In a seafood joint: Catch – yes, the seafood place. One might think they’ve got less than a handful of veggie dishes to satisfy vegetarians, but could they really have that one dish that’ll convert a seafood lover? Yes, there is – the Mushroom Spaghetti. It is so good that even the original restaurant in New York decided to add it to their menu after the Dubai based chef introduced it on the Dubai menu
www.catchdubai.com
Truffle Pasta – La Petite Maison
In the finest of fine dining: For mushroom and truffle lovers, the Truffle Pasta at La Petite Maison needs no introduction. Shaved truffle gives the dish a strong and sharp flavor, which is balanced out by the milder flavor of the creamy but light sauce. For those who aren’t fans of truffles, we guarantee that you will definitely be, by the time you finish this dish.
www.lpmlondon.co.uk/dubai
Italian Beef Tomato & Burrata – Jason Atherton’s Marina Social
In a celebrity chef driven restaurant: A burrata dish probably doesn’t sound too exciting to a meat lover. After all, it’s a fairly standard starter. But the Burrata at Marina Social gets major points for its unique and creative presentation, and a taste that will have you coming back for more. It looks like a simple tomato has it has quite a few surprises inside in its burrata stuffing and drizzling of aged balsamic.
www.marinasocialdubai.com
Tomato and Mozzarella Tortelli with Pesto and Truffle Oil – La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie
In a super classy restaurant: La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie has lots of great veggie dishes that meat eaters will fall in love with. But if you really want to try something unique, order the Tomato and Mozzarella Tortelli. Before you jump to the conclusion that it is just a pasta dish, read on… The bite-sized envelopes of perfectly cooked pasta are stuffed with a delicious herbed mix of semi-dried tomatoes and just a right touch of mozzarella. Top that off with drizzles of pesto and truffle oil, you will be hooked from the first bite.
www.laserre.ae
Black Truffle and Fontina Pizza – JG Kitchen in Four Seasons Resort
In a casual chic (fine dining) cafe: The Black Truffle and Fontina Pizza at JG Kitchen is one of many dishes that highlight the culinary genius of master chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The sharp truffle pairs beautifully with the earthy flavor of the cheese, and the bitter frisée leaves sprinkled on top adds an additional layer of flavor to the dish.
www.jean-georges.com/restaurants/united-arab-emirates/dubai/jean-georges-kitchen
Veggie Burger – The Counter at The Beach in JBR
In a casual (okay we admit, a slightly more than casual) burger joint: The Counter gives you lots of options to build your own burger. We recommend that you give the Vegan Veggie Patty a try. It‘s made with brown rice, herbs, various diced vegetables and dried cranberries, which makes it relatively healthy. The patty is best paired with either the Dijon Balsamic or Honey Dijon dressing. You wont miss the meat, and the best part is, you’ll feel much lighter than you would have otherwise!
www.thecounterburger.com/Dubai-UAE
Veggie Burger – The Cheesecake Factory
In a popular restaurant: We absolutely love the Veggie Burger at The Cheesecake Factory, an enormous patty made of brown rice, faro and chopped vegetables. It comes stacked with tomatoes, onions and cheese, and is simply delicious! If that seems like too much of a mouthful, you could always opt for the Skinnylicious version, which is easier to manage in one sitting.
www.thedubaimall.com/en/dine/dining_restaurants/the-cheesecake-factory.aspx
Goat Cheese with Tomatoes – Maison Mathis
In a good food restaurant: Get acquainted with the concept of ‘Belgian time’ at Maison Mathis, and have a taste of the salad of cherry tomatoes finished with almond crusted goat cheese. It’s got three different varieties of tomatoes to give it a little color and depth to the flavor. But the key ingredient that really ups the taste factor is the deliciously spiced almond and za’atar topping on the goats cheese.
www.maison-mathis.com
Spinach, Chestnut and Date Gyōza with Wafu dressing – Zuma
Last but not the least, in a legendary restaurant: Gyōzas are Japanese versions of dumplings and these dumplings have just the right amount of sweetness from the dates, which is nicely offset by the deliciously umami wafu dressing that is added generously to the plate. The dish is balanced out with a bit of spice from its garnish of dried chili and spring onion. ZUMA is known for its authentic but non-traditional take on Japanese food and these Date Gyōzas which were created specially during Ramadan earlier has now been added permanently to the menu.
http://www.zumarestaurant.com/zuma-landing/dubai/en/welcome
[This story has been written exclusively for FoodeMag dxb. All images provided by author excepting Date Gyōza]