“Foodies can enjoy a selection of gourmet three course cuisines at Abu Dhabi’s most sought after restaurants.” Dining and Nightlife Abu Dhabi
An exciting new concept will be lighting up Abu Dhabi’s dining scene next month. For the first time ever residents and visitors will be able to enjoy specialised gourmet dining experiences at participating restaurants across the capital. From 1st – 30th September, thirty restaurants will be offering diners a three course menu for a set price of AED 195 net per person as part of the inaugural Restaurant Month Abu Dhabi.
The concept is the brainchild of Dining and Nightlife Abu Dhabi magazine in conjunction with restaurant search and discovery service Zomato, which offers a booking option for every establishment, Dubai will host its restaurant month in October. With every variety of cuisine to choose from diners will be spoilt for choice, chefs have hand selected dishes that are popular and showcase the very best their restaurant has to offer, with a choice of starter, main and dessert on every menu.
I was invited to taste test the restaurant month menu at Benjarong located in the Dusit Thani Hotel, ahead of the start of the month long promotion later this week, an excited other half joined me as Thai is hands down his favourite cuisine. Award winning Benjarong consistently offers an authentic Thai experience in terms of not just the food but also the warm hospitality and professional service, the ambiance, the decor and the traditional live music played on the dulcimer, we were excited to see what they had to offer.
Benjarong brings the tastes and exotic flavours of Thailand to Abu Dhabi with age old recipes that have been given a modern twist, quality dishes made with fresh ingredients from recipes handed down through generations, each one beautifully presented, rich in colour and bursting with Thai spices. Traditionally a Thai meal is made up of many elements, each course a piece of the overall picture, its look, texture and smell being equally as important as how it tastes. This level of detail is very evident at Benjarong throughout the different menus. A warm Thai welcome, hot towels brought to the table once we were seated, complimentary iced tea pre-dinner drinks were served while we perused the menu.
The three course menu is seafood focused with three of the four starters and mains containing fish, vegetarians like myself can choose options from the standard a la carte menu to suit dietary needs. The other half had Yum Nua (grilled beef salad) to start, a perfect example of the combination of salty, sour, sweet and spicy flavours used in Thai cooking. For his main he had Phad Krapow Seafood (wok fried mixed seafood) which was fragrant and tasty, the seafood spicy but not overbearing. Pha Pla Salmon (crispy salmon salad) is the other starter available along with Koong Phad Med (wok fried prawns with cashews) for the main course. Traditional style Thai desserts of Tam Tim Grob (water chestnuts in sweet coconut milk) and Khao Niew Manmuang (sticky rice with mango and coconut cream) finish off the meal. Each dish and drink we sampled looked amazing garnished by Thai flowers and carved vegetables.
So what are you waiting for? Restaurant month is the perfect opportunity to try somewhere completely new or revisit an old favourite, thirty restaurants over thirty days that’s no cooking for a whole month if you can find a willing dining partner. If you like Thai food don’t forget to add Benjarong to your list of must visit venues next month. So whether you love Italian food, crave a good curry, lust after a well-cooked steak or it’s seafood that floats your boat, check out what Restaurant month has to offer and don’t forget to book first especially at weekends as I have a feeling it’s going to be popular.
Benjarong
Location: Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street
Telephone: 02 698 8888
E-mail: info.abudhabi@dusit.com
Website: www.dusit.com/dusitthani/abudhabi/
Restaurant Month Abu Dhabi – 1st – 30th September 2016
Book: To book via Zomato and see all the menus available on Zomato Collection click here
Visit Dining and Nightlife Abu Dhabi here
The thirty participating restaurants are listed below by location:
Nation Riviera Beach Club
Catch – Seafood, Sushi
The Hub at The Mall, World Trade Center Mall
BU! – Latin American (Level 4), Tamba – Indian Inspired – (Level 6)
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
Li Jiang – Southeast Asian
Venetian Village at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal
Inakaya – Japanese, Sushi, Brasserie Flo – French, Seafood, Todd English’s Olives – Mediterranean, Barfly by Buddha Bar – Asian, Sushi, Punjab Grill – Indian
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers
Brasserie Angélique – French, BiCE – Italian, Tori No Su – Japanese
InterContinental Abu Dhabi
Byblos Sur Mer – Lebanese, Circo – Italian, Belgian Café – Belgian, European
Beach Rotana Hotel
Benihana – American, Japanese, Indigo – Indian Fusion, Rodeo Grill – Fine Steaks and Grills
Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri
P&C by Sergi Arola – Spanish, Bord Eau – French
Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi
Benjarong – Thai
Hyatt Capital Gate Hotel
18 Degrees – Mediterranean
St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort
Sontaya – Asian Fusion, Thai
St Regis Abu Dhabi
Villa Toscana – Italian
Le Royal Méridien
Market Kitchen – Modern American Cuisine with Local Influence, Stratos – Revolving Lounge Bar and Grill
Le Méridien
Acropolis – Greek
Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island
Crust – Healthy Global Cuisine
Yas Viceroy Hotel
Atayeb – Arabic Mediterranean, Noodle Box – Southeast Asian
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
Frankie’s Italian Restaurant & Bar – Italian
I was invited to this restaurant but all the views are my own. Unless otherwise stated, all photos on this page © Jo Brett 2016. All rights reserved. First photo used courtesy of www.dusit.com/dusitthani/abudhabi/dining/benjarong/
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