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Restaurant Review: Ewaan in Palace Downtown

Ewaan, the all-day fine-dining restaurant in Palace Downtown hotel, celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox, in style on February 11 with dinner followed by a brunch the next day.

All precautionary measures were in place because of the Covid-19 outbreak and the management had ensured that only 70 per cent of the 250-cover restaurant were open to diners and brunch guests.

The restaurant, which overlooks the majestic Dubai Fountain and the lake surrounding the breathtaking Burj Khalifa, was an idyllic setting to ring in the Year of the Ox.

The signature Chinese motifs and buntings exuded Oriental charm and hospitality, where a diner, as per tradition, has to be kept occupied by an attentive host.

The affable stewards were around to attend to diners through the luxuriant evening under a sheltering Dubai sky.

For starters, prawn tempuras and dumplings along with an assortment of soups and finger food worked up the appetite. The Sichuan braised lamb paired with mixed fried rice or Hakka noodles was a perfect foil to the traditional main course.

Seafood aficionados had their feel of the freshest seafood such as stir-fried tiger prawns with vegetables, stir-fried fish fillet with wild mushrooms, and wok-fried deboned sea bass. The sumptuous meal was rounded off with traditional Chinese dessert options such as almond jelly, coconut bar and egg custard tart.

Taste (4/5): Freshly sourced ingredients, despite Covid-19 challenges such as flight restrictions, lent an authentic ring to the leisurely fine-dining experience. Diners’ multiple helpings and avid interest in live cooking sessions showcased the varied palates of China.

Ambience (4/5): Downtown Dubai is an Emaar experience. The hotel, a resort in the pulsating Burj Khalifa district, captures the look and feel of a traditional Arabian village, which overnight turned on its charm for the Year of the Ox celebrations. The setting was a happy blend of ancient Chinese customs & modernity.

Service (3.5/5): Pleasant and attentive stewards and hostesses lived up to age-old Chinese hospitality, which ensured that guests were not only plied with gourmet food but also seen off to their respective vehicles after a sumptuous meal. The diners: stewards’ ratio was pitch perfect.

Presentation (4/5): The garnishing stood out, as Chinese food, like any other Oriental cuisine, is a potpourri of fresh vegetables, poultry, meat and home-made desserts. All food counters lived up to the billing, as special attention was given to lend an authentic touch to the dishes.

Covid-consciousness (4/5): All measures, which have been enforced by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in a bid to keep the contagion at bay, were in evidence. Face masks, sanitisers, social distancing were at hand to reinforce the bid to win over the Covid-19 challenge.