A visit to the new Qasr Al Sultan, a home-grown, Arab-themed restaurant-and-a-show for tourists and UAE residents in the desert just past Dubai Parks and Resorts, will reward you with some truly delicious things to eat.
A variety of live cooking stations use more than 500 ingredients: there are local and international cheeses, out-of-this world sausages and saj, shawarma and a steady stream of fresh-from-the-oven fluffy Arabic bread. The stations surround a spectacular rectangular grill, which serves up an assortment of meat including chicken, kofta, lamb shoulders and fish.
For dessert, there is fresh-made legemat and kunafeh to die for.
Guests can also watch as chefs check on the ouzi, raising the goat cooked in an underground oven for 8 to 10 hours via a very noisy winch.
However Dubai Gourmet, the Meraas new food and beverage unit, is clearly aiming for this to be an all-evening experience and not just a meal. Some 40 people will perform daily, with the show including Dabka and belly dance, the traditional Emirati dance Youla, oud recitals and other traditional instruments.
During the grand opening Monday, guests were treated to a steady stream of performers, including the popular Palestinian-Lebanese duo of Farid and Rami Chehade, known professionally as the Chehade Brothers, as well as a striking fireworks show.
See more: Inside the newly opened restaurant Qasr Al Sultan in the Dubai desert - in pictures
Dukan Zaman charts the evolution of a fishing village into a modern metropolis while the on-site library features books on Arab history, culture and geography, as well as children’s literature and classics from around the world.
Located in the Dubai desert by The Outlet Village, Qasr Al Sultan also features a souk offering shops, sand art and henna.
• Qasr Al Sultan is open for dinner from 7pm until midnight. Prices start from Dh435 for adults and Dh250 for children, which includes the buffet, soft drinks, coffee, tea, municipality fees, service charge and tax, camel rides, horse and pony rides. Special rates apply for groups of 15 and above. For more information and to book from February 6, call 800 SULTAN (785826) or email reservations@qasralsultan.ae
amcqueen@thenational.ae
