Palm Fringed Food

April 13, 2017 by monica Leave a Comment

VICEROY PALM JUMEIRAH

The Viceroy Palm Jumeirah Dubai hotel opened in the first week of April 2017. Is it worth a visit or is it just another Dubai skyscraper with restaurants? Read on for an honest experience of the property on day 4 of it’s opening. Food focused review this time round.

The vibe at the Viceroy Palm Jumeirah

The vibe at the Viceroy Palm Jumeirah is ultra cool and we loved it. Think Miami meets Santa Monica right here on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. It’s even got a cool address – 1 Palm Jumeirah!

It has a very distinctive glass cube at it’s entrance that will have you looking in all directions and taking photos right away. You can see a long, not too narrow swimming pool immediately in front of you that forms the avenue of a poolside lined with that tall, thin variety of California type palm trees.

Beyond the pool are stylish beach decks and the sea. But the Viceroy Palm Jumeirah has used space at different levels of the pool side and there are 2 grass lined sun decks that can be reached via a spiral staircase. We also saw hotel villas set up to the left of the pool side with their own outdoor jacuzzis and smaller, grassy decks.

Food at the Viceroy Palm Jumeirah

On the ground floor there are 2 areas to dine that are open now, the casual Boulevard on One and the more formal signature Quattro Passi Italian restaurant. We had lunch at the Quattro Passi and really enjoyed the food, service levels, vibe and interiors of the restaurant.

There is a Chinese restaurant that is due to open later this month called Maiden Shanghai. We’ll review that in a separate post. There are a couple of items from each of the restaurants available on the Bar bites menu at Elevate, the bar on the 13th floor. Expect some spectacular views from here and a real lounge feel. It reminded me a little of the Restaurant at the Address Boulevard hotel in Downtown Dubai.

The food at Quattro Passi Viceroy Palm Jumeirah

Quattro Passi has a branch in Italy, between Positano and Capri on the Amalfi coast in Nerano and it also has one in Romilly Street in central London. This is the first branch to open in Dubai. The chef patron is Antonio Mellino from Nerano. The executive chef of all the dining venues is from Sweden – Robert Nilsson. He seems very cool and accomplished at his craft. See what you think…

The menu at Quattro Passi is quite short but we found more than enough to make a good selection for lunch. We chose a tuna tartare with avocado, shown above and a buratta dish served with wild rocket and tomatoes from Sorrento! They recommended we try the signature Linguine Nerano, so we did.

All three starters were excellent and I wouldn’t hesitate to order them all over again,
despite my reticence to eat pasta!

The linguine was cooked with parmesan and courgette and was delicious. The burrata was just a little runny, very creamy and drizzled with a good balsamic vinegar at our table. This was perfect with our sourdough bread.

We ordered 2 mains between 3 people but head chef Chef Antonio sent us out a third. We chose the sea bass with a cauliflower puree and the Italian classic melanzane parmigiana with a special spinach – scarola – on the side.

We were treated to another pasta dish, this time a plate of ravioli stuffed with a mixture of Italian mozzarellas, one of them slightly smoked. Again all 3 main courses were delicious and beautifully presented. I don’t think that was on the menu.

The smoked flavour of the mozzarella was subtle but worked very well. The melanzane again was excellent as was the sea bass. However I thought the portion of sea bass as a main coarse was a little on the small side for AED 185 and inconsistent with the very generous portion of our burrata starter although that was also a bit pricey at AED 120 for a starter.

Desserts at Quattro Passi Viceroy Palm Jumeirah

Apparently a separate kitchen is required to make all the ice creams according to local regulations so none are being made on the premises as yet. However some sorbets are made off site and we were delighted with our selection of mango and raspberry. They tasted just like sorbets should, full of tart, fruity flavours, not too icy and just slightly sweet.

We also chose a hazlenut mousse that turned out to be more of a semi freddo than a mousse. While we loved the black cherry flavours coming through, none of us really warmed to the taste or consistency of the mousse. The hazlenut ice cream wasn’t available for reasons already stated.

