Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire - Intercontinental Hotel @ Festival City, Dubai, UAE
I usually don't dine by myself in a restaurant such as Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire but I was flying solo on this trip and wanted to celebrate a good business that I had done. I picked up the phone in my hotel room at the Intercontinental Dubai - Festival city and rang Reflets for a table for one.
AMUSE BOUCHE: Almond soup with Pomegranate, Ham and Bean Foccacia with Turkish Delight amongst other amuse dishes (sorry about that!)
Pierre Gagnaire is a gifted chef most would say I'm sure. Almost all of the little amuse bouches were a delight in flavor especially the almond soup with pomegranate was a welcome choice to balance out the exhausting Dubai heat with a chilled soup like this one.
FIRST COURSE: Brittany Lobster with Avocado and Aloe Vera
Culinary greats worldwide have always stood by the phrase, ''make it simple, let the flavors speak for themselves, and the customer will recognize a beautiful plate of food''. If that is what the direction behind Pierre Gagnaire's culinary team wanted, then this is the dish that would make it a prime example. The Lobster (from Brittany, naturally) was amazing with a soft yet meaty texture. This played ever so well against the smooth creaminess of the avocado. The Aloe Vera? Genius. I know it's not the first ingredient most chefs would consider but in this dish it worked absolutely perfectly. 10/10.
MAIN COURSE: Banana Leaf Wrapped Sea Bass with Crab and Seafood Reduction *
The presentation of this dish did not come to my table as pictured. Actually, it was brought by a waiter, tableside, wrapped in banana leaves. As the young waiter carefully unrolled each banana leaf, I could smell the rich aromas penetrating from the banana leaves to reveal a beautiful piece of fish. The reduction/bisque was poured on top of the fish and tasted wonderful.
DESSERT: Yuze Ice Cream, Shiso Leaf and Tapioca Pearls
Yet another fantastic dish. The dessert reminded me of home and was remarkable. (I've lived in both Japan and Hong Kong). The yuzu and shiso leaf brough back memories of Japan which Mr. Gagnaire has strong roots in his restaurant(s) located in Japan. I have a fondness for yuzu and shiso leaf. I find it very underrated worldwide. The tapioca pearls reminded me of Hong Kong in which he also has a restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel as well. Like the amuse of the almond soup, I was ready for a cooling sensation to balance of the rich flavours of the seafood dish I had just finished.
PETIT FOURS: Macaroon , Jellied Pate de Fruits, Sesame Cracker/Mint Chocolate
All three are favorites of mine, especially the Jellied Pate de Fruits. I love jelly and I love sugary fruit juices.
For 150 Dirhams ( Approximately 40 USD) I had a spectacular lunch. As voiced by other bloggers and food reviewers, should Michelin's Guide System be introduced to the United Arab Emirates, I could easily see this restaurant getting a solid 2 stars for its efforts and skills in the culinary scene. I found the food tasty, explorative and reasonably priced. Would I come back to this hotel to eat again? Yes, I most likely would.
However.
I had made a few remarks to the manager of the restaurant after I finished my meal. Call it what you like but I had to comment on a few items in the restaurant that I found unsatisfactory. One assistant manager kept staring at me as if 'what is a young guy doing here eating alone in such a famed restaurant'. Perhaps he thought I was a critic, but nonetheless everytime a new plate of food arrived, he would stare at me which made the whole dining process very uncomfortable. Secondly, I took a brief walk around the restaurant to find that many of the table cloths were not ironed or attended to. Some of the linen was stained. Other tables revealed obvious remnant marks of plates left overnight and unattended to for the lunch service. Last, there are two large chairs in the entrance of the restaurant which had large scratches as if a cat had clawed through them. They, too, were left unattended as if people wouldn't notice. If this was in Paris, where the Michelin's watchful eye has inspectors in numerous restaurants, I assure you these chairs would have been replaced immediately.
*Please excuse the two entries under Amuse Bouche and the Main Fish Course. I remember the fish to be a Sea Bass however it probably could have been another fish as well. Apologies!
