A bientôt Chez Wam
I knew my cover would be blown. An open-plan kitchen with the chef patron on the pass in full view is a dead giveaway. However, I insist on paying the bill – hence you’re reading this review. Otherwise, what a waste of both my time and the restaurant’s. Chez Wam is the baby of French chef Hadrien Villedieu, who made a rather good name for himself with contemporary cooking at Inked. Named after the French slang for chez moi, Chez Wam is Hadrien’s new playground for modern French cooking with a nod to Japanese influences. This homegrown licensed concept by leading Dubai restaurant group, Rikas, sits atop the St Regis Gardens Palm Jumeirah (next to Tresind Studio).
Just over a month into opening, we arrive for a 7pm Saturday booking, and we are the only diners for a wee while. With the reservation under a pseudonym, initially, I am not recognised. In a welcome change from the norm, we are asked to choose our table, and we opt for window seating à deux, with some of the comfiest restaurant chairs I have ever sunk myself into. Made in Bali, Hadrien explains, once he recognises me. The dining room also boasts convivial round tables, and the cutest, double diner-style ‘banquettes’ – whilst a bar, semi-PDR, and a four-seater chef’s table-cum-counter on the pass take up the rest of the expansive, elegant interior. Full view of the chefs in action is guaranteed from any seat in the house.
The à la carte menu with a dozen starters and mains each is compact – which can only be a good thing, not only for minimising food wastage, but for minimising time wasting with an overload of choice.
The fried Camembert, which arrives as three wedges, is the star dish of the night – and the cheapest starter on the menu at AED55. I expect melted gooey cheese to ooze out, but at Chez Wam, it’s so much more. Rich, treacly and infused with black garlic, the soft cheese almost runs away with a race to scoop it up. My only qualm is having to share the third portion. I know chefs prefer odd numbers for presentation purposes, but I am the champion of the pro-even number movement. There’s a dip of Philly cream cheese with sweet chilli as an accompaniment, but, with the Camembert so gloriously decadent, it’s best eaten solo.
The Wagyu beef tartare appetiser is far from a classic, with the Japanese and broader Far-Eastern influences creeping through. A translucent rice paper crisp shrouds the hand-cut beef, which is mixed with wasabi peas, kimchi and a sesame dressing. All combined, potent umami flavours prevail.
Our choice for the seafood main course, Hokkaido scallops served in an artichoke and pickle sauce, is the only disappointment, with slightly overcooked and therefore chewy mollusks. Hadrien takes the feedback on board with humility – a somewhat rare occurrence in Dubai.
On the other hand, the lamb ribs grilled on the robata with a beef jus literally fall off the bone with a gentle poke from my fork. No knife is even required. The white onion purée that the ribs sit on makes an intriguing change from mashed potato, whilst tangy cucumber pickles and warm spicy watermelon are a novel, balanced pairing.
A side dish of root vegetables shines. Crunchy carrots and beets, with some broccolini florets and capers thrown in, are dressed in a gorgeous brown butter sauce.
For dessert, we share a deconstructed tarte citron. Layers of biscuit crumb, lemon curd, fresh cream and raspberry ice cream – with delicate white raspberries and shards of meringue, which we are encouraged to smash. This a lemon tart bordering on an Eton Mess with the original flavours 100 per cent intact. For someone with no sweet tooth, I would happily order this dessert time and time again as a light, refreshing finale to a mostly well-executed meal.
The French-meets-Japanese flavours and textural surprises are prevalent; the quality of ingredients is high; the presentation is well considered; and the cooking technique, bar the scallops, is on point.
Service is well-paced and knowledgeable, with minimal, intrusive interruptions. By the time we finish an hour and a half later, more covers pour in, and along with a retro 1980s playlist, the atmosphere box is ticked.
Thankfully, the restaurants at St Regis Gardens now have a dedicated entrance and elevator with valet parking – and once at the top, a short stroll, albeit in steamy weather leads to Chez Wam.
For a three course meal based on the cheapest and most expensive starters, mains, desserts – and divided by two – expect a bill of AED365 per person plus taxes, which can easily drop with some wise choices, like ours. That’s relatively decent value for money in a high-end licensed Dubai restaurant. The wine list is as compact and as well priced as the food, which is no mean feat on Palm Jumeirah, notorious for hefty alcohol mark ups. The wallet-friendly experience adds to a truly enjoyable soirée – and we’re already contemplating a return visit, perhaps when weekend lunch launches and the terrace opens. Here’s to a high four out of five FooDiva knife rating. It most certainly will be a bientôt Chez Wam.
Any more new homegrown restaurants on the Dubai block worth a visit?
FooDiva. x
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