In the world of Dubai’s bottomless Friday brunches, a set menu seems a little out of place. Restraint is not something associated with the lavish buffet spreads that the city is so well-known for (there’s even a Wikipedia section about this phenomenon).
Frioul Bistro De Luxe enters the gastronomic arena with its new Le Plaisir Brunch, a selection of French-Mediterranean dishes served in a sharing concept.
Walking down the marble steps to the restaurant at the Madinat Jumeirah was a little fairy-tale like. The interiors are crisp and classy and the venue large and airy.
The seating both inside and outside is beautiful, the seats near the canal offering up romantic, Instagram-worthy views.
After being seated, and after a longer-than-usual wait for a staff member to come to our table, we were ready to get this brunch on!
The starters, four of them, came as they were prepared and not too long in between each other. The frog’s legs with parsley puree, something you don’t see too often, was under seasoned and the puree didn’t have any perceivable flavour. The kingfish ceviche with passion fruit was fresh and fruity, while the duck croque madame and smoked tomato pizzetta were mouth-wateringly delicious. The duck was smooth and rich, complementing the runny egg, crisp toast and gooey cheese — absolutely sinful — while the pizzetta was rustic and fresh.
Next up, the main dishes. Each diner gets to chose two items out of six. Our first two arrived quite promptly — smoked salmon linguini with peas, and red prawns with mango and mint. After this it went a little downhill. The linguini was bland and unimaginative. The prawns follow the same path — plain and with no added flavour from the sauces.
Still optimistic, we waited for the next two main dishes. The slow-cooked wagyu beef rib with sticky glaze arrived a painful 25 minutes later. The dish itself was lovely and rich, the glaze on the sweet side, but satisfying. By this time we saw other diners who sat down after us moving on to desserts, while we were still waiting for the last main — the chicken with chutney sauce — to arrive.
After all the plates were cleared and fresh drinks ordered and drunk, the chicken finally arrived (with an extra wagyu beef that we sent back). The sauce was jammy and fragrant, while the chicken was tender but on the dry side. It was simple and flavourful, but very one-dimensional.
By this time, we were annoyed by all the waiting and arm-waving while trying to get the staff’s attention. The desserts, however, saved the afternoon a little bit.
A smorgasbord of little sweet treats was brought to us and we couldn’t help but get excited. The chouquettes were spectacular and light, filled with delicate custard. A lemony tart offered a bit of a palate cleanser and a smooth, luxurious vanilla ice cream was the icing on the cake. If you order coffee, be warned — another lovely selection of desserts will be brought to you!
Granted, this is Frioul Bistro’s first attempt at a brunch, but even without the long wait, the menu leaves much to be desired. A quick glance at their main menu did pique some interest and I’d probably like to give it another try. But the brunch dishes need a major punch of flavour and personality.
