APPETISERS: UAE DINING NEWS
A new high-rise tea party in Dubai
Tea, for many of us, is so essential it could be considered a gift from above. In Dubai, we mean that literally: It’s not an afternoon tea if you’re not having it from a vertigo-inducing location. Now the JW Marriott Marquis has joined the (tea) party with its own weekly afternoon tea with a view. The Tea Party On 68th is an afternoon tea “with a modern steakhouse twist”. Served at the hotel’s steakhouse, Prime 68, it has miniature roasts, a chocolate river, cheesecake trolley and candy. The views are pretty yummy, too. Every Saturday, 2.30-5pm. AED 185 per person.
Versace Dubai: The food is an “Enigma”
What you’re going to have for dinner at the new Versace hotel in Dubai is something of an... enigma. No, we mean it — that’s the name of the restaurant there, where the dining concept and chefs will change four times a year. Guests book seats in advance throughenigmadxb.com. You won’t know what’s on the menu until you sit down at your table. You know — like it used to be before the internet (dinner prices, will, however, be on the website). The fun begins on January 10, 2016, when Quique Dacosta (right) enters the kitchen. Dacosta’s Spain restaurant has three Michelin stars. “It is incredible to bring my cuisine to other parts of the world. I’m thrilled to make my mark in Dubai under Palazzo Versace and I hope that diners enjoy Enigma and my culinary selection, which has deep Mediterranean roots and avant-garde influences, as much as I will enjoy the experience,” said Dacosta. His “culinary performance” runs from January 10-12 April 2016; advance booking is recommended. The restaurant will be open six days a week for dinner, 6.30-1030pm.
Farzi Cafe opening in Dubai
Like the sound of dal chawal arancini with achar? That’s a menu item at the upcoming Farzi Cafe, due to open at City Walk Phase 2 on Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai in early 2016. It’s by restaurateur Zorawar Kalra, the man behind Indian eateries such as Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra. The theme of the restaurant is “creating an illusion” with food, says Kalra, “You will experience Arabic-influenced global cuisine as well, in a never-before-seen way that will bring about new levels of excitement to the cuisine.” Stay tuned for an opening date.