My iftar experience over the weekend brought me to Majlis Al Safinah at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The hotel’s Safinah Ballroom was transformed into an elegant venue decked out in Arabian designs and decorations. The place has a seating capacity of up to 400 guests, and there are also eight majlis areas that can each occupy 10-20 guests. The staff was also very helpful. Guests are required to observe a dress code — no above-the-knee skirts or dresses for women and no exposed shoulders, and no shorts for men, which made sense given that most of the guests are Emiratis and families.
Aside from a comfortable ambience and warm hospitality, the most important thing about an iftar is the food. Having been to different iftars as an expatriate in Dubai for almost a decade now, I always make it a point to look for Arabian cuisine when I go to one — I believe Ramadan should be a showcase of Arabian food and so I prefer to limit my choices to local or regional fare.
My visit at Majlis Al Safinah didn’t disappoint. The buffet offers a variety of hot and cold mezze, soups, salads, meat and seafood dishes and Middle Eastern desserts.
I started with the anise-infused celeriac soup, which to my surprise was a really good start to what would be a wonderful meal. I like its deliciously creamy flavour and it wasn’t too thick or sticky — and this despite not being really a fan of anise (I don’t hate it, but I don’t like it either). I’m not a salad person, but I can’t resist fattoush whenever I find it in a spread. Fresh and crispy, the toasted flatbread was a refreshing departure from some of the unappetising ones I’ve tried in other buffets.
While there was a wide selection of Arabian favourites, I did not want to complicate my taste buds and filled my plate with three of the most famous Arabian dishes — harees, lamb mandi and my all-time favourite ouzi. I loved them all, but the lamb mandi was definitely my favourite. It had a flavourful taste and aroma and the tenderness of the meat was perfect. In fact, I may have had too much of it, I barely had enough left for desserts. I found two seafood dishes and tried the steamed fish, which was also good, although I was more impressed with the meat selection.
To wrap up, I tried two of my favourite Arabian sweets, umm ali and mahalabia. The mahalabia stood out. I particularly liked that the desserts were not too sweet. Had they also prepared kunafa, it would have been a perfect finish to a gorgeous iftar.
The details
Where: Majlis Al Safinah, Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Timing: Sunset until 8.45pm
Cost: Dh195 per person (including coffee, tea, Ramadan juices and still water)
Call: 04-3480000