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2020's Best Restaurants and Eats
Written by EatGoSee / See other food reviews here
The Highs
The Lows
The Highs
The Lows
2020’s Best Restaurants and Meals: How We Got Here
There were moments in 2020 where I did not think a positive look back on dining would be feasible. Languishing in my living room like an unshaved, feral badger. Stomping, grumpy and skulking, feasting on a constant rotation of my own cooking and whatever the Deliver DXB roulette wheel provided that day (more on the latter later).
2020 was a struggle year for many restaurants and hospitality. COVID does not discriminate as neighbourhood restaurants, chains and some of the world’s finest buckled. Chefs and front doors clubbed at the knees by a virus that impacts more than the infected. COVID restrictions made it commercially impossible or logistically impractical to remain open. Some persevered through delivery services despite the double headwind of aggregate delivery services: queue pantomime hiss. I was crestfallen to read that The Ledbury and Hix Restaurants in my beloved London closed their doors one last time as the dark hand of COVID pulled their plug. The UAE suffered its fair share of closures including Kizmet in Downtown Dubai and Chingón in Business Bay; I longed to return to these two restaurants with Mrs EatGoSee and others only to read of their closures like a eulogy.
Last year I highlighted the best dishes where Gaa delivered my favourite dish late towards the twilight of 2019. This 2020 list celebrates restaurants as a whole and does not focus on one specific dish. 2020 demands a more holistic approach factoring in decor and vibes, menu structure, food quality and execution, service and restaurant’s unique value proposition. This is the fairest way to flatten a bias towards fine dining or a penchant for a specific cuisine. Moreover, I stopped counting the number of times a restaurant deliver mediocrity but strikes it lucky with one standout plate.
Creating a ‘best of’ list risks alienating some restaurants by omission. In this vein, I am introducing “Honourable Mentions” and “Regular Favourites”. It underscores that some restaurants are still worthy of a special visit (not in the Michelin sense but some of these do appear). Good restaurants deserve our support now more than ever. The Honourable Mentions and Regular Favourites may not have been the pinnacle 2020 experience but they are the places that I go back to again and again, multiple times a year (or month, or week). These were the restaurants that I was most worried would shutter their doors due to the COVID19 lockdown, and one, sadly, did just that.
So, without further adieu and for your reading pleasure, I present a considered shortlist of my 2020 Best Restaurants paired with EatGoSee’s Honourable Mentions and EatGoSee’s Favourites. It is worth mentioning that these restaurants are featured in no particular order in each category.
2020 was a struggle year for many restaurants and hospitality. COVID does not discriminate as neighbourhood restaurants, chains and some of the world’s finest buckled. Chefs and front doors clubbed at the knees by a virus that impacts more than the infected. COVID restrictions made it commercially impossible or logistically impractical to remain open. Some persevered through delivery services despite the double headwind of aggregate delivery services: queue pantomime hiss. I was crestfallen to read that The Ledbury and Hix Restaurants in my beloved London closed their doors one last time as the dark hand of COVID pulled their plug. The UAE suffered its fair share of closures including Kizmet in Downtown Dubai and Chingón in Business Bay; I longed to return to these two restaurants with Mrs EatGoSee and others only to read of their closures like a eulogy.
Last year I highlighted the best dishes where Gaa delivered my favourite dish late towards the twilight of 2019. This 2020 list celebrates restaurants as a whole and does not focus on one specific dish. 2020 demands a more holistic approach factoring in decor and vibes, menu structure, food quality and execution, service and restaurant’s unique value proposition. This is the fairest way to flatten a bias towards fine dining or a penchant for a specific cuisine. Moreover, I stopped counting the number of times a restaurant deliver mediocrity but strikes it lucky with one standout plate.
Creating a ‘best of’ list risks alienating some restaurants by omission. In this vein, I am introducing “Honourable Mentions” and “Regular Favourites”. It underscores that some restaurants are still worthy of a special visit (not in the Michelin sense but some of these do appear). Good restaurants deserve our support now more than ever. The Honourable Mentions and Regular Favourites may not have been the pinnacle 2020 experience but they are the places that I go back to again and again, multiple times a year (or month, or week). These were the restaurants that I was most worried would shutter their doors due to the COVID19 lockdown, and one, sadly, did just that.
So, without further adieu and for your reading pleasure, I present a considered shortlist of my 2020 Best Restaurants paired with EatGoSee’s Honourable Mentions and EatGoSee’s Favourites. It is worth mentioning that these restaurants are featured in no particular order in each category.
