Hubby and I are ardent Thai cuisine lovers and thought we knew of every major Thai restaurant in Dubai. And then I get an invite for Fuchsia, Business Bay Dubai’s newest foodie hub. But it turns out Fuchsia isn’t new at all… their first branch in Barsha has rave ratings from regulars on Zomato, and it looks like we’ve been missing out on this ‘not so secret’ secret!
Fuchsia is a family-owned business, conceptualized and created by a Pakistani father and daughter duo. They are already operational in Lahore and Karachi, and after their Dubai venture in Barsha turned out to be a major success, it was time to open a second door, this time in Business Bay.
We visited the brand new branch at Business Bay (First Floor, Bay Square Building 4) last night, and absolutely loved the experience! From the neon lighting at the front facade to the spunky spacious interiors, Fuchsia is every bit the modern Thai bistro experience it promises to be.
I was quite excited to see Iced Red Tea on the menu. I haven’t seen this anywhere else in Dubai. They even have a Green Tea version with tapioca balls. We decided to try both, and my little munchkin went for fresh coconut water.
The Red Iced Tea has a more pronounced tea-leaf flavor whereas the Green Tea version is more subtle and has a faint near-floral scent.
How cute is the branded coconut shell?! After all the water was finished, the staff cut open the shell, and we feasted on the coconut meat. #EatFuchsia
The Fuchsia menu lists many of the well-known Thai favorites, but their key selling point is their stance at freshness. Every dish is prepared on a daily basis, and they stay clear from using ready mixes. Everything here is made from scratch and best of all, if you are watching the calories or have any dietary restrictions, Fuchsia can modify their dishes to be gluten-free and light.
For our starters round, we had to have a bowl of Tom Yum. It is, after all, the barometer of testing a Thai restaurant’s ability at balancing the delicate flavors of hot and sour. My husband is the biggest critic. He makes Thai dishes at home all the time, and is especially particular about his Tom Yum soup.
I waited with abated breath, prepared for an onslaught of criticism. However, to my surprise, Hubby’s features settled into an absolute look of nirvana. He even called back our server to proclaim the Fuchsia Tom Yum soup is probably the best he’s had till date in Dubai!
We had a platter of crisp, golden Prawn Tempuras, which my little 5 year-old absolutely loved. It comes with a sweet chili sauce on the side, and is a perfect appetizer to have on the side with Tom Yum soup.
Fuchsia also does Satay. We couldn’t makeup our minds if we wanted Chicken or Beef, so we were presented a sample of both. I absolutely love Satay, and like the Thai Teas, this too is not very easily found on menus in Dubai.
These Satay skewers are beautifully flavorsome and tender, and don’t even get me started on that Satay sauce on the side! Sweet, nutty and textured with a hint of crunch, I could easily have this Satay sauce over everything I eat!
We also tried one of Fuchsia’s healthy appetizer options. This is their Spicy Quinoa Salad, a delicious toss-up of red quinoa, Thai seasonings, shredded vegetables and the crunch of white onion. It’s flavor composition is very similar to one of my favorite Thai salads, the Laab Chicken Salad, yet it is far more forgiving on the calories front. Do try it for yourself.
For our mains, I was adamant I wanted to try their Green Curry. Every positive review on Zomato recommended it. I went for Chicken Green Curry and was mighty impressed. First off, its very different from the extra creamy variety we often get served at Thia restaurants in Dubai. Here the gravy is more broth-like, fluid and flowing yet bursting with a play of flavorful goodness. The chicken pieces went unnoticed because all I was interested in was this soulfully comforting broth. So wholesome, so beautifully scented and so, so very delicious.
My husband asked for his favorite Thai stir-fried noodle dish, the Paad Kee Mao. Translating to ‘drunken noodles’ for the mere fact that the recipe calls for so much chili that it guarantees knocking back the senses of the highly intoxicated, many places take this literally and make the chili heat so overbearingly powerful that the subtle hints of exotic Thai herbs get overshadowed. Not so at Fuchsia. The noodles were still very spicy, yet we could taste the aroma of Thai Basil, enjoy the crunch of perfectly wok-tossed vegetables, and the noodles themselves were perfectly soft and moreish without being cloggy and stuck together. After the Tom Yum, this was yet another big tick of approval for Hubby.
We were also served Fuchsia’s signature Short Ribs Masaman Curry. If you are a fan of Satay flavor, this is an absolute must-try. The beef was absolutely moist and had that ‘melt in the mouth’ texture that makes you reach out for more. The curry includes potatoes, elevating it to ‘comfort food’ status. Hubby found this a tad bit too sweet for his liking, so lucky me… I had the major portion of this bowl 🙂
Ending on a sweet note, I opted for a Thai favorite… Mango with Sticky Rice. The mango slices were deliciously ripe and sweet, and I really enjoyed this indulgent coconut-cream laden treat.
My daughter was served Hazelnut Spring Rolls with Lychee Ice-Cream. These rolls are filled with melted praline chocolate that just oozes out with every bite. The delicately scented ice-cream acts as a respite from all that richness, and the combination of the two is all at once exotic and new-age at the same time. A perfect ode to ‘Urban Thai’ cuisine.
Looks like Fuchsia will soon be one of our most visited Thai haunts! Absolutely loved everything we were served, and the very chic, casual ambiance makes it a great place to hang out with friends and family. The dishes are reasonably priced and made from scratch, and they can even turn your favorites into calorie-friendly and gluten-free!
The staff tell me the restaurant is named after the hues of Thailand’s famous florals, but in my opinion it has more to do with the satiating feeling you get when you finally find a restaurant serving exceptionally good, authentic Thai food… I was absolutely tickled pink (fuchsia)!
I visited the Fuchsia branch at Business Bay. They are located on the 1st floor of Bay Square Building 4. For parking, I suggest you drive into the basement parking of Building 3.
The Tezzy Files 