“Should I buy this pair? Look, they’re on sale too,” I told my shopping buddy, showing her the shiny blue Tory Burch ballet flats on display at the Dubai Mall’s Level Shoe District. “Let’s come back after dinner; see how you feel,” was her advice, pulling me toward the direction of the nearby Vogue Café—the chic open-type restaurant we passed by earlier. I did not resist.
Images of Audrey Hepburn in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s sprang into mind as I took in the modern chic setting of Vogue Café; settling into the pearl white leather seat and noticing the small vase of fresh-cut roses on the marble-top round table. Nice touch.
We were quickly approached by a waiter in crisp black uniform, smiling as he handed us the menu, which itself was art on paper—it felt like leafing through our design director’s portfolio. Not too long later, the waiter came back to set up the table with folded white table napkins and heavy silverware. “They don’t scrimp on class here, do they?” I told my companion. She agreed. We couldn’t wait to find out if the same applied to their food.
For starters, we ordered the highly-recommended burrata (Dh89) and the calamari and prawn tempura (Dh76). The fresh burrata was so creamy, with just the right amount of cheesy flavour. The taste was complemented by the juicy sliced cherry tomato topping and a religious dressing of olive oil. It was, by far, the best burrata I have ever tasted.
The calamari and prawn tempura were cooked to crispy perfection—soft to the bite and not greasy—I was pleased I did not need to kill it with sauce (as I usually need to with most fried food).
For our main course, my companion ordered grilled lamb chops (Dh175) while I went for the charcoal-grilled New York sirloin steak (Dh179). We were hoping they would be another hit.
The presentation was exquisite: The lamb chops came with thin slices of cucumber, accentuated by chick peas and a dribble of hummous for that local touch. My steak came with green beans and caramelised onions and a dribble of beetroot sauce.
“Oh my god,” my dining partner said as she took a slice from her lamb chops. I took knife to meat and found out what she meant. It was like slicing through butter. And it gets even better. “It’s delicious,” were her two words.
I took a bite from my steak and was just blown away. The tender meat was just bursting with so much flavour—the product of perfect meat marination. As a self-confessed steak lover, I just have to say this was one of the best steaks I have ever tasted in Dubai. It was so good I lapsed into my own version of temporary amnesia—I forgot to leave room for dessert!
I had banana walnut cake with toffee sauce and butterscotch ice cream (Dh48, pictured below) while my companion ordered the dark chocolate brownie topped with mint ice cream (Dh56) which—as heavenly as they tasted—we could not finish off because we were still reeling from our earlier gastronomic delight.
“When are we coming back here?” I asked. “Sooner rather than later,” was the quick response. It was only later when I reached the car to begin my drive home did I remember those Tory Burch shoes.
