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