a smoky moutabbal with walnut and pomegranate seeds), the cold mezze are clear winners. The fattet hummus is a study in texture, the smooth yoghurt working well with soggy pieces of bread, soft chick peas and a crunchy nut topping.
The restaurant takes its cue from Mediterranean and Levantine cuisine, nowhere exemplified more than in tuna, which is pickled in a preserve commonly associated with Lebanese veggies, the vinegar softened by a butter and lemon sauce.
For mains, a soft kofta and nuts mixture stuffed in grilled veal makes for a wonderful update of a classic, while freekeh served with chicken also works well, a demi-glace with peanuts, pistachio, cashews and almonds adding some moistness. The standard grilled lamb chops here are elevated by a rich brown sauce.
The ubiquitous date makes its appearance in a brownie-like chocolate cake, while kanafeh dough finds its way into a milky tart topped with pistachio. Don’t dismiss the unassuming coconut and semolina cake, held together by syrup that leans to the sweeter side but doesn’t cross over to the saccharine.
Nay offers a fresh take on classics. And that’s refreshing during the hot summer Ramadan.
Nay Restaurant & Lounge; Emirates Financial Tower, DIFC; Tel: 04 351 6660; www.nayrestaurant.ae
— Eduan R. Maggo/Deputy Editor
Of fountains and falafel
Set in the hotel’s vast ballroom, which has been converted for the Holy month into a lavish majlis replete with deep red drapes and glitzy chandeliers, breaking your fast at the Ritz Carlton, DIFC, is done with a glut of style, swank and panache where classical meets contemporary cuisine.
This fusion is perhaps nowhere better attempted than the falafel waffle. As well as adding a blithe little half-rhyme into the evening’s frivolities — “what are you going for? —I’m going for the falafel waffle” — it’s a unique iftar taste.
You may have to request a fresh instalment of the Arabic-meets-American chickpea dough to ensure that you get a sensational taste, as the buffet service can leave some unwanted falafel to go cold and thus not quite deliver the grainy crunch you desire.
And the Ritz’s signature Arabic sushi returns for its encore following its critically-acclaimed debut last year. The nigiri, maki and temaki sushi stuffed with hammour, falafel and lamb shawarma make for excellent fare.
Other highlights include the hummus fountain. It doesn’t taste like radically different hummus, nor is the fountain of awe-inspiring proportions, but it’s a cheeky iftar gimmick worthy of another highbrow chuckle.
— Thomas Billinghurst/Features Writer
Old Dubai iftar
With the roads magically free of traffic in the hour before iftar, Ramadan is a great time to venture into normally busy Bur Dubai. Better yet, you can find parking right by Dubai Museum – as we did. Call it a little Ramadan miracle.
Our destination was Bastakiya restaurant at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel, which lays on a fairly elaborate iftar buffet overlooking the old fort that is now Dubai Museum.
Once past a rather unprepossessing corridor into the restaurant itself, we’re well taken care of: our server even offered to move us to a table with a better view. There are dates and dry fruit on the table, and a smiling abaya-clad young lady comes by to offer us a choice of Ramadan drinks.
While the buffet, a mix of Arabic and Indian classics, is definitely smaller than the groaning spreads that are the norm in Dubai, it doesn’t fall short in the least. The classics are all here: lentil soup, pakoras, fattoush, traditional Indian chaat, kibbeh, fatayer, biryani, dal, kebabs and kofta, umm ali, jalebis.
The pakoras alone are worth the trip. They’re hot, crisp, mildly spiced and the perfect way to ease into iftar – although doctors might have something to say about fried food. The kebabs are also excellent – the Afghani-style mutton tikka is surprisingly tender and juicy. I don’t eat dessert, but my friend tried the Umm Ali – and went back for seconds.
Arabian Courtyard Hotel and Spa, Dh85 per person. +971 4 351 9111
— K.F.
