Hell Yeah! A brunch at Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen delivers the classics and more.
When friends Carmen & Adrian invite us to join them for lunch at Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen on Dubai’s Bluewaters Island, it is hard to think of a reason not to. Afterall, Gordon Ramsay’s reputation precedes him in this still relatively new offering located a Caesars Palace.
Drawing inspiration from the reality TV show, this Dubai location aims to serve up the same combination of “show-stopping theatre and world-class cooking as its original Las Vegas location”. Of course there is the signature Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding that you would expect of this upscale dining experience. But the sense of fun and culinary adventure that unfold throughout the afternoon is entirely unexpected.
Entree
We are celebrating a career achievement for Adrian, the rest of us are celebrating making it through another week! The bubbles start flowing as soon as we sit down and before our first tasting board course is delivered I’m onto my second gin fizz.
The little tomato tartlets and strips of frittata make tasty morsels. Before long though our table is covered: shrimp & avocado cocktail; tuna tartare; caesar salad; cheese toasts; superfood salad; wagyu meatballs; lamb roulade; beef brisket toasties; and something that seems like popcorn cauliflower. It is almost too much to take in! We order more cocktails.
It is all utterly delicious but I come back to the tuna tartare. With its perfectly balanced soy-chilli vinaigrette the melt-in-your-mouth tuna is complemented by the crunchy texture of the nori chips. Likewise the shrimps are succulent while the special hk cocktail sauce provides flavor without drowning out the freshness of the seafood and crispness of the salad. The conversation and champagne flow easily.
As the oyster trolley rolls around, Carmen gets chatting to Ryan Behr the establishment’s Assistant Manager. The two strike up a conversation in Afrikaans while I lose myself in the oysters. Ryan clearly has a passion for the industry and his easy manner only works to compliment his utter professionalism.
Thankfully the professionalism seems to extend to the rest of the staff as well as, despite the Red Team/Blue Team theme, there is no visible competition. The host, kitchen, wait and drinks staff all operate seamlessly. There is none of the drama that is attributed to the show. It seems that the only real nod to the show is the open plan kitchen and the delights that stream from it.
I accept a few more oysters before Ryan moves on with the trolley.
Main
This is far, far from what I would call typical ‘British’ dining. Even the signature Beef Wellington does nothing to remind me of anything that I tasted whilst in England. Clearly I was missing something at the time. This dish is every bit a signature. The filet mignon, puff pastry and mushroom duxelles combine into something heavenly. It is carried to my tastebuds floating on a bed of creamy potato purée. Along with the hints of glazed root vegetables and red wine demi-glace it delivers all that was promised and more.
I suddenly regret every meal sourced from Tesco or M&S and vow never to think badly of British cuisine again.
Somewhere during this little daydream the live music has started up and I find myself singing along (in between mouthfuls). The drinks and conversation continue to flow. By now the restaurant is lively and everyone is clearly having a good time.
Dessert
Somewhere after the mains and before dessert there is a lull in the music. Some commotion on stage precedes the appearance of three diners. They have been taken aside and lined up with a protective apron and selection of ingredients. The Eton Mess competition is underway! There are no Ramsay-esqe expletives apparent as the contestants express themselves instead with their (cream) whipping technique and a few flurries of berries and sauce. The winner is unanimously declared by the restaurant’s chef-judges after which the music and our brunching is quickly resumed.
At this point we decide to take some air. We move our little party of four outside into the delightful Dubai afternoon, graciously assisted by our waiter. The bite of the sun has mellowed now and we sit back in satisfied bliss to enjoy each other’s company and the band’s last set.
By the time dessert arrives for real I can barely squeeze in the sumptuous sticky toffee pudding (with speculoos ice cream). Similarly there is a delectable honeycomb cheesecake. When it comes to the three tiered stack of sweet delights I decide it deserves a separate afternoon to really do it justice. Still, somehow I manage to top the whole thing off with an espresso martini…the very definition of fun and culinary adventure combined.
Good To Know
Hell’s Kitchen offers all the favourites and more on their a la carte menu but why force yourself to choose? Best to indulge in the Hellicious Bruch option available every Friday 12:30 – 15:30 and Saturday 13:00 – 15:30. Bookings recommended.
Would I Return?
Hell yeah!
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