What
Ruth’s Chris is a historic, US-born fine-dining steakhouse chain with a long and storied history, which goes some way to explaining its cumbersome name – in 1965, single mother Ruth Fertel bought the original Chris Steak House in New Orleans, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, in a bid to better reflect “current global food trends”, the brand has reportedly ordered a first comprehensive menu overhaul in its 52-year tenure, which is slowly being rolled out across the chain’s 140 venues – and has recently landed at the UAE’s flagship outpost, based at The Address Dubai Marina.
The atmosphere
Now five years old, Ruth’s Chris Dubai remains buzzing-on-a-weeknight busy. The vibe is casually classy, with the sound of clashing cutlery mixing with a chilled pop soundtrack, while the mood lighting, deep furnishings and white table cloths hark back to the days of after-work Mad Men cool.
The food
Not knowing where to begin from this expanded array of offerings, I plump for two of “Ruth’s favourites”, helpfully highlighted in red in the menu. I kick off with the sizzling blue crab cakes (Dh110) – two generous, meaty, moreish slabs of crab served in sizzling butter, which I like to imagine as posh New England comfort food. From the bewildering selection of 13 steaks on offer, I take Ruth’s top pick, the 11oz fillet (Dh310), with the “classic” au poivre sauce (Dh19). Served medium-rare on a plate reportedly piping at 500°C, this lean lump of Midwestern beef was tantalisingly tender, fulfilling every expectation of the brand’s expertise and heritage.
My dining companion instead chose to explore the ample new vegetarian menu, opening with the beet tartare (Dh70), which swaps cool, crunchy beetroot in place of beef or tuna, served with a smooth avocado crème fraîche. From the four (!) meat-free mains on offer, my fellow diner went with the go-to steakhouse veggie option, a wild mushroom and truffle risotto (Dh180) which, while not unpleasant, sadly lacked much truffle taste.
Complete with a three-cheese sauce, the side of potatoes au gratin (Dh40) was a decadent delight, while the sharp grilled asparagus (Dh45) came with a creamy hollandaise sauce.
The evening closed on another high note, sharing the highly recommended – and generously portioned – Crème brûlée, served with fresh berries.
Who is it for?
Carnivores, clearly – but the new menu’s broadened scope offers an olive branch to seafood lovers and veggie fiends alike.
The verdict
While this new global menu adds a dash of variety and colour, what Ruth’s Chris does best, it has been doing for decades. And that’s a glowing recommendation all on its own.
Bottom line
Ruth’s Chris Steak House is open at the The Address Dubai Marina daily from 5.30pm. For reservations call 04 454 9538.
The National was a guest of the restaurant
rgarratt@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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