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One of the universal truths of humanity is that everyone likes good food.
Esquire Eats doesn’t just cover the top eateries, it goes right down to the best dish.
Let’s run through this list, check out the videos and people will be envious of your ordering skills.
Dig in below:
Inspiration ghewar with angoori rasamalai and raspberry sorbet
Cuisine: Indian dessert
Behold, the Inspiration Ghewar, with a caramelised base, filled with milk dumplings and lychee, topped with raspberry sorbet and sprinkled with crushed rose petals which have been dipped in liquid nitrogren for that quite literal cool factor.
“The brainchild of restaurateur Buphendar Nath and executive chef Himanshu Saini, Tresind was born out of a dream to take Indian food and elevate it to the same standards as places Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, or Ferran Adria’s El Bulli.”
“Located inside the Voco Dubai, the restaurant boasts a clean, modern décor with a few hints at the sub-continent. Dishes here are playful and plentiful, the 16-course tasting menu is indeed something you have to try to believe, but the real star of the show is the Inspiration Ghevar.”
Dynamite shrimp
Cuisine: Chinese
A menu as extensive as P.F. Chang’s it can be tricky finding exactly what you’d love. The dynamite shrimp though is a good bet, tempura-battered then lightly tossed with a sriracha aioli, it’s a bit zesty and seriously yummy.
“PF Chang’s started out as a humble restaurant in Beverly Hills Los Angeles, Called The Mandarin, which used to feed celebrities like John Lennon and Yoko Ono. When the talented woman behind the restaurants – Cecilia Chiang – was called back to China for an extended trip, her son Philip took over the family business. He extended the restaurant with a new location, and ultimately caught the eye of restaurateur Paul Fleming. The two partnered up, and the rest – as they say – is history.”
“Now, Esquire Eats is all about travelling the world testing out signature dishes – and today is no different. However, we will be trying some of PF Chang’s signature dishes with a very special guest – Mr Philip Chiang.”
Roast peking duck
Cuisine: Chinese
“While the restaurant serves an array of Chinese dishes – in particular, those from Southeast Asia – it’s signature disk must surely be the Roast Peking Duck, which is served three ways. Crispy skin is carved at the table, before the duck heads back to the kitchen to be transformed into a further two dishes: a zesty duck and pomelo salad and a spicy Sichuan style stir fry.”
Grilled octopus
Cuisine: Asian/Italian
“The restaurant itself is set over two floors. Upstairs you get a small bar that specializes in cocktails, while downstairs you get an open-plan kitchen which lets you see the chefs at play. The food here is a real mix of styles and cuisines; some dishes are more Asian-style, while others hail from Italy and Morocco.”
“There’s no better example of that than some of Kizmet’s signature dishes. On the one hand, there’s the grilled octopus, with potato foam and beetroot puree. And on the other, something incredibly simple and easy – Arancini.”
Hamachi Tiradito
Cuisine: Peruvian
“Probably the most vaunted of the Peruvian newcomers, Lima, located at the fine-dining courtyard at CityWalk. It’s helmed by Chef Virgilio Martinez – who you may remember starred in the Netflix documentary series, Chef’s Table – and who, under his watch, led Lima Fitrovia in London to become the first Peruvian restaurant to win and retain a Michelin star.”
“The food is obviously the biggest draw here though, and draws inspiration from a load of Latin American countries and flavours, not to mention a bit of Japanese thrown in for good measure. Dishes are plated beautifully, with swirls of brightly coloured sauces and edible flowers. And a great example of this can be seen in Lima Dubai’s most signature dish, the Hamachi Tiradito..”
Seafood Paella
Cuisine: Spanish
“This restaurant is tucked away in Dubai’s CityWalk, and makes up part of the complex’s licensed area. It sits alongside fine-dining stalwarts Lima and Galvin Dubai, so it would be safe to say that it’s up against some stiff competition. Happily though, between Lima’s south American-themed flair and Galvin’s posh Mediterranean food, it carves out quite a happy middle ground between the two.”
