Modi Georgian Restaurant: a new cuisine for Dubai
Dubai now boasts its first licensed Georgian restaurant, and, arguably, the first establishment here dedicated to this rich and fragrant cuisine. We have had the odd café serving food from across the Caucasus region for a little while. Modi, which means ‘welcome’ in Georgian, has opened on the 31st floor of Sofitel Dubai Downtown and our window table, which I request on booking, enjoys Sheikh Zayed views.
The large 150-cover restaurant is divided into three sections – the first dining area (pictured right) as you enter is the most thoughtful and charismatic. Eye-catching modern Georgian art graces lime green and taupe walls. So striking, I even request to buy this painting pictured below. Sadly, above my budget. Headless mannequins greet us dressed in sombre Georgian costume. Tables are laid with folkloric tablecloth, whilst the other two sections have stark white linen. A live band blares out folkloric organ music – all to the tune of dancing Georgian waiters. Sounds kitsch, doesn’t it? Indeed it is, but the décor and atmosphere transport me to what I can imagine is a Georgian restaurant – a breath of fresh air, aka normality, in a city where slick over-designed restaurants rule.
Georgian painting by George Gagoshidze
Georgia is home to one of the world’s most ancient wine making cultures – around 500 of the world’s 2,000 grape varieties are Georgian and over 30 are still used in commercial production. So I am delighted to spot Georgian wine on a Dubai wine list – admittedly a poor paper print out – with six choices across white and red. Chateau Mukhrani’s Saperavi is the country’s popular varietal – a rich, fruity wine with abundant body and velvety tannins. Absolutely wonderful. AED75 by the glass or AED300 a bottle that is pricey, especially since the non-Georgian wines are considerably cheaper – but it is a special import I expect.
I spend hours researching Modi’s online menu and Georgian cuisine to familiarise myself with this intriguing food culture, something I have only indulged in a couple of times on visits to Russia. Interestingly, savoury Georgian pastries are placed at the back of the menu, alongside desserts – but these are served pretty early on.
Khachapuri has to be Georgia’s most famous and most Instragrammable dish. Essentially a cheese bread that comes in all shapes and sizes. Modi serves two regional varieties – Imeruli – and Penovani – but, disappointingly, they don’t have Acharuli which is the most renowned – the canoe-shaped bread (like Ruya’s pide) overflowing with molten cheese and a runny egg. Our Georgian waiter explains every diner has been demanding it, so, hopefully, we will see it on the menu soon. In the meantime, you won’t go wrong ordering the Penovani, a large filo pastry pie layered with sulguni, a cow’s milk cheese that tastes like a cross between Gouda and mozzarella. A wonderfully buttery and calorific dish. The portion is enough to feed eight, so we bring some home for brekkie the following day.
Khinkali dumplings are another traditional dish – pleated and filled with meat. I order the calf and lamb mix, which is hugely fragrant with a chilli kick. The steamed dough doesn’t look very appealing, yet it’s very juicy. I would welcome a dip though; perhaps some of their tomato ‘satsebeli’ sauce. Traditionalists, like the couple nearby, pick up the topknot with their fingers, fold in half and eat. You’re meant to discard the knot, but that’s a waste, in my opinion!
From the veggie starter section, I am torn between two choices, and our waiter confidently indicates his preference. Badrijani nigvsit it is. Fried mini Asian eggplants are stuffed with a garlicky walnut paste – a Georgian version of ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers. Gorgeous gems of goodness. The cranberries add a lovely tart flavour.
On to mains, the qatmis ghvidzlis yaurma is a chicken liver dish, which I request seared medium, and that’s how it rocks up. Nothing’s worse than over-cooked liver. An unctuous plum sauce makes this dish super moreish, with lots of texture from the pomegranates and fresh herbs.
A section of the menu is dedicated to organic Georgian charcoal grilled meats ‘mtsvadi’. I order the calf fillet for something different and because our waiter seconds it, but, surprisingly for calf, the kebabs are quite chewy. In contrast with the other plates, a small-ish portion too. Consideration has been given to the plating with oak platters, wooden boards and bowls, to copper saucepans – but, thankfully, we eat on white china plates (in case you are a proponent of the #wewantplates movement).
The hugely authentic desserts include churchkhela which looks like knobbly candles made from grape juice and walnuts. We have something similar in Cyprus called ‘soujouko’. Perhaps I will leave room next time for this very sweet ending.
The service from the Georgian dancing waiters in traditional costume is excellent and intuitive. They are keen to offer recommendations and to authoritatively guide our choices. My only bug bearer is a “where are you from?” question when I call to reserve. To which I ask, “why do you need to know?” and he innocently explains his query is just down to intrigue. I don’t think they are expecting to host many non-Georgians, given the restaurant seems to be occupied with natives (on a Friday evening). Always a good sign though. And probably partly down to the value-for-money price point at AED170 per person based on three courses without alcohol.
I haven’t been so excited in a while about a new Dubai restaurant opening. It’s refreshing to see a new cuisine represented here, and one that honours its heritage so well. Modi is somewhere I will definitely return to, in particular with visitors in town. There’s no need to fly to Tbilisi for a taste of Georgia, even though the capital has now sky rocketed to the top of my bucket list (after my trip to Romania next week). Here’s to a high four out of five FooDiva knife rating.
What other Georgian dishes would you recommend?
A bientôt.
FooDiva. x
No comments yet