A Culinary Road Trip of India
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cuisine Style: Indian and Pakistani
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in: April 2017
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 Sous Chef:
Chef Rohit Sharma
Executive Chef:
Sameer Sehgal
The numbers will vary but according to Trip Advisor, there are 5,600 restaurants listed in the city of Dubai and its suburbs, while Zomato has the listing at over 8,900. Forty years ago when Dubai was just a small trading center for Bedouins, it makes you wonder if anyone during that time would believe what Dubai has accomplished going into the 21st century not just in the number of dining establishments, but also in architecture, culture, and trade. They are now a major world player, and the world has come to them, so now they offer the world in cuisine to everyone. In downtown Dubai on the lower levels of the Burj Khalifa Tower is the Armani Hotel, where I dined at the Amal Restaurant, one of six at the hotel. Amal serves Indian cuisine, and they sent my palette on an amazing adventure. Now I wish to share that adventure with you so you can decide if you want to add Armani / Amal to your list…
Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional and traditional dishes from a diverse range based on location, climate, culture, religion, ethnic, and occupational backgrounds. India has a population of 1.3 billion - maybe more as of 2017. Their dishes comprise of many styles of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Rice and assorted legumes are a key to the dietary requirements of the people, as several are vegetarian, and others have restrictions on certain meets from beef for the Hindu’s and pork for the Muslims. At Amal, I would be taken on a culinary journey that made me feel like I was on an actual trip to the country itself. Items are prepared table-side, tandoor specialties, exotic curries, fragrant side dishes, pre-fixe menus, and much more awaited me.
As you stand outside looking at the display of the Dubai Fountains next to the Dubai Mall, turn around and look up. You'll be able to see the scope of the tallest building in the world standing before you. When you see the Burj Khalifa it will be from a whole new perspective, as it will no longer be a view on the television or an article you read about online, but a massive 160 story structure so high that it blocks out the sun. From the observation deck, you can look down and see the same image from an airplane window, tiny dots of people below. In 2013, I dined at the tallest restaurant in the world in this tower called At.Mosphere, so it was only befitting to dine at one of its base restaurants - Amal. Amal in Arabic means King, a befitting name as it would be a royal meal.
Menu:
- Amal Tasting Menu
- Saffron Tasting Menu
- Anise Tasting Menu
- Cumin Tasting Menu (Vegetarian)
- à la carte:
- Appetizers
- Tandoor
- Grill
- Contemporary Mains
- Classic Mains
- Vegetarian Mains
- Accompaniments
- Biryani Pot
- Tandoor Bread
- Rice
- Desserts
The elevator door opens to the 3rd level of the tower and the Armani / Amal restaurant. The foyer had a few couches and at the center of the room an area where local entertainers played drums and sang Indian songs. On this night, there was nothing scheduled, plus it was early as I would be one of the first to dine. From this foyer area you would enter the Maître d waiting area, but beforehand, I went the opposite direction down the hall to use the restroom. The wastebasket for used towels was built into the sink basin with a square cut into the marble for discards. The door, however, was at least twenty feet away, with no wastebaskets near the door. I would recommend that they add a basket there, as not everyone washes their hands after using the restroom, so when I exit a public restroom, I have a towel in my hand to open the door with. Here once I opened the door, I had to hold the door open then practice my very bad basketball skills and try to throw it into the marble opening. I did not make the three-point shot!
Upon the introduction, at the Maître d waiting area I was offered a flute glass filled with a peach and mango spritzer to refresh me while I sat and waited to be escorted to the table. Normally I was told that I would be given a wine list, and the drink I was holding would be a complementary Champaign, but it was the day of Isra and Mi’raj, an Islamic holiday that celebrates the Ascension of the Prophet. As a result, all hotel restaurants (the only legal places you can order alcohol from in the country) did not serve any in observance of the holiday. Some restaurants in the city that were wine or other alcohol driven concepts offering small bites of food closed shop for the day. I was planning to go to one of them when they emailed to tell me they were closing a few days before my visit.
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| Amal terrace patio |
The atmosphere of the restaurant was very pleasant and traditional; I was escorted down the hall, passing the private dining area to the left and the semi-glassed in patio on the right which overlooked the Dubai Fountain, and local magazines had written up as one of the more romantic spots to dine in the city (pictured above). I preferred to be inside as the hot spring desert air would not have made for an enjoyable meal to me. The dining room was extremely elegant, pleasing neutral colors, and a stain glass window to the left side separated the entire open kitchen from the dining room. You saw the tandoor station, leading to the expediting area, and to the right more cooking stations, and the salad/dessert area. Besides the à la carte menu, there were five tasting menus that the chef offered, one of which was a special pre-fixe that changed at the start of every new month. You had the basic Amal tasting menu, which gave you a mild sampling of starters like tandoor, fish, and meat. Followed by the Saffron menu with an increase in small sides options or tapas style, medium spiced dishes offering everything the Amal menu had with more fragrance and a dive deeper into the regional cuisines. Then the anise menu which matched the saffron menu with different regions and was much spicier. The cumin menu rounded up the final pre-fixe which catered to vegetarians. The special pre-fixe menu of the month was a northern Indian and Pakistani menu catered after the culinary delights of an ancient king who ruled that region.
