EAT

REVIEW: CHIC NONNA

Elegant Italian dining with a homely feel

Much anticipation was built in the lead up to the opening of Chic Nonna. It was 18 months in the making, and when it finally announced its opening, we couldn’t wait to go and see the final result. The restaurant is the second from Mine & Yours Group, following the successful launch of L’Amo Bistro Del Mare in Dubai Harbour. But where the menu at L’Amo leans toward seafood, Chic Nonna offers more traditional Italian cuisine – but before we get to the food, we need to discuss the venue. A standalone three-story structure in DIFC, guests are greeted by enormous green doors, an original Parisian-style sign, doorbell, and large windows that provide a sneak peek of the luxe welcome area. Inside, the grand entrance has a cosy fireplace in the waiting area and a wellstocked wine cellar that cascades around the winding staircase. We feel at home already. In the dining hall, a large open kitchen offers a prime view of the action, while upstairs, a trendy cocktail bar and cigar lounge makes us feel like we’ve been invited to an exclusive penthouse party.

We begin on the ground floor, and the restaurant is busy. It’s a Thursday night and the room is alive with groups of friends catching up, while couples sample fine wines and order large sharing plates. Service is swift and seamless, with waiters dancing through the tables topping up glasses and recommending dishes. Following a phenomenal focaccia from the breadbasket, we begin with Fassona beef carpaccio (Dhs105). Served on a square plate, the beautifully presented dish is paired with ribbons of celery and fresh truffle shavings. While the flavours blend well, we can’t resist the crunchy and soft texture combinations, and swiftly polish off the plate. Burrata (Dhs70) is also a solid choice to prepare the palette for an evening of quality Italian ingredients.

Moving onto the pizza course, we aim to mix things up by choosing the traditional focaccia di recco (Dhs85). Unlike the one from the breadbasket, this focaccia is thin and cracker-like, topped with melted cheese and yet more black truffle. A little black around the edges, but the flavour made up for it, particularly when drizzled with top quality olive oil. After much deliberation, we ended up choosing two pasta dishes. The first, crespelle fiorentine (Dhs90) was a definite hit. Creamy ricotta cheese, layered with wilted spinach and swimming in homemade tomato sauce and melted cheese – what’s not to love? The other pasta though, we probably wouldn’t order again. Cavatelli dello chef (Dhs210) drew us in with the promise of cacio & pepe, but was paired with red shrimp and baby squid. An unusual pairing, sure, but the let-down was the pasta itself; tight shells cooked a little too al dente for our liking made the texture of the dish difficult to enjoy.

For those who can’t resist an Italian dessert, don’t miss the tiramisu (Dhs65), although you might want to order it to the top floor to carry on your night. As the meal comes to a close, many of the guests take the glass-walled elevator up for a digestif (us included). Here, a DJ sets the vibe through an up-tempo soundtrack while a vibrant crowd sip on cocktails and enjoy views of Burj Khalifa through the floor to ceiling windows. Chic Nonna, Bank Street Building, DIFC, daily 7pm to 3am. Tel: (0)4 605 2000. chicnonna.com WHAT’S ON VERDICT Everything is taken care of at Chic Nonna’s house. Make yourself at home and prepare for a wonderful evening.

REVIEW: JUN’S

Is Dubai ready for this grown-up fusion restaurant?

In Jun’s, Chef Kelvin presents a love letter to his memories of food that begin in childhood and evolve through his culinary career that’s taken him around the world. It is self-described as progressive, modern and approachable fine dining. We’re suitably intrigued.

Showcased against the backdrop of a sleek restaurant space on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Jun’s pairs its fusion menu of North American and Asian flavours with an array of cocktails, wines and spirits.

The aesthetic has the feel of a stylish brasserie, with a marble floor in rich teal, burnt orange and black leather chairs and copper accents. It might feel very masculine if it wasn’t for the ornate feathers in shades of coffee, taupe and cream that add a feminine touch to the bar, the kitchen counter, DJ booth and walls wherever the designers have found an inch of space.

Among the star starters, we’re surprised by how much we enjoy the flavour-packed rainbow heirloom carrots (Dhs60), simply seasoned with a soy honey butter and presented on a bed of creamy smoked labneh. Another table-pleasing small plate is the scallop and corn (Dhs70), Chef Kelvin’s twist on scallop sushi with slivers of Hokkaido scallop neatly topping discs of warm crispy rice, in turn plated onto a corn puree.

The Norwegian salmon tartare (Dhs80) is a colourful combination of punchy agua de chile, charred avocado and diced raw salmon that we pile onto crisp nori crackers, and we much prefer it to the slightly-too-rich Wagyu beef tartare with Szechuan bone marrow (Dhs115), which misses the mark. Loosening our belts, we move to mains and opt to try the brilliant Macanese lobster (Dhs175), which arrives as chunks of Atlantic lobster in a thick madras curry sauce, mixed in with mushroom, coconut and parmesan and perfectly pairs with piping hot steamed buns. The miso glazed Chilean sea bass (Dhs175) is tasty, but not the best version we’ve ever eaten in Dubai.

For dessert, we can’t miss trying the boba creme brulee, and the addition of coconut tapioca boba is a novel and welcome twist to a classic sweet.

The nostalgic narrative that comes with each dish Chef Kelvin presents gives Jun’s an intimacy that is rarely offered in Dubai, but in a restaurant of this size, it’s not going to be easy to replicate that experience with every guest. While the handpicked team are knowledgeable on the story of each dish, it’s never quite the same as hearing it straight from Chef Kelvin. Jun’s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, 5.30pm to 2am daily. Tel: (0)4 457 603., junsdubai.com WHAT’S ON VERDICT An audience with Chef Kelvin is not one to be missed.