My Score: 14/20
Food: 4.5
Presentation: 4.5
Ambiance: 3.5
Staff: 1.5
Reflets' Par Pierre Gagnaire - Intercontinental Dubai at Festival City
http://www.pierre-gagnaire.com/#/reflets/carte_reflets
AMUSE BOUCHE: Almond soup with Pomegranate, Ham and Bean Foccacia with Turkish Delight amongst other amuse dishes (sorry about that!)
Pierre Gagnaire is a gifted chef most would say I'm sure. Almost all of the little amuse bouches were a delight in flavor especially the almond soup with pomegranate was a welcome choice to balance out the exhausting Dubai heat with a chilled soup like this one.
FIRST COURSE: Brittany Lobster with Avocado and Aloe Vera
Culinary greats worldwide have always stood by the phrase, ''make it simple, let the flavors speak for themselves, and the customer will recognize a beautiful plate of food''. If that is what the direction behind Pierre Gagnaire's culinary team wanted, then this is the dish that would make it a prime example. The Lobster (from Brittany, naturally) was amazing with a soft yet meaty texture. This played ever so well against the smooth creaminess of the avocado. The Aloe Vera? Genius. I know it's not the first ingredient most chefs would consider but in this dish it worked absolutely perfectly. 10/10.
MAIN COURSE: Banana Leaf Wrapped Sea Bass with Crab and Seafood Reduction *
The presentation of this dish did not come to my table as pictured. Actually, it was brought by a waiter, tableside, wrapped in banana leaves. As the young waiter carefully unrolled each banana leaf, I could smell the rich aromas penetrating from the banana leaves to reveal a beautiful piece of fish. The reduction/bisque was poured on top of the fish and tasted wonderful.
DESSERT: Yuze Ice Cream, Shiso Leaf and Tapioca Pearls
Yet another fantastic dish. The dessert reminded me of home and was remarkable. (I've lived in both Japan and Hong Kong). The yuzu and shiso leaf brough back memories of Japan which Mr. Gagnaire has strong roots in his restaurant(s) located in Japan. I have a fondness for yuzu and shiso leaf. I find it very underrated worldwide. The tapioca pearls reminded me of Hong Kong in which he also has a restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel as well. Like the amuse of the almond soup, I was ready for a cooling sensation to balance of the rich flavours of the seafood dish I had just finished.
PETIT FOURS: Macaroon , Jellied Pate de Fruits, Sesame Cracker/Mint Chocolate
All three are favorites of mine, especially the Jellied Pate de Fruits. I love jelly and I love sugary fruit juices.
For 150 Dirhams ( Approximately 40 USD) I had a spectacular lunch. As voiced by other bloggers and food reviewers, should Michelin's Guide System be introduced to the United Arab Emirates, I could easily see this restaurant getting a solid 2 stars for its efforts and skills in the culinary scene. I found the food tasty, explorative and reasonably priced. Would I come back to this hotel to eat again? Yes, I most likely would.
However.
I had made a few remarks to the manager of the restaurant after I finished my meal. Call it what you like but I had to comment on a few items in the restaurant that I found unsatisfactory. One assistant manager kept staring at me as if 'what is a young guy doing here eating alone in such a famed restaurant'. Perhaps he thought I was a critic, but nonetheless everytime a new plate of food arrived, he would stare at me which made the whole dining process very uncomfortable. Secondly, I took a brief walk around the restaurant to find that many of the table cloths were not ironed or attended to. Some of the linen was stained. Other tables revealed obvious remnant marks of plates left overnight and unattended to for the lunch service. Last, there are two large chairs in the entrance of the restaurant which had large scratches as if a cat had clawed through them. They, too, were left unattended as if people wouldn't notice. If this was in Paris, where the Michelin's watchful eye has inspectors in numerous restaurants, I assure you these chairs would have been replaced immediately.
*Please excuse the two entries under Amuse Bouche and the Main Fish Course. I remember the fish to be a Sea Bass however it probably could have been another fish as well. Apologies!
My Score: 14/20
Food: 4.5
Presentation: 4.5
Ambiance: 3.5
Staff: 1.5
Reflets' Par Pierre Gagnaire - Intercontinental Dubai at Festival City
http://www.pierre-gagnaire.com/#/reflets/carte_reflets
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