EatGoSee’s 2020 Best Restaurants and Eats
Matur og Drykkur, Reykjavik, Iceland
From the moment a luxuriously rich halibut soup wrapped its way around my palate like love in a bowl, Matur og Drykkur would perch firmly as one of the finest meals I would enjoy in Reykjavik, in Iceland and in 2020. A tranquil restaurant ensconced between an industrial estate and Reyjavik’s shipping docks, Matur og Drykkur cultivates an unpretentious and finely judged menu utilizing cuts too often relegated to stock pots or, worse, the bin. Diners are afforded plenty of choice between the a la carte and a clutch of tasting menus are available.
Matur og Drykkur is seriously good value for this caliber of cooking especially at this price point (in Iceland). It represents the kind of cooking that I would like to see more of in Dubai. This former Bib Gourmand and now Michelin Plate restaurant provides diners with festidous but casual service deeply knowledgeable about the menu. The whole dining room is steeped in a broth of passion and thoughtfulness that comes through from the bookings to the service and on most plates.
Matur or Drykkur delivered a sublime halibut soup with mussels, green apple and raisins. An enamel bowl modestly arrives slick with emerald dill oil and pearls of mussel, fish, green apple and raisins like a beach at low tide leaving the ocean’s inhabitants behind. It is the purest comfort food for a wintery country spoiled with brilliant seafood.
The cod’s head cooked in chicken and berry glacé comes served with a side of the cod’s throat deep fried and a rubble of roasted potatoes. The cod head’s fleshy meat is firm and slightly sweet from the glacé. The fish cheeks, neck and lips are meaty morsels dragged through a vibrant tartare sauce. Using these cheaper cuts make you appreciate how indistinguishable they are from more premium portions.
I plan to go back to Iceland and soon as it is sensible. Matur og Drykkur would be high on my list of places to return.
Matur og Drykkur, Grandagarður 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. A four-course tasting menu, a main course, two cocktails, 3 glasses wine (excluding service): ISK21,170 (US$156, £119, €132). Tel. +354 571 8877. Website. maturogdrykkur.is
Trésind Studio, Season Five, Le Jardind, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tresind Studio remains one of the most prolifically innovative restaurants in Dubai. 2020 saw the Tresind Studio, team led by Himanshu Saini, churn out three new menus despite closure shortly after a successful Season 3 menu (Sasya) to return with a tongue-in-cheek, exceptionally well-priced Food Truck menu for Season Four. Yet Season 5 lands with aplomb showcasing Tresind Studio’s vegetable-forward vision. I ate at Tresind Studio more time in 2020 than I should admit to the point where I am seriously considering giving up my house and throwing a sleeping bag under a table.
Tresind Studio’s Season 5 is a masterclass. A tightly woven story of beautiful presentation, Dubai’s best restaurant service and a methodically structured menu buoyed by the passion to try even if it means to fail. Tresind Studio and Himanshu Saini earned a slew of awards in 2020 for Best Restaurant and Best Indian Restaurant. I do not know anyone surprised by this. It also hosted a collaboration with other notable Dubai chef, Reif Othman, for the inaugural Best Chefs night serving a combined 9 courses (plus amuse bouche) from both chefs including many dishes from Tresind Studio’s Season 5.
It is hard to pick a favourite dish but the phalanx of chaat starters features two exquisite courses. The fragrant cucumber gazpacho ‘water’ filled pani puri is adorned with a rim of greek yoghurt, fresh dill or coriander sprigs, as evolved since publishing my Season 5 review. The crispy courgette chaat is stuffed with a light pumpkin mash all lacquered with a refreshing chutney. If Tresind Studio does not convince you that vegetarian cooking – and specifically modern Indian vegetarian cooking – is some of the most inspired and breathtaking eating out there, I have nothing for you.
The wagyu beef korma delights no matter how many times I have it (about 5 and counting) precedent by a smoked butter chicken skewer paired with a luxurious broth that alleviates stress and soothes the soul. I am convinced this broth has medical therapeutic properties and should be available in good pharmacies everywhere.
Tresind Studio’s Season 5 improved over time. The kitchen refined, tested and removed some dishes altogether. A braised lamb dish is vastly improved, the new chocolate turmeric and ginger dessert evokes the best of warm winter spices. The paratha with seared foie gras and black truffle is the kind of delicious that provides short term pleasure but is guaranteed to deny long term life span.