There are 9 desserts to chose from, one of which is an Italian cheese selection.

To drink at Quattro Passi

We simply ordered a glass of rose and allowed the staff to choose for us. We weren’t disappointed.

What is worthy of note though is the selection of waters on the menu. There wasn’t a separate water sommelier as at the Montage in Beverly Hills, but our waiter was very knowledgeable none the less.

The Water at Quattro Passi

There are 15 types of water available at Quattro Passi! Choose from Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia or New Zealand! There is a picture of each bottle available with the composition of the minerals contained in the water. Prices range from AED 18 for half a litre of Natia or Ferrarelle from Italy to AED 30 for the same amount of Veen water from the Lapland region of Finland.

Service levels at Quattro Passi

Service is generally very good in Dubai, but the serving staff at least in Quattro Passi have a friendly confident air about them that is really refreshing to experience.

“Can I have a hard copy or even a photocopy of the menu please”, I asked our server – another Antonio. “Of course, why don’t I give you this one….” was his charming, confident response!

Go and eat at Quattro Passi, but don’t expect much choice from the menu if you’re vegetarian. But I think this is the kind of place that would not leave you hungry, they’d make something special – just for you.

Ambience at Quattro Passi.

This is a light, clean, welcoming elegant restaurant with floor to ceiling windows of the pool area of the hotel. It’s a place you’ll find hard to leave at least at lunch time! Go try it and tell me what you think.

I now have to try Quattro Passi in London this summer but am looking forward to Made in Shanghai at 1 Palm Jumeirah first,and if you’d like to hear us TALKING about this restaurant on The Ticket Dubai Eye, then just click here..I have a show called Food News with Monica.

Follow DoinDubai on Instagram and Facebook to find out where we’re eating next….You may want to enter our latest competition to WIN a meal for 2 at KIZA in DIFC.

Thank you Monica.

January 22, 2016 by monica 2 Comments

CHINESE AT THE FAIRMONT ON THE PALM

UPDATE January 2016

DoinDubai has heard that Ba at the Fairmont is closing down and will be replaced by Okku! Watch this space for exact dates of new opening! So no special Chinese New Year celebrations at Ba this year.

THE FOOD at the Fairmont

The Chinese restaurant at the Fairmont is called Ba. Overall the food was good but the dim sum pastry would have been better if it had been a bit thinner, the plain fried noodles and Kalian (Chinese broccoli) were both extremely tasty but the portions were a tiny bit mean and the Kung Pao prawns slightly too sweet for my taste. We all loved the Chrysanthemum green tea crème brulee and raspberry friend on the side, the creamy and tart contrast worked very well.

THE AMBIENCE at the Fairmont

Well there are 4 kinds of ambience at Ba; you can decide where to sit depending on what mood you’re in.

Loudish, modern music in the trendy but spacious bar area as you enter from the lobby floor
Echoes of the same music (but doesn’t interfere with conversation) in the sofa set up on the wide anterior room behind the bar (we drank, had starters and then the rest of our meal here)
Stunning but cavernous dining room on the lower floor with gorgeous, over sized murano glass type chandelier
Well equipped terrace behind the dining room of the main restaurant, looked lovely but was unseasonally cold on the night we visited, but apparently very convenient to walk home from if you live out that way…?! One day maybe…..

THE DRINKS at the Fairmont

Everyone seemed happy with their choices, I swapped my first caipirhnia which had large ice cubes and was made with white sugar in a tall glass to what I thought was a more conventional, crushed ice, lime juice and brown sugar in a smaller glass version, done very nicely with no fuss about the change. Well done to the Fairmont for Customer Service on that one.

Don’t forget to check out the lit up serving trays, haven’t seen these before, have you? And like the Farm in Al Barari, the menus for food (but not drinks) are on ipads and are therefore easy to read.

