Fantastic fusion
The imposing Grand Millenium Al Wahda has been open for a number of months now and while we’ve already been lucky enough to try out the delightfully authentic Italian Porto Bello eatery, the one that we’ve really been looking forward to is Toshi, the hotel’s signature Asian fusion restaurant. So when we finally got the offer to give it a go, we didn’t need to be asked twice.
Stylish and contemporary is the order of the day – lots of sleek black lacquer, dark wood tables and splashes of fiery red. There are secluded private dining rooms at one end of the airy, high-ceilinged room and an open wok kitchen that allows you to watch the food being prepared, but the main focal point of the restaurant is the central teppanyaki station with skilled chefs cooking fresh seafood, meat and vegetables.
As we sit down and take a look at what’s on offer, it’s clear that the elegantly simple menu complements the décor perfectly.
Offering fresh and innovative cuisine from around the Far East, Chef Massakul and his team of Asian chefs have combined their expert knowledge of Thai, Malaysian, Japanese and Chinese flavours to create a modern take on traditional favourites.
We decide to start with the Thai crab cakes accompanied by a piquant chilli mayo and also sample the prawn Pad Thai. Both dishes are beautifully presented and incredibly tasty, full of fresh clean flavours, but it is our main course, beef short ribs, that really steals the show. The meat is coated with a wonderfully sticky barbeque sauce and is so succulent and tender that it literally falls apart at the slightest touch of the fork and just melts in the mouth – which is a good job as the portion sizes are very generous.
The service is friendly, efficient and unobtrusive and the prices are reasonable considering the upmarket, swanky feel of the restaurant and the quality and quantity of the food. This is certainly not a case of style over substance – Toshi has plenty of both.
We came with high expectations and we weren’t disappointed. We’ll definitely be back.
Jon Muller
What? Toshi
Where? Grand Millennium Al Wahda Hotel
Cost: AED 200-350 for three courses
We say: Beautiful food and lots of it – come hungry
Contact: 02 443 9999
