Life & Style | Food

Operation: Party on

Here's a dish that'll show her you can entertain. After all, you're an entertaining guy, right?

  • By Andy van Smeerdijk, features editor
  • Published: 00:08 July 2, 2008
  • 4Men

  • Okku, Dubai's first 'new style' contemporary Japanese restaurant, treated 4Men to a sampling of its menu recently.
  • Image Credit: Asghar Khan/ANM

Here's a dish that'll show her you can entertain. After all, you're an entertaining guy, right?

Grilled scallops with butternut sauce and pinenuts (serves six)
Bake the whole butternut, skin on, in the oven at 180C degrees for 40 minutes. When it's cool peel the skin off, cut in half and remove the seeds.

In a large saucepan, melt 200g butter and add onions, sauté then add the butternut mix. Break it up with the spoon. Add 2g grated nutmeg, cream and cook for 10 minutes; add salt and pepper to taste.

Blend the mixture till smooth; keep it hot. Season scallops with salt, pepper, chopped dill and a squeeze of lemon. In a hot saucepan, cook the scallops for 35 seconds on each side then remove.

Wipe the saucepan, put back on the heat and wait till it gets hot. Add 100g of butter and pinenuts. Cook till light brown. Put the scallops in the pan and remove from heat. Start plating: spoon the sauce on to the plate, top with scallops, add burnt butter, pinenuts and dill.

- Dewet van Westhuizen, executive chef, The Cellar

YOU'LL NEED

  • 1 butternut squash, about 700g
  • 6 U/10 size king scallops (from Organic Cafe)
  • 300g butter
  • 400ml fresh cream
  • 40g broken pinenuts
  • 1 piece nutmeg
  • 1 chopped onion
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 20g fresh dill
  • 1 lemon

New sensation
Okku, Dubai's first 'new style' contemporary Japanese restaurant, treated 4Men to a sampling of its menu recently.

Located at the Monarch Dubai, the restaurant's approach centres on sharing a meal, much like a family dinner. Each dish we sampled was exquisitely different in taste and texture.

These included succulent seared Wagyu beef with foie gras, yellowtail carpaccio and the almost dessert-like surprise packet... lemon miso black cod.

Designed by Danish LWD (of Buddha Bar fame), Okku promises to be moody and intimate, combining a cutting-edge restaurant with an uber-chic bar.

Open to 3am, the music will be a mix of smooth groove, world beats and Latin lounge. www.okkudubai.com

More of the same
The purple exposed ceiling looks familiar, as does the menu, which is bound by 27cm nut and bolt (the same as a Defender's wheel nuts). Yes, there's another More café, this time at the Gold and Diamond Park.

Parking's a breeze on weekends and there's plenty of space inside making it a popular spot for families. Friday and Saturday brunches are Dhs89 for adults, Dhs42 for children above 12. Open 7am-11pm, 04-3234350.

Beret, beret useful
Embarrassed that you can't understand the French on the menu? Here's a start.

  • A point: Medium rare
  • Foie gras: Duck or goose liver that's extra buttery and delicate; typically prepared into mousse, parfait or pate.
  • Demi-glace: Rich, thickened beef-based stock.
  • Entre: Main course
  • Petits fours: Small, bite-sized desserts.
  • Tartare: Raw minced beef fillet, served with raw egg and onions.
  • Brioche: Semi-sweet egg-based bread enriched with butter.

Grabbing El Bulli by the Horns
A Spanish chef has caused a sensation by dismissing avant-garde dishes as "pretentious".

Santi Santamaria, a three-star Michelin chef, took issue with restaurants such as El Bulli, rated the world's best by Restaurant magazine, which have abandoned traditional kitchen techniques in favour of high-tech creations involving foams and gels.

He said such dishes were aimed at impressing rather than satisfying diners and also posed health risks.

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