DoinDubai would visit again and try the terrace outside for lunch.

If you liked this article subscribe here for free, fresh and honest posts like this one. You may also like to read about the best Fish and Chip meal DoinDubai had here at the Seagrill on 360 restaurant also at the Fairmont a few steps away from Ba.

Location of the Chinese at the Fairmont

THANKS Monica.

Link to their website to book – Ba Restaurant & Lounger

A view from the anterior room behind the bar

May 20, 2015 by monica Leave a Comment

HEINZ BECK in DUBAI WALDORF ASTORIA

HEINZ BECK AND 3 MICHELIN STARS

What’s it like to eat dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on the Palm when a 3 star Michelin chef like Heinz Beck is cooking for you? Find what what he cooked us, learn about the new Taste of Waldorf dish and watch a video. See if the pictures entice you to try dinner at Social at the Waldorf Astoria on the Palm Jumeirah.

Chef Heinz Beck is German by birth but has lived in Italy for the last 21 years. His La Pergola restaurant in Rome, has had it’s coveted 3 Michelin stars for the last 10 years.

Chef Beck explained that one never really knows what it is that the Michelin Inspectors are looking for, but you have to be ready. Furthermore you never have much idea of who they are! La Pergola located in the Cavalieri at the Waldorf Astoria Rome, was visited by the inspectors 17 times, but he only recognized them twice!

HEINZ BECK WINS TASTE OF WALDORF

Last year Heinz Beck, together with an up and coming American chef David Posey, won a competition organized by the James Beard foundation. They beat off strong competition to create the new Taste of Waldorf dish. They came up with the winning dish Celery Risotto a la Waldorf. You can look at the recipe to see what’s in it and how it was made.

I was fascinated that they turned the celery into risotto size rice pieces simply using a knife and lots of patience! This dish will now be rolled out in all the 29 Waldorf Astoria hotels around the world. Did you know that apart from the obvious Waldorf salad, dishes like Red Velvet Cake, Thousand Island dressing and Eggs Benedict all originated from the Waldorf Astoria kitchens and are now iconic items globally recognized?

HEINZ BECK IN DUBAI

Celery Risotto a la Waldorf is just one of the items on the menu at Social restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria on the Palm Jumeirah. You can try it any time but Heinz Beck was in Dubai for 2 days on the 4^th and 5^th of May cooking at Social itself. DoinDubai was lucky enough to be invited to try a 7 course meal prepared by the 3 star Michelin chef at Social. Heinz Beck explained to us that Dubai was a little challenging when it came to sourcing fresh ingredients that he’s used to finding in the food markets of Rome and other European cities, but they managed. I’m not sure if they used organic celery in the Celery risotto a la Waldorf but we know it’s hugely different in appearance and taste from the supermarket Australian and American varieties we get here.

The service at the Waldorf Astoria on the Palm was excellent, we called ahead and explained that my dining companion was a vegetarian and I didn’t eat beef but we still wanted to experience the mastery of Heinz Beck’s cuisine. We were not disappointed at all. 7 impressive courses for both of us with our dining preferences addressed.

HEINZ BECK THE CHEF

I haven’t eaten at a restaurant where a 3 star Michelin chef was cooking so I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was so nervous about talking to a celebrity chef! Heinz Beck is completely normal, very friendly and totally unlike a celebrity at all! He chatted to a couple who were so excited that he was cooking for those 2 nights they happened to be staying at the hotel and signed a menu for them. He spoke to us after dinner and was only too happy to answer our questions patiently. I explained I was impressed that he was quite au fait with social media as I had looked him up and followed him on Twitter. He said this was the new norm. He also said if he had a choice to eat anywhere in the world money no object, then he would eat what his wife had made for him at home. But at a push he also recommended a Japanese restaurant called Kikunoi in Tokyo that specialises in a type of cuisine called Kaiseki. We thanked him for his time and wished him all the best, he then followed me on Twitter!

