The foodie scene of Dubai is fast evolving, and new players are introduced into the market every month. Yet only a handful can bashfully say they’ve been around for over a decade. Golden Dragon goes well past that milestone, having opened shop in Oud Metha (Dubai) as far back as 1976.
Originally an Indo-Chinese restaurant, Golden Dragon has recently revamped their menu to include more pan-Asian flavors to entice a wider set of diners. The new menu includes delectable wok-tossed dishes, soulful Thai soups, and a long lineup of interesting Dim Sums.
“We are very happy to announce our new menu for our customers to enjoy the traditional Pan-Asian flavors. With our talented chefs, Golden Dragon offers a delectable collection of dishes that explode in flavor. Some of the dishes from our new menu such as the Dragon Chilly Dry Sizzler and Thai Curry with Chicken tossed in the traditional wok, are mouth-watering specials of our menu. With the contemporary dishes in our menu, we wish to bring the culinary culture of Asia to the UAE with a modern ambience at the restaurant.” – Mr. K. Muraleedharan, Chairman & Managing Director, SFC Group
We were invited for a tasting of the new menu last week, and have been raving about their food ever since.
We started off with refreshing sips of their Tom Yum Coolers, a lemon-based mocktail muddled with lemongrass and galangal. Then came bowls of the ever-popular Tom Yum soup, deep red and brimming with the exotic aromas of Thai herbs.
My husband is a Thai soup connoisseur of sorts. He experiments with soups at home, and has a mental list of restaurants that tick the mark for him. This Tom Yum soup at Golden Dragon is the newest entrant on his coveted list.
And then there were the Dim Sums. We had an interesting assortment of Chicken, Seafood and Water Chestnut and Char Sui Bao. It’s hard to pick a favorite, and I loved these dunked in the spicy chili paste that came on the side.
From the deep-fried appetizers, my favorites included the Coco Prawns (butterflied prawns in a crisp, golden-brown coconut coating), the Spicy Fried Calamari (crunchy bites of calamari sprinkled with chili and salt) and the Paneer Chili (Indian cottage cheese marinated in Indo-Chinese style spices).
From the mains, I would highly recommend Golden Dragon’s sinfully creamy, aromatic Thai Red Curry Prawns. I could even have this sans prawns! The coconut cream gravy base is to die for, and went beautifully well with the Dragon Fried Rice.
If you love fried rice, the Yang Zhou Fried Rice is a must-try. Topped with succulent pieces of boneless chicken and wok-tossed vegetables, this bowl can easily be a meal on its own.
For desserts, we were served Nutella & Pretzel Crispy Wantons, Caramelized Banana Spring Rolls, and our favorite, the Molten Chocolate Cake.
Overall, we had a wonderful evening at Golden Dragon. The interiors are spaciously inviting and decorated with the typical reds, golds and ceremonial lanterns of the Far East.
The staff are warm, welcoming and well informed about the menu offerings, and above all, the food here is absolutely delicious. The portion sizes are generously large, and the average price for a meal for two sits at a very reasonable AED 120.
It comes as no surprise on how they’ve kept going for over 40 years, and I will surely be revisiting soon.
Bargain Alert! Enjoy unlimited Dim Sums with stir-fried rice or noodles and steaming hot cups of green tea for as little as AED 59 per person! For more information visit www.goldendragonme.com
The Tezzy Files 