A hot Oriental affair in Bur Dubai

Dubai: Sizzling Wok, located at CityMax Bur Dubai, is not your flashy foodie outlet. Rather, it is a charming go-to joint for a chat-filled dinner with a buddy over delightfully scrumptious Far Eastern food.

That’s what I did on Monday night at this outlet in the three-star hotel which popularised the concept of budget rooms in Dubai (with 100 per cent occupancy these days, I’m told).

Walking into the 128-seat eatery, I instantly fell for its genuine yet warm feel, welcomed by Burmese waitress Lah May’s smile. The place features a minimalist Oriental design and a modest-sized fish tank in the middle.

After running through the menu with me and my dining partner (photographer Clint Egbert) and asking our personal preferences, the night lit up with lively conversations about life in general and food in particular with executive chef Robin Gomes, the man in charge of serving about 1,500 meals daily at the hotel’s five outlets.

But our particular mission was to check out the restaurant’s revamped menu after it expanded its original Chinese repertoire to include Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay dishes.

I started with the hot pot wonton Chinese soup. This is not your everyday hot pot bowl meant to be shared by several people. This is a custom version prepared to suit your palate (regular, mild-spicy, super-spicy). I picked mild, and it came with generous amounts of wonton, mixed vegetables, a touch of sesame, three types of mushrooms (including the black fungus Japanese type) and soya dressing. It convinced me that the outlet’s head chef, Tek Bahadur, does not hold back on ingredients. Then I segued into a Vietnamese prawn spring roll, which came crispy with a sweet chili dip.

My staple order, as suggested by chef Robin (with his signature ponytail and who’s been in the food business since 1978), had an intriguing name – the sizzling “Heaven’s Drumroll”.

This is Chef Tek’s version of crispy chicken drum ticks. I loved my Malay curry, too, which came with loads of coconut milk and a hint of spice, satisfying my Malay palate with a longed-for touch.

The sizzling prawn was a big surprise. The crispy eggplant, infused with garlic sauce, was gone from the plate in no time. By the time my dinner was over, my tongue had toured some of Asia’s best dishes (except Japan, which I’ll save for another visit).

To strike a balance between East and West, I washed it all down with a glass of mojito.

For a complete Far Eastern set without blowing a hole in your pocket, this is the place to be.

Details

Meal for two: under Dh 200

Location: CitiMax Hotel, Bur Dubai

Timings: Noon-3pm, 6pm-1am, daily

Contact: 04-407 8000