I must admit, I was very partial to Asia de Cuba, so I was a little apprehensive to see its new incarnation at Gallery 21. I need not have worried; still under the watchful eye of chef Owen Stewart, The Courtyard, as it’s now known, is every bit as delicious and the surroundings as gorgeous as ever.
White, plant-clad walls soar to a glass-domed roof, which can be rolled back to create an open-air venue in the heart of Adliya. It’s easy to see that, though the menu is reasonably priced, with starters such as crispy calamari and fried green asparagus coming in at just BD2.5 and mains starting at BD5.9, the design brief certainly didn’t spare any expense.
The same can be said elsewhere in Gallery 21, which also encompasses a Moroccan Lounge, a café and bakery, a rooftop bar and more.
We began with ceviches from the raw bar. Hamachi (Pacific yellowtail), a meaty, white fish very similar to tuna, came doused in garlic, cilantro, spring onion, tomato and red pepper. Raw tuna had many of the same accompaniments with the addition of lime and avocado.
To be honest, I could have eaten just these two dishes and left happy. Despite the substantial ingredients of the ceviche, the flavours of the fish sang out and, though I’m a big fan of cilantro, or coriander, it was good to see that it had not been overdone and simply added to the taste sensation rather than taking over.
A note, if you’re going to try these – the portions are large, so take along a friend to share.
From the starter menu, we also added eggplant parmigiana – a very simple dish which is not at all easy to accomplish. Without care the eggplant can become oily but, in this case, it was utterly tender, dripping with melted cheese and a gentle tomato paste. The perfect comfort food counterpart to the healthy fish dishes.
For main, my dining companion chose beef tenderloin tagliata – thin slices of well-matured steak simply seasoned with salt and perhaps a hint of rosemary. This dish is served with rocket salad and vintage balsamic reduction risotto with sundried tomato and black olives. Again, it’s a really good-sized portion, so I didn’t feel bad digging in to try a bite. The meat was melt-in-the-mouth tender, perfectly seasoned and simply yummy. My friend had chosen medium-well but it’s the sort of cut that would be as delicious rare, with an almost buttery texture.
I went for the black lemon-marinated rack of lamb – grilled baby rack of lamb with saffron risotto. Oh my word, that risotto! Combine the subtle, earthy hint of the saffron with the creamy, gooey, cheesiness of the risotto – described by food critic extraordinaire Nigel Slater as: “A creamy, almost pumpkin-coloured plateful of round rice held together with stock and cheese” of which “one could even argue that the nannying quality of a saffron-hued risotto alla Milanese is not a stone’s throw from our own beloved rice pudding” – it’s no wonder I was instantly in love.
The lamb, not surprisingly, was deliciously, smokily tender. But, for me, the risotto was the true stand out. With these dishes, and others like them, The Courtyard is truly setting out its Mediterranean credentials with style.
I blame the risotto for my inability to even consider dessert; that’s a delight that will have to wait for my next visit, which will surely be happening soon.
