Travels with a Gourmet

One of my favorites by young and talented chef and backed by .orfali never disappoints.
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They recently added a new shorter 6-course set menu at 350 AED and it’s the perfect way to try and experience their refined take on Thai cuisine.
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newsletter rounds up his new favorites, likes and dislikes. Always amusing, always honest and always well-written. Read it on his Substack
https://open.substack.com/pub/liamcollens/p/amused-bouche-03?r=apzfd&utm_medium=ios
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Thanks for the shoutout 🫶 and (Victor?) please let us know how we can get our hands on that black sriracha 🙏🏽
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Finally got some of from - tastes like home
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The first time I went to was in mid-December right before they opened. Since then, they’ve received 1-star from and more importantly rave reviews from those who have had the dinner set menu and tasted innovative take on Thai cuisine.
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Over the summer, has launched a Sunday lunch a la carte menu with three of the bites (also served at dinner), along with a salad and three main courses which were specialties of either from his former restaurant or previous pop-ups with We asked for one of each individual bite then shared the salad and main courses and dessert.
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Whatever you do, don’t miss the signature khanom krok, this time made with Alaskan king crab instead of lobster - a creamy coconut custard baked in a rice cracker and topped with a dollop of sweet king crab and chives. It’s an explosion of flavors in one bite.
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From the main courses, the spicy salad of kohlrabi, grapes and and roasted rice is a refreshing palate cleanser of tangy and sweet to offset the heat from the spice. The crispy deep-fried sea bass, a Thai classic, served whole on a bed of green mango salad is another one you shouldn’t miss.
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And the dessert, a modern version of mango sticky rice elevated by placing a scoop of coconut ice cream over the warm rice and topping this all with a sweet mango shaved ice.
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Sweet, salty, spicy, sour, creamy, crispy, tangy - all these flavours of the food in still make it my favorite Thai restaurant in Dubai. You’ve done it - Abhiraj and .orfali
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Marylebone Lunch
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Steak tartar for me.
Cornish crab salad for her.
And always, fries before guys.
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A few of the many Turkish treats we had in the week we spent in Bodrum. From mezze to Bodrum mandarin, here’s a little sampler.
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Back from our incredible two-week summer holiday at our happy place in the south of Spain where we spent days indulging in tapas, salmorejo, paella, jamón y secreto Ibérico; enjoying the sun, sand and very cold sea; day trip to Nerja and Malaga; afternoon cake and UNO with the kids; a bit of shopping at El Corte Inglés and Puerto Banus, farm to table breakfasts and our beautiful room with a view ; always our best meal ; gelato whenever we could; and always spending time together during the long blue sky days until the 10 pm sunsets. Hasta el próximo verano 🇪🇸
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One of the best fine dining weekend deals is set menu - a starter, a main course and a side dish for 195 AED (that’s just a main course in most fancy Dubai restaurants). Food is always beautifully presented and the flavors complementary - yesterday I had the artichoke barigoule starter: a beautiful green dish of tiny artichokes, grilled green asparagus, pea miso, pistachios topped with crispy leeks. I chose the salmon for my main course: a perfectly seared skin and still slightly raw interior with kohlrabi, fermented cabbage beurre blanc, razor clams and a side of koshikari rice with butter and chives. Excellent food and attentive service. For dessert, we hit the candy room for a few Swedish licorice treats and shared a chocolate tart. You’re welcome.
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A tiny izakaya just opened close to home and we rushed over for to JLT for an early Sunday dinner at three-day old
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Calling a hidden gem is going to be short-lived because sooner rather than later, all those Dubai foodies who are over exorbitantly-priced restaurants are going to love the delicious food, generous portions and realistic prices here.
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This classic izakaya serves serious food with a limited but fun laminated menu of handwritten Japanese classic like gyozas, prawn tempura, chicken karaage, makis and donburis.
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The owner, Tas, is right there to welcome you and with her extensive restaurant know-how and along with the help of her ex-Zuma culinary director husband, this place is sure to be a hit.
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To start, we had the tataki (45 AED) - seared on the outside and still raw inside beef slices with onions and ponzu, ebi maki (36 AED), spicy salmon maki (42 AED), Mizuna avocado salad (46 AED), Takoyaki (32 AED) and miso soup (17 AED). They sent over the salmon carpaccio, compliments of Tas (gracias!) which was a treat.
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For mains, we shared the prawn tempura (39 AED for 5 pcs), the Kima karaage - crispy garlicky battered chicken pieces (39 AED), the special Miso cod (55 AED) and some rice. An excellent meal in a simple, casual neighborhood restaurant with great food at honest prices. We’ll be back very soon.
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They were out of mochi so we headed over afterwards to .farm for some drive-thru soft serve.
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A sunny morning in .de.lamer where we finally had a chance to try the new bakery/cafe with a view of the sea.
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We had the folded eggs with chili crunch oil, sourdough bread and salad, a sourdough waffle and the delicious morning tray of hummus, pickles, soft.boiled egg, labneh with pistachio zaatar and avocado sumac. The coffee was also very good. For dessert, we shared a cinnamon roll and Nour, the owner, kindly sent us some hot cross buns for Easter.
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is the kind of place Dubai needs - homegrown, family-run, reasonably-priced and with tasty simple dishes and a daily changing lunch menu.
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High up on the 24th floor of the iconic is and what used to be the Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant Arrazuna. The massive space with panoramic views and multi-kitchens is opening as an eight concept upmarket food hall including a full service bar and a coffee shop.
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This is where .kee has two new Japanese concepts opening on Monday. is Japanese pizza and is noodles - ramen and udon. Both have a concise menu of classic and unconventional food which is Reid’s signature.
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has some small plates: 4 starters and a tiramisu plus 7 pizzas: classics like margherita and pepperoni plus 3 other pizzas with a twist. We chose the burrata with shiso pesto, crispy almonds and candied peach - an interesting combination with the shiso complementing the creamy cheese. The pizza dough was crispy with a chewy crust and solid enough to take the cheese, marinated wagyu ribs and gochujang tomato sauce. We loved the spicy sweet combination.
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has a similar small menu of 8 small plates, 5 ramen and 2 udon plus a crème caramel for dessert. We chose the classic edamame to start followed by their gyoza of the day: chicken and vegetable with chili ponzu then their traditional shio ramen noodles in a clear chicken broth with steamed chicken, bamboo shoots, nitamago ramen egg and a touch of Japanese lime.
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Another fun and delicious spot from multi-restaurant chef Reif with reasonably-priced mains in a beautiful setting. Looking forward to come back to to try the other outlets. Thanks for lunch chef!
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