Planning an intimate evening out with a set of close friends? Make the most of the beautifully balmy weather by booking a table on the open roof-top terrace at newly opened Fumo Lounge by Rosso at Amwaj Rotana (JBR, Dubai).
We got there a little past 9 last Thursday. The haloed yellow lighting, the swaying palm trees and an open bar created the perfect, chilled out ambiance I was craving after a long, stressful week of work.
We seated ourselves on the cushy couches, and were served a long lineup on enticing nibbles. The menu is predominantly fusion-Mediterranean. While many fusion cuisines can fall flat from the original, Fumo surprised us with quite a few innovative dishes.
The mezze round included Hummus Pistachio, Avocado Baba Ghanoush, Toasted Pumpkin & Tahina Puree and Frikih-Quinoa. Each combination proved to be delicious, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be the Hummus Pistachio.
Sure, many are doing hummus in a variety of mixes. I’ve had beetroot hummus, and pumpkin hummus, yet this creamy, rather nutty pale green pistachio version now tops my list.
We also had a Chicken Falafel drizzled with tahina, and a side of traditional Arabic pickles. Although the outer crunch was in sync with what we’ve come to expect of the much-loved Araic lentil patty, this tasted more like a commercial chicken nugget to me.
The Prawn Tempura with a side of wasabi mayo was the more preferred crunchy appetizer on our table.
Next came a round of sashimi and sushi. There was Hamachi (featuring tuna, salmon, ebi, crab and wasabiko), a very enticing Crunchy Soft Shell Crab (with unagi and a hit of sriracha mayo), and my favorite… the Screaming Salmon with kimchi and chili-ponzu.
Continuing on the Mediterranean theme, along came a flatbread topped with Sujuk. Sujuk is my all-time favorite variety of Mediterranean sausage, and is traditionally served in a sour pomegranate gravy. As a twist, Fumo serves it baked on flatbread (a fancy pizza of sorts). The idea is brilliant given it makes eating Sujuk so much easier when laid back in cushy arm-chairs. However, I found these to be a tad too salty for my liking.
Thankfully they have an excellent lineup of drinks here! We discovered a very fruity, refreshing Italian red wine by the name of Terre Allegre Sangiovese. This goes exceptionally well with the meaty dishes that were coming up next.
The mixed grills at Fumo feature some of the finest from the land and sea. This mixed platter for four includes kebab kofta, lamb loin, lamb chops, shish taouk and jumbo prawns. My favorites include the decadently soft, spicy kebab koftas and the ‘melt in the mouth’ shish taouk.
The dessert round featured a Chocolate Lava Cake which my dessert-detesting husband promptly polished off, and a very crisp, crunchy, cheese-filled Kunafa served with a fragrant acacia honey syrup.
We drowned all this yumminess with piping hot glasses of minted Moroccan tea.
Absolutely satiated with a decadent lineup of yumminess, we lounged on our very comfortable couches with shisha pipes in hand. Mr. Mohammed, the man behind all the shisha management at Fumo, even gave my shisha-loving husband a mini tour of his facilities and a crash-course on getting the shisha started at home!
Here is a photo of the four of us, happily puffing out smogs of shisha. This was clicked by Restaurant Manager Mr. Shine who proved to be an excellent host and an immaculate photographer. The service here is topnotch; the staff are very friendly and well-versed with the menu options.
Fumo Lounge by Rosso has opened its doors under a month ago, and therefore doesn’t have the mad weekend rush most shisha lounges do. If you are after a quiet, chilled out evening puffing shisha and feasting with friends and family, Fumo Lounge by Rosso is the place to be. Make the most of this gorgeously breezy weather, and call 04 428 2000 for a booking today.
The Tezzy Files 