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| Abu
Dhabi, U.A.E |
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Extraordinary
October 1st - 2006 |
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5 Stars
& 5 Stripes
Cuisine & Service |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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As I approach the Sayad Restaurant for my pre-arranged
dinner reservation, I begin to notice a serene change filter through me in the
form of a sort of "rapture of the deep". My feet follow a turquoise path
conjuring up a curious feeling of strength with a dose of remarkable
anticipation. The figures on the rug give me the first hint of fluid motion as
images of dolphins moving through cerulean waves capture my imagination. The
mood is further set as indirect lighting sheds curtains of abyss-blue color,
deepening my earlier sensations of amusement and mystique. I remind myself that
I am still at sea level; or am I? I prepare for the unexpected as I
unconsciously take a deep breath and enter this aqueous zone.
"It's all
about water" I remark to Arno our photographer, as we descend into a Persian
Gulf version of Neptune's world. We stroll past large aquariums filled with
animated characters seemingly out of some kind of Disneyesque feature film.
Another tank is filled with live crustaceans just waiting to be arranged in
some artistic fashion on the dinner plates of this evening's bill of fare.
"Even the flowers are floating in water" remarked Arno after noticing the
unique floral arrangements strategically accentuating the Spartan furniture.
All along I'm wondering if we'll somehow meet the mermaid that runs this
operation. |
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| "Good evening" came a
soothing female voice from somewhere above the waves. "My name is Belinda and I
would like to show you to your table" she continues. We fall into line behind
Belinda as she takes us past an interesting display of some very distinctive
bottles of wine made to look like they are floating underwater. Next, we pass a
mound of ice topped with several tins of Iranian Caviar producing a certain
eagerness to reach our table and a chance for us to sample this bounty from the
Black Sea. |
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As we reach our table I get the strong urge to 'come
up for air' after our spin through Sayad Restaurant. Belinda hands us our menus
and points out the panorama directly out the nearby window. I immediately begin
to understand how the views of the gorgeous Gulf coastline and the beach can
induce a longing for the freshest caught seafood professionally prepared by
Sayad's culinary team. We are informed that Chef de Cuisine Shane O'Nell has
instructed his team to 'make every effort to impress'. Our confidence is that
Chef O'Nell's stated philosophy of ". . . bringing my passion on food from
Europe to Abu Dhabi treating all diners to a magical experience . . . " will
come to fruition.
To start with, we are presented with a 'Greetings from
the Kitchen' of Iranian Caviar along with all the accoutrements that go
with it in as sort of mini-buffet of delicacies. We can only use a 'mother of
pearl' spoon with which to scoop up the fine grey colored roe. It is essential
to use a non-metallic spoon when serving caviar, as it will prevent the roe
from acquiring a metallic taste. We notice the sublime nutty taste with which
to enjoy a fluted glass of Dom Perignon Vintage 1998, a seductive wine
laced with elegance and grace. It appears pale yellow in the tall glass with a
floral bouquet leaving trails of soft spice and nutty nuances thereby making it
the perfect caviar wine. We relish our welcoming course and continue to sip the
golden mousse while noticing servers with white gloves pulling chairs and
catering to many business-type guests from all over the world. |
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Our next course arrives it is
Timbale of Citrus flavored Salmon Tatar, Beluga Caviar with Saffron
Dressing. The delicate flavor and texture of the salmon seems to be
supported by the addition of citrus contrasting with the slightly salty black
caviar in a gorgeous assemblage of colors and textures. We now have a chat with
Sommelier Ajwad Ponismail about the difficulty that the local import
regulations impose on the ability to accumulate an extensive wine assortment.
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| Right now, it appears that the Emirates Palace is in a
mode of carefully building up the wine inventory little by little into a
formidable collection. Meanwhile we were expecting the next course of
Risotto of Maine Lobster and Scottish Langoustines with Soft Herbs to be
paired with an Australian Andraos Bros Olde Winilba Semillon-Sauvignon
Blanc. It was clear from the start that this was an exceptional partnership
in that the wine offered two delightfully well-suited varietals that
complimented each other and offered tropical fruit and citrus to support the
shellfish duo. |
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| Our server Anil returned to
clear the 'Robert Welch' silverware to prepare us for the main course of
Sautéed Sea Scallops with Bloody Mary Sorbet for me and New Zealand
Red Snapper with Prawn Gnocchi, finished with Fennel Barigoule for Arno.
