#100DaysofMyDubai – Day Four: From Dubai to London

I’m on a natural high. Literally. It’s like my own version of Yes Man, only in this one, I’m probably going to end up broke and jobless with a “No more storage space” phone. But you know what? The glass is always half full and I’m making up for the lack of memory cards with the gain of stored fats throughout this journey of discovery.

So it’s day four, I’ve just had that eggplant burger from last night, and I can’t stop thinking about where else to eat in Dubai. I know the list is endless and there is an opening every day, but honestly, I’m the kind of person who genuinely doesn’t mind spending a lifetime eating drumsticks from KFC, so anything qualifies as fine dining at this point.

Gastronomy isn’t my thing and I’m in desperate need of guidance, so I called another one of my #100DaysofMyDubai muses.

My childhood best friend and bickering companion @AndrewShaheed has been living in Dubai since uni and knows it inside out. He is also the perfect choice for my daily discovery, as I can totally pull a puppy eyes look on him and convince him to do anything.

Problem is, that isn’t quite true – I keep convincing myself it is, but it isn’t. We’re always bickering about what to do, where to go, what to say, what not to say, who to like, etc. But against all odds – could be The Secret or something – this time we agreed on the same thing: that is, craving really good sushi.

He suggested a restaurant in Mall of the Emirates and it made sense, as we had to stop there to buy a gift for a friend. But I was frustrated and disappointed that eating in a mall wasn’t really the “discovery of the day” that I had imagined.

But the place we were going to intrigued me a little. We all know a hundred million places that branched out of London into Dubai, but this place was the first place that I know that did it the other way around.

@Salmontini Le Resto, you have my attention.

 

 

I always liked homegrown talents, and I liked it even more when I found Beyrouth written on the sign outside the door. It’s really cool to have a Middle Eastern restaurant that doesn’t actually serve Middle Eastern cuisine.

 

 

We walked into the restaurant with a friend who joined us, and as soon as you sit down, you completely forget the fact that you are dining at a mall. This “food court ghost” that haunted me the whole time til we got there disappeared.

Salmontini has a European vibe to it, dark wooden interior and contemporary pieces on the wall with the subtle clinking sounds of wine glasses. (See “Tips & Tricks” below – ridiculously amusing tip in there).

The waiter came and took our orders and I got Salmontini’s “The Plate” – no double pun intended, that’s actually what its called.

 

 

As the plate arrived, it was pretty obvious that salmon is definitely their specialty! And by my fifth bite, I knew that this place now owns me, I am forever loyal. I also tried Andrew’s salad and sushi platter and they were both as good.

Next time: Shrimps ‘A La Provençale’

I’m officially back to my natural high, that Yes Man side of me again. La Maison Du Saumon is a chic venue that has an “exquisite dining experience” aura to it, without it being too niche.

Its uniqueness lies in its dishes as well as the location. I recommend it for first dates. It is intimate and romantic, though I’m not so sure how romantic walking through the mall to get there would be!

From Dubai to London, we wish you, the original Salmontanians Hussni Ajlani, Joe Bassili and Jason Bassili, the best of luck! We are sure that you will woo them the exact way you’ve wooed us.

“The people who give you their food give you their heart.” – Cesar Chavez

* To Andrew, for letting me pick and eat the avocado pieces from his avocado salad.

 

 

Tips & Tricks:

 

• Learn how to clink your wine glasses before you head there (said in the most sarcastic tone there is) with this hilariously true guide that crossed my path today.

 

• If you go there without a reservation and want to kill some time until your table is ready, go shopping. Download the TaskSpotting app for free. It’s quite simple, really. You have a set of tasks, when completed, you receive a cash prize. It also detects your location to give you tasks that are close to you… Shopping was never this easy. #OnlyinDubai

 

 

WE SAID THIS: Catch up on Day Three of Rula’s #100DaysofMyDubai series.