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| Dubai Fountains were taken from Amal patio |
I enjoy spicier foods and wanted to go with my instincts. Pradeep was my server, and he swayed me away from the anise menu saying that being a westerner it would be too spicy, so I chose the saffron menu, heeding his warning. I did enjoy the tasting menu, and to most people from the West it would have been spicy for them, but I could have used more and should have chosen the anise. So, if you can truly handle hot spice, then go for it. Pradeep offered me a choice of either still or sparkling water upon being seated. The amuse was severed in a small candle size glass holder consisting of a lentil dumpling submerged in a light and creamy tomato soup.
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| Lentil dumpling in tomato soup |
The saffron menu began with a tasting of regional chutneys served with papadums (papad’s) which are wafer thin, crisp, disc-shaped crackers made from a dough of peeled black gram flour and yellow lentil pods. They were described to me as Indian style crêpes and the chutneys selections were mint, garlic pickle, and a tomato. The mint packed a strong punch, very flavorful, aromatic and pleasing to the sinus cavities, opening them up before the curries I would have later done the same. The garlic pickle was mild flavored but also refreshing, and the tomato was lite and relaxing to the palate. As alcohol was not offered on this night, I enjoyed in its place a lassi, which is a Punjabi recipe blend of yogurt, water, and spices, mainly cumin. The wine list has a few old worlds but mainly new world varieties. Unfortunately, most of the wines were mainstream and common, very few if any were boutique or small production labels. Being that the UAE is an Islamic Country it can be difficult to get more wines to cater to all of its diverse groups of people that visit, but if it did offer more, then my wine rating would have been higher than the 6 of 10 that I gave it. (see review basics chart further below)
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| Regional chutneys served with papadums |
The starters were all pre-plated in the kitchen and served on one large platter. Five items all with different flavors, textures, and tastes. The presentation was just as exciting as the complexity of flavors, for I was not tasting one region, but several. As I looked at how intricately it was set up, I got excited and was ready to dive into my adventure.
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| A starter plate of 5 (see items below) |
From the picture above, beginning on the top row left was the Zaffrani Malai Tikka which was a chicken breast infused with saffron, cream cheese, and mild spices. Turmeric was used to enhance the color, but it was soft and juicy to the taste. Zaffrani in Hindu means saffron. Malai is a south Asian cooking ingredient and it means cream in Hindi - whole milk is cooked to 80°c (180°f) for 1 hour, then cooled. Coagulated yellow proteins form on the surface, which is skimmed off. It has about 55% butterfat and is a major ingredient in malai kofta dumplings and in other sweet dishes like pehda and ras (juice), malai (cream), and aka (rossomalai). This preparation is the Indian version of clotted cream, and buffalo milk is commonly used in the country. Tikka is a word from Punjabi Cuisine and is referred to as a piece of meat or cutlet. Punjab translates as the land of five rivers separating Pakistan from India and the disputed Kashmir region.
Next to the Zaffrani Malai Tikka is a micro-green salad garnish and palate cleanser consisting of carrot, beets, couscous, and scallion. To the far top right is the mahi Sunehri, a tandoor smoked Norwegian Salmon marinated with dill and mustard. Sunehri means golden and is referred to as a girls name. For food purposes, the name implies to be coated with honey. The salmon had a stronger aroma, but soft and bright flavor, melting in your mouth. The three dollops of beetroot accompanying it added an entirely new profile to the taste of the dish.
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| Kitchen tandoor oven |
On the bottom left was the Punjabi Samosa, a vegetable medley stuffed with masala chickpeas (chana). Samosas (samoosa, sambusa, or samboksa) are probably the most popular Indian appetizer and are often served as hors-d'oeuvres. It is a triangular pastry made from wheat or maida flour and stuffed with a filling, then deep fried to a golden brown color. The samosa had three dollops of tamarind which made the lite flavor of the samosa more pungent.