Listen to what DoinDubai had to say about Social with Heinz Beck on The Ticket on Dubai Eye 103.8 where I am a regular guest. This restaurant featured under Dining to Impress! If this podcast has whetted your appetite for more chat, then listen to the current choices.

listen to ‘The Ticket 4, 12.05.2015’ on audioBoom

February 2, 2015 by monica Leave a Comment

BUSHMANS ANANTARA

What is the Bushmans Anantara?

The Bushman’s Restaurant and Bar is the name of the Australian themed restaurant on the ground floor level of the Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. We had the Saturday Lazy Brunch deal, although they also have a great offer for drinks on Wednesdays. Dhs 75 for 3 drinks.

What’s really good about the Bushmans Anantara?

I loved the setting and the desserts were among the best I have tasted at any buffet in Dubai. Ask for a table outside on the terrace facing the sea. There is a small, very quiet road between your table and the sea so you feel as though you really are off the beaten track, on holiday somewhere. The desserts all tasted as though they had been made at home, nothing like the usual buffet puddings that don’t usually tempt me at all. Slabs of good quality chocolate will totally blow your diet so do starve the day before!

Location of the Bushmans Anantara

The Anantara is located on the East Crescent of the Palm Jumeirah, so go towards Atlantis on the trunk road and then turn right. The Anantara is the last but one hotel on this side of the crescent, Rixos being the final one (at the moment!) Do allow yourself time to get there, it’s a gorgeous drive there and back, and we stopped to take photographs of a boat race on the Saturday we visited. By the way there a couple of sneaky cameras on the Palm, we are not sure if the one in the tunnel is operational or not, but we got fined Dhs 600 for “speeding” on the way back! So be careful and don’t make your lunch too expensive for nothing.

Food at the Bushmans Anantara

Food is called “tucker” here and the focus is on high quality Australian flavors for both food and drink. Start with fresh oysters and rocket and duck salad. Move on to hot appetisers that include prawns, mini steak and mushroom pies and arancini rice bites. You can of course graze on these and more starters alone but the deal also includes a choice of one main course. We ended up taking one of each, a lamb, chicken, sea bass and I tried the rocket gnocchi. So there is some choice for vegetarians as well as the meat eaters. It’s always nice when you have some of your food made for you, served at your table, that way everyone eats together for part of your meal. Everyone seemed happy with their main courses.

Service at the Bushmans Anantara

Service was excellent, nothing was too much trouble and staff were friendly, they made space for a table outside for us which really added to our enjoyment of the lunch. So do book your table outside while the weather allows you to.

Ambience at the Bushmans Anantara

The lunch is called the Lazy lunch so don’t be in a hurry here! The ambience is modern Australian with some aboriginal artwork and interesting patterns of corks and boomerangs on the ceilings and walls. The atmosphere is casual and quite relaxed and families were welcome. There was a mix of family groups and couples when we visited.

Drinks at the Bushmans Anantara

The lunch deal with alcohol includes cocktails like Mohitos and Tom Collins and well as unlimited Penfolds Rawson’s Retreat red and white wine. The white wine I had was excellent. Of course there is the Australian Fosters beer by the bottle and a Melbourne orange, mango and chardonnay sangria! Melbourne subscribers please let me know if this is authentic? Would love to know!

What is the price of Saturday lunch at Bushmans’ Anantara?

The deal is Dhs 200 with non alcoholic drinks and cockails and Dhs 300 for the alcohol package. The brunch is only available on Saturdays at the moment and is on from 1pm till 4pm

Bushman’s Saturday Lazy Lunch

I think the picture on their website is a bit misleading in that the restaurant is light, bright and airy and has a lovely beachy lounge area at the front!

Australian subscribers what do you think should be included in an authentic Australian buffet? Do let me know and I will pass the information on to the Bushmans! You may see your suggestions on the menu sometime soon.

Thank you to the Anantara for inviting us to review this brunch.