Simply Abu Dhabi XI

4 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I T his is a jaw-dropping restaurant that Arnie and I were lucky enough to eat at three times – breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each and every time it was an unadulterated pleasure with the freshest, finest ingredients and flair cooking. Not only is the food prepared to perfection, you also get a free show while you dine. Open around the clock, Aqua starts with an imaginative buffet breakfast served from a live interactive show kitchen. The same compelling cooking action continues through lunch and dinner and it’s fascinating to watch the passion and commitment of the chefs, amidst blasts of flames and plumes of hot steam. Dinner features an extensive choice of a la carte, and live cooking stations and the floor-to-ceiling windows glow with a rich inky blue colour, revealing the twinkling Abu Dhabi skyline merging on the horizon with the Arabian Gulf –simply stunning. On our last day at the Rosewood we enjoyed a tremendous lunch in Aqua. Underneath the huge chandelier and with the sun streaming through the window we spent a couple of hours trying a range of delicious dishes as a buffet. The restaurant manager is Bruno Valentino and he is a font of knowledge when it comes to fine Italian foods. He explained how many ingredients are flown in daily fromNorthern Italy to ensure every dish is authentic and fresh. Brimming with enthusiasm for the refined range of North Italian and Mediterranean dishes served at Aqua, Valentino gave us some suggestions that were intuitively right for the type of cuisine we were in the mood for. We enjoyed a refreshing fresh juice and watched as the culinary team got to work with dexterity and showmanship. To begin I tried a small portion of orecchiette and beef sausage served with broccolini and ricotta cheese. The vegetables were al dente and holding all their nutrients, while the cheese was fluffy and smooth, and complemented the strong beef sausage well. Arnie loved his spaghetti alle vongole with steamed sea fruits, cherry tomato and fiery red chillies. I decided to try some pasta next, supremely tempted by Arnie’s spaghetti, so I chose penne primavera in a cream sauce with seasonal vegetables and topped off with bold shavings of parmesan cheese. Every mouthful was heavenly but I had to resist eating too much so we could enjoy a wide sample of this exquisite Italian cooking. Arnie enjoyed risotto Milanese made with saffron, braised veal cheek with a tomato confit. I could tell it was bursting with flavour as he enjoyed every bite, but he was also making sure we were able to try a range of dishes from the smorgasbord of offerings at Aqua. For his next dish Arnie tried the slow braised lamb shank with creamy polenta and parsley gremolata. The meat dropped off the bone and was juicily tender and the polenta was the perfect textural accompaniment. I seemed to be following Arnie in his choices… it must have been food envy, because I had to try a risotto next, but mine was served ‘Con Gamberoni’ and was cooked with succulent fresh prawns. The dish was masterfully paired with a fennel and orange salad, and the fruit proved to be a wonderful zesty addition to the particular taste of the fennel. To round off this truly fulfilling lunch of Italian cuisine I ordered what the restaurant has already got people talking about – the sea bass. I had already overheard several other guests talking about this dish and so I was keen to try it for myself. As soon as I tasted the grilled sea bass fillet with a smidgen of Sicilian caponata, I could understand immediately why Aqua