1. Wagamama
Here’s my confession: I’m a Wagamama groupie. So when we heard it was ramen month at the store, I was the first to raise my chopsticks for dibs to the media invite. Fortunately, the restaurant at Golden Mile 1, Palm Jumeirah, didn’t disappoint. We started with fried squid (crunchy), a duck wrap (sweet and moist, and on a sliver of a flat bread) and prawn crackers, and went on to bowl-fulls of ramen (add a little chilli to the mix for some zing). The idea behind the event was taken from the Japanese ubiquitous sight of customers lining up solo to enjoy the hot bowl of noodle soup — the nosh is a bit more complicated than that, but it’s as comforting as comfort food can get. They ended the night with a sweet Japanese curry on a bed of chicken katsu (deep fried chicken cutlet) rested upon a generous helping of rice.
Go for a night out with the family, or if, like me, you are addicted to a slurpalicious meal.
The details
Where: Golden Mile 1, Palm Jumeirah
Credit card: Yes
Average cost per person: Dh100
Opening hours: 11am-12pm
2. Din Ti Fung
They come with diagrams. The xiaolongbao dumplings I mean. Scoop onto a ceramic spoon. Punch in a tiny hole with your chopstick and then eat whole — the soup (it is very, very hot, so be careful) will pour into your mouth, tantalising your taste buds. But besides this cool and unusual tipple, there’s a crazy number of dimsums to try. The chicken and vegetable options are a bit too full of the green stuff for me, but the lamb ones were a resounding success. We asked for seconds and — in retrospect, embarrassingly — for thirds. The meat bun, a sweet exterior filled will a tooth-exercising interior, was juicy and warm. The only oddball was the chilli chicken, which was a bit on the dry side. [But apparently, still quite authentic.] All in all the corner, with the new branch of the Taiwanese Michelin-star chain in Al Ghurair Centre is lovely place to hang out — as long as you aren’t on a diet. And before leaving the venue, try out the chocolate-filled xiaolongbao dumplings — now that’s something to write home about.
The details
Where: Al Ghurair Centre
Credit card: Yes
Average cost per person: Dh80
Opening hours: 11am-12pm
3. Sushi Counter
Off to one side of Bay Avenue lies Sushi Counter, a tiny orange-tinged nook in a bustling business hub. But it’s got neon. And food that lives up to the following expectations: freshly made, experimental, a dash of the old and with offers for a quick and affordable lunch with the colleges. While the roles come in rounds of six, there are single pieces of sushi to try — the beef tartare is exquisite. For those who like to mix it up, here’s a new offer, too: a salmon burrito, with avocado and cucumber and a whole lot of healthy stuff, and covered in a layer of crushed cheetos. Think American, eat Japanese? Well it’s definitely worth a bite. Finish your meal with a sweet, warm chocolate cake. Tough day? bah!
The details
Where: Building 4, Bay Square, Business Bay
Credit card: Yes
Average cost per person: Dh57.5
Opening hours: 11am-11pm