“The real star of this Barcelona-themed menu is, of course, the seafood paella. It’s a mixture of Boston lobster, flown in especially for the occasion, along with prawns, mussels, clams and calamari, all cooked to perfection and then seasoned with those big, punchy flavors. The actual rice is cooked according to Catalan tradition, there’s no shortcuts here. A mixture of olive oil, garlic and fresh tomatoes is mixed with a load of stock, and then allowed to simmer down until it’s ready to join the rice and that delicious seafood.”
The Hollywood roll
Cuisine: Japanese
“Dubai is no stranger to high-end Japanese restaurants. Heck, it’s become one of the most popular cuisines on the planet. So any new Japanese restaurant wanting to make a name for itself on the dining scene either must do something notably different – or be notably great to stand out. And that’s where Katsuya comes in.”
“Katsu means victory in Japanese, and this location is betting on its new location, service and fusion-focused food brings it the win in this crowded genre of cuisine.”
Smoked Kobe beef pizza
Cuisine: Italian?
“It is not hard to guess that this place specializes in meat – after all, it’s in the restaurant’s name [Beefbar] – and the menu is divided into simple sections for each cut. There’s loads to choose from, including Kobe and Angus mini burgers, and a generous number of sides, but its signature dish must surely be the Smoked Kobe Beef Pizza.”
Spaghetti with clams
Cuisine: Italian
“The restaurant is laid out like a formal fine dining room, with white tablecloths and cabinets of crystal cut glass, but with a temporary twist thanks to the colourful artworks, blue leather seats and the addition of a fresh fish bar – where you’ll often choose the fish that you’ll be eating later that night.”
“The menu is heavy on the seafood, as one would expect, including fresh oysters, a selection of tartars and incredibly fresh shellfish. However, the real star of the culinary show is the spaghetti with clams.”
Truffle roasted chicken
Cuisine: French
“A part of a much wider Bistro Bagatelle brand, there are actually nine various locations spread out across the world. Each is known in part for the excellent French food, served with modern twists, as well as its atmosphere. Yes, while great food is certainly what puts this restaurant on the culinary map, it’s the party atmosphere that takes over post 10 pm that keeps punters coming back again and again.”
“As you might expect, the food served is incredible. And that’s down to one man, Mr Timothy Newton who has been crafting great food for over fifteen years. So let’s go chat with the chef to see what he’ll be cooking up for us today.”
The Beyond Burger
Cuisine: American
“This week we went down to Bareburger at Dubai’s La Mer, to try out something very special. The burger brand is the first in the UAE to begin serving Beyond Burgers – a meat-free burger substitute which is being called, “the future of meat”.”
“The Beyond Burger is made of mix of pea protein and coconut oil, along with some beetroot juice (to give it that proper ‘bleedy’ meat look and feel). Apparently, it is so good regular meat eaters would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a real burger and a beyond burger. So we put that to the test.”
Tira de Ancho
Cuisine: Steakhouse/Latin American
“This episode we visit Gaucho Dubai, at Dubai International Financial Centre (or Gaucho DIFC) to try it’s world-famous Tira de Ancho beef.”
Lobster linguine
Cuisine: Italian
“This week we visited Scalini Dubai, at the Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach Resort’s Restaurant Village, to try Chef Monserrato Marini’s famous lobster linguini.”
Spicy king crab pasta
Cuisine: Seafood
“We visited Catch Dubai at the Fairmont Dubai to check out Chef Bobby Griffing’s signature spicy king crab pasta (that’s served in a very special way).”
Chicken avocado sandwich
Cuisine: Deli
“We went down to the all-new Jones the Grover at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, to meet Chef Dayan and try out one of the best chicken avocado sandwiches in the world (well, Dubai at least).”
The Tomahawk Steak
Cuisine: Steakhouse
“On this episode of Esquire Eats, we check out JG Steakhouse at the St. Regis Dubai. Chef Diego Solis makes a mean Tomahawk Steak, and he goes through the steps it takes to grill this hunk of meat to perfection.”
Sourpower Shake
Cuisine: Milkshakes
A black cherry and vanilla shake with vanilla frosted rim with sour gummi poppers topped with a pixy stix, rainbow pop, sour skewer, whipped cream & nerds
“Ahead of Black Tap Dubai’s newest opening, we sat down with chef/owner of Black Tap in New York to make milkshakes, and talk through his Michelin-starred past.”
