STARTERS RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Tried & tasted Each month, we review two of the city’s top tables.
Chinese
Where: Hakkasan, Jumeirah Emirates Towers What’s it like: Taking what is essentially a simple and hearty cuisine,
Where: Long Yin, Le Meridien Dubai What’s it like: There are a real shortage of good Chinese
and elevating it to a sophisticated lounge experience, is an art perfected by Hakkasan. From the torch-lit stone pathway set over water leading up to the entrance, to the lush greenery surrounding the outdoor terrace area, you get a very Zen-like feeling as you walk in. The stylishly contemporary interiors are cavernous, with three separate sections, each offering a different vibe, with one thing in common – good service, fabulous cocktails, and a buzzing atmosphere, with little things like the music volume being just right, making all the difference to the overall experience. The menu is varied, and torn for choice, we got greedy and for starters, ordered not only a selection of steamed dim sum – which were little parcels of delight – but also a roasted mango duck with lemon sauce (deliciously crisp on the outside, with thin slivers of fresh mango complementing the meat perfectly) as well as the star of our meal, fried soft shell crab with chilli and curry leaf – bursting with flavour, succulent, and very moreish. For mains, we opted for a Sanpei chicken claypot, in which tender pieces of chicken came dressed in a light sauce with spring onion, sweet basil and dried chilli, and was delicious with fragrant jasmine rice. We couldn’t decide if we liked it more than the stir-fry Wagyu beef cheek with Szechuan pepper, but either way, both were polished off. With very little room left for dessert, we soldiered on nonetheless, and opted to share the selection of homemade sorbets, which had the flavours of fresh fruit coming clearly through, and the chocolate pavé with caramelised banana , which Best for: offered a stylish, modern and delicious take on a A lavish traditional Asian-style dessert. evening out with friends If you want to go: Approximate price for dinner for two is Dhs750, without drinks. Call 04-3848484.
restaurants in Dubai, and thankfully Long Yin is a real gem down in Garhoud. Even though it feels like a long way away for those of us living in New Dubai, once you rid yourself of the mental block, it isn't really that far – and the drive is well worth it for the food here. One of the stable of eateries at Le Meridien, it’s fairly full even on a weeknight and the alfresco terrace to the left of the hotel entrance has a real atmosphere, so make use of it while the weather still allows for it. The menu is vast, from a separate dim sum selection, along with soups, starters and salads to mains that include all the Chinese classics such as sweet and sour chicken, beef in oyster sauce and so on. One thing that’s really hard to find is great crispy Peking duck, but Long Yin has one up its sleeve - and they even provide a waiter to chop it up and roll it into spring rolls for you, as you devour them as soon as they hit the table. Beware though, it’s so easy to fill up on these before you’ve even hit the main course. The dim sum comes in a choice of two of four pieces and all the starters are of a fairly large size. For the mains, one crispy lamb with five spices is enough for two and hits the seasoning just right, with the crispy skin hiding a melt- in-your-mouth morsel of lamb inside, while sides like Szechuan seasonal greens and fried rice with prawns, while delicious, are vast. The rice perhaps needs a little more flavouring, but the greens had a refreshing kick to them. Desserts offer up both Asian and European options from a fruit platter to a crème brulee, although after Best for: the delicious savoury morsels we didn’t have A relaxed, anywhere to put dessert so opted out of ordering any. affordable date night If you want to go: Approximate price for dinner for two is Dhs400, without drinks. Call 04-2170000.
- Sudeshna Ghosh
- Georgina Wilson-Powell
April 2013 BBC Good Food Middle East 17