Eclectic change in taste

Whether looking for food as good as that served in five-star hotels but not as expensive, or for some light but tasty bites, you may want to try out the new menu at THE One.

THE One, a stylish furniture store, has given a new look to its integrated second-floor restaurant and menu, sending across a message of elegance, uniqueness, taste and a fine touch.

"We wanted the restaurant to have more of an eclectic urban look, to be more connected to the store's style," said Lisa Stenbro, THE One's decoration manager. "We wanted to create the urban style through the light wood of the cabinets and columns, combined with pink spotlights to add a warm and cosy ambience. We are expecting flooring tiles after Ramadan, inspired by Gaudi, the Spanish architect. They have a black base with an ornamental look. Together, the funky pink, the drift-wood gaze and the Moroccan braids on the windows will give this an incredibly unique ambience and the comfort of a home."

After a 20-year career as a chef in the UK, a key figure in the bakery-café market, Barry Tierney brought his skills and cooking style to the UAE as the operations manager for THE One. He chose Abu Dhabi over a successful career at Harrods, or even looking after 85 stores in southern England.

For the past nine months, Tierney has overhauled nearly everything at the restaurant — from light bulbs to the style and taste of its food. He mixed and matched endless recipes to come up with a new menu.

"The old menu was in place for two and a half years, so it was time for a change. I wanted to maintain an international style while bringing freshness and a lighter, healthier touch," Tierney said.

"We did a breakfast promotion in January, where I introduced nine new dishes. We received positive feedback from our clients, which helped us complete the new breakfast menu which has 63 elements."

Tierney challenged his clients' palates with items such as the 16-ingredient Sirniki pancakes and the cola-spiked chocolate milkshake, engineering concoctions of various tastes and textures, while sticking to his motto of providing foods that are "all natural".

"My menu is honest — what is described in words is what you get in taste," he said.

Tierney recommends the new burger, the Macadamia nut-crusted hammour, the wild mushrooms, spinach and ricotta lasagna, and the asparagus, beef and rice soup. For those with a sweet tooth, the vermicelli rice pudding and the chocolate fondant are must-eats.

A new appetising addition are the home-made mini loaves in various flavours.