Usually, there are winners and there are losers. Usually. At the Ramadan Nights by Dish pop-up, most of the menu begged for an encore.
When we got to Warehouse Four in Al Quoz, Dubai, we were shown to our seats, and asked to experience iftar with a difference — the food would be brought to our table in sharing-sized portions and we wouldn’t have to rush for tubs to buffet tables like at most restaurants, they said.
The table already had preserved lemon hummus with sesame — its tartness was perfect — and Arabic bread and dates at the centre. Next came a sweet soup.
Then we waited. And waited.
A relative eternity later, we were brought the highlight of the night: the eight-hour slow-cooked Middle Eastern shoulder of lamb on a bed of rice (we could have done without the saffron yoghurt), but the melt-in-your-mouth meat had us grappling for the last bite.
The knafeh-wrapped prawns with roasted garlic aioli were crunchy on the outside and perfectly seasoned on the inside, and had we not gorged on the lamb, we would have definitely jumped for some more. We were told seconds were an option.
The chargrilled asparagus and green bean salad with fig balsamic and toasted almonds was something I almost passed over — it was green and seemed very, very healthy, but who knew you could not binge on the calories and still enjoy the taste?
The drinks were in free flow — we tried the saffron twist (orange juice, agave syrup and saffron threads) and pink lemonade — and we went back for more.
The evening ended on a sweet note.
The raspberry and violet cremeux with rose gel, ivoire pearls and crystallised rose petals had an excellent texture — it was crunchy and creamy — and came with a burst of flavour.
Recommended for a quiet evening out: the food is so good, it’ll leave you speechless.
The details
Where: Ramadan Nights by Dish, Warehouse Four in Al Quoz, Dubai
Price: Dh195 per person with freshly made cold beverages and coffee
Timings: Sunset until 9pm.
Call: +971-561283247
