Catch the end of a temporary seafood menu at Catalan, a fine dining Spanish restaurant in Rosewood Abu Dhabi.
The eight-course menu celebrates the Spanish coastline and is available until 28th March.
But its mouth-watering dishes come at a cost – so they’ll make your eyes water, too. Expect to shell out AED 1,600 for two with soft drinks.
The restaurant’s décor is classic, with cream walls, white tablecloths, candles and flowers. Its temporary menu meanwhile, is anything but – so be prepared for a few surprises. Highlights include the sea bream paired with pineapple chutney and chayote (vegetable pear) and fettuccine served with sea urchins and a barely-cooked egg yolk.
The same goes for the steamed percebes, a type of barnacle that lives on rocks – as they look more like monster paws on a child’s toy. To eat them, you must peel away a tough layer of skin to reveal a sliver of juicy, salty flesh. They’re a delicacy, but you may find you enjoy them more for their novelty factor than for taste or substance.
The tuna belly, which is as soft and silky as grilled aubergine, takes the award for best dish. It comes with patatas bravas, or cubes of fried potato, in a sweet pepper piquillo sauce.
Al Maryah Island. Mon-Sat 7pm-11.30pm. For more information contact: 02 813 5550
www.rosewoodhotels.com
Sarah Riches
