Dubai: If you have been scuttling for a place to do an important business meeting over a value lunch in the bustling Bur Dubai, then look no further Le Metro at the lobby level of Park Regis Kris Kin hotel. Conveniently located on the Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street opposite the BurJuman shopping mall, this all-day dining restaurant serves a scrumptious international buffet including soft drinks and water for Dh105 only.
If you are wondering what makes it so good, take a look at the starters. The list of appetisers is simply exotic. On the day I was there, they had a mixed seafood ceviche jalapeno and cilantro, a vegetables fettuccine with herbs olive citronette, a grilled vegetables and mozzarella, peppered roasted beef, salad on potato lentil salad and smoked turkey with fig, each good enough to give the other a run for its money.
There’s an exhaustive section of Arabic salads as well including some of the freshest hummus, tabouleh and moutabel but the one that caught my fancy and forced me into a second helping was their ‘Badenjan Bel Toum’ or fried eggplant with garlic. Try a big scoop of it with bread to savour the sharp taste. There was also a Moroccan ‘mashed carrot’ and a ‘Molokiyah Bel Dajaj’ or roasted chicken with spinach. An all-time Egyptian favourite, this one, seasoned simply with salt, pepper and garlic, tasted great with their homemade spinach dip.
However, the one that really looked like the afternoon’s greatest delight was their ‘carving’ of Thai Roasted Chicken. Marinated with essential Thai spices, lemon grass, lemon leaves and galangal - a form of ginger that finds its use in various Asian cuisines – and served with Thai basil sauce, it was a delectable blend of flavours albeit slightly sweetish like most things Thai.
Giving the Thai chicken some close competition was their Potato Rösti. Often considered by many Swiss as their national dish, the grated potatoes were baked to perfection and to an immaculate golden brown colour.
Well and truly into the main courses, their pan seared ‘Fish Fillet with Sauce Bretonne’ or simply Breton sauce too I found was a gem. More than the fish (cream dory), the beauty of it all lay in the sauce comprising a velouté base (one of the five ’mother sauces’ in French cuisine) with onion, leeks, celery heart and mushrooms, mounted with butter and cream.
There was a touch of French concept in their grilled ‘Chicken Breast on Ratatouille’ as well. A traditional French stewed vegetable dish, from Nice originally, it’s now a popular dish worldwide made of tomatoes with garlic, onions, aubergine and bell peppers, sautéed or ‘tossed’ as the name suggests in South of France. This too scored highly on my list.
There was a ‘sweet sour seafood’ of shrimps from the Far East but I decided to give it a skip for their ‘Braised Beef on Barley Risotto’ and ‘Grilled Lamb Kebab on Spicy Arabic Bread.’ Of the two, it was the lamb that impressed me more, not just for its overall presentation but for its softness. Not unnecessarily spicy, the kebab indeed went well, wrapped in the spiced breads. A thick ‘Paneer Makahani’ or cottage cheese cooked in a rich buttery gravy meanwhile represented India very well. Try it with some hot steamed rice or experiment with their Kabsa.
And at the end of it all, do keep some appetite for their mille-feuille, made of three layers of puff pastry alternating with two layers of pastry cream. As they say, the best comes last!
Details:
- Lunch for two: Dh210
- Lunch hours: Noon to 3pm
- Location: Lobby Level, Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel
- For bookings: 04-377 1111 ext 163