The bottom center selection was the Kothmir Jhinga, a tiger prawn (shrimp) marinated with fresh coriander and green chili. Kothmir means coriander in Hindi and Jhinja means prawn. The dollop of garnish pictured was a saffron and yogurt blend taking away the fish flavor of the prawn.
The final selection in this starter on the bottom right was a Gosht Ki Pasillian, which was a tandoor cooked lamb chop infused with balsamic and tellicherry pepper. The dish was cooked to a perfect medium temperature with the lamb being nice and pink on the inside. It had the char marks from the tandoor, and the spice profile had garam masala with some salt and the tellicherry pepper. The word gosht originated as a Persian name (گوشت), that means tender meat cooked for a long time. I did not know until doing research on Indian cuisine and further research on some new dishes I tried here at Amal, that a lot of traditional cuisines has its origins from ancient Iran. Even the southern dishes from Hyderabad have strong Muslim influence. Tellicherry is considered one of the finest pepper in the world; extra-large berries come from the Malabar Coast of India near the state of Kerala. They are left on the vine longer than most peppers, so they develop a deep, rich flavor. In Western countries, lamb is used most often in this dish, and it has led to a common misconception that gosht means lamb when in India most gosht dishes are cooked with goat or mutton.
What is the difference:
Mutton is a female (ewe) or castrated male (wether) sheep having more than two permanent incisors in wear.
Lamb is a young sheep under 12 months of age which does not have any permanent incisor teeth in wear.
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| Plated entree |
The main course was set up for sharing, and Pradeep did a table-side plating after the dishes were delivered. The entree was broken down into six dishes, four of which would be plated, and the other two would remain in the dish to be served with some tandoori bread such as Zaatar, plain naan, tandoori roti, paratha, and Peshawari naan.
From the picture above on the left side of the plate, the item that is a brighter yellow was the Meen Moiley, a house specialty kingfish stew with fresh coconut and ginger topped with carrot leaves. Very tender fish cooking for a long time with nice sweet accents from the coconut. The flavors of coconut with cream and spice just exploded in my mouth, truly beautiful. The name moiley/molee means stew and hints to its Portuguese origins around Goa, further south near the state of Kerala in the tropical Malabar Coast, though others argue that it was a contribution by the Malay (Malaysia).
To the top center of the plate was the Murgh Makhni, my favorite dish of the entire meal. Makhni in Hindi means buttery; plus contains tomatoes, cream, and yogurt. Murgh is a Persian name meaning chicken. The dish was a chicken tikka, mixed with a very creamy enriched tomato sauce. Westerners commonly call this dish “buttered chicken.”
Below the buttered chicken was the Nizami Murgh Biryani, which is a Hyderabad dish composed of a fragrant chicken layered with saffron-infused basmati rice. The rice was perfectly steamed, and the chicken had a nice kick to it. Nizami cuisine is primarily prepared in the Hyderabad region and became a very popular street food over time, which Chef Cyrus Todiwala based most of his menu from in his London restaurants on. This dish has its origins in Persian history originally. Biryani also is known as biriyani or biriani, was a recipe that began with Muslim Indians and the word itself originates from "birinj," the Persian word for rice.
To the right of the Biryani is the Bhuna Gosht. Remember from earlier the explanation that gosht for westerners is lamb instead of mutton. This dish is a home-style lamb curry flavored with coriander and black pepper. The taste hits your palate hard with the masala-very flavorful-but it was spicy which I really enjoyed. The word bhuna means it is a medium hot dry type of curry in which spices are cooked in oil with no water (frying). The dish originated in the Bengal region to the East around Calcutta, where a good majority of high profile Indian chefs got their start.
Two more dishes came with the entree and remained in separate bowls along with the tandoor bread mentioned above, which would be used to dip into them with. The first was the Dal Makhni, a creamy black lentil dish enriched with butter. As you recall from earlier the word Malai meaning cream, well Makhni is a Hindustani word that means creamy or buttery and is used in several Punjabi cuisine dishes. Dal or dahl (also spelled daal) is a name for dried split lentils, peas, or beans used to prepare thick, creamy, or runny soups.
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| Dal |
The second side dish was the Cucumber Raita, which was a cucumber and tomato blended dish with yogurt, buttermilk, spiced with mint, roasted cumin, and garnished with pomegranate seeds. It has a similar texture and taste to Bulgarian tarator, only with a nice spiced kick which the Balkan groups would turn their noses up to very quickly. Raita is a common name for a condiment made with yogurt (dahi) or another common name called Pachadi.
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| Raita |
Ultimately from the starters and the entrees to which all were wonderful, my recommendation and advice for you would be if you were sticking to the à la carte menu would be to have the Murgh Makhni (buttered chicken) and the Zaffrani Malai Tikka Norwegian Salmon. You can’t go wrong.
