A New Classic

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2016

When you walk through the doors of this recently opened hotel, you know you’re in for something a bit special. Clad in an expanse of Italian marble with hand-applied gold and silver leaf on the ceilings, the vast lobby leads the eye through to the view beyond – the pool, beach and the shimmering waters of the Arabian Gulf.

We were met by chef David, the property’s executive sous chef, who, despite his youthful 32 years, has amassed a wealth of top-level experience, including a stint with chef René Redzepi at his acclaimed Copenhagen eatery, Noma.

Taking full advantage of the balmy evening, we chose to be seated on the terrace, and I went for a starter of quinoa salad bursting with the nutty flavours of roasted pumpkin seeds, glistening ruby red pomegranate and the tart saltiness of local goat’s cheese.

Primed in advance, we were looking forward to the arrival of one of the venue’s signature dishes – the mushroom soup. It’s not often that the reputation of a humble soup precedes it, but, on this occasion, the hype is well deserved. The bowls arrive bearing just a sprinkling of white mushrooms and caramelised onions and then the soup is poured over. It’s a 10 for presentation and flair, but the soup itself would easily garner a 12!

To be honest, I’m not usually a big fan of mushroom soup but this hearty bowl, bursting with flavour and a delightful creamy texture, won me over at the first sniff, never mind the first spoonful. Chef David explained the several-hour reduction process that goes into making this humble dish such a stand-out. And even he was pleasantly surprised when my dining companion inquired as to the identity of a fleeting burst of nutty sweetness – it’s hazelnut biscotti; totally unexpected but, oh, so perfectly right!

For main, I chose the salmon, a delicately flavoured fillet, very lightly smoked and then cooked to produce a deliciously crispy skin. In a nod to local tradition, it comes served on a bed of creamy tahini with a liberal accompaniment of greens, chilli and walnuts – the perfect foil to the tahini’s richness.

On chef’s recommendation, my dining companion went for the Wagyu short rib and I immediately experienced a sharp pang of food envy! The already high-quality beef is braised for several hours with a range of light herbs and spices. The result, fragrant flesh so meltingly soft that you could literally cut it with a spoon. And, for those who usually steer clear of ribs to avoid the messiness of taking the meat off the bone, fear not, the kitchen has done the hard work, so you don’t have to.

On our way in, we’d had a good look at the extensive and extremely inviting dessert counter and I definitely had my eye on the raspberry mille feuille. However, feeling full to the gunwales, we opted to forego dessert in favour of another venue signature – Colombian hot chocolate. Served by a genuine Colombian cacao expert, it’s poured over dark-chocolate-coated marshmallow on a stick, which you then twirl to watch it melt. Another 10 for presentation and flair and a ritual I could return for again and again – perhaps next time, I’ll actually get to try that achingly pretty mille feuille, too.