I was driving down Al Wasl Road last afternoon, wondering where I’d settle down for a quick bite of lunch, and then my phone buzzed. It was an urgent work call, and I didn’t have my bluetooth on, so I swerved into the parking alley of Box Park Dubai.

After attending to my call, I noticed I was parked right infront of Meat ‘N Fish. The simplistic name sounded enticing enough, and I wasn’t feeling too keen on walking up Box Park in the muggy midday heat to look up any other options.

A very friendly young man held the door open for me, and I was pleasantly surprised by the beautifully rustic, cafe-style interiors of the place. The furnishing features natural woods and highlighted with the characteristic deep turquoise of the Mediterranean. I also loved their cheerfully checkered table linen, and seated myself by the window with ample daylight and a view of the busy streets of Al Wasl.

The menu at Meat ‘N Fish is not very extensive, and is no more than 8 pages or so. I was craving something seafood, and decided to go for their Mixed Seafood Tagliatelle.

The waitress informed me this pasta uses white sauce, and I asked if they could mix in a bit of red and rosè it up. I also asked to have it mildly spiced with chili flakes. She said she’d check with the Chef, and let me know.

It was a rather long wait, but perhaps my personalization was taking the kitchen a little more time than usual. In the meantime, I was served some sliced brown loaf with olive oil and pine-nuts, sundried tomatoes and a few wedges of lemon.

When my Mixed Seafood Tagliatelle finally arrived 15 minutes since ordering, I have to say it was well worth the wait! Absolutely love the presentation of this dish. Sure, I’ve sipped out of a seashell before (click here to see my Polynesian Cocktail at The Artisan, DIFC), but never have I imagined eating pasta out of one! The shell feels very real too! Definitely not a cheap plastic imitation. Can anybody tell me where I can buy one for myself?!

Moving back to the dish itself, the Mixed Seafood Tagliatelle at Meat ‘N Fish may seem a tad too pricey at AED 95, but their quantity is very generous. I absolutely loved this pasta. I was loaded with fleshly, plump seafood goodness including shrimps, crab, octopus and mussel and that sauce… OMG that sauce! Can I please take some credit for it? It was divinely creamy, yet so flavorfully so. For once, I was not reaching out to the salt and pepper shakers. You could taste a hint of tomato and basil, a definite hit of seafood, and at the base of it all was this very moreish, comfortingly rich white sauce goodness.

I struggled to clean out my shell, but despite not being that hungry, I ate far more than I should have and felt absolutely bloated through the rest of the day. Perhaps this isn’t an ideal work lunch (definitely not so if you are heading back to work!). Lucky for me, I was heading home early and indulged in a food-coma induced siesta right after. If only every Sunday could be like this!

Heading to Meat ‘N Fish? Go on, ask for the Mixed Seafood Tagliatelle but tell them to do up the sauce like Tezzy 🙂

Meat ‘N Fish is a Mediterranean restaurant, and is located in M05 – 03, Boxpark (Al Wasl Road, Al Safa, Dubai). For more info, give them a tingle on 04 3430406.