SimplyAbuDhabi IX

2 1 7 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Enlivened by the pace of the movie as well as our incredible surroundings, we made our way back to our room to get ready for dinner at Voi, the hotel’s French colonial-style restaurant featuring the cuisine and spirit of Southeast Asia during the 1920s. The venue is decked out with high ceilings and glittering chandeliers creating a majestic ambiance felt the minute one steps through the restaurant’s doors. Once again, we were whisked back in time through the evocative décor and culinary creations. Once seated, our waiter explained to us the principle influences behind the Vietnamese cooking – the predominant cuisine of the venue. It is influenced by the concept of Yin Yang, which is often referred to in the West as the Yin and the Yang – an idea used to explain how polar opposites are in fact connected and largely interdependent in the natural world. In Vietnamese cuisine, each of the five senses represents a cooking ingredient. For example, spicy corresponds with metal; bitter is for fire; salty represents water, sour is for wood, and sweet is for earth. We were very much intrigued and eager to eat the food for ourselves. Our starters included a refreshing Snow Crab, made with avocado, mango, lime and sesame, and a lovely Trio of Tuna encompassing tartar, roll and confit. These first bites were heavenly in taste and perfectly sized in proportion and complete with the incorporation of French twist. We also chose a few plates from the Keep Warm section including the Crispy Tofu of egg dumplings, cashew nuts and tangy herbs and a light “Banh Cuon” Hanoian Steamed Rolls made with caviar, mushrooms, Vietnamese fish and shallots. The beginning of our meal was a hit; the sizes were perfect – not too large or heavy. We went on to the main course and chose dishes in the menu From the Sea and From the Land. From the former we chose delicious French scallops with lemongrass, green chili and Asian mushrooms, as well as a delectable Steamed Pacific Cod made with vanilla and Vietnamese coriander. While we are not huge meat eaters, we varied our choices with a dish From the Land – French Duck “Canette” made with foie gras, asparagus, brussel sprouts and tamarind. The dish was rich, but very much worth it. And to top off our meal with something sweet we decided to share the Banana Flambée, which we immediately loved for its gooiness and banana taste comprising star anise, cloves and honey ice cream. After our meal we ventured over to uber-sophisticated Voda Bar located on the ground level of the hotel. The slick décor is still in line with the hotel’s Ottoman Jumeirah Zabeel Saray - Grand Imperial Suite Bathroom