Duo at Chamas and Cho Gao
A firm name in the hat for What’s On Abu Dhabi brunch of the year
Adding two great things together doesn’t always guarantee greatness. If you need an example for reference purposes, we submit Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell’s 2005 romcom, Bewitched. On paper, however, combining the culinary craft from one of the capital’s most beloved pan-Asian restaurants with leading Latin meatery, Chamas, instantly looks like a passionate marriage that’s built to last.
We’re here at this new Saturday Duo brunch to see what sort of union is formed from the collision of these two culinary worlds, and we’ve taken a seat amongst the playful Asian decor of Cho Gao.
In this section of the brunch – let’s call it ‘ the Eastside’ – we find a selection of neat dim sum dishes. We build up a tasting plate of yum cha — chicken shumai, vegetable gyoza, chocolate bao, some sticky chicken wings – and a few varied pieces of maki. The ensemble is good, a tier above most brunch dim sum, but our first wow moment comes courtesy of the chicken and rice stand. When you’ve racked up a rotisserie count as high as ours, you know honing in on breast meat is a rookie hustle. It’s all about those paunchy thighs. This was a near perfect roast, the meat spoke in eloquent flavour, and the feisty chilli sauce that went with it lives in our palate’s memory bank rent free.
Although we confess to feeling a little terriorial, we walk over to Chamas’ ‘Southside’. Here we load up on South American churrasco-prepared meats that have earned the restaurant a trophy cabinet of awards. Here we stop for ceviche and salads, citrus-dressed tacos and oceanic nibbly bits, too.
We’ve visited Chamas before and are delighted to confirm the calibre continuum carries through. These are elite meats, slithers of flame-fanned sirloin carved straight on to your plate, thick tranches of medium rare picanha, and tender salt-crust fillet served with seared cinnamon-topped pineapple.
There is no question over the quality or the skill of kitchen staff. Big, loud, Latin carnival mouthfuls. Whilst it doesn’t neglect the plant-based, we find that above all else, Duo is essential brunching for the capital’s discerning carnivores.
InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Sat 12.30pm to 4pm, Dhs249 with soft drinks, Dhs349 with house drinks. abudhabi. intercontinental.com