SimplyAbuDhabi X

6 3 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I A family run business, the first Diwan L’Auberge restaurant was established in 1973 by four brothers. The Charaf brothers had not only the first Lebanese restaurant to open in Abu Dhabi, but also one of the first in all of the United Arab Emirates. They opened a branch in the luxurious seven star hotel surroundings of the Emirates Palace as soon as the hotel opened in 2006 and they continue to offer an alluring menu of sought-after specialties and well-known favourites, including hot and cold Mezze and succulent grilled dishes. The restaurant is not only renowned for its fantastic food either – they also provide authentic live entertainment and fragrant shisha to ensure an evening is filled with Middle Eastern mystique. Arnie and I loved the interior and immediately felt like we were in an exotic environment, and the fragrances coming out of the kitchen were so tantalising we couldn’t wait to order and sample a range of their famous food. As well as a private dining room you can dine inside or outside, and we took a table by the window that gave us a view over the shores of the Arabian Gulf on one side and the stunning Abu Dhabi skyline on the other. To begin we selected a range of hot and cold mezze, our waiter helping us with good advice on how to pick from so many choices. For the cold starters we shared some batrakh, which is the local version of caviar and is served with salted tuna eggs, fine slices of garlic, and sprinkled with olive oil. It was simply divine and we could have eaten more but we also wanted to sample the moutabal. This puree of eggplant blended with olive oil, lemon juice and sesame paste had just the right lightness of texture and was delicious. As a salad we chose the fatoush, a classic Lebanese dish that is bursting with flavoursome ingredients. In our salad I counted fresh mint, tomatoes, green onions, romaine lettuce, thyme, cucumber, green peppers, summak and radish. All dressed with olive oil and vinegar topped with fried pitta bread. Perfect. For the hot appetizers I chose batata harra, which is small potato cubes that are sautéed with garlic chilli red pepper and coriander. This was cooked just right and the spices were not overpowering, although the chilli did make Arnie’s eyes water just a little. He chose the bizri fish, which is fried baby sardines served with a sesame paste sauce, and also the aubergine fatteh – slices of eggplants with minced beef, pine nuts and yogurt. The creamy yoghurt was an ideal balance to the spicier chilli dish and it was a overall a fantastically cooked and presented start to our meal. For the main course I chose the L’Auberge seafood platter. This included a marinated lobster, shrimps, muscles, calamari, salmon and hammour fillet and it was all accompanied by sautéed vegetables and served with the chef’s special sauce. I don’t know what secret addition was in the sauce but it was bursting with flavour and perfectly complimented the smorgasbord of seafood on my plate. Arnie enjoyed tasting some of my seafood but he chose the Entre Cote and remarked that it was cooked just right and of superb quality. The meat was the key ingredient here and so the dish is kept simple and accompanied by potato wedges and a sautéed spinach and garlic herb sauce. Diwan L’Auberge repeatedly receives some of the highest accolades from the hospitality industry, and deservedly so, everything from the friendly and professional staff, the quality entertainment and the wonderful food and drink, is just perfect. We loved the subtle smell of fragrant argileh and the evocative music from the oud player and the talented flute player. We would definitely come back to the restaurant and dine outside on the terrace next time. We finished the evening with a mixture of richly sweet Lebanese desserts that comprised a mixture of esmaliah, halawet el jeben, baklawa and muhalabia. One of the four brothers who owns and manages the restaurant, Mr. Zakarya Charaf, hits the nail on the head when describing the dining experience here: “A visit to Diwan L’Auberge will be elegant, with wonderful food and an atmosphere enhanced by Mediterranean- inspired décor in one of Abu Dhabi’s most revered dining establishments”. We agree with him one hundred per cent.