A Spanish Waterfront Bistro
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cuisine Style: Spanish
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in December 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Esteban Gómez
A changing restaurant bistro concept is not uncommon for Dubai, especially for talented Chefs to perform their art. Table 9 at the Hilton Dubai Creek is such a place where this concept thrives. Table 9 started as a British concept by Chef’s Nick and Scott, protégés under Gordon Ramsay and has evolved and changed over time, focusing on a Spanish and Mediterranean concept. Inspired by Spanish, with German, and British influences Chef Gómez new that Spain gives you a Mediterranean blend while holding true to the kitchen artists of his homeland like the Roca Brothers at ‘El Celler de Can Roca’ and Chef David Muñoz of ‘DiverXo’. The Hilton next to the Dubai Creek as you enter is a reflection to the artistry blend of Andy Warhol and Jerry Garcia, with elaborate floor designs and lamp colored stairs that change from green to blue and other psychedelic colors.
Before dining on the second floor, I recommend having a few cocktails at the Issimo Bar during their happy hour, where you can get a variety of drinks half off. It has a very sleek blue interior, modern, and stylish. Going up to the second floor your confronted with more Andy Warhol style painting of lighter colors to the top, and darker at the bottom of the Table 9 logo. The dining room was a white-walled interior, with the bright white ceiling, and silver glossed pylons. Along the back wall was a full banquet of black colored booths with two-seater tables, and larger four or six seaters in the center. As you enter to the right was a chefs table, and behind that, the kitchen. The chef table which is a normal sight in many restaurants these days also had a very unique and “wow” ing experience of a cooking class to go along with the tasting.
The brightness of the dining room colors would make up for lack of a good amount of windows when dining for lunch. Luckily the music matched the theme with some slow Latin Instrumental which was very calming. When I arrived there were few tables, and throughout the night, the restaurant never did fill up entirely. For dinner their menu was broken down into eight sections:
- Small Bites
- Bites to Share
- Main Courses
- Special Grill Items
- Seasonal Menu Items
- 4 Course Menu
- Desserts
- Hotel Breakfast and Brunch
If you dine on Thursdays you can get an unlimited selection of wines for 99 Emirati Dirhams (AED) a glass. For 225 you can get the four-course menu (3.65 AED to the US Dollar - 2016), which I enjoyed with a few glasses of wine beginning with a glass of Chenin Blanc from False Bay Wines out of New Zealand. The winemakers tasting notes show a rich opulent nose with flavors of stone fruit, quince, spice, and lime, enhanced with a subtle, perfumed lift. The complexity of flavors carries through onto the palate with a lovely freshness and a long aromatic finish. The meal experience began with three bread assortments with the same amounts of different house-blended kinds of butter.
I decided on the four-course tasting which began with a cold starter of a tuna ceviche formed into a circular mold sitting on a bed of avocado, a row of balsamic reduction that had three separations held to aloft by crème fraîche dots and thin sliced toasted points resting in each. You take one piece of bread, then place however much tuna you wish onto it for serving. The taste of the tuna was very fresh, perfectly chilled temperature and a slight acidic lemon flavor. The avocado was perfectly ripened and did not have any sour expression, blending a perfect harmony between the two, like a violin making its way back to a concert hall instead of a child's school music classroom. The dish also came with some servings of crispy banana chips.
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| Tuna Ceviche |
Though ceviche is very common and popular in the Caribbean and South American cuisines, especially Peru where Chef’s like Gastón Acurio brought it into the mainstream. The common Spanish word for the dish is ‘cebiche’ and the origins are still disputed as far as where it first came from, Southern Spain or the Arabic regions west of Persia. It is possible that as the conquering Muslim armies moved into North Africa and later invaded Spain, that they brought the dish with them, and it was infused into the local cuisine. Most times in history food and drink is directly affected by the movement of the armies and what they conquer. Afghan Cuisine is a perfect example of this as they have been invaded countless times.
The hot starter for the second course consisted of a Dungeness Chilean crab gratin, served in a small copper pot with some arugula rocket and red leaf lettuce. The dish also was served with the same style of toasted points with crème fraîche from the ceviche dish. The melted cheese was some form of a Swiss, very mild, but still not able to be a good variation of a typical French style gratin dish.
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| Chilean crab gratin |
There were two choices for the main course, a fish or a lamb loin with smoked pumpkin puree and asparagus. I chose the sea bream, served on top of some baby potatoes, caramelized onion, and a parsley foam that was spread over the plate. Three cherry tomatoes sat over the foam next to the fish, and the bream was topped with a basil hollandaise. Though listed as a mild white fish with a light flavor, I felt that it was heavier than that, and was to be more of a moderate flavor. The fish was not overcooked and at a perfect temperature. Thankfully, though fish is typically paired with white wine, I had ordered a Pinotage from Stellenrust Wines of South Africa, which according to the winemakers' notes, offers raspberry and ripe peach with black cherry flavors. This actually went well with the fish flavor, and the subtle oak nuances on the palate led to a delicate lingering finish.
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| Sea bream |
One personal story from working in Atlanta back in 2006, learning about wines from a great sommelier, who also went against tradition himself and ordered white wines with red meats and reds with white meats. His simple belief that resonated with me was that a person should drink whatever they want and whatever they enjoy with what they are eating, and to not be swayed by a person just because they hold a title of a wine expert. Before hearing this, I fell into the same belief that I needed to have a white wine with fish or poultry. He opened up my thinking. That Pinotage was perfect with that fish dish.
Dessert:
Dessert would round out the tasting menu with a creamed passion fruit, inserted with French vanilla-bean sablé cookies, placed into a baked merengue mold. The molding had a very eggy texture and could have used a little more sugar in my personal belief. Overall it was a nice finish of textures considering the strong bream in the third course. More desserts would follow before leaving with a small box of assorted petit fours.
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| Creamed passion fruit |
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
South Africa:
WOSA: Wines of South Africa
SAWIS: S. African Wine Industry Information and Systems NPC
New Zealand:
Other Noteworthy Spanish and Latin cuisine Articles & Restaurants:
Castile Restaurant Med-Latin & tapas café with 360 views at the Hotel Zamora, in St. Pete Beach, Florida
Columbia Restaurant Traditional Spanish & Cuban chain since 1905; reviewed in Sarasota Florida
El Jibarita Casual spot for traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, Old San Juan, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, USA
Iberian Rooster Colonial Portuguese Fusion with Tapas Restaurant in St Petersburg, Florida
Muse Italian villa with Classic Mediterranean dishes and wine bar in Charleston, South Carolina
Peruvian Cuisine Andes, Amazon, and Lima - A culinary tour with recipes and history
Rioja Creatively presented high-energy Mediterranean fare in Denver, Colorado
Tapas 218 Cozy tavern severing traditional Spanish small plate cuisine in Canton, Ohio
The Test Kitchen Modern eclectic and Nouvelle Latin cuisine in Cape Town, South Africa
Vizacaya Restaurante and Tapas Bar Vibrant spot for classic Spanish dishes & tapas in Tampa, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Dubai restaurants and articles on Wine, Dine, and Play:
|
“Mastic” Ice-cream
Deira, Dubai, UAE
|
Relaxed bar and lounge with English cuisine
Deira, Dubai, UAE
|
Sleek Japanese eatery with sushi/sashimi
Grand Hyatt, Dubai, UAE
|
|
Take a tour of the tallest building in the world
Dubai, UAE
|
Authentic Emirati Cuisine
Dubai, UAE
|
Contemporary Middle Eastern and Levant buffet at Hyatt Park Hotel Dubai Creek, Dubai, UAE
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on 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:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9.5
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8
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1.5
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Food quality
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9.5
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8.5
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1
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Plate presentation
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8.5
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8.5
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0
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Customer service
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7.5
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5.5
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2
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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7
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2
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Total regular points awarded
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44
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37.5
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6.5
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.852272727272727
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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4
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0909090909090909
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.943181818181818
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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5 of 5 Stars:
94% Rating with a 4 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine rating:
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6 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Portugal
New World selections:
Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine Style:
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Mediterranean, Spanish
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-Free, Halal, Local, Low Carb, Pescatarian, Vegan and Vegetarian options
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Trendy, Business parties, Good for special occasions, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet, or Street meter parking
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Wifi
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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.
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Noise level:
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Low to Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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Emirati Dirham (AED)
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د.إ
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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Alcohol prices:
$ 152.00 AED
Table 9:
Hilton Dubai Creek
Baniyas Road
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+971-4-227-1111
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Online reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
UAE / Dubai Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC + 2:00)
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Dinner: Sun-Fri
6:30 pm - 11:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
Modern Gastro Whole Animal Cookery
Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
|
Seasonally inspired continental European fare
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
|
High-end bistro with modern New Zealand cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
Other Pictures:
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