Tresind Studio Season 5 is still available at the time of publishing this article. This is the menu to choose if you want to splurge on one wonderful dining out experience.
Tresind Studio, Season 5 Tasting Menu, Le Jardind, 13 courses, non-vegetarian and vegetarian menus, AED350 per person (US$95, £73, EUR82). Tresind Studio, Level 2, voco Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tel. +971588951272, Website. https://tresindstudio.com/.
Sobretablas, Seville, Spain
Sobretablas is a modern Spanish, Bib Gourmand-bearing restaurant helmed by Spain’s first female Cocinero Revelación (Young Cook of the Year), Camilla Ferraro. Sobretablas is inspired by classic Andalusían dishes then modernises them for a new audience. Chef Camilla is a local serving local food to local people bringing her training, honed skill and all the imagination that comes with putting in the hours at some of Spain’s best restaurants.
The grand 1929 property lies a mere 15-minute ride south of Seville’s cathedral. The service stands out especially with Sobretablas’ sommelier who serves a heavenly, creamy cava (Lumé) and, later, my favourite sherry in 2020 (Cream Piñero). The emphasis on local first and local best is admirable.
Sobretablas menu features suckling pig, bull cheeks and oxtail; the sort of gutsy, gristly eating that I so enjoy. The stand out dishes showcases both the delicate and the rustic. The sweetbreads with parmentier and capers is a fist-sized portion of slow-cooked sweetbreads. The result is a suet dumpling textured sweetbread hearty and fit for winter. Sparse puddles of sharp, verdant caper sauce and crispy whole capers brighten the dish so it is less heavy. The mackerel fish with whiskey is a contemporary take on the Seville classic. The mackerel is a silvery picture of a jumble of mackerel fillet morsels collapsed over garlic confit, cubed potato and a scattering of micro herbs. Fried prawn crusted with pork rinds is superb value. Two delicately fried spears of shrimp coated in petals of crisp, blistered pork rinds resembling decidedly boujis corn flakes. The shrimp edge close to being raw amplifying a sweetness paired with the roasted pork fat that sings through. This is very capable cooking.
I left Sobretablas as a new virus was brewing in China with a full stomach and a mind blissfully unaware of what would come next in 2020 for Sobretablas, for me and the rest of us. I would return to Sobretablas without hesitation.
Sobretablas, 6 dishes, 1 regional red wine, 2 aperitifs, mineral water: €121 excluding service (US$130, £100). Sobretablas, Calle Colombia 7, 41013 Sevilla, Spain. Tel: +34 955 54 64 51 Website. www.sobretablasrestaurante.es @sobretablasrestaurante
Alici, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Alici is one of a clutch of Dubai restaurants that I return to more than once a year (together with Tresind Studio above and others here). Italian food in Dubai is a barren wasteland littered with the corpses of supposed Italian restaurants serving stodge masquerading as authenticity. Alici is the best Italian restaurant and seafood restaurant in Dubai I have experienced to date. It also boasts the awards from others who believe the same.
The venue is unique, smartly decorated and without being fussy. Alici stands back and allows one of the best views in the city do the work: a resplendent panorama across the busy Arabian Gulf and Dubai Marina’s burgeoning skyline.
Alici’s is seafood-focused with a raw selection including locally-sourced Dibba Bay oysters. My standout favourite dishes are the king crab salad, grilled octopus on a rubble of beluga lentils and romanesco sauce and the homemade spaghetti purring with subtle uni and amberjack tartare. Alici’s calamari in guazzetto is a homely dish of sauteed, scored baby squid in a datterino tomatoes and black olives sauce from which to drag doorknob-sized wedges of fresh focaccia. A dish ready to convert the most squid sceptical. Mrs EatGoSee and other meatless friends are equally pleased with their range of vegetarian options such as their de rigour (but exceptional) black truffle risotto
My one eye-brow raise is that Alici is not cheap. A comfortable lunch costs more than their brunch (with Italian bubbles) so I recommend opting for Alici’s weekend brunch to cap your cost exposure. Reservations are absolutely essential for brunch and highly recommended for the weekend lunch at the hands of the charming manager Danny Paternoster and chef Domenico Santagada.
