A JUNGLE VILLAGE
Ask any seasoned traveller to name the best things about Thailand and the amazing food will be at the top of the list – or at least close.
From the humble traditions of farmers and fishing villages to the elaborate cuisine of the royal palaces, Thailand is justifiably famous as a destination where fabulous dining awaits.
Blue Elephant is committed to taking the very best in Thai cuisine to the world, with exclusive restaurants in a number of international cities, as well as cookery schools in Thailand. The chain’s Dubai restaurant is a little corner of Thailand in the Middle East, transporting guests to a tropical jungle village complete with traditional huts, waterfalls, streams and lush greenery.
Dinner is ŕ la carte Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, and buffet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with theme nights focusing on Thai specialities. Phuket night on Saturday is a favourite for those with a love of seafood.
Location: Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Lunch: noon to 3pm
Dinner: 6.30pm to midnight
Telephone: (+971) 4 282 0000
A TOUCH OF THEATRE
Just as Dubai is a meeting point of cultures, Teatro describes itself as the place ‘where Eastern
cooking meets Western cuisine’ – and definitely lives up to that claim.
Teatro offers a comprehensive ŕ la carte menu, creating dishes from a blend of Thai, Japanese, Indian and Italian cuisines, all prepared to perfection. The interior is filled with deep, warm colours, hand-blown glass and beaded crystal features, and an array of Venetian masks, creating an ambience perfectly suited to informal dining, while the outdoor terrace is sublime in the cooler months.
‘Teatro’ translates to ‘theatre’ in several languages and, in keeping with the theatrical moniker, guests can watch a live performance of their delicious meal being prepared in the restaurant’s action kitchen or sushi bar.
The menu, designed in the style of a theatre programme, features promotional posters for much-loved shows such as Evita, Phantom of the Opera and The King and I, with set menus divided into two acts and the grand finale.
Early diners can also get 50 per cent off a special early-bird menu, for orders taken between 6 and 7.15pm every day.
Location: Towers Rotana, Dubai
Dinner: 6 to 11.30pm
Telephone: (+971) 4 312 2202
JUGGLING CHEFS
Is it theatre or is it food? That’s a fair question to ask at what is surely the most dramatic of all dining experiences, a teppanyaki restaurant.
Combining the Japanese words ‘teppan’, meaning iron plate, and ‘yaki’, meaning grilled or pan-fried, this form of Japanese cuisine sees ingredients cooked on a metal surface much like a barbecue.
Fresh ingredients including steak, seafood, savoury pancakes and noodles are cooked at the table and eaten hot off the grill, but it’s not just the food that makes this meal special, it’s the cook too.
A teppanyaki chef juggles ingredients and utensils – salt cellars and spatulas – as part of his art, flames often leaping high into the air as part of the performance. Benihana helped popularise this form of cooking in America in the 1960s, with celebrities including The Beatles and the boxer Muhammad Ali dining at the original New York restaurant. Today it offers the same experience in Dubai Marina.
Location: Amwaj Rotana, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai
Lunch: noon to 3.30pm on weekends and holidays
Dinner: 6 to 11.30pm
Telephone: (+971) 4 428 2000
BURST OF COLOUR
Rangoli is a form of folk art from India in which intricate decorative designs are laid out on floors of living rooms and courtyards to create a sacred welcoming area for Hindu deities.
Traditionally created from materials such as coloured rice, flour or sand, and sometimes from flower petals, these ancient patterns are handed down through generations. Varying between regions, they are thought to bring good luck.
Rangoli restaurant has the same intricate attention to detail to fine dining. Its combination of luxury and simplicity will leave you with a feeling of warmth, underlined by the use of vibrant green and purple colours contrasted with earthy shades characteristic of this exotic, much-loved destination.
This is a lifestyle restaurant serving north and south Indian cuisine in a modern setting. Mingled with the tinkling of chic tableware, the freshly cooked dishes from the tandoor and the aroma from the show kitchen will transport your senses to a faraway destination.
Location: Yas Island Rotana, Abu Dhabi
Dinner: 7 to 11.30pm (closed on Mondays)
Telephone: (+971) 2 656 4000
SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Trader Vic’s was one of the pioneers of the Polynesian-themed ‘tiki’ restaurant in the US, where exotic cuisine is served in a restaurant richly decorated with artifacts from the South Seas.
The speciality here is island cuisine – a fusion of French, Creole and Chinese influences with a tropical twist – and cocktails. Indeed, the chain’s founder and namesake, Trader Vic, claimed to have invented the classic Mai Tai drink. All this is supported by Latin American rhythms and upbeat songs.
The menu, which includes ŕ la carte, set menu and bar snacks, takes its inspiration from French Polynesia and the diverse cultures that have influenced island life, where the pace is slow and there is time to enjoy the good things.
Seafood lovers will have a great time, with oysters, shrimp, calamari, lobster and local fish, hammour, all on offer. There is also a selection of steak and beef dishes, ranging from the delicate, courtesy of the French influence, to robust Australian and American fillets.
Location: Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi
Lunch: 12.30 to 3.30pm
Dinner: 7 to 11.30pm
Telephone: (+971) 2 697 9011
 
