There are few places in Dubai where you can sit outside on a balmy evening in total peace, without noise pollution from passing cars, lorries or buses or the clanking of construction. The Address Montgomerie is one of them. Not even the squeak of a mosquito can be heard from the balcony of its recently revamped restaurant Nineteen, and even if it were, one can rest assured that the obliging staff would promptly catch it with nimble fingers and apologise for the bother.
The Montgomerie has never been a dusty, old golf clubhouse in which middle-aged gentlemen retire after a few holes for a curling sandwich. But with the relaunch, the hope is that Nineteen becomes a destination in itself and attracts a younger, more lively crowd. Last month, it was the venue for the Ahlan! Hot 100 launch party. There was nary a Pringle jersey to be seen among the throng.
As part of the relaunch, a new executive chef has been appointed and a new menu drawn up. Given that Tom Jalleh arrived at the post from a long-standing gig at the Argentine grill Gaucho's in Australia, it is perhaps unsurprising that the menu is one to make a vegan blush. Nineteen is now a rotisserie dealing in great hunks of meat. Should Desperate Dan himself step from the fairway into the restaurant, he could be quite happily accommodated with the three cuts of Black Angus steak on offer - tenderloin, sirloin and rib-eye - which come in various sizes up to 400g.
Before dealing with his steak, however, he would have to be seated. And here is a curious dichotomy in Nineteen. Perch yourself inside and you sit in library-like grandeur amid dark wood panelling and on cream leather seats. It is the kind of atmosphere in which you sit up straight and try not to drop breadcrumbs on the floor.
Outside, on the balcony overlooking the 18th hole (hence the restaurant's name), things are more relaxed. There are wooden tables and chairs and lanterns dotted about. The lake lies flat and calm beneath you, and there are fountains spouting in the distance. Recently, the scene was only marginally disturbed by the plinky-plonky sound of Cafe Del Mar-like music, but one imagines this is to try and settle the new demographic into the surroundings.
The menu is not vast, but almost everything deserves studied attention, which my dining companion and I duly gave it. For me, the root artichoke soup with oyster tempura won out over the poached lobster and mayonnaise salad. For my friend, the scallop and leek risotto infused with truffle oil beat the oxtail and goat curd tortellini.
The soup was more of a velouté, wonderfully rich and well seasoned with peppery watercress strands. Lying across the bowl like a fallen soldier was a slightly sweet cheese straw, which added little. The tempura was fluffy, although in danger of becoming flabby if not immediately fished out of the soup. My dining companion's three scallops were the plumpest, happiest ones ever peeled from their shells; they sat on a glistening bed of risotto, although it arrived slightly too cool. Both, however, were generous portions.
It meant that we struggled somewhat with the second round, which was a shame as it, too, had all the right intentions and fell only just short of perfect. I faced a tenderloin steak, crisp onion rings, a side salad and a slightly lumpy béarnaise sauce (my friend prodded at it; we decided it had curdled).
When my dining companion turned to her rotisserie chicken, she shrieked at the size. "Two breasts!" Both were a touch too dry and, again, let down by a mushroom sauce that was deemed too bitter. It came with a mountainous bowl of roasted vegetables - and is there anything more lovely than a sweet, roast parsnip? Possibly truffled potato puree, which we ordered as a side.
In the same spirit, we rounded things off with blueberry clafoutis, which came light and springy with sweet berry ice cream. It was not a cheap dinner, but you certainly won't leave feeling hard done by.
Nineteen, The Address Montgomerie, Dubai, 04 390 5600. Our reviewer's meal for two cost Dh500. Restaurants are reviewed incognito and the meals are paid for by The National.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Company profile
Name: Tabby
Founded: August 2019; platform went live in February 2020
Founder/CEO: Hosam Arab, co-founder: Daniil Barkalov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Payments
Size: 40-50 employees
Stage: Series A
Investors: Arbor Ventures, Mubadala Capital, Wamda Capital, STV, Raed Ventures, Global Founders Capital, JIMCO, Global Ventures, Venture Souq, Outliers VC, MSA Capital, HOF and AB Accelerator.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: SmartCrowd
Started: 2018
Founder: Siddiq Farid and Musfique Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech / PropTech
Initial investment: $650,000
Current number of staff: 35
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Various institutional investors and notable angel investors (500 MENA, Shurooq, Mada, Seedstar, Tricap)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
The five pillars of Islam
Company profile
Company name: Shipsy
Year of inception: 2015
Founders: Soham Chokshi, Dhruv Agrawal, Harsh Kumar and Himanshu Gupta
Based: India, UAE and Indonesia
Sector: logistics
Size: more than 350 employees
Funding received so far: $31 million in series A and B rounds
Investors: Info Edge, Sequoia Capital’s Surge, A91 Partners and Z3 Partners
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation 2 to 5
Rating: 5/5
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
The specs
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 660hp
Torque: 1,100Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 488km-560km
Price: From Dh850,000 (estimate)
On sale: October
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Director: James Gunn
Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
Rating: 4/5
A QUIET PLACE
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Rating: 4/5
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami