Is Chingón too cool for its own good?

Chingón promises to take Dubai’s dining scene by storm, but the closest it comes, is the actual storm raging outside the Grand Millennium Hotel in Business Bay. Chingón, which is slang for ‘cool’, is the latest modern Mexican restaurant to open here, and promises a farm-to-plate experience from the hotel’s rooftop. Sadly, we do not get to see any views from the rooftop setting, because the restaurant calls us (after initially confirming our reservation) to advise that we must eat in the lounge due to a private party.

The atmosphere is quiet with only one other table in the lounge, but a decent playlist at an appropriate volume partly makes up for it. The interior looks kind of unfinished; an uber-cool bar resplendent with skulls and flames represents what Chingón wants to be, but purple velour sofas and wood panelling sit at odds with the rest of the decor. Still, an empty restaurant is a reviewer’s delight, allowing us to select the perfect table to observe the flow of the evening.

The service matches the interior in that it looks good, but does not quite achieve what one expects. Yes, it is kind of cool to take my order without writing it down, but no, it is most definitely not cool to forget a dish. Confident upselling encourages a change of dish, but the new dish is the one that we like the least. Chingón’s menu is designed for a sharing meal of smaller dishes, as you would expect, but the prices prevent you from choosing as many as you may desire. If a supposed new Dubai trend of modern Mexican eateries is going to survive, it has to be smoother than this experience.

We order three dishes to share as starters but only two arrive; the upsold tuna tiradito that should be fresh and light, is actually overpowered by jalapeño. When we feed this back to the waitress, she argues that we do not like “hot/ spicy” food, which is not the case. I simply cannot taste the other ingredients on the plate, when the jalapeno is on the fork. The duck carnitas are excellent soft tacos with a harmony of flavours – including jalapeño – and perfect for sharing. The expected Chingón fuego prawns do not arrive.

We mention the lack of prawns as our main courses are served, and we are given the option to either skip them, or have them belatedly with the mains. We choose the latter. When we get the bill, we can see that the third starter is not added until after the main courses. The prawns are slightly overcooked, and the accompanying yuzu-based dip is a touch too tangy. Yuzu is a dangerous ingredient and requires a gentle touch that is not quite perfected on this occasion.

Each time we give feedback, a manager, chef or waiter looks in our direction, but with no attempt to speak to us. Surely, missing courses and disappointed customers deserve an opportunity to discuss further? The best restaurants in Dubai do this on any given day. A charm offensive is all that is required. There is only one other table to tend to, which gives ample opportunity for customer service to kick in.

The main course of grilled Wagyu striploin is perfectly cooked medium-rare – as it should be for AED455 – and is dressed with a coriander chimichurri, but as is so common these days, lacks other accompaniments to make it a complete dish. I want chefs to put things on the plate that elevate the protein, using their undoubted skill and knowledge. There are very few ‘sides’ to choose from, and we purposely avoid the AED95 burrata salad as suggested. The braised lamb shank is reasonably priced. Coated in a miso sauce, the shank is slightly overcooked and a touch dry. We try to eat as much as possible of the lamb with the sauce, but end up leaving some behind.

Desserts are excellent. Spicy, sugary, crunchy churros are impeccably fried and generously portioned; the only improvement would be the addition of another dip to accompany the dulce de leche. Maybe I am being greedy. The horchata custard is the dish of the night and proves me wrong. I predict that vanilla, lemon and pumpkin are too many flavours for this crème brûlée-style dish, but it works so well and has us both scraping the bowl to finish. The sweetcorn ice cream that accompanies the dish is an example of how good a complete plate of food can be.

Overall, I think Chingón may end up becoming a vibrant nightspot that happens to serve food, but I struggle to see how a price point of AED510 per head (without alcohol) would bring back repeated customers on food alone. The price can be reduced by ordering an AED110 cauliflower main, but then it can go the other way, with the ‘famous’ gold leaf taco appetiser for AED115.

The location cannot match the beauty of other Dubai nightspots, and the service from managers to kitchen staff to floor teams would benefit from a touch of care and humility. After all, the restaurant has just opened and a basic customer engagement strategy would help the team improve the dining experience. This is reflected in our decision to not tip – only the second time I have not tipped in the past eight years – and I also share FooDiva’s views on this matter. Staggeringly, to make matters worse, the waitress actually tells me to tip and appears annoyed when I decline. With all this in mind, Chingón scores a low 2.5 out of five FooDiva knife rating.

The burning question all the way home is what would other diners order from the menu given the high prices? Or is that one reason why it is quiet? Have you been to Chingón as a paying guest – and if so, what did you order?

Matt Broderick

Who is guest reviewer Matt? A married man with an obsession for French wine and food, he loves nothing more than trying new restaurants and dishes with his wife and friends. Travel plans are always made around food and he can remember what he was doing on any given day by recalling the meal that he ate. His favourite chefs are Liz Stevenson, Reif Othman and Tommy Banks. You can follow him on Instagram @finediningmatt

Related posts:

Peyote Dubai: a flirtation or a relationship with Mexican cuisine? Tasca by chef José Avillez: why first impressions count La Tablita: a new Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant for Dubai? Does Muchachas have to be a true Mexican cantina? Does the Mexican food at Luchador match the view?