Over the past few weeks, there has been a slew of new restaurant openings both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
One of our writers, Hugo Berger provided a roundup of some of Abu Dhabi's new hotel dining options, article
. Now for some of Dubai's.
Image courtesy Edelman UAE
Hakkasan, Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Another international import that first landed in Abu Dhabi (at the Emirates Palace, no less) last year and quickly raised the bar for dining out in the capital. The interior of the restaurant took its inspiration from the London original - all dark wooden panelling, muted midnight-blue lighting, latticed screens and a general air of insouciant cool. From the pictures, it seems that they've done the same in Dubai. And why not?
When I visited the Abu Dhabi restaurant, the food was excellent; refined, high-end Cantonese-style dishes made from good-quality ingredients and executed with a fair amount of finesse.
Needless to say, hopes are high for the Dubai incarnation which opened to the public on November 17th. An experienced dim sum chef by the name of Ping Pang Lee is running the kitchen and the menu apparently features a number of UAE-specific dishes, as well as some of the Hakkasan classics (Peking duck with caviar, grilled wagyu beef with soy sauce and the steamed and fried dim sum platters). While that all sounds delicious, I'll be on the look-out for the hot and sour soup.
For reservations, call 04-384-8484.
Zafran, Marina Mall
This is the second branch of this contemporary Indian restaurant to open Dubai (the other is in Mirdif City Centre, review
). The style of cooking is inspired/championed by Atul Kochhar, the Michelin-starred chef who, along with Vineet Bhatia, is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Indian cooking.
This means that at Zafran, diners are likely to encounter traditional food with a bit of a twist: a certain elegance to the presentation perhaps, lightening of a usually heavy dish or adaptation of a favourite meal from another cuisine (Zafran's fish and chips with mustard-marinated fish and curry-leaf potatoes springs to mind).
Despite its location in Marina Mall, the restaurant designers have managed to ensure that the space doesn't feel sterile and there's also a rather nice outdoor terrace.
For reservations call + 971 4 3997357.
Gaucho, DIFC
There have been rumours abound about the launch of this Argentinean restaurant in DIFC for a good few months and now they're officially open for business.
There are several Gaucho restaurants in the UK, as well as one in Beirut, and while the focus is unsurprisingly on meat (all the beef is of the Argentine-certified, grass-fed Angus variety), we're also being treated to a ceviche (marinated raw fish or seafood) bar, outdoor terrace and floating glass staircase.
The decor, meanwhile, is notable to say the very least - think black-and-white leather and plenty of cowhide.
For reservations call: 04 422 7898
