When the wildfire erupted last February, there was little firefighters could do to stop it consuming 90 per cent of the 400-hectare Vina del Mar National Botanical Garden in less than an hour
world57 minutes ago
OUR LIST OF favourite Dubai restaurants is strictly limited to a maximum of six. Any more eateries and it goes from being a celebrated ranking of the best to a personal Yellow Pages. In order to maintain a tight half dozen, we operate a one-in-one-out policy based on numerous 'Boyle from Brooklyn Nine-Nine' factors including, but not limited to: culinary innovation, selection of water, quality of serviette rings and appearance of the servers' shoes (although not the 99 sergeant's 'mouth feel' criterion). In a town such as Dubai where the number of establishments appears to outweigh the population count, to make the cut takes an almost Herculean effort. Mediterranean seafood emporium, Rockfish at the Jumeirah Al Naseem, has not only found itself in our catalogue in the past, it has now risen up the standings as a result of its improved menu conceptualised by Chef Marco Garfagnini.
Rockfish's strongest opening gambit is its location. Perched on the shoreline directly opposite the Burj Al Arab, lit up at night both the venue and view are spectacular. The high-end yet also breezy interior, large windows offering those wonderful vistas and decisive staff - you probably wouldn't think to use such an adjective but, admit it, now you realise it makes a difference - come together to offer a five-star experience before you've even tasted the dishes.
We left it up to the chef to decide the evening meal's direction - an option we heartily recommend anywhere you eat out. The person cooking is only going to concoct their strongest recipes, right? We had been entertained by the roaming bartender and his drinks cart, supplied with fine sparkling water and freshly baked bread, but the journey truly began when a selection of crafted entrees arrived. Yellow fin tuna with black truffle, salmon with lemon mustard cream and a little grilled octopus with a smattering of salty black olive tapenade on the side were the standout items. The seafood's quality and its expert preparation were evident based on sight alone. The flavour, though...mesmeric. The same goes for the saffron arancini with a tuna tartare, which are worth a trip to Rockfish alone.
Briskly following the starters came an assortment of plates as varied as they were exciting. Cheese tortelli with Ricotta, Pecorino and Parmesan ignited our lactose-loving taste receptors. The lobster risotto did if for the shellfish fan - the creamy rice providing the perfect accompaniment to the plump meat - and a portion of sea bass with artichoke and jus topped off proceedings with a bevy of lip-smacking and three cheers for the kitchen. This was indeed a meal worthy of our top spot.
. Where: Rockfish
. Best dish: Saffron arancini
. Av. Cost pp: Dhs300
david@khaleejtimes.com
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