“A mysterious pop up experience awaits you in this converted Al Quoz warehouse. As the sun sets walk down a garden lane to find a red door. Inside discover a romantic garden with Moroccan lounge furniture and candle lit tables. Watch our chefs prepare our special Ramadan menu in our unique open plan show kitchen.” – Dish Catering Dubai.
Established in Dubai over 9 years ago, Dish Catering is a unique catering and events management concept that received phenomenal reviews for their very first stint at Iftars last Ramadan.
Their Iftars are back this year from Friday 26th May right on till the end of Ramadan. This second edition will be hosted at Warehouse Four, Al Quoz. We got a taste of what is in store this year at yet another fun-filled blogger-managed event hosted by the lovely Monica Kapila of the DoInDubai.com blog.
Monica generously welcomed us into her beautiful home, where an immaculately set table awaited us. Dish Catering not only caters to the food that is served, but the overall experience itself. The gorgeous Moroccan-inspired furniture was hired by none other than Innovate Hiring (click here for more on them!).
The three-course Iftar meal was conceptualized and created by the very talented Australian Chef Ryan. Taking inspiration from Arabesque Iftar traditions yet serving each dish with an exceptionally modern twist, the Dish Catering Iftar menu can be described as contemporary at best.
We were then served wholesome bowls of Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup. This soup was moreishly thick, drizzled with rare Argan oil, and topped with flakes of almond and chili.
As is customary, the Iftar meal commenced with a serving of exquisite dates. As a fasting Muslim, I know the importance of liquids right after the fast is broken. We were served three very refreshing drinks; one was a Lychee Juice, another a Mediterranean Rose, but my favorite was their Fresh Green Apple blended with cucumber, lemon juice, and the exotic scents of elder flower and basil.
For starters, we were treated to a range of very delicious salads and dips. Move over ordinary Hummus, Dish Catering ups the game by serving Green Olive Hummus blended with pistachio, sesame and olive oil. The flavors are still so Mediterranean, yet so astoundingly different all at once!
Love Falafels? At the Dish Catering Iftar, these get used as croutons in a salad! The torn bits of crunchy falafel added texture to the Fried Cauliflower Salad which included a toss-up of pine nuts and sumac in a decadently thick tahini dressing.
I am a huge fan of beetroot, so its no surprise that my favorite salad from the night was their Salt-Baked Beetroot Salad featuring zaatar, sesame, mint and a harissa labneh. The beetroot takes on an enticingly nutty flavor that had me forking in for more and more.
The third salad served was a Green Bean Salad with grilled peach for fruity sweetness, rocket leaves, and a very Mediterranean orange blossom dressing. I loved how the beans still had crunch, and who would have thought pairing beans with peach would be a great idea?!
If you’ve been reading my food posts regularly, you know I love my salmon and absolutely detest it when its over-cooked. One of the dishes from the night was a Tarator Style Salmon. The salmon has been poached in water and marinated with fresh coriander and fennel, and garnished with walnut and radish. I am not exaggerating when I say this has to be one of the best salmon dishes I’ve ever had! Beautifully cooked to tender softness, the salmon literally melts on the palate and the subtle flavor of the herbs accentuates the experience.
Another unique main-course dish was their Charcoal Chicken. Marinated in rose water, skewered, baked and finished off with brushes of sour pomegranate syrup, these chicken morsels are so loaded with rose flavor that it almost overpowers the actual taste of chicken. Many of my blogger friends loved it, but it was a little too floral for my liking.
The unanimous favorite across the table was Dish Catering’s Slow Braised Shoulder of Lamb. A clever retake on the Ramadan Lamb Ouzi essential, this lamb dish was succulently soft, beautifully flavorful with a mix of Middle Eastern spices, and the scented pilaf it sat on added to the moreish goodness of the dish. Chef Ryan tells us this lamb has been cooking for a good 5 hours, and that they always choose a premium cut of lamb to ensure the meat is deliciously tender. You really have to try this one to believe it.
What is a meal without dessert? We ended our pop-up Iftar experience with two very different sweet treats. There was a Citrus Mousse with pink grapefruit curd, caramelized pink grapefruit, pomelo and shards of citrus meringue. Most of us agreed this one was a tad too sour to pass as dessert. The overall favorite was the Milk Chocolate & Coconut Cremeux. Made to resemble a coconut that needs to be dramatically smashed open with the dessert spoon, the Indian in me thought it looked more like a giant Gulab Jamun! But it tasted nothing like its Indian look-alike. This decadent treat consists of coconut chips, chocolate soil, a mild tang of passion fruit and a creamy vanilla compote. Worth every spoonful!
We ended our meal with piping hot cups of tea and coffee, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Apart from the beautiful setup and very clever lineup of contemporary Iftar dishes, the service provided by Dish Catering is absolutely immaculate. The table looks enticingly welcoming, the staff make it a point to go around serving the guests and passing the food around, and this makes the whole communal feel of Ramadan and dining together all the more magical.
If you are interested in booking a table with your friends and family at the Dish Catering Ramadan Nights at Warehouse Four (Al Quoz, Dubai) this Ramadan, drop them a line on info@dish.ae or call +971 56 128 3247. The Dish Catering Ramadan Nights costs AED 195 per person. Bon apetit! #dishramadannights
Check out what my fellow blogger friends had to say about the experience:
- What Nossy Ate
- Mark My World
- Megsblogged
- Annika Panniker
- DineOutDubai
- Big Food Boy
- Engineer With Flair
- One Latte Please
The Tezzy Files 