Dessert:
I was ready to explode. Though the starter and entrees were small portioned, it was still a lot of food. I didn’t know if I could even find room for dessert, then it came out, and boy oh boy did I find room. The platter was delivered after Pradeep presented a hot towel for me.
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| Dessert platter explained below |
Four items (pictured above) starting at the top left with some seasonal fruits and berries. On the bottom left was a Malai Kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream topped with pistachio confit on a bed of falooda. The malai cream was soft and rich mixed with the Kulfi which is a Hindi name for a frozen dairy dessert, popular all around Central Asia from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh. The dish is denser and creamier than western or American ice creams. A falooda is a cold dessert traditionally made from mixing rose syrup, vermicelli pasta, sweet basil seeds, and pieces of jelly with milk, then letting it cool. The origins of most Northern Indian dishes go back to Persia, where a similar dessert is made the same way and called faloodeh.
The coconut mousse sat comfortably to the right of the malai with some brunoise cuts of passion fruit caviar garnished on top. In my mind, it melted and gave me great pleasure long before it's enticing ingredients even touched my tongue. Hard to say you save the best for last as all the items were divine but the final item was called the chocolate Cubo, which was a cubed combination brownie with hazelnut and praline. I need not say anymore. The scene from the movie “When Harry Met Sally” comes to mind.
Finishing the night was a wonderful masala tea with fennel cookie petit fours. The tea was infused with ginger, cardamom, cloves, and finished with some milk. Other tea options included smoky earl grey, jasmine pearls, Moroccan mint, emperor sencha, and eternal summer.
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| Masala tea with fennel cookies |
to conclude, the only words that I can say are dhanyavaad धन्यवाद् and namaste…
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Indian Cuisine Articles & Restaurants:
A Taste of India Casual curries of North & South with Buffet in Brandon, Florida
Ashiana The First Indian Fine dining restaurant at Sheraton Dubai Creek, Garhoud, Dubai, UAE
Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen Vibrant Pan-Indian street-style Cuisine in Slough, United Kingdom
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Dubai restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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“Mastic” Ice-cream
Deira, Dubai, UAE
|
Posh and artful French cuisine + culinary experimentalism at Intercontinental Hotel
Festival City, Dubai, UAE
|
Stylish modern Spanish and global cuisine
Dubai Creek, Dubai, UAE
|
|
Turkish culinary journey with an eclectic European twist
Plaza Versace Hotel, Dubai, UAE
|
Contemporary Japanese restaurant, sushi, & cocktail mixology
DFIC, Dubai, UAE
A Top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
|
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:
Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Amal a 5 out of 5 stars, meaning that they not only exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants, but they surpassed outstanding and were extraordinary.
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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10
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9
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1
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Food quality
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9
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8.5
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0.5
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Plate presentation
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9
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8.5
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0.5
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Customer service
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9
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8
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1.5
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Alcohol and other beverages
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0
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0
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0
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Total regular points awarded
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37
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34
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3.5
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.918918918918919
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2.5
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0675675675675676
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.986486486486487
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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:
99% Rating with a 2.5 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
New World selections:
Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, California, Canada, South Africa, India
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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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Indian, Pakistani
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Halal, Low Carb, Organic, Pescatarian, Vegan, and Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Business casual or Conservative attire
or UAE Traditional Dress
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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, Contemporary, Modern, Trendy, Lounge, Business parties, Hot spot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining (in winter months), Good for special occasions, Beautiful décor, Scenic views, Intimate, 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
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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
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, with a smoking Terrace
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes - 3rd-floor terrace
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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:
|
Price
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AED Arab Emerite Dirham
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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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Armani Amal:
Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa Tower
3rd Floor
Burj Khalifa Area
Downtown Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+971 4 888 3666
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Online reservations
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Book a Table or
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Website Contact:
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Serving hours:
Dubai Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 3:00)
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Dinner: Mon-Sun
7:00 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…
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Highly creative new American molecular gastronomy tasting menus
Chicago, Illinois, USA
|
Contemporary-Authentic Mexican Cuisine
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
A Re:Start business at “Little High Eatery”
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
Other Pictures:
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| 5 starter plate up close |
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| Lasse |
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| Paratha |
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| Buttered chicken |
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| Kingfish dish |
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| Lamb curry |
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| Chicken biryani |
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| The Dubai Fountains |
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| Kitchen Crew |
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| Expediting station |
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| Kitchen tour - Indian spices |
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| Private dining room |
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| Table setting |
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| Views of the kitchen |
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| Lobby entertainers |
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| Outside the hotel and the Burj Khalifa |
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