Alici Seafood Restaurant, brunch packages: AED395 (non-alcoholic), AED495 (signature) and AED595 (Italian bubbles). 1 person, starter, main course, dessert, petit fours, coffee, large sparkling water: 400 Dhs ($108, €99, £90). Bluewaters Island, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tel. +971 4 275 2577. Website. www.alici.com
Venta Luis Rey, Lebrija, Spain
Venta Luis Rey is a modest restaurant in Lebrija; a very small town in Andalusía positioned between Cádiz and Seville. Venta Luis Rey turns out regional, humble dishes in modest, aged surroundings. Mr EatGoSee Senior and I road tripped from the Portuguese Algarve to sunny Cádiz in mid-February in need to stop to eat and took a chance based on a smattering of Google Local Guides reviews written by actual locals.
You see Spain is still loyal to limit lunching hours so you need to strike on time or you risk missing out. Venta Luis Rey serves food all day when many restaurants in the area close at 4.30pm until dinner. The words ‘all-day dining’ hatches fear in me but this is a helpful tip if you find yourself travelling between Cadiz, Jerez and Sevilla during hours unsympathetic to traditional Spanish lunchtimes.
The decor is a time capsule: sober, heavy with dark wood and a tad austere save for the ageing photos of former bullfighters fading on tobacco-stained walls. Our server leaned into recommending dishes for us. She cares about our experience and shepherds us away from mediocrity towards some non-obvious dishes. Service was friendly and, gratefully, speaks English when my Spanish is rusty and needs coaxing.
The anchovies with aguacate on toast are admirably simple demonstrating that oily fish loves acidic relief on planks of bready crunch. Soft and crispy fried artichokes with ham and prawns is a robust dish that weaves seafood sweetness with the magic of rendered, nutty Spanish pork fat and a vegetal, earthy artichoke. Our sliced blushing duck breast with roasted romanesco cauliflower is boosted with deeply flavourful blistered peppers and orange sauce.
There is nothing about the front door (facing a small village roundtable) that suggests there is a kitchen inside. I intend to traverse Andalusía more when the time is right and Venta Luis Rey will remain a ‘safe bet’ whenever in need.
Venta Luis Rey, Avenida Las Cabezas, 1 41740, Lebrija, Spain. Three courses, small local beer, still bottled water and diet coke: €36 ($44, £33). tel. +34 955 97 23 51. Website. https://www.ventaluisrey.com/
The care and flavour layering evident in every dish demonstrates Reif Kushiyaki is deceptively casual but serious about its craft.
2020's Honourable Mentions and Regular Favourites
Honourable mentions
Atmosphère, Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France
Back when travelling internationally was the unthreatened norm, I managed a quick work trip to Geneva in January with a nip across the border to the quaint skiing town of Chamonix-Mont Blanc. The air is crisp with a post-Christmas glow as people walk around charmed by a town appearly inspired by Brother Grimm fables.
Atmosphere is a Bib Gourmand listed restaurant churning our traditional Savoire dishes restored and modernised elegantly without being chichi. The restaurant exudes old world, French moodiness with heavy wooden beams and low ceilings warmed by flickering candlelight and finished with white table cloths. As you can imagine, this is a town with a discerning and moneyed set who like good food armed with the expense accounts to realise it. Still, the Bib Gourmand means that Atmosphere is “good quality, good value cooking” as Michelin defines it.
Atmosphere supplies plenty of fondue options but I decline a gut-full of cheese lava opting for a seared foie gras pan-fried with morello cherries. A classic French dish unpopular now due to foie gras sensitivities but, this is France and the impervious locals send a Gallic shrug to such modern disapprovals.
The final course was a classic whole poached pear coated with salted caramel and chopped hazelnuts served with whipped mascarpone. The salted caramel plays with the pear’s sugary sweetness while the toasted hazelnuts build warmth like a wood fire. This wintery plate tastes like a deconstructed tart. The whipped mascarpone brings everything together and coats the mouse with that creamy, unctuous rich dairy fat. It is unapologetically good reminding us that not all puddings demand chocolate or sponge.
Atmosphere is a story of classic dishes served well in charming environs and, therefore, remains a 2020 highlight because of its execution and efficient service.
Atmosphere, 123 Place Balmat, 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France. Tel. +33 4 50 55 97 97. Website. https://www.restaurant-atmosphere.com/
Tryggvaskali, Selfoss, Iceland
Tryggvaskali resides inside a former industrial warehouse that provided accommodation to workers building the adjacent bridge over the River Ölfusá. The warehouse was converted into a hotel and, ultimately, into the current restaurant.
