Spicy sporty fare

DUBAI Normally, cricket, sports bars and brunches in the heart of Bur Dubai aren’t my thing. The further away I am from sweaty sports enthusiasts and congested streets the better. But last Friday I wanted to try something new. Knowing zilch about cricket, but having heard the hype the sport generates in this city, my partner and I headed to the Huddle Sports Bar at the Citymax Hotel in Bur Dubai to watch the Pakistan-South Africa match over a Friday brunch.

As we started observing the nuances of the game, we dug into the hearty buffet on offer. Now this may be a sports bar, but we weren’t about to become hooligans and abandon our dining habits. So, despite the ruckus and rowdiness around, we started with a tangy cream of tomato soup, complete with croutons on the side, and followed up with a mix of starters and salads.

Having loaded up on a fattoush salad with a side of mutabbal and a hearty serving of beetroots (an oft-forgotten vegetable in my opinion), it was time for the main course.

With a buffet to rival that of any big-budget restaurant in Dubai, the Huddle Friday brunch saw us move from counter to counter, exploring the smorgasbord of flavours, taking in the colours of the cuisine and delighting in the fact that the foods of various cultures were all well incorporated into one tastefully thought-out buffet.

In honour of the teams playing, we were excited to see at least three South African dishes: Peri Peri chicken liver, Durban chicken curry and Bobotie.

Spicy and succulent, the fried chicken liver swimming in a piquant peri peri sauce was finger-licking good with my partner soaking up every last drop of the sauce with his bread. The Durban Chicken Curry, meanwhile, was a bit of a surprise to the palate, with its flavours originating from the traditional Indian curry. Not an instant hit with me, I was quick to move on to the Bobotie. Best described as a mix between a traditional Shepherd’s Pie and a Greek Moussaka, the dish is a rich concoction of curried mince meat, with a creamy, golden topping.

Moving on, we walked past the Arabic counter of mezzeh, past the Korean kimchee which is way too spicy for my uninduced taste buds, and on to the Chinese section of the buffet. A serving of fish in a thick soya garlic sauce later, it was on to the live noodle counter for a quick demo on how to cook the noodles to just the right texture. Walking back to our table, the whiff of exotic spices hit us and we ended up taking a detour past the Indian corner. With a spoonful of the country’s famous Aloo Channa Chat (a famous snack of chickpeas and potatoes) for me and Murg Afghani (a spicy chicken and seeds kebab) for my partner, we headed back to our table, plates piled high with foods that smelt of the world. Over the clapping and cheering of the fans, we worked our way through the main course, just knowing that the best part of the meal was yet to come: dessert.

While my partner loaded up on his fair share of assorted goodies, I headed, as I often do, straight for the Umm Ali, a creamy Egyptian bread pudding. Now this may sound like one heck of a declaration, but I doubt I’ve ever eaten an Umm Ali as pleasing to my tastebuds as this one. Minus the traditional fruits, raisins and nuts, (all of which I would normally spend precious time scooping out), this was a pudding made just for me. Safe to say, I may not have learnt enough to become a die-hard cricket fan just yet, but I do know that I’ll be back for more of their Umm Ali.

Details

Meal for two: Dh158 (food only)

Location: City Max Hotel, Bur Dubai

Parking: Basement parking available

Timing: Friday brunch Noon to 4pm

Contact: 04-407 8000