Dubai: If you have been to Istanbul, you can’t stop feeling a sense of deja vu when you enter Ruya, the Anatolian restaurant at Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina. If you haven’t, chances are you’ll end up planning a trip.
The Anatolian kitchen boasts of being as rich in flavours as the history of its lands. I began my evening with Borek, a Turkish savoury cheese pastry with a modern twist. It is a good pick for starters. The feta cheese is mixed with zucchini and walnuts which are not used traditionally. I would also recommend citir kalamir, leurek and cheese pide. The citir kalamir is baby squid in a ‘secret’ batter served with avocado and red pepper dip while leurek is a traditional seabass dish with mustard seeds.
Street flavour
For a street flavour, try the cheese pide, an Anatolian street food made of cheese and slow cooked eggs. Fresh Italian truffle gratings lend an aroma so strong that you could forget there are other dishes on the table.
Selecting the main course at Ruya is a test if you’re a meat lover. With some suggestions, I zeroed in on kesek risotto and whole grilled seabream. The risotto is made of barley instead of rice and pulled lamb. The dish which is cooked over 24 hours is a must-have. The seabream is good too, but I would have preferred a spicier version as breams are flatter in taste compared to other fish.
I was glad to find Turkish coffee as the main ingredient in the Cikolota Turk Kahvesi, meaning ‘chocolate in Turkish coffee’. Chocolate in the shape of a kibbeh is filled with salted caramel thrown over Turkish coffee ice cream. I also ordered yumurtali ekmek, a French toast, served with fruit and cream. The toast is impressive but once the salted caramel oozes out of the chocolate kibbeh, it is the clear winner. If you are ordering just one dessert, go for Cikolota Turk Kahvesi.
Details:
Meal for two: Dh400
Where: Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina
Timing: 6pm–1am
Contact: 04-399 9123
