TOM’S KITCHEN DELI Can this casual café live up to the Tom Aikens name?

hen it comes to dining at a theme park, we don’t expect much – candy-floss, soggy nachos, questionable hot dogs – after all, we’re there for the rollercoasters, not the restaurants. But Tom’s Kitchen Deli could change all that. The latest opening at Riverland in Dubai Parks And Resorts is the brainchild of Tom Aikens, the youngest British chef ever to be awarded two Michelin stars. So, no greasy burgers here.

Instead, they use high-quality ingredients to take typical fast food dishes to the next level. Just what you’d expect if you’ve ever eaten at Aikens’ only other Dubai venture, Pots, Pans And Boards in JBR.

The interior matches the theme park location; you feel like you’re stepping into an American diner with its shiny monochrome floor, bright red ceiling and cartoon murals on the walls. Along with booths and tables, there’s one long communal table down the centre of the room, which keeps things very casual.

The menu is dominated by bread-heavy dishes – sandwiches, paninis, wraps, hot dogs, pizzas and burritos. That’s no bad thing though. We rated the pulled lamb shoulder baguette (Dhs35) – the lamb was tender, the baguette crispy, and we liked that it was packed with veggies: roasted peppers, zucchini, sweet, caramelised onions and a smoky tomato chutney. There are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu too: the

Wblack bean burrito (Dhs26) is a palatewarming mix of gently spiced vegetable chilli, laced with paprika and lashings of yoghurt. It’s flavoursome rather than blowyour-head-off hot (almost like a ratatouille) and there’s plenty of legumes present to make it sufficiently filling. The sour note added by the inclusion of a few gherkins is a surprising – but very welcome – addition.

For a lighter bite, there’s a salad menu that doesn’t stray too far from classic, winning formulas – think chicken Caesar (Dhs38) and tuna nicoise (Dhs35). We went in the opposite direction of light bites though, and instead ordered a side portion of the mac and cheese (Dhs26) – a wonderfully gooey concoction of cheese, cream and macaroni served in a cute cardboard pot. The portions are generous but save room for dessert, even if it’s just a couple of scoops of soft serve ice cream (Dhs16). Alternatively, have your dessert alongside your meal by ordering a smoothie to drink: the peanut butter and banana smoothie (Dhs18) was rich, creamy and just sweet enough, and worth the trip to Riverland on its own.

Riverland, Dubai Parks And Resorts, off E11 (Dubai to Abu Dhabi), daily 10am to 11pm. Tel: (050) 1658573. Taxi: Dubai Parks And Resorts. tomskitchen.co.uk