Dubai With A 1960s Theme
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cuisine Style: Emirati and Arabic
Dined on April 24, 2017
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
I have been coming through Dubai on Business since 2009, dining in many places, and having several different world cuisines that the hotels offer from French, Italian, British, American, Arabic, Asian and others. I’ve even found a Yemeni restaurant, but for the United Arab Emirates, it is sure difficult to find an establishment that serves Emirati Cuisine. In 2010 while searching Trip Advisor I finally ran across one and added it to the saved lists to visit one day. Out of all the restaurant magazines and websites about dining in Dubai, this was not an easy task to try and find. It took seven years to finally get around to it, but I dined at Al Fanar Restaurant and Café in the Festival City Mall. I have eaten Emirati cuisine before, but never in an authentic restaurant setting like this one. So was finding and dining at the first "authentic" Emirati restaurant worth the seven year wait? Not really!! I will explain…
Follow Wine, Dine, and Play:
Main review:
Conditions in the desert can be very harsh. Lack of water and high temperatures leads to very little vegetation for an all-around diet. This is why traditional Emirati food uses a lot of meat, fish, grains and dairy. Rice with any land or sea product are mainstay staples on an Emirati menu, with lamb and mutton being the more favored land meats instead of beef.
Emirati cuisine is a reflection of Arabian heritage and the dishes are usually prepared in the fashion of stews, which goes back hundreds of years, to cook everything in one pot. Typical spices used in the preparation are the same you will find in most Yemeni, Jordanian, Levant, and Iraqi cuisine styles. Those selections being Saffron, cardamom, turmeric and thyme, which make up the core flavors used in Emirati cookery. In recent decades as UAE has taken center stage in the world for travel and business, catering to many cultures, especially Indian, the spice profiles have increased. You can find one of the largest spice markets, called the Spice Souk in all Western and Central Asia in Deira, a suburb of Dubai.
The typical breakfast in the UAE is usually very high in carbohydrates featuring several breads like Raqaq, Khameer (date sweetened bread), and Chebab (pancake). These breads are served with goat or cows milk cheeses, most of which are local, along with one crop that does grow in great sweet rich abundance in the Emirates, and that is dates. From previous experience, the syrup from the dates are glazed over the fried eggs, but here at Al Fanar the eggs are served with local bread. At Al Fanar they have a menu like the Waffle House and IHOP’s do in the United States, breakfast all day long.
Al Fanar is located inside the Festival City Mall, not too far from the Dubai International Airport, and next to the Dubai Creek. Their concept is to dine and have an experience similar to that of Dubai during the 1960s, before the unification, when the city was a Bedouin oasis outpost and stop off point. The restaurant theme caters to this very idea. Outside the entrance is a replica and wax mannequin of a Beduin Arab with his camel, and an older desert jeep, a recreation of a spice bazaar. As you walk down the halls being escorted to your table by the host or hostess you see a recreation of Beduin architecture, with clay walls, balconies, exotic art engraved iron railings, Roman pillars and columns. Lanterns (electric powered, not kerosene) hang from the walls, and fake trees sprouting up fifteen or more feet high with green leaves and pine under shadowing the white flat ceiling of the mall itself.
Follow this by more Bedouin architecture that was not in affluent areas of the city, showing the poorer side of town with wood balconies, telephone poles that protrude right over a recreation of a barasti hut, with wax roosters and desert foxes. The chairs had nice designs but were not too comfortable, along with the dirty pale green cushions that were paper thin to sit on. The restaurant was very busy, bustling mainly with locals and a few tourists as well. It took time to seat me as they walked me to the table, but it was still dirty, so I had about a two minute wait before it was cleaned. The restaurant is also very kid friendly.
