JG DINING ROOM

A gastronomic heavyweight makes his mark on Dubai

orty-eight hours after our visit to JG Dining Room, we were still salivating over the egg caviar. And the duck. And even the pea soup. It’s no surprise that a restaurant owned by a three Michelinstarred chef would serve such memorable fare. Revered in the culinary world, Jean-Georges Vongerichten has made a name for himself by serving exquisite French cuisine with outposts in epicurean capitals such as Shanghai, New York, Tokyo and, now, Dubai.

Not one to step into new territory lightly, Jean-Georges has opened not one but two spaces housed under one roof: JG Dining

FRoom, a fine-dining venue, and JG Kitchen, a relaxed all-day dining restaurant.

The former takes the limelight in more ways than one. First, it’s elegantly discreet. The dining area is tucked away and you’ll feel as if you’re in a member’s only club. Second, it’s opulent. High ceilings, ivory tablecloths, huge curving seats, and gold cylindrical chandeliers make for a rare mix of grace and comfort. The atmosphere is more than matched by a stately Prix Fixe menu of three courses (Dhs480), comprising Asian-inspired French cuisine with the option to add a ‘caviar creation’ course for an extra Dhs148.

A Vongerichten special, described simply as ‘egg caviar’, arrives at the table with its top sliced off and presented on a delicate porcelain duck foot. Inside the shell is lightly scrambled egg. On top of that is whipped cream and finished with a very generous scoop of caviar. You reach down to the bottom with a tiny spoon to get a mixture of cool cream, warm egg and salty fish. It’s comfort food done in a finedining style.

Another popular Jean-Georges dish, the sweat pea soup is served in a large, shallow bowl with white cream and a ring of sourdough croutons around the outside acting as a kind of dam. Our waiter then poured the sweet pea soup into the centre of the dish. It was light and airy soul food.

The heavier entreés were equally impressive. Fat slices of flushed Muscovy duck breast with a topping of cracked Jordan almonds was a masterclass in flavour layering, making each bite a hit parade of taste, striking you first with juicy duck, chasing it with a sweet amaretto jus and finishing with a tartly almond coating.

JG Dining Room is all you would hope for from a chef with the pedigree of JeanGeorges. It looks lavish, tastes flawless and the service is excellent – it’s an experience to savour.

Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, daily 7pm to 11pm. Tel: (04) 3436118. Taxi: Four Seasons. jean-georgesdubai.com