Y by Yabani

As far as Citywalk goes, I'm a fan. I love open-air malls (though ask me again when it's summer) and it's a charming little area with greenery, a fountain and a bunch of unconventional shops and restaurants.

There seems to be an Asian theme going on here, as the majority of the restaurants currently open are of that variety, including Pei Wei (managed by PF Chang's), Noodle House and the one I'm about to review - Y by Yabani.

Now there are two types of Japanese restaurants: the super-fancy, extremely high quality places like Zuma and Okku, and the cheaper, usual kind of sushi places that can be quite good in their own right, like Sumo. Yabani would be more of the latter, though I got the impression that it tries to be a bit of the former.

Upon being seated I was immediately mystified by two separate menus, one the good old-fashioned paper sort, and the other on an iPad. Not a big fan of this techy business, but maybe I'm just old. The two menus are also not the same; each has items that the other doesn't. Hmmm.

I ordered my typical spicy edamame, and together with the rest of the group we had a selection of starters and different types of sushi. After repeatedly being offered their "Head over Hills" salad, we finally gave in and ordered it, though I'm not sure why we had to say no to it 3 times.

Anyway, I sipped on my minted lemonade as we waited (fresh and delicious), and so our food started coming in. The edamame was great, though there's really not much that can wrong there; the beans really speak for themselves. This was followed by some salmon sashimi, the seaweed salad, and the aforementioned "Head over Hills". I am unhappy to report that my sashimi contained a bone and unfortunately this ruined the rest of the salmon; really an unforgivable blunder there. On the other hand, the seaweed salad was light and refreshing; the typical type of dish you would think of when it comes to Japanese salads. Sadly, the "Head over Hills" impression was not to be, as frankly the presentation was quite unappetizing and the salad itself did not really taste of anything. Not recommended, and an underwhelming start to the dinner overall.

Next came a selection of different types of sushi: I was particularly excited for the Shake Izuzukuri - this was basically the same as salmon sashimi, but with a spicy sauce and some garnish. It was alright, I didn't particularly love but I didn't hate it either. Next came the rolls: Yabani Dragon (crispy shrimp, avocado), Crazy (crabstick, veggies, tobiko, tempura crisp), Crazy Avocado and Crazy Shrimp. There's this new fad of adding something that looks like coleslaw on top of sushi rolls. I am not a fan. And though my friends very much enjoyed their rolls, I personally found them to be bland and the texture too soft. But to each their own.

Personally, I may be coming back to this restaurant purely due to its location, the food is not something I would recommend. If the objective is sushi, there are many other better (and cheaper) options in Dubai.

Margherita

Wondering the pavements of JBR trying to decide what to have for dinner, we were pleasantly surprised when we came across this new little Italian restaurant right opposite Bauhaus called Margherita. Its warm and inviting atmosphere beckoned us to come in. We were lucky to even find a spot; it was completely occupied inside and outside giving Napoletana and La Dolce Vita a run for their money.

The waiters were extremely friendly, helpful and quite patient with us as we decided what we were going to eat. Looking at the menu it looked intriguing, it was in the form of a short book and had a few empty pages here and there allowing for customers to write comments, draw or even jot down a recipe or two.

We ordered three appetizers, Grilled calamari, Burrata cheese and a Bruschetta. The grilled calamari and the Bruschetta were pleasant enough, nothing I would order again. The Burrata on the other hand was divine with a side of salad and tomatoes that complemented it very well.

As usual I was the last one to order, I finally decided to take a risk and try out a plate called Crespolini which is basically like an Italian Burrito. A crepe filled with spinach and cheese and submerged in Parmesan sauce. The plate itself looked quite appetizing, but unfortunately I was not a big fan of the taste. It was overloaded with spinach and did not have too much flavor. On a positive note, after eating such a plate one would assume that being able to breathe was not an option, but actually it was quite light and not heavy at all. 

Even though my experience was not the best, I am sure that I will be back very soon for the Burrata and to try out other dishes. I would recommend the Pizzas (Bresaola and the Bianca Salmone), they were quite a hit on our table, and the grilled chicken (Polleto Alla Griglia).If you do end up trying the restaurant you will be in for a little treat, they have tombola where you have the chance of winning a free dish. While we were there a table of 21 people won, you could be next.

The Bill ( For 5):

Grilled Calamari (AED 69)

Burrata Cheese (AED 120)

Bruschetta Classica (AED 38)

Pizza Bresaola (AED 70)

Pizza Bianca Salmone (AED79)

Crespolini (AED 67)

Polleto Alla Griglia x2 (AED 98 each)

Minted Lemon (AED 22)

Diet Pepsi (AED 14)

7 UP (AED 14)

Water (AED 20)

Total: AED 709 (Around 150 DHS per person)

Turkish Village

Being a fan of Turkish food I have been meaning to try out Turkish Village for quite some time. Unfortunately, due to its overwhelming popularity every time we would call to reserve a table during the weekend we were told that it was completely full. Taking the opportunity of being off on a weekday we decided to try it out. 

The restaurant is strategically located on Beach Road close to places visited regularly, like Spinney's and Fridays, allowing it to be spotted easily. It provides the option of indoor and outdoor seating with a terrace on each floor. We opted to sit outside on the ground floor since the weather was nice. With anticipation and an empty stomach we all grabbed the menu and started skimming through. It was refreshing to have a menu that was completely visual and had a picture of each dish that was offered. The options were mouth watering making it harder for us to choose. 

We ordered a couple of appetizers and three main courses to share. While waiting we were offered a basket of bread with a sampler of dips. The bread was just as expected, delicious, reminding me of my bread eating days in Istanbul. First came the appetisers: Gavurdagi Salad (Almonds, Tomato and cucumber), Semizotu Yogurt (Yogurt and Purslane), Taze Zahter Salata (Fresh Zaatar Salad) and Istanbul Borek (Cheese Stuffed Pastry). Even though the plates were quite small and probably not enough for a group of 5 people they were full of flavor and were eaten in a matter of minutes. The real winners, for me, were the Semizotu Yogurt and the Istanbul Borek, I am a lover of anything dairy and practically ate both plates all on my own.

Next came the Konya Etli Ekmek  (a very long piece of Lahm B3ajeen) and the Kirsik Pide (Mixed flat bread). The Konya Etli Ekmek seemed to be a very popular plate since each table had a minimum of one. It definitely did not disappoint, try it with some lemon or laban and enjoy. The Kirsik Pide had something for everyone, I personally tried the Lahm B3ajeen portion and it was even better than the Konya Etli Ekmek.

Finally, two plates of mixed grill found their way to our table. They were beautifully garnished and presented. Taking a few minutes to admire the plate, we finally dug in. The grilled meat and the chicken were cooked and seasoned beautifully, unfortunately the Kabab did not impress. 

After having been disappointed with the food in Istanbul I was happy to have finally had some Turkish food that I could boast about and try again. When visiting, one should take some time to pass by the gift shop for some Turkish delights and Simit bread. Overall all, I would highly recommend trying this restaurant out,
my advice would be to book a table on the roof to avoid the hustle and bustle of Beach Road.  

The Bill ( For 5):

Gavurdagi Salad (AED 20)

Taze Zahter Salata (AED 18)

Istanbul Borek (AED 20)

Semizotu Yogurt (AED 20)

Konya Etli Ekmek (AED75)

Kirsik Pide (AED 60)

Mixed Grillx2 (AED 110 each)

Diet Cola (AED 7)

Spritex2 (AED 14)

Water (AED 12)

Simit Bread x2 (AED 10 each)

Box of Turksih Delight (AED 40)

Total: AED 526 (Around 100 DHS per person)