McGettigan’s now open at Madinat Jumeriah
You know how there’s an Irish bar in every town on the planet, from New York to Papua New Guinea? Thanks to McGettigan’s, there’s now an Irish bar in every neighbourhood in the UAE, too.
Of course, we jest — there isn’t one in International City, yet.
But now there is one in Madinat Jumeirah, which is a pretty big move for the group, which started with a spot in the Bonnington Hotel in JLT that’s still rammed.
McGettigan’s Madinat takes over Frioul’s waterside spot near the entrance of the dining and nightlife destination, meaning it has outdoor waterside seating — a big plus. Things start this week with a ladies’ night on Tuesday, when women get four free drinks (8pm-midnight).
This outlet, we’re told, will be a new direction for McGettigan’s in terms of food. We don’t have menus yet, but the ladies’ night sharing platters include crab and prawn mac’n’cheese, chilli and lime calamari and rosemary and thyme polenta fries, alongside bar stalwarts such as sticky chicken wings. Call 04-4470219.
La Mome, the sweet sound of French cooking?
As one French restaurant (Frioul) closes, another opens in the never-ending merry-go-round of the Dubai restaurant business. Opening on September 21 at the Nassima Royal Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road is La Mome, named after French singer Edith Piaf, who got the nickname (“the kid”) due to her short stature. Hence the post-war France vibe, only without the rationing and street protests. Like Piaf, it’s dinky — only 100 covers — as are the prices. The owners aim to make it a reasonably priced spot “for a casual after work dinner with friends,” according to the press statement, although a menu was not offered for our perusal. Well-priced French, centrally located and with a licence? We foresee no regrets.
La Petite Maison is in Abu Dhabi
LPM fanatics of the capital, have we got news for you: The ridiculously popular French Mediterranean restaurant at DIFC is opening on Al Marayah Island.
The bad news? You have to wait exactly one year, as it doesn’t start serving dishes until September 1, 2017. It’s so popular in Dubai, you might need that long to make a reservation.
Japanese, today, on the Palm
Kyo, which we are reliably informed by Google Translate means “today” in Japanese, is a new restaurant in the Palm’s Golden Mile neighbourhood, serving up dishes in a modern dining room and a garden-like, cooled outdoor terrace. The menu reads as intensely Japanese with modern, western touches — an avid reader of Japanese menus (yes, I don’t have much of a life), I haven’t seen many like Kyo’s. Firstly, there’s breakfast, which runs from the traditional (miso soup, white rice, egg yolk, nori, fermented soy beans — aka natto, grilled salmon) to a “Benedikuto” of salmon, a seaweed muffin and sichimi togarashi sauce. Lunch is chirashi sushi, an old-fashioned way of serving sushi, and creative salads. Dinner has a wide range of sushi and seafood, and meats such as braised veal short ribs with taro and mitsuba mash; or persimmon haishien marinated duck breast with celeriac.
“Our beautifully crafted menu shows guests that Japanese cuisine has so much more to it, than just sushi,” said Dr Ahmad Ragab, principal MD of the group behind the restaurant, Dar Al Dhiyafa. “The unique dishes are things you would not expect to see on the menu of a restaurant outside of a five-star hotel, with amazing flavour combinations filling each dish.”
It’s open 7-11pm (until midnight on the weekend). Call 04-5575182.
