Love crab, but a little wary of the apron-clad hammering massacre scene? Brand new fine-dining destination Crab Market is a culinary haven for Dubai seafood lovers.
Located on the 15th floor Emirates Financial Towers (North Tower) in DIFC Dubai, the expansive new space boasts of panoramic views of the city, including the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Frame. The interiors are tastefully topnotch with starch-white linen, plush sofas a dedicated glass room for specialty wines, and a smorgasbord of delectable fresh seafood sitting on pristine ice right at the front.
They even have live crab in the tanks, and if you so wish, you can even have a go at fishing out your catch of the day with the automated mini forklifts.
The service here is exceptionally good, and we were hosted by the very friendly Gary who was not only very well-versed with the menu offerings, but also managed to pick distinctively different drinks for the husband and I, all appealing to our very individual tastes.
Crab Market has a number of specialty seafood offerings that are rarely found on menus across our city. The star dish here is the very sought-after Russian Kamchatka crab.
“The red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, also called Kamchatka crab or Alaskan king crab, is a species of king crab native to the Bering Sea. It grows to a leg span of 1.8m, and is heavily targeted by fisheries.” – Wikipedia.
Kamchatka is to crab what wagyu is to beef, and boy does it have long legs!
We started our meal with a refreshing amuse bouche of fresh watermelon cubes soaked in raspberry juice. This was followed by an assorted bread-basket with herb butter on the side.
Next came a generously large assortment of fresh oysters from different parts of the world. We had these with generous spurts of Tabasco, and my favorite was the very plump, juicy Mediterranean oysters.
Next came a serving of Tuna Tarter, sitting on a bed of zesty avocado. This was one of my favorites from the night. Loved the combination of raw tuna with creamy, soft avocado.
We also had a serving of Scallops Carpaccio, very delicately sliced slivers of premium-quality scallops topped with Yuzu snow.
For our main-course, we had to try a serving of the very coveted Kamchatka. The long legs look so intimidating, but they sure plate it up well at Crab Market! The crab meat of the Kamchatka is so smokey-flavorful, and has to be the best crab I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. No wonder its such a besotted catch.
We were also served a plateful of Carabineros (a deep-sea cardinal shrimp from Spain), stir-fried in a moreishly spiced semi-dry gravy. This went down well, scooped up with the freshly baked breads.
At Crab Market, seafood is not their only specialty. They also do some amazing cocktails. My husband loved their Smokey Contessa, a smoke-infused version of the very famous Bostonian concoction, complete with a Crab Market branded zest.
If you are a Moscow Mule fan, you might want to give Crab Market’s Mediterranean Mule a go. This popular cocktail has been revamped with a more citric base, however I personally would have liked it with a bit more of that good old ginger hit.
My favorite cocktail here was the Ginger Daisy, a heady mix of ginger with a fruity base (bet you can tell I like a hint of ginger in my drinks!).
If you plan to stay sober, an interesting mocktail to try here is the Mocking Bird (mocktail… mocking bird, get the pun?!). This creamy drink is very similar to a virgin pina colada, with an added bite of green apple freshness.
Ending on a sweet note, we absolutely loved the Mango Panna Cotta at Crab Market. It was so deliciously fresh, and you can actually taste the characteristic juiciness of ripe mango.
If you are a chocoholic, the Chocolate Mousse at Crab Market is for you. Made of premium dark Valrhona chocolate, the mousse is as densely chocolate as it gets, and the presentation is pretty spectacular to boot.
Overall, Crab Market proved to be a uniquely memorable experience. This fine-dining concept, complete with spectacular views and immaculate service, is a wee slice of heaven for serious seafood connoisseurs. I got my very first taste of Kamchatka here, and know for sure that I will be back for more. Bon apetit.
Crab Market is located on the 15th Floor of Emirates Financial Towers, North Tower, DIFC, Dubai. The restaurant is operational daily from 7 pm to 12 midnight. For bookings and more inquiries, give them a call on 04 5645525.
The Tezzy Files 