Overall, both presentations proved to be visually original in design and color
presentation. The scallops developed a delicious caramelized surface from being
pan-seared quickly thus browning the large meaty ovals. |
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| “Overall, both presentations proved to be visually original in
design and color presentation.” ~ TB |
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The supporting rendition of a Bloody Mary had all the
trappings of the spicy mixture used in the famous cocktail but was presented as
a shaved ice sorbet forcing me to reflect on whether or not I had ever
experienced it before. I had not! All that was missing was the vodka. Our take
on the New Zealand red snapper forced us to reconsider the meaning of seafood
presentation. Chef O'Nell's method of pan-searing the filet skin down first
before baking to finish it off, provided for a crispy skin followed by the soft
juicy inner core of the delicate white flesh. All the while, the entire dish
was presented with all the vegetables surrounding the filet with mini-carrot
tops in a sort of 'Stonehenge-like' arrangement. A bottle of Laroche
Chardonnay 2005 that comes from a family that has been making wines in
Burgundy since the 1850's was the obvious choice. This Chablis style wine
produced a golden luminescence when held up to the light, which fades to
crystalline silver but displays good concentration. It has a nose of white
flowers, apples and dried fruits with a fresh vivacity that lingers after
aeration. The honey-like texture works to hold the same fruit nuances on the
palate so that it compliments the seafood extremely well.
By this time, we
have seen the type of work that Chef de Cuisine Shane O'Nell and his talented
team can do and we are impressed. It is now the occasion for Executive Chef de
Patisserie Pascal Clair to give us a sense of what he is all about. He offers
us his notable rendition of Jivara Chocolate Parfait with Berry Crumbles and
Ginger Ice Cream with a wine pairing of Robert Weil Kiedrich Graffenberg
Auslese from the Rheingau, Germany. |
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It is a stroke of brilliance
that Pastry Chef Pascal Clair uses the unique Jivara chocolate for his
masterpiece. Unlike most milk chocolate, it will linger on your palate longer
as it melts, and you notice hints of caramel and vanilla laced with a touch of
malt. This chocolate is made with a special estate blend of cocoa beans from
South America and the results is a distinctive flavor rich in cocoa but not
overly sweet. |
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Chef Clair uses the chocolate to sculpt his creation
into three diverse sections each with its own personality and flavor profile.
The auslese from Robert Weil offered clean, very ripe botrytis defining it as
balanced with a concentration of sweetness as if it were on the verge of
becoming a spätlese.
We decide to retire now into a cappuccino
"Emirates Palace" style with real 14-carat gold flakes sprinkled on top instead
of the traditional cinnamon. I felt like I should try to skim off the flakes
and take them home with me but calmer heads prevailed. At that very moment, as
if as an encore there is a flurry of activity and out of the kitchen comes our
server with another of Chef Clair's carefully constructed art pieces. This one
is referred to as the White Chocolate Wave with Petit Fors and Apple
Gelee that looks almost too good to eat. We enjoyed immensely all that was
presented to us tonight at the Sayad Restaurant and decided to take a stroll
into the neighboring Cigar Bar for an aromatic Cuban and a Remy Martin XO. What
a way to end an evening! "Leila Sa'eeda" Good night in Arabic! |
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| A dinner of the kind we’d just experienced
demands a good old cognac and a cigar afterwards. We choose the
Havana
Club reminding us on traditional gentlemen clubs from by-gone eras; darker
colors, cozy woods and soft leathers. The
Havana
Club boasts a selection of the world's finest spirits and most certainly
cognacs and cigars. These were very well chosen selections with the discerning
connoisseurs in mind. |
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by
Thorsten Buehrmann & Arno Goudschaal
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2006 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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