Iftar review: Ritz-Carlton Dubai

Saturday, Jul 20, 2013

Don’t believe the hype. Yes, it’s hot outside. And yet, you can still have an iftar outdoors.

I was sceptical when I heard about the Ritz-Carlton’s Ramadan garden on their sunken terrace. Sure — I’ll see it out the window, but there’s no way I’m going out into that humidity. Instead, I was immediately led onto the terrace — already busy with many other guests — and left to marvel at how pleasant it was. And, no, it’s not AC-blasted, either. Something about the dark tiles and its location, surrounded by the buildings of DIFC, provides some natural AC.

It’s a great place to enjoy a great iftar. The staff at the restaurant have been especially creative with the theme, in addition to the attention paid to the details that you’d expect from a hotel of this calibre. Something I’ve never seen at iftar before: a live fatteh station, a boon for anyone who cannot get enough of the warm whole chickpeas topped with garlicky tahini and yoghurt and topped with fried bread. What’s not to like about that?

But the Ritz-Carlton staff will be at pains to point out to you their other innovation: Arabic sushi, which they debuted this Ramadan and which has proved so popular that they are making it a permanent fixture on the menu in No 5 Lounge & Bar. Japanese-style sushi rice is filled with Arabic flavours — think chicken shawarma, beetroot or felafel. The one I most enjoyed was the spicy prawn-stuffed rolls.

Let me bring you one more never-seen-before dish: vegetarian kibbeh (at least, I’ve never seen it). Three varieites of the bulghur wheat patties, usually stuffed with minced lamb, are available — classic, chicken (also new!) and mushroom — a tasty revelation in a crisp little package. I wish I could find them at more places; the creamy mushroom filling made kibbeh — a dish I sometimes find dry — juicy little bites.

There are also two soups on offer, the ever-present lentil as well as a Thai crab and sweetcorn — heed your nutritionist’s advice and pick soup to rehydrate after fasting.

There is also a live pasta cooking station, plenty of salads and mezze, hot and cold. Don’t miss the mouttabel here if you like yours smoky; this was the best I’ve had this Ramadan. A chilled seafood station offers steamed clams and mussels, and lovely whole spicy prawns.

A live shawarma station rolls chicken inside soft saj bread rather than the usual khoubouz; next door, there’s a whole rib roast of beef at the carvery, with countless mustards to choose from.

The hot dish station also includes a number of Indian dishes such as dal, biryani and meats, and Arabic stews such as daoud basha.

How much umm ali can you eat? It’s here again, the iftar perennial, alongside cream-and-pastry Arabic desserts and rosewater-scented rice pudding. But make space for the chocolate slice, a thin but dense strip of biscuit-y chocolate cake topped with something akin to a chewy nougat and shards of crisp dark chocolate.

Call: 04-3722323

Price: Dh225 for adults, Dh110 for children, including soft beverages

Don’t miss: Sitting outdoors, vegetarian kibbeh, chocolate slice

Timing: Sunset-9pm

By Natalie Long, tabloid! Editor