Having visited several different restaurants at the chain of this marvelous hotel over the years, I can vouch for their exceptional hospitality and service. In addition to this, the food is delectable and ambiance pleasing.
Ramadan is no exception. The hotel chain puts in extra effort to ensure their guests have a variety of food, a hearty meal and a smile on their faces as they leave. I paid a visit to The Restaurant for iftar and was pleasantly surprised with how they managed iftar.
Located in the Address Boulevard, Dubai, The Restaurant is nestled amongst the marble walkway and incredible chandeliers. With a welcoming ambiance, the venue offers a set menu for iftar with salad, soup, appetizers and desserts as buffet.
I personally love the concept of a set menu for iftar and suhoor as all restaurants face massive levels of food wastage at the end of the day. With a set menu there's little room for this to take place and in essence, we are fighting food wastage.
With a lovely salad and soup station, we began our Arabic cuisine iftar with Tabbouleh, Fattoush and Greek salad followed by a Mushroom Soup.
Arabic cuisine isn't complete with hot mezze and I truly appreciate the crunchy Falafel and perfectly fried Kibbeh.
There's a live station for grilled chicken and lamb chops which was quite a delight as the meat was cooked to perfection and succulent. Preferring chicken over lamb, I chose the later this time around purely based on food presentation and I wasn't disappointed.
The main course arrived shortly after and consisted of a handful of variety, much to my delight. The traditional Chicken Molkiya, the Australian Lamb Chops, the Chermoula Fish, the Zucchini Moussaka and the Kalta Rice were the chef's offering for the evening.
I quite loved the Chermoula Fish and the Kalta Rice. The latter was a far cry from the traditional Ouzi available at almost every iftar in the city. Lightly flavored, the Kalta Rice was a delicious addition to the main course.
A little after the main course, I made a beeline for my favorite- the desserts station. I was born with a sweet tooth and while I can't really have too much of sugar (too much of anything is never a good thing!), I understand and appreciate the effort put into each dessert, no matter the size. Because I spend a fun amount of time in my kitchen experimenting with new dessert recipes which are 95% of the time a success!
The desserts station at The Restaurant makes you want to take a piece of every dessert on to your plate. From the classic Bakhlava (my all-time favorite Arabic dessert) to the perfectly made Knafeh and Umm Ali, this section will want to make you throw your diet out of the window.
For those who are looking for something different, there's a handful of contemporary desserts with the Address Hotel's own spin to it. I tried the Devil's Chocolate Cake. Sinfully delicious, this cake gets 5 stars and so does the chef!
The airy, exuberant cake was baked to perfection with a rich, decadent chocolate frosting. If there's one cake I'd love to learn how to bake like the experts, it would be this one.
Equally delicious was the Mango Cheesecake and the Raspberry Red Velvet (I had a bite!)- you cannot miss these. From the Prunes Crumble and the Cheese Kataif, to the melt-in-your-mouth Basbousa, there's something sweet for everyone.
Can we just appreciate how beautiful the attention to detail is on this sugary piece of delight?
You cannot miss the two bowls of Turkish Delight. You may roll your eyes but you have to try these to believe in the difference. The Restaurant gives the pieces of happiness a spin of their own. While there's the standard rose and pistachio flavored Delights, you must try the ones coated with (what seems to me as) sultanas. The sweet and sour taste create an enjoyable medley of flavors in the mouth.
I wanted to taste almost every dessert at the station but I couldn't.
The iftar offering at this venue checks off the right boxes for me from ambiance and service to the quality and taste of food. I give it 4/5 stars.
Iftar at The Restaurant, Address Boulevard, Dubai is available throughout Ramadan, from sunset until 9pm and is priced at AED 220 per person (kids under 5 go free and those between 6-11 years are eligible for a 50% discount). To book a table, call 04- 888 3444.
Post a Comment