Menu:
- All Day Breakfast
- Appetizers
- Salads
- Soups
- Main Dish
- Side Orders
- Sweets
- Party Services
- Catering Menu
- Corporate Set Menu
- Tourist Set Menu
The signature dishes on the menu include some of the following:
Hobool - deep Fried Fish Roe
Beryani Robyan - shrimp served with mix of rice, onion and coriander
Machboos Deyay - chicken with yellow rice simmered in stock with Arabic spices and dry lemon
Jesheed - is crumbled baby shark cooked with onion and mixed Arabic spices served with white rice
Leqaimat or Lgeimat - are golden crisp fried dough balls coated with dates syrup Sweet Saffron flavored fritters or dumplings. Lgeimat is a favorite dessert served mainly during the month of Ramadan, but available year round in some places. Egyptians, Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanians call it Luqmat al Kadhi. In Somalia it is pronounced Luqaimat. It is also popular with the Moreish populations of Spain and Portugal.
The service staff was not attentive at all, and acted more like order takers instead of sellers. I waited a good long time before my order was taken, and as each course was delivered, the server never checked back to see if everything with my food was correct or tasted good. When I returned the dessert, I had to flag down several people before my server took notice. Thankfully while I waited for my order to be taken, an Amuse was served upon being seated to each table consisting two plates. One with local grown dates covered in a Harda sauce made from sesame, which tasted similar to caramel from the tahini texture of the sesame to entice your appetite, and the second plate was for the seed discards. It was a very flavorful starter. Harda in other parts of the world especially in eastern Asia is known as Goma Dare.
 |
| Dates in a caramel sauce |
I began with a cup of the Shorbat Akalat Bahreia, a seafood soup, very aromatic, but lacked the seafood, maybe three to four spoons of the entire cup. (16 tablespoons per cup in imperial measurement standard). The mixture of seafood had fish cuts, shrimp and squid. The broth was very aromatic and flavorful with hints of fennel and coriander.
Next came the Naghar Mashwi, which consisted of five grill squids, heavily seasoned with sArabic spices, and from what I was told an addition of saffron. There was also a much hotter spice that I could not determine, possible cumin, or some type of hot pepper, which was a nice change considering in Iraqi cuisine, they hate all forms of spice to include black pepper, and the cuisines that I tried were so bland. The tentacles are like any fried calamari you get in restaurants were very tasty, though also heavy on the spice. The remaining tube portions were very elastic and rubbery. They needed more time to marinate, and to stoke the charcoals with more heat. The restaurant had a very good if not Cheesecake Factory size menu with several appetizer selections beyond the squid, with several more soup and salads.
 |
| Naghar Mashwi (Grilled Squid) |
If you dine at a restaurant in the UAE that is outside of a hotel, wether it is a stand alone building or inside the mall like here at Al Fanar, no matter what the cuisine, by strick Islamic law, alcohol is not available. Though on this day it was the Isra and Mi’raj, an Islamic holiday that celebrates the Ascension of the Prophet, so even the hotels had to participate in the alcohol ban. The beverage selection was semi diverse from Arabic coffee’s, ginger teas, and over twenty freshly squeezed juice beverages. I chose the Laban Ayran which was a yogurt based drink, extremely rich and with high contents of salt; I would pay for later on!!
The entree selections consisted of several pages where you could order assorted fish or meat stews, many rice based (Biryani) dishes with choices of whole fish, shrimp, lamb leg, chicken quarters, and mutton. My selection since I found it to be very unique and not on most menus was the Jesheed, a signature items on the menu listed above. Jesheed is crumbled baby shark cooked with onion and mixed spices, that tasted similar to harissa though it was the same Arabic spices mentioned earlier. A separate plate of white rice was also served with this dish. The flavor was in my opinion dismal and very disappointing. This is a subjective comment, but having eaten shark and many other seafood entrees across the world and in the Middle East, to include other Dubai restaurants I can say that this dish did not settle well. Using a metaphor, I could have gnawed on the tire to a car and gotten more pleasure then I did from that shark. The great white shark from Jaws would be turning in its grave right now.
 |
| Jesheed (baby shark with white rice) |
Overall from the dishes that I ordered, it was noticeable in plate presentation alone that their was not an appealing contrast of colors, or colorful garnish, if any garnish at all. Most items on the plate were even numbered and boring to look at. The plating trends though representing 1960 Emirate styles were very basic and anything but exciting. If it was a basic mom and pop operation that didn’t cater to tourists then so be it, but being in a high traffic mall filled with westerners, and with an ambiance that is very inviting, authentic, and makes a statement. Why do the presentations, customer service, and quality not match the theme you're trying to advertise?
