APPETISERS: UAE DINING NEWS Novikov is opening July 22
US-style Crab Tavern opening at Media One
This new seafood restaurant, due to open on July 7, will be serving Americanstyle dishes for the Dubai Media City crowd. It’s the UAE outpost of a newly opened restaurant from London’s Broadgate Circle, and they will be giving 50 per cent off the food bill until the end of July (also during Eid), in addition to social media contests (hashtag #CrabTavernDubai). Meanwhile, a Brazilian concept is due to open at the same hotel later this summer. Crab Tavern is taking bookings now on reservations@crabtavern.ae. It will be open noon 12pm-2am daily (8pm-1am during Ramadan).
We’ve finally got an opening date for the much awaited new restaurant on Shaikh Zayed Road. The Moscow concept — a blend of Asian cuisines and modern trends — opened in 2011 and has also spread to London, where it’s a celeb favourite. The 280-seat, two-story restaurant and lounge is opening at the new Sheraton Grand with Bulldozer Group (the people behind Sass Cafe, Toko, Movida and VIP Room). Executive chef Shane Macneill is in the kitchen, dishing out the likes of Novikov Peking duck, king crab leg wasabi gratin and toro tartare with caviar. Stay tuned for more details.
A midnight menu at Maison Mathis
Peckish in the wee hours? Maison Mathis has your back. If you don’t want junk food, head to the restaurant at the Dusit Thani, which is open 24/7 (check out Nippon Bottle Co while you’re there). The two-course set menu is Dh150 per person with two glasses of house beverage, available daily from 10pm to 1.30am. The sharing concept includes the likes of baby spinach and feta cheese tarte; chicken and spinach salad with mushrooms and Parmesan flakes; chicken or beef burgers and fish and chips. Call 04-3357769.
Time for Tanabata
The Japanese Star Festival, also known as Tanabata, starts on July 7 and runs until August, celebrating the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi. Head to Toko restaurant in Downtown, where you can write your wishes on strips of colourful paper called tanzaku and hang them on a bonsai tree. Do it before July 7, when a wish picked from the tree will win a dinner for four. Japanese cookie shop Yoku Moku has Tanabata tins, from Dh110.