La Petite Maison

And so with much excitement, I visited La Petite Maison, which is one of two restaurants in Dubai that came in the top 100 in the world, the other being Zuma.

The restaurant is located in DIFC, which during the evening makes the parking easy and the valet unnecessary. The decor itself is made to feel like you are at home (hence the name I guess), but I did not find it particularly endearing. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer a slightly edgier, more modern atmosphere.

Anyway, interiors aside, I and my date were politely greeted and taken to our table. We were informed of the "family style" type dining of the restaurant, which basically means that meals are for sharing. Which is fine, but I think in general people tend to decide themselves whether or not they'll be sharing regardless of the style of the restaurant. Having looked through the menus, I was a bit mystified to see that the two (of two) pages on menu were identical. Hmmm.

I guess one slight disadvantage to their menu is a lack of variety. You basically choose between small plates and mains with an option of sides- and that's it. There are no soups, for example, which was a let down. Anyway, having ordered our food and drinks, we were ready to see if the food would indeed confirm the restaurant's reputation.


We ordered three of the 'small plates' to share. The Beef Carpaccio came first - now this dish in general is a personal favourite of mine and I love trying it in different restaurants. The one at La Petite Maison is a little different than what I'm used to, which would be fine but I found it to be slightly bland. It was missing the rocket leaves and parmesan chunks that I am used to. On to the Ratatouille with Feta - this was much tastier, especially the creamy feta which was really delicious. All in all though it was still just some vegetables with cheese and I can't say that I was wowed. My date on the other hand wasn't a big fan of the cold vegetables. The Petits Farcis  - or stuffed vegetables - did better, served hot and full of flavour, with the minced veal being incredibly soft.







Our main, which we shared, was the Beef Ragout - and we ordered this with a side of Steamed Broccoli. I'll be honest, by this time we weren't expecting much and we weren't particularly impressed by the plate of pasta put in front of us, which seemed to lack some of the meat and sauce. But I especially was pleasantly surprised, as more and more bites revealed a deeper and richer flavour in the ragout each time. The texture of the pasta, and the meat itself, was perfect and the mushrooms added a great touch. We were quite full by the time we had it but we completely finished the plate. The broccoli were lovely too, with a slightly sour taste to them that I liked.

All in all, it was a positive experience, if not overwhelmingly so. It helped that the service was great, which to me goes a long way. The staff were helpful and friendly. My drink too was delicious. I would definitely recommend a visit just for the sake of trying it - and the food is good - but I am more likely to spend my money elsewhere next time.

Bill (for 2)

- Evian (AED 25)

- Petits Farcis (AED 55)

- Ratatouille with Feta (AED 65)

- Beef Carpaccio (AED 70)

- Beef Ragout (AED 80)

- Broccoli (AED 35)

- Mojito (AED 45)

For a total of: AED 412.5 (including tax)

Qbara

Hello all and welcome to our brand new blog, started by old school friends who share a particular love for food. And what better way than to start with Qbara, the also brand new restaurant/ lounge/ bar opened by a school acquaintance?

All possible bias aside, my partner-in-crime Pauline and I had been anticipating the opening of this place for some time. Though Pauline had been before, it was my first time visiting. And so, armed only with high expectations from all the talk and the photos I had seen, I was excited to visit.

The booking procedure was easy enough, and I was answered right away by a polite and helpful lady. Unfortunately our first choice of dining upstairs, which I had heard was one of the best areas, was unavailable due to a private party, but we were offered an alternative at the Almaz lounge.

The place is easy to find, being in the old Planet Hollywood building by Wafi. There is complimentary valet available, which is useful but I found to be unnecessary, as right next to Qbara there is an entrance to the Wafi underground, which also has an elevator that leads directly up to the venue.

Qbara is great at building anticipation. From the outside we are led on a carpet to the entrance, lined with candles and ending with a huge sliding door. Now I don't know about you but I'm a sucker for candles. And there's not much I love more than dining in a dimly-lit, sexy atmosphere. And it seemed that that was exactly what we were going to get.

We were greeted at the front desk and offered a seat at the bar while we waited for our table. The entrance sneakily hides what's in store; as soon as we walked in to the bar, we were in awe. The place is huge, much much bigger than I imagined. I was immediately hit by the detail of the place. All thoughts of sitting down were gone; I wanted to explore. A hostess helpfully offered to show us around, and we gladly accepted.

We went up to the upper floor (which can be either by their stairs or an elevator). The view from upstairs is breathtaking. While the hostess charmingly told us about the design (for example, from the ceiling hang pieces of real Afghani doors. Qbara is filled with little, intimate details), we took in what stood out to us the most, a massive, elaborate wooden wall (more like a structure) of such exquisite, awe-inspiring detail. The whole upper floor is on a sort of balcony and there is a great view on the lower dining area. Though unfortunate that we cannot dine here, in a way it made me want to come back so I could experience it there next time.

After the mini-tour we were taken to our table (we were a group of 5) at the Almaz lounge, which is a 'semi-private' area on its own but still with a view of the rest of Qbara. And so, on to the most important part: the food!

What I had:

The starter was a plate of butter beans, a sort of hummus-like paste that came with some arabic bread. It is a great starter for something light, but I would recommend going a bit more adventurous if the occasion calls for it.

My main course was the duck breast, which I had with a side of duck fat potato chips. In a beautifully presented plate, the duck looked absolutely delicious. The breast itself was soft and juicy, nice and pink in the middle. The chips were a real winner, chunky and crispy,  with just the right amount of spiciness. Definite must have try.

But the real winner, by far, was the chocolate mousse mille-feuille I shared with Pauline. The layers were impossibly thin, and the mousse filled in between was so smooth and so rich, that I had it had to be my dish of the day. It came with a side of vanilla ice-cream that was the perfect complement.

The portions themselves are great, too. Expecting a restaurant like this to have the usual tiny portions (which I don't necessarily have a problem with, sometimes smaller portions allow you to try more things and also honestly give you the right amount of what you're eating - too much is never good), I was pleasantly surprised with the generous plates. I found it to be more than enough, and good value for the money I was spending.

All in all, it was an absolutely lovely experience, a great restaurant to go to for a number of occasions like romantic dates, celebratory dinners or even to entertain business.

Bill (for 1):

- Voss (AED 30)

- Butter Beans (AED 32)

- Duck breast (AED 140)

- MilleFeuille (AED 50)

- Harra Chips (AED 38)

-Q 2020 (alcoholic drink - AED 95)

For a total of: AED 385