An Arab tale
James Fryer finds a subdued atmosphere at Café Arabesque.
It could have been a scene from a Stephen King novel – the part where an intruder appears from nowhere with a meat cleaver. A huge open fire roaring away in the kitchen was the only sign of life as we entered the bare dining room with overbearing air conditioning and tall ceilings. Beige upholstered chairs were married with dark wood tables, while dim up-lights struggled to add character. A waiter broke the tumbleweed silence as he returned from the terrace outside. Fortunately, he only carried a tray of empty glasses, but I was still nervous about what lay ahead.
Ushered to a table in the corner of the restaurant’s Empty Quarter, we decided to brave the heat and opted for terrace dining. Thankfully, there were half a dozen other diners as we took our seats at a cosy table under the pagoda. Tunes by a Nancy Ajram wannabe played and the mood improved as we gazed out across the Creek, the water reflecting lights from nearby buildings, broken by the rippling trail of a dhow. Yachts were moored nearby and chatter resonated from the hotel’s other venues.
Mediterranean-style dishes packed with aromatic green olives, pickled chillies and Arabian breads broke our reverie, along with one containing a unidentifiable delicacy. A few pokes and sniffs later the waiter was recruited to clarify what it was. Instead of just explaining it was a fresh almond, he gave a committed demonstration of how to bite the green exterior in two to get at the juicy nut inside. With appetites whetted it was disappointing to hear that the only appetisers were on a buffet (hot and cold mezze plus desserts for a not-cheap Dhs90 per person), but we still set about ordering mains before reluctantly embarking on the self-service voyage.
It’s all too easy to lump Middle Eastern food together into the Arabian bracket, so it was refreshing to see Café Arabesque make distinctions between Jordanian, Syrian and Lebanese cuisines. Three buffet sections each contained a lavish selection of dishes from these areas and, although there was a list to one side and a chef on hand to explain what was what, it would have been easier to have labels next to the individual blue plates piled high with tempting specialities.
The cold mezze proved a hit, each one bursting with freshness and not shy of strong flavours. Oily stuffed peppers, crushed nuts with paprika and Syrian cheese were particularly tasty. The hot mezze, though, failed to impress. The chicken liver was mushy and the hammour and lamb were lukewarm.
Piping-hot mains raised the bar though. My Turkish-inspired chargrilled rainbow trout (Dhs95) had a pleasant, earthy taste and moist texture while across the table the Jordanian-inspired glistening shish tawouk (Dhs45) proved an equally succulent and flavoursome dish. But the dessert buffet was nothing to write home about – the Arabian sweets were average and the pumpkin and pistachio nut combo a sticky bore.
We made our way back though the creepy interior as the staff tidied up for the night. As temperatures make their final soar and alfresco dining is no longer an option, we hope things warm up indoors at Café Arabesque to match the good quality of some of the food. It wasn’t a total horror story and the distinctive regional cuisines might yet mean a happy ending for this pan-Arabian venue.
Café Arabesque, Park Hyatt, Dubai. Tel: (04) 6021234.
WHAT’S ON VERDICT
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2/5
Value: 2/5