In the mood for some fresh food? Then head over to CuiScene at the Fairmont Bab al Bahr
The restaurant describes itself as “the ultimate scene for cuisine” and we think they’re not too far off the mark. The restaurant aims to highlight a selection of seasonal produce and finds ingenious ways of including them into the menu.
As we’ve never met a buffet we didn’t like, we had barely sat down to a shot of chilled lemon tea before we were itching to settle our grumbling stomachs. Our hostess took us on a quick tour of every station before we were left to our own devices.
First in line, we popped over to the salad and starters station to sample some vermicelli salad and sushi. Then we absolutely couldn’t resist grabbing some obligatory yet always delicious dim sum, fried moneybags and breaded shrimp.
The real star of the night, however, was a bowl of Yong Tau Foo, the chef’s special. A Chinese soup dish commonly found throughout Asia, this is a meal in itself and one that is not to be overlooked. The peanut broth includes noodles, shredded cabbage, mushrooms, shrimp, calamari and beef. It was quite possibly perfect. Incredibly savoury and nutty, the more we ate the more we wanted.
After loading up on soup we managed to find space (with difficultly, we may add!) for some stir fried kimchi rice and grilled beef teppanyaki. If you’re not a fan of Asian food there are two stations dedicated to Arabic, European and Indian options to keep you satisfied. We, however, completely ignored those offerings as we were already struggling to find space for the mandatory dessert, since no meal is ever complete without a sampling of sweets.
The restaurant offers a selection of traditional Asian sweet dishes along with a crepes station and warm dessert section. We grabbed a magnificent pumpkin-lemon cheesecake, macadamia nut and mango spring roll and ordered a chocolate strawberry crepe for good measure. Perhaps to punish us for our gluttony the crepe was filled with un-ripened berries, the only sour note to an otherwise perfect evening.
Sawaiba Khan
What? CuiScene, Fairmont Bab al Bahr
When? Wednesdays, Asian Night
Cost: AED 175-AED 199
We say: Treat yourself to some fantastic food and superb service
Contact: 02 654 3238
