Asking for More
Despite the perfect vegetarian sandwich, the new More Cafe needs to improve
And now that there are more Mores than ever — including one in the Dubai Mall, with a fabulous view over the waterfront, fountains and Burj Dubai — there should be more reasons than ever to check it out.
I did recently, to see how they're doing and compare it to my favourite, the Murooj Rotana More Café.
So I am a little concerned about the new Mores. Yes, I love the location — neck-achingly situated below the world's tallest building — but I felt it's lost a little of that individuality that made the concept so special. And worse: the food's not as perfectly turned out.
Salad serving
I started with a beef sashimi salad — rare slices of seared fillet, on a bed of rocket with a tangy Japanese-inspired dressing. It's fresh, meaty and quite tasty. My partner had the pumpkin spinach salad, however, which was overwhelmingly sweet, the feta on top not substantial or salty enough to counteract the honeyed sugar of the yellow vegetable.
For mains, those who stick with the classics will be rewarded. My partner's butter chicken was rich, flavourful — and thankfully, not too sweet. I tried a new addition to the menu, pansotti pasta with salmon. The pasta — stuffed with ricotta cheese — is homemade, which I found to translate to rustic and doughy in this case. Topped with grilled salmon and a cream sauce, it was a little cloying for such a big plateful. I think a sharper sauce would have cut through the richness.
On a positive note, I might add here that More is still the holder of one of my favourite "sandwiches" in the history of food: their vegetarian sandwich is a bounteous pile of wonderful More bread, grilled peppers, mushrooms and onion, topped with pesto, chilli sauce, searingly salty cheese, walnuts and green apple. Try it once, and you'll be addicted.
More at Dubai Mall is still a great option for their most famous dishes. But the kitchen and staff needs to keep up with the original places in terms of quality and good service.
Three forks: 04 3398934
Must-have: Vegetarian sandwich, Beef sashimi,Pancakes
Ambiance: Buzzy, cool hangout
Decor: Covers the basics: Purple — and don't miss the floating table.
MORE CAFE
Where: Dubai Mall. Phone: 04-3398934
Must-have: Vegetarian sandwich,beef sashimi andpancakes
Décor: Covers the basics: Tons of purple and don't miss the floating table.
Ambience: Buzzy, cool hangout.
Price: Meal for one Dh147
