World cuisine with a Mediterranean touch

DUBAI: Mizaan means ‘the balance’ in Arabic, and if you were visiting the gorgeous restaurant by the same name in the swank The H Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road for a Friday brunch, you would know exactly why. It’s the ‘balance’ of the various world cuisines tucked in corners and the centre of this amazingly well-designed ground floor restaurant that tells the story.

I stepped into the dimly-lit place hoping to sample what my invite said should have been a grand ‘Mediterranean buffet’, comprising cuisines essentially from the south of Europe to the north of Africa, from Anatolia to the Levant. But Mediterranean at Mizaan pushed boundaries far and wide. Not only was there a delectable butter-cooked gravy-rich Indian Malai Kofta but also some Japanese sushi-style cold tuna cuts.

Oysters rule

The seafood station had enough to cover the length and breadth of Europe, from England to Italy. So there were the usual lobsters, shrimps, octopuses and fresh oysters as well as salmon gravlax and smoked trout. I tried the octopus and trout but oysters need a mention: If you haven’t tried them yet, you must start here. My French lensman, Abdel showed how they do it in his native place – carve it delicately out of the shell and gulp it down with a fresh squeeze of lemon.

The cheese bar too had every shade of Europe – the matured English Stilton to the Dutch Gouda sitting pretty amongst the French specialities of Morbier and Comte while Manchego well represented Spain. Each in a league of its own with a characteristic taste and smell just as you would expect in a great cheese.

If you were wondering where the Levantine goodies were, you just had to take a look at the salad bar. From traditional fattouish and tabbouleh to cold mezzes, salads ranged from Caprese to Caesar.

A station for tagines from Morocco meanwhile represented North Africa but I went for the other attraction from the region - the Chicken Bastilla, Morocco’s famous chicken pies that come with a crispy pastry shell covering savoury chicken with an almond topping. This was part of the main course which also included roast beef with all the trimmings, Duck Roulade and roast rack of lamb. I went for the exotic looking duck though – soft and slow cooked to perfection. Scotch eggs – hard boiled egg quarters protected by a baked covering of bread crumbs and ground beef, served as a nice accompaniment. And if that’s not enough, you could try the traditional Cottage Pie or the Charcoal Mixed Grill of soft, succulent lamb or chicken.

The vegans had a tangy Eggplant Parmagiana in the main course but they could also choose from the range of pastas available at the live station, from ravioli, tortellini, tagliatelli or my personal favourite, the rod-shaped Capellini d’angelo or Angel hair.

Desserts always look good but do they do any good? The answer’s yes if you asked chef Silvena Rowes about her guilt-free orange and almond cake. “It’s gluten free, flour-free, fat-free. So basically it’s free of all the vices,” confirms the celebrity British chef of Turkish-Bulgarian origin. Be assured, it tasted as good as the rich chocolate mousse or the gateaux lined up next to it on the same table. Oh and before you leave, do try the traditional Turkish ice cream straight from the land of Anatolia simply for its unique texture and taste.

Details

Meal for two: Dh 510

Location: Mizaan, The H Hotel, Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai

Timings: 12.30pm to 4pm

Call: 04-501 8888

We recommend: Chicken Bastilla, Duck Roulade, Scotch Eggs, Chef-special Orange and Almond cake