Paradise delayed
James Fryer is in need of new friends after a visit to Thainese, Deira’s latest culinary haunt, for a spot of fusion cooking.
Bird songs drifted through the air, their chirps accompanying the shadows that danced on our table as the light filtered through the lush green canopy overhead. Running water trickled over the pebbles of a nearby waterfall and the occasional clang and clink from the Teppanyaki chef resonated through the towering dining room. If it weren’t for the dull drone of the AC, shorts-clad tourists and restaurant managers who don’t muck in when it gets busy, it’d be easy to imagine you were in a distant, far eastern paradise, rather than the bustling Ramada Continental Hotel. “You said eight!” snapped one of the aforementioned managers. “Umm, no I didn’t, I said two people.”
“Oh, okay then,” came a deflated reply, before he went back to standing around while two waitresses darted busily, if a little inefficiently. Five apologies later and we were at a table for six (but certainly not eight), making choices from the modest range of Thai, Japanese and Chinese dishes (hence the restaurant’s name), ending up with red snapper sashimi – thin slices of melt-in-the-mouth fish (Dhs24). The plump rainbow sushi maki (Dhs28) dunked in soy sauce and boasting a three-fish flavour-fusion, were gobbled in one go.
Wonton (Dhs22) with just the right balance between a crispy exterior and meaty prawn filling were followed by a fiery, vibrant papaya salad (Dhs26). It contained one bland king prawn and cashews, rather than prawns and peanuts as the menu stated, but was a fresh, simple triumph.
While I slurped at a lacklustre OJ, the only juice on the menu, my companion nabbed a stool at the open kitchen. The Teppanyaki chef worked his magic on her generous cut of salmon (Dhs75), flipping, knifes, spatulas and pots. Two shorts-wearers stopped to gawp at the loud display. And as a menacing six-inch blade twirled through the air, one flinched and scurried off. A short while later, wielding the same knife, the chef became annoyed as he glared out across the restaurant, waiting for his cooling creation to be collected.
The well-seasoned stack of salmon eventually arrived, with perfect, just-charred, if a little cold, sweet onion and mushrooms. My curry (Dhs36) was piping hot with tender shreds of beef and crinkle-cuts of bamboo, smothered in a moreish sweet and creamy coconut sauce.
Despite only two desserts being available, they were a disappointing end to the meal. The fruit salad (Dhs18) was a tired, mushy bore and the ice cream with tempura batter (Dhs22) a soggy mess. There was no excuse for either, or for café lattes that tasted of burnt coffee beans and doused with cinnamon. And 15 minutes spent asking for and trying to pay the bill made for a drawn-out night.
Thainese has the potential to be a success with good, reasonably priced Far Eastern food (our bill was Dhs350) to be enjoyed in tranquil surroundings. Far from being a lost cause, it’s easy to see what needs to be fixed – hire more staff (or train managers to carry plates), add tropical mocktails to the menu and rethink desserts. Heck, ban shorts and I’ll bring seven friends along.
Thainese, Ramada Continental Hotel, Deira, Dubai. Tel: (04) 2662666.
WHAT’S ON VERDICT
Food: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Value: 4/5