Tryggvaskali channels British country tea room and cosy family living room swathed in Laura Ashley-like prints through a sprawling, labyrinth dining space that never ends. Any minute the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland would appear late to take our dinner order.
Tryggvaskali uses seasonal, local ingredients in staple Icelandic favourite dishes like lobster soup or slow-cooked rhubarb with oatmeal cake.
A bolshy lamb fillet with lamb rillette, potato puree, beetroot with gremolata and thyme glaze pulls no punches demonstrating technical ability in the kitchen with nods to looking outside Iceland for flavour inspiration. This is warming, rib-sticking food reminiscent of a weekend family roast but done very, very well. A slow-cooked salmon with roasted barley, sunflower seeds and roasted broccoli arrives heaped in a crunchy mound brought together with Ljótur, an Icelandic blue cheese. A honeybaked local brie cheese with grilled bread, nuts and chilli jam is teeth-licking comfort food.
Similar to Venta Luis Rey, Tryggvaskali was a surprisingly good hit and a standout restaurant in a relatively small town. Reservations are highly recommended.
Tryggvaskali, Tryggvatorg, 800 Selfoss, Iceland. Tel. +3544821390. Website. https://www.tryggvaskali.is/. 1 started, 2 mains, 1 dessert: ISK12,400 (AED356, US$97, £72, €79).
The Maine Land Brasserie, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Maine is a popular Dubai restaurant chain that just gets it. On weekends, you can find me at The Maine Studio City as it is one of the better restaurants in this corner of Dubai. Still, The Maine Land Brasserie is the chain’s crowning glory.
There is a lot to enjoy about The Maine Land Brasserie. The decor is opulent, smartly-designed and versatile enough for date night, catch-ups or business lunches. Chandeliers and church-like soaring windows pair with exposed ceilings and wooden-panelled walls. The Maine Land Brasserie also offers a very popular brunch on Fridays.
A creative cocktail menu meets a food menu that reflects the brasserie theme. The expected oyster bar and chop house structure with a raw bar, starters, flatbreads, maines (see what they did?) and steaks and chops. There is an impressive plant-based menu with no less than eight items. I admire the MAINE’s focus on sourcing local ingredients as much as possible; this is a positive development reducing travel time and air miles while supporting local businesses.
The pulled short rib croquettes with beef bacon, gruyere and jalapeño are a quick favourite coated in a crunchy panko crumb. Mrs EatGoSee nods appreciatively. The prawns a la plancha are a lesson in less is more. Good ingredients cooked simply speaking for themselves. The vegan, plant-based short rib is a wintery bowl of soy-based mince on a bed of smoothest truffle mash topped with kale chips and vegetable jus. This is a filling portion with a flavour reminiscent of some well-known meat substitutes. The truffle mash is indulgent comfort food and smartly paired with kale chips to inject some depth of flavour that rounds off the dish.
The Maine landed with aplomb with (mostly) positive reviews to match. Reservations are absolutely essential; be prepared to wait weeks for a weekend seat.
The MAINE Land Brasserie, 3 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert shared, 2 cocktails, 2 bottled still water, 4 glasses of wine, 3 digestifs and 1 coffee (excluding service): AED1348. Ground Floor The Opus by Omniyat, Business Bay, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. tel. +971 4 577 6680. Website. themainelandbrasserie.com
Lowe, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Lowe resurrected from the UAE’s lockdown restrictions after a cryptic message that suggested it closed its doors for good. Reassured, Lowe re-opened serving delicious, capable cooking for breakfast, lunch, and now, dinner on certain days. This is a regular weekend haunt as there is a dearth of options in Al Barari and its surrounding area but Lowe stands out for a casual brunch or lunch spot making creative use of local ingredients.
Lowe creates a generous dining space, modern with light woods and polished concrete. A stretched open plan kitchen allowing both the chefs a view of the dining room and the diner to see where the magic happens.
The broken wheat salad with crispy duck leg and mandarine is light comfort food. The chickpea & za’atar flatbread with coal-fired mushrooms & spinach with aged feta or the impressive spiced eggplant schnitzel, yoghurt and burnt scallion chermoula is yet more evidence that vegetarian food – and vegetarian breakfast – is some of the best food out there in Dubai today. Lastly, the burnt sourdough, chocolate, Earl Grey and macadamia caramel dessert is a delicious act of kindness sent from the kitchen by people who clearly understand the joy dessert can bring. Enough for two, but you will not want to share.