Dessert:
The suggestions from the service staff on dessert was the Leqaimat or Lgeimat which was a golden crispy fried dough ball, topped with toasted white sesame seeds, dredged in a date syrup, then topped with a toothpick that had the UAE flag as a garnish. Very patriotic and the one garnish of the entire meal that stood out, plus made some sort of sense.
Ingredients: Serves 8
3 cups (600 g) of flour
2 1/4 cups (500 g) of warm water (110°f or 43°c)
1/2 cup (118 g) of sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of instant yeast
2 eggs, large
1/2 teaspoon (5 ml) of cardamom powder
1/2 teaspoon (5 ml) of saffron
Frying oil (shallow)
2 1/4 cups (500 g) of warm water (110°f or 43°c)
1/2 cup (118 g) of sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of instant yeast
2 eggs, large
1/2 teaspoon (5 ml) of cardamom powder
1/2 teaspoon (5 ml) of saffron
Frying oil (shallow)
Preparation method:
1. Add all the ingredients, except for the oil, to a deep pot or dish, and mix well to create the dough.
2. Cover with plastic, then leave the dough at room temperature for 1 hour until it doubles in size (depending on the temperature).
2. Cover with plastic, then leave the dough at room temperature for 1 hour until it doubles in size (depending on the temperature).
3. Pour the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
4. Form dough into 2 ounce (59 g) portions then drop the dough by hand or with a spoon into the oil and keep on turning them over until they turn golden brown.
5. Remove the Lgeimat and strain on a drying paper to remove the excess oil.
6. Place the Lgeimat on a plate, pour molasses on them and decorate them with roasted sesame seeds. Put your country flag on top as a garnish, or optional use powdered sugar.
6. Place the Lgeimat on a plate, pour molasses on them and decorate them with roasted sesame seeds. Put your country flag on top as a garnish, or optional use powdered sugar.
 |
| Leqaimat |
It was a shame that the flavor was very bland, the dough was over-fried, and it had so much over powering flavor, that I could barely get through more than 2 of the balls, and had to order a different dessert. Strike four.
On a different trip to Dubai I was in the older city of Deira and I came across a little ice cream shop called Asail AlSham Sweets which was known throughout the city if not country wide for its home style mastic production. Mastic is an ice cream with stretched and sticky texture. It is named after the "mastic" spice which is a resin that comes from the mastic tree grown in the Greek and Turkish Islands. There are two kinds of Mastic, Turkish and Arabic. It originated in Turkey and was kept secret until it was stolen by A Syrian trader and taken to Damascus, then later on to the entire Arabian Peninsula. Here at Al Fanar, they served an Arabic mastic in as a gelato style alternative to the original recipes, and it was made from camel milk. It was rich and good flavor. Finally an item to my liking with hints of lavender, mint, and of course coriander, mixed with pistachios and walnuts.
 |
| Camel Milk Mastic |
As a second bonus, I can now say that I ate something made from camel milk!!
A few more pictures from Al Fanar:
 |
| Shorbat Akalat Bahreia (Seafood Soup) |
 |
| Laban Ayran Yogurt Beverage |
Other Noteworthy Emirati and Arabic Favorites:
Asail AlSham Sweets “Mastic” Ice-cream in Deira Dubai, UAE
Isteqlal Restaurant “The Freedom Restaurant” Traditional Afghan dishes in Herat, Afghanistan
Final notes, review basics, and observations:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsibly, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writers knowledge. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors with 70 questions based by individual experience. They include: wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
UPDATE
From this review it may seem like I am picking on this restaurant for all the negatives and strikes from one course to another, or that I do not favor Emirati cuisine. Not every restaurant a person dines at will be a fantastic experience, there are always strike outs instead of homers to use an American baseball analogy. I have had Emirati cuisine in the past and have enjoyed it, along with Yemeni, Levant, and many other Arab dishes.
