I must admit that stepping into Osteria Funkcoolio, the latest brainchild of chef Akmal Anuar of 3Fils and 11 Woodfire fame, evokes some feeling of apprehension.
After dining out in other restaurants that describe themselves as “fusion”, in this case Italian and Japanese or itameshi cuisine, I know the danger is that they often get lost in the ambition. Flavours clash, textures fight and you are left wondering what you just ate.
Then I had chef Anuar's arancini nigiri, and I was sold.
Where to sit and what to expect
The restaurant is tucked amid the quaint low-rise buildings of Port De La Mer, an upscale Dubai waterfront development inspired by the Mediterranean. You enter through a revolving door, as a host greets you from his wooden podium.
A vintage Italian postcard is how I'd describe the interiors – the exposed ceiling is velvet green, frosted wall mirrors blend well with the floral wallpaper, while random portraits deck the walls, while tables are covered with white cloth. Decorative chandeliers hang overhead, but the lights are dimmed low.
The restaurant opened last month. During my dinner, the intimate space, which seats 34, is filled to the brim. Indistinct chatter from other diners creates a comfortable chorus, and the clack of the tableware melds with songs from the 1980s.
For small groups, the regular table set-up works perfectly fine, while bigger groups can opt for the booths for more convenience. The intimacy of the place makes it ideal for a romantic dinner. Families can come for a relaxed dine-out, but maybe not those with small children.
The menu
Singaporean chef Anuar's past experiences certainly means expectations are high. Foodies regard him as an experimental chef, and although itameshi is not new, he says the UAE has yet to realise the cuisine's full potential.
As the first dish arrives at the table, I'm immediately introduced to the interesting contrast of the fusion. It could not be more Italian-Japanese than combining arancini (Italian rice balls) and nigiri (bite-sized rice pressed with raw fish).
There's nothing groundbreaking in the flavours, but the play on texture is most exciting. The deep-fried arancini are paired simplistically with sea bream and toro on top, with the fish providing a punch.
Next is burrata with plum tomatoes drizzled with pomegranate sauce. The fresh plate cleanses my palate from the arancini nigiri, while the simplicity of the dish makes the ingredients pop. Anuar also seems to have perfected the sourcing of premium ingredients to ensure the high quality of his food.
Then come the mains plate by plate. The Italian cuisine experience is taken up a notch with pici pasta flavoured with crab, pine nuts and chilli from Calabria, a region in southern Italy. The hand-rolled thick pasta, used predominantly in Tuscany, is a perfect base for the umami punch of the crab and chilli. It tastes like an Italian nonna prepared it from her rustic kitchen.
As I was being transported to Italy, the pizza came, unexpectedly pulling me back to Asia given Anuar's choice of toppings: spicy duck and sriracha. The subtle heat of the sriracha tantalises the taste buds with every bite. The star of the dish, though, is the bread itself – baked and blistered to achieve the perfect char.
The next plate is grilled octopus served on a bed of fried and breaded courgette strings and an aioli dip. The meat melts in the mouth, while the salty courgette is nothing short of addictive.
Standout dish
I generally don't care much about dessert. But then our server, who's been terrific throughout the meal, brings round a generous mound of home-made pistachio ice cream, freshly churned. The pistachio is from Italy, he says, adding the dessert is not yet on the menu.
It is an absolute delight being the first Osteria Funkcoolio guest to try the sweet, nutty goodness. There's not a single hint of it being icy or grainy, which can be a problem with ice creams made from scratch. Although it's essentially just pistachio, it's not one-dimensional in flavour, even elevated by shards of nuts.
Although the mains hit mark, the ice cream is the highlight of my meal.
Price point and contact information
The antipasti range from Dh70 to Dh150, while mains are in the Dh60 to Dh100 bracket.
Osteria Funkcoolio, at Port De La Mer, is open 5pm-midnight from Tuesday to Friday, and noon-midnight on Saturday and Sunday. For reservations, call 050 284 7173.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
