Does Carine bring the French riviera to Dubai?
Does one have to understand art to appreciate it or can one just look at a masterpiece and say – wow? How about assessing culinary artwork? Likely some familiarity with the quality of ingredients does help in better appreciation of what sits on the plate. So, when Izu Ani, one of Dubai’s chef heroes, explains the subtleties of his humble bread dipped in olive oil and vinegar, my fellow diners and I ponder whether we would appreciate this start to our meal less, had he not enlightened us with specific attributes and origins of the ingredients.
Carine is Izu’s latest consultancy venture after highly successful creations La Petite Maison Dubai and La Serre – both of which he is no longer involved with – followed by new age Lighthouse where he is a partner, and another consultancy agreement with Izu Brasserie. Tucked away in the sprawling Emirates Golf Club where Le Classique held fort for 29 years, Carine, named after Izu’s wife, has a dedicated entrance and offers a selection of his signature and new French-Mediterranean creations.
The dining room is brightly lit with modern casual bistro-like furniture – no starched linens, just simple runners. There are two large outdoor dining terraces. The lighting outside is very dim compared to indoors. I debate for a while whether to compromise sitting inside on a solo table for better photos, or soak up the beautiful breeze outside that blends lively multilingual chatter with the clink of cutlery. I opt for the latter.
Izu is in the kitchen tonight and talks about his tutelage under the likes of Jacques Chibois at two Michelin star La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse (where we happen to have dined recently), and the contrast with more engineered food at Basque restaurants Arzak and Mugaritz, realising that he wanted to stick to classic, simple fare. The focus is on high quality ingredients cooked the right way, allowing natural flavours to shine. The olive oil from the bread dip hails from his own olive tree grove in Greece; the lemons from Italy; the salmon is smoked in-house; and the home-made pain de campagne (French sourdough) is special as it sits lightly on the stomach.
The cocktail list flaunts some home-aged concoctions and we venture for the new age boulevardier and the mule. The former turns out quite original with deep flavours of bourbon, Campari and bitters.
Guided by the chef and driven by our hunger we order several starters. The tarte flambée, a traditional Alsatian flatbread is a comforting mix of sweet caramelised onions, sliced cherry tomatoes and sour cream on a thin crisp baked pita-like tart, a light but scrumptious prelude to what follows. The beetroot salad is a well-balanced offering of sweet and succulent beetroot chunks with salty chèvre and pistachios. The panzanella salad is a house specialty. Whilst inspired by the classic Tuscan bread salad, Izu’s version appears way more creative – a slab of moist mozzarella atop crunchy bread ‘rusks’ with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions sandwiched in between – a delicious, flavoursome dish.
A side dish of ratatouille appears different from the Provençal version where one can see reduced juices from the cooked vegetables. Here what we eat appears more like sautéed vegetables, dominated by large onion petals and peppers. Thanks to my vegetarian wife, we complete the streak of vegetarian starters with a second side dish, a potato gratin (aka Dauphinoise) with soft melting potatoes and stretchy cooked cheese drowning (in a good way) all the flavours that have gathered on my palate so far.
Moving on to mains, the truffle rigatoni is a beautifully executed classic with the right consistency of cheese and truffle shavings coating perfectly al dente rigatoni. The grilled sea bass is served in a hot skillet and is on point. The fish fillet sits on a bed of tomato sauce and vegetables with sprinkled herbs, along with a side of sumac-infused rice. A spoonful of all these ingredients together will transport you to the French riviera. Lamb cutlets are well presented on a pita bread moist with jus. These are slightly caramelised, whilst spicy eggplant makes it somewhat different in flavour from a traditional seared cutlet with mint chutney. The grilled ribeye is a heavy 400g offering garnished with padron peppers and garlic flakes. We request the steak medium-well done (which in Dubai typically translates to medium) but what arrives is indeed what we order. Mediterranean spices on the grill may have further darkened the beef, whilst the spices and herbs feel a little overcooked on the palate. However, once sliced through, the meat is juicy and exquisite with the spices having seeped through the melted marbling.
We have indeed eaten more than our fill but how can we not indulge in the much-touted tarte tatin (easily shared between not just two, but four) that we have to pre-order with the starters. I must say that this is so much more full-bodied, juicy and caramelised than any tarte tatin I have ever indulged in. The chef sends a sampler of some other desserts, but we are too full to do justice to these.
Service is prompt and smooth on a relatively quiet Sunday night with some specific tips from the waiter on items off-menu that could be ordered. I will be curious to see how Carine manages once all the dining areas open up and occupancy increases, hopefully.
At AED328 per person based on three courses each without alcohol, it seems a little expensive for simple fare, however the rib eye at AED280 skews the average upwards. That said, with one of Dubai’s top chefs in attendance, a gorgeous al fresco setting, attentive service and honest, tasty French-Med food, I will return to Carine. Here’s to four out of five FooDiva knives.
Does some familiarity with the quality of ingredients help you better appreciate a dish, or not?
AK.
Who is FooDiva’s anon guest reviewer? AK is an avid gastronaut who thinks that a day without a good meal is a day wasted. He has travelled the world exploring culinary delights, including a treasured dinner at El Bulli. He works as an investment banker in Dubai.
No comments yet