After careful review, the original score given to Al Fanar was 0 stars, however after taking certain plating presentations into account based on ethnic traditions, some points were reconfigured which raised their overall score to 0.5 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were a basic dining experience compared to regular restaurants, but not appalling as my earlier article publication suggested.
|
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings |
Max Points Possible: |
Total Points Awarded: |
Total Points deducted: |
|
Ambiance |
8
|
6.5
|
1.5
|
|
Food quality |
10
|
4.5
|
5.5
|
|
Plate presentation |
8
|
4
|
4
|
|
Customer service |
7.5
|
3
|
4.5
|
|
Alcohol and other beverages |
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total regular points awarded |
33.5
|
18
|
15.5
|
|
Total percentage Before Bonus |
|
0.537313432835821
|
|
|
“Wow” factor BONUS |
5
|
2.5
|
0
|
|
Total bonus percentage |
|
0.0746268656716418
|
|
|
Total percentage with bonus for final star rating |
|
0.611940298507463
|
|
|
Stars Awarded (see chart below) |
0 - 5 |
0
|
|
Review basics:
5 stars
|
An Extraordinary Experience
Worthy of a Michelin rating
|
94 - 100%
(105% with full bonuses added)
|
4 Stars
|
An Outstanding Experience
(Top of its class)
|
87 - 93%
|
3 Stars
|
Exceeded All My Expectations
|
80 - 86%
|
2 Stars
|
Far Above the Average Experience
|
72 - 79%
|
1 Star
|
An Average Dining Experience
|
66 - 71%
|
0.5 Star
|
The Restaurant is a very Basic Experience
|
65 - 61%
|
0 Stars
|
ALERT: Poor, or Appalling Experience
(Do not waste your money or time)
|
60% or below
|
UPDATE ON RATING
new rating is 0.5 stars instead of 0
|
Overall Star Rating:
|
0.5 Star Rating:
61% Rating with a 2.5 point “wow” bonus
The restaurant is a very basic expereince
|
Corkage fee’s:
|
No alcohol allowed
|
Restaurant style:
|
Casual
|
Cuisine style:
|
Contemporary, Modern, Arabic, Middle Eastern, Emirati, Sustainable, Pescatarian, Vegetarian
|
Reservations:
|
Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
|
Dress code:
|
Smart casual, Conservative attire, or UAE Traditional Dress
|
Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. If not then
Hire a Babysitter!
|
Experiences:
|
Place for foodies, Trendy, Lounge, Business parties, Romantic, Great outdoor dining (in winter), Good for special occasions, Beautiful décor, Scenic views, Intimate, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood gem.
|
Payments:
|
Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
|
Parking:
|
Public
|
Wifi
|
The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
|
Noise level:
|
Low
|
Smoking:
|
Nonsmoking restaurant, but with a smoking patio
|
Patio
|
Yes
|
A few of Dubai restaurant reviews on Wine, Dine, and Play:
|
Hip Asian-Fusion
A Top 100 on Wine, Dine, and Play
|
Posh French + A Culinary Experimentalism
A Top 100 on Wine, Dine, and Play
|
High Rise Fine Global Dining
A Top 100 on Wine, Dine, and Play
|
|
“Mastic” Ice-cream
|
Brazilian Churrascaria
|
Contemporary Middle Eastern Eatery
|
|
Eclectic Turkish Cuisine
|
Walk Into The Piemonte
|
Fine Indian and Pakistani Cuisine at the Burj Khalifa
|
|
Traditional English Dishes
|
Modern Spanish and Global Dining
|
Yemeni Cuisine w/Mandi
|
Visit the whole list on “Restaurant Reviewed in Dubai”
Food Prices
(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant or wine connoisseur’s**
My food bill:
|
Currency:
|
Price chart:
|
د.إ 158.00
|
AED Arab Emerite Dirham
|
د.إ
|
$43.00
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
|
$57.00
|
Australian Dollar (AUS)
|
$$
|
£33.00
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
£
|
$58.00
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$
|
¥292.00
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥¥
|
€38.00
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€
|
Currency rates as of June 2017
Al Fanar Restaurant and Café:
Ground Floor, Dubai Festival City Mall
Canal Walk - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
|
|
Maître d or host:
|
+971 4 232 9966
|
Serving hours:
Dubai Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - Offset + 3:00)
|
Lunch: Mon-Sun
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
7:00 pm - 1:00 am
|
