|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| With the emphasis on the cuisine of the Arabian
Peninsula and offering eye candy apparitions of idyllic turquoise water views
over the
wide,
white, sandy beach of the Emirates Palace (CLICK HERE), the restaurant is
poised to become the next hot beach front dining venue. The 2011 FORMULA 1
GRAND PRIX, which is scheduled to be in Abu Dhabi this November, leads me to
imagine kicking back at BBQ Al Qasr for a bite before going to the one of the
practice rounds at the races. Recently BBQ Al Qasr was recognized for being the
best restaurant overlooking the seacoast with the presentation of the customer
driven Explorer Award, which is somewhat similar to a Zagat. |
|
|
|
|
| Leadership is not an issue under the guidance of Chef
de Cuisine Basel Mounawar, a highly qualified and passionate master of cuisine,
with an eye on becoming Executive Chef sometime in the future. Since he began
with the pre-opening team for the
Emirates
Palace in 2004, Chef Basel has applied all of his international experience
into making BBQ Al Qasr a jewel in the sands of Abu Dhabi. When dining at BBQ
Al Qasr at night, be prepared for a light show of both natural and supernatural
magnitude. Looking up one can see billions of stars through the
pristine
atmosphere (CLICK HERE) of a cloudless sky while back on earth, the
man-made lights of the neighboring marina to the east and the cornice to the
west form a string of warm glowing embers ostensibly putting you in the center
of an embrace. |
|
| Our personal dining
experience was punctuated with the soft jazzy sounds of a live musician working
his magic under the stars. Once seated, our servers brought over four types of
bread including sunflower seed, cornbread, sun-dried tomato and onion bread
with four dips of curry aioli, cream cheese scallion, sour cream with red chili
and olive oil with roasted garlic. All the breads and the desserts,
(SAMPLE
CREATION - CLICK HERE), come courtesy of Executive Pastry Chef / Master
Baker Mr. Josef Teuschler, who works with his team to supply all the
restaurants at the Emirates Palace with his goodies. |
|
 |
|
| BBQ
Al Qasr - Cuisine |
|
|
|
| Our dinner began with a Baby Beetroot Salad of orange
wedges, mixed lettuces, pistachio covered goat cheese and raspberry coulis
dressing. Fresh, crisp and young lettuces garnished with segments of fresh
oranges together with sweet, earthy slices of beets and topped with a disc
shaped sphere of pistachio covered goat cheese. Good salad combo to drink a
glass of light colored and floral Semillon Chardonnay Rawson’s Retreat,
Australia 2009 with hints of pineapple and kiwi. Next came the mixed seafood
platter of Grilled Prawns, Lobster, Mussels, Scallops and Salmon, topped with
caper berries and arranged in a way to reveal the true succulent properties of
each item that seemed to glisten and shimmer when placed in front of us.
|
|
 |
|
| BBQ
Al Qasr - Cuisine |
|
|
Wagyu Beef Burger topped
with lettuce, tomato, pickle and a surprise – a thin luscious slice of
grilled foie gras, followed this! Never has a burger tasted so rich and
flavorful and considering the quality of the Waygu and the perfect temperature
to which it was cooked (between rare and medium rare, exactly how I ordered
it), I ate slowly and with much pleasure. Along with the burger came a 9oz
portion of Grilled Wagyu Tenderloin, with defined marbling and an inclination
to producing a higher percentage of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which are
known to be beneficial to one’s health. |
|
|
| A bottle of 2009 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi,
Cabernet Sauvignon was recommended for this course and we found it to be well
balanced with soft traces of oak and uniform tannins. Conclusively, a decadent
dish of Chocolate Opera resplendent with three-dimensional filigreed chocolate
architecture atop the luscious chocolate mousse, together with a sumptuous
piece of chocolate brittle came to the table with all eyes upon it. As we made
short work of this final movement, we gazed out at the beach and the path
leading back from it framed by open flamed gas lamps. It came to mind that
dining in this tranquil setting, just steps from the sea, could be the best
therapy for longevity! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Edmund & Thorsten Buehrmann
Editor: John
Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
|
| © 2011 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes,
Inc. |
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
 |
|