Generous community tables are available for walk-ins but reservations are highly recommended.
Lowe, 2 mains, 1 dessert, 1 sparkling water, 1 mocktail (AED255, US$69, £53, €59 excluding service). Lowe, KOA Canvas, Legends, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Kizmet, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (R.I.P)
Kizmet did not survive the COVID lockdown restrictions leaving a void in restaurant dining in the Dubai Opera area.
Downtown Dubai is saturated with fine dining spots dripping with pretentiousness cat calling for corporate expense accounts. Kizmet found a lane for discerning diners who wanted good food and vibes without the hefty price tag.
The menu was varied drawing inspiration from many sources partly due to the Brazilian chef. Mostly what I enjoyed about Kizmet was its joie de vivre from theatrical, soaring velvet curtain to the embroidered, messaged napkins.
The peanut butter and jelly dessert was so good, we often ordered a second portion. The smoky lamb rack with bunt ash and pickled jicama was regularly ordered with the grilled octopus with burnt onion and bean stew. The Beirut Yakitori demonstrated some more, dare I say, ‘fusion’ elements with grilled chicken bathed in sesame seed yoghurt glazed with miso soy.
Kizmet was fun, daring and the service was friendly and personal.
Regular Favourites
Reif Kushiyaki, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
It is hard to overstate the space that Reif Kushiyaki created, helmed by Reif Othman. One of my favourite eats in 2019 appears here again building on its 2019 success with an opening in Nahkeel Mall, Kushi by Reif, and then completed the hat trick on The Pointe through Food District. The care and flavour layering evident in every dish demonstrates that Reif Kushiyaki is deceptively casual but serious about its craft.
I often look for clean, healthy eating but packed with flavour and executed well. Reif Kushiyaki fits this bill whether you want the crispy baby squid skewers, sublime subtle raw salmon or raw sea bass sashimi in yuzu soy or the delicate baby sweetcorn with sweetcorn espuma. The wild mushroom clay pot just kicks you around the chops with its sticky, umami earthy notes that require a long nap after finishing.
Reif Kushiyaki is a Dubai institution and long may it continue. The Dar Wasl outfit is unlicensed but those looking for wine and more with their meal will want to inspect the new outlet in Food District where a licensed bar and views are also available.
Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Dar Wasl Mall, Al Wasl Road, Al Wasl, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 5 dishes, 1 sparkling water (excluding service): AED329, US$90, EUR80, £69. tel. +971502357071, website. https://reifkushiyaki.com/.
Pickl, BRD by SLAB and Vietnamese Foodies, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This list thus far would mislead readers into believing that I shun anything that does not feature a Michelin nod or required reservations weeks in advance. The reality is 2020 was a year filled with deliveries. The long hours of working from home take their toll begging for sweet relief from cooking or the threat of standing in a kitchen churning out something that re-awaken my appreciated for professionals at the pass.
Step forward Pickl, BRD by SLAB and Vietnamese Foodies who were on frequent rotation through Deliver DXB.
Pickl and BRD cover a similar footprint: fried chicken and damn fine chicken at that. The impossibly good crunchiness is gnarled around glistening, moist chicken like coral on a sunken ship then wedged between pillowy buns. This is the tonic that this COVID life required. Time after time after time. I will deny these meals during an appointment for my next cholesterol test.
BRD by SLAB’s standouts are the chicken caesar sando with kale slaw, the halloumi burger and – the best – sticky, lacquered Koreano fried chicken burger. Pickl’s Nashville Hot was a regular test of manliness that I passed and scarfed down with an extra tub of pickles. Mrs EatGoSee will also recommend their Beyond Burger but make sure to ask for any off-menu options.
Pickl, Ground Floor, One JLT Tower, Dubai
BRD by SLAB, Al Wasl Road, Dar Wasl Mall, Ground Floor, Dubai
Vietnamese Foodies’ chicken or brisket pho nourished me weekly with its clean, insatiably-good broth spiked with fresh mint, fiery chillis, crisp bean shoots and a fistful of gently cooked onions. I ate at Vietnamese Foodies once a week while working in the office. I am grateful to continue the tradition at home complete with handwritten notes from the restaurant each time.
Vietnamese Foodies, Cluster D, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai or Downtown Dubai.
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