Email or webpage contact:
|
|
Social Media
&
Accolades:
|
|
****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list based on who is writing about them, and it changes on a regular basis. My list of best reviewed restaurants here on Wine, Dine, and Play is based on a rating number at 4 or 5 stars. From the 350 + published reviews as of summer 2017, less than 15% hold these prestigious rankings, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. I have dined at restaurants on five continents from cafés, chains, and fine dining spots including a few that are rated on the Michelin one to three scale. Below is a sampling of some from my list, which include mom and pops + holes in the wall. These places can be just as good, or if not better than a top ranked restaurant of the world in my opinion. To visit my full list of best places follow this link:
A few to tease you with…
|
Rustic New American Fare
Saint Petersburg, Florida USA
|
Elegant Molecular Australian Dining
Melbourne, Australia
|
Modern Eclectic African Cuisine
Woodstock, South Africa
|
|
High Rise Fine Global Dining, Highest Restaurant In The World
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
|
Haute French Cuisine
Paris, France
|
American-Global Molecular Menu
Chicago, Illinois, USA
|
|
Impeccably Acclaimed French Cuisine
Dublin, Ireland
|
Inspired Farm-to-Table Dining
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Upscale Creole Fare
New Orlean’s, Louisiana, USA
|
|
French-American Fine Dining
Yountville, Napa, California, USA
|
Safari + Upscale African Cuisine
Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa
|
Hip Asian-Fusion
Dubai, UAE
|
Armani / Amal
Fine Indian & Pakistani Cuisine, at the Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
|
Contemporary, African-Inspired Tasting Journey
Franschhoek, South Africa
|
Eclectic French-Asian Tasting Menu
Sydney, Australia
|
|
Ornate Top 10 American Chophouse
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Posh French + Culinary Experimentalism
Festival City, Dubai, UAE
|
Classic French Gastronomique
Bordeaux, France
|
So many great wines in this world, here are a few boutiques, cult wines, and favorites:
|
A 1756 Estate Famed Rubicon Blend
Stellenbosch, South Africa
|
Big, Bold, Cult Cabernets
Oakville, California, USA
|
|
Boutique Producers of Pinot Noir
Willamette, Oregon
|
Agincourt, Waterloo, Salamanca
Yarra Valley, Australia
|
|
A Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Bordeaux, France
|
Not Kehlsteinhaus, Exceptional Shiraz
Constantia, South Africa
|
|
Screaming Eagles Sister
Santa Barbara, California, USA
|
World Class Oregon Pinot Noir
Willamette, Oregon
|
|
20+ Blue Ridge Handcrafted Wines
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
|
Domaine Bertagna
13th Century Cistercian -1er Cru Les Cras
Vougeot, Burgundy, France
|
Reviewed by:
Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Executive Chef
Father, Husband, Wine Drinker
Restaurant nut, History and
Star Trek lover
About Sean:
I am based out of Florida working in food service for over twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta, Georgia prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down my experiences from a few restaurants, wines I tasted, and unique locations such as Petra. Since that time, I have written over 300 articles, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide restaurants. I have articles on exotic world locations such as Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & a Grand Food Dictionary; ethnic country cuisines such as Afghan, and Peruvian; tasting tours of world cities like Charleston, Cape Town, and Dubai; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, with much more to see and write.
Who is John Galt?
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Other articles of interest on Wine, Dine, and Play:
Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai, South Africa
The Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, UAE
Tipping in Restaurants etiquette, customs, cultures, and assumptions
(Articles coming soon)
Petra, Jordan
A Taste of Dubai
A Taste of South Africa (multiple volumes)
Wine, Dine, And Play’s “best of”
FOB Shank - Cooking with Incoming
TTFN
