The Armani Hotel is still one of the most glamorous spots in the city, and the mention that I am going to review one of their restaurants draws gasps of amazement and possibly envy from those around me.
When I add that I am going there to try an Indian restaurant, the gasps become either giggles or looks of puzzlement. Armani + curry simply does not compute to many people. It's precisely why I chose it for my first foray into Armani's dining world — just to see what on earth this experience could be, for a lover of Indian food and luxury.
That experience starts in the foyer of the restaurant, a wonderfully calming, glowing blue room where you're served a welcome drink — on the day we went, it was a watermelon juice, seasoned, in the Indian tradition of salty drinks with pungent, sulphurous black salt. If you like the eggy scent (chaat fans know what I'm talking about) your interest will be piqued; otherwise you may back away quickly. A risky move at the entrance of a restaurant, I feel.
Inside, the size of the place is what will strike you first: cavernous is the only way to describe the space housing the tables and open kitchen, and it dents the atmosphere. There's a delicate balance between having tables too close for comfort, and having them so far away that there's no buzz. Armani/Amal is the latter.
We kicked off with some rolled poppadums, coriander chutney and mango chutney, just the right side of sweet and hot, while scanning the menu, which is a compact and interesting read, spanning Indian styles from north to south. We went with the chef's suggestions for all three courses — with one unfortunate exception.
A starter platter had highs and a low: the tandoori prawn — a massive, juicy, sweet specimen grilled to perfection was one of the best things we had all night; the same goes for the lamb chop and chicken portions, also marinated and grilled. But a scallop on top of mushrooms was all wrong — rubbery, with an unusual flavour and not warm enough.
Worth the price?
Where's the Armani in this? The style aspect so far was present in the decor and the service, but as a waiter served me very nice versions of biryani and butter chicken, I didn't see much beyond what we can get in some of the city's other very good Indian restaurants.
Would I really come to Armani Hotel and have dhal makhani and butter naan? Not that those dishes only deserve to be eaten in cheap restaurants, but the bill here will really make you think twice about that. A biryani comes in at Dh180.
I decided to test them on a fusion dish, and equally, and on a dish I know and love: I requested Moilee, a South Indian wonder and something so addictive.
Armani's fusion version sees crab and Italian seafood favourite seabass meet in the coconut sauce, but almost immediately I was disappointed: the quantity of sauce was gravely lacking. The seabass and the crab lent an overwhelming fishiness to the dish, and the coconut flavour was barely detectable. We left most of it and moved back to the butter chicken.
- Where: Armani/AmalArmani Hotel, Burj Khalifa04 8883888
- Ambience: Cool. Too cool.
- Decor: Spacious
- Must have: Mixed tandoori starter
- Price: Dh1,500 for two, including beverages.
