ALL TASES OF FRANCE, COLONIAL AND MODERN, CAN BE OPENED, NOT LEAVING ANYWHERE. OR, RIGHT THEREFORE, JUST ARRIVING IN DUBAI AND SETTLE UP AT A PALM. ... NO, AGAIN THAT! OF COURSE, A PALMA IS APPEARED NOT IN DIRECT MEANING OF THIS WORD. HOW DO I EXPLAIN EVERYTHING? IN GENERAL SO, WE ARRIVE IN THE ARAB EMIRATES AND CHOOSE YOUR HOLIDAY HOTEL JUMEIRAH ZABEEL SARAY ON THE HAND ISLAND PALM JUMEIRAH (PALM JUMEIRA), AND FURTHER ...
Imperium: lazy breakfast turning into lunch
In the morning, at a sunny seaside resort, you don't feel like waking up too early. It is understandable, you are on vacation, and you need to go to work only after a couple of weeks. So you can afford a lazy pastime and coffee in bed.
Although, many still prefer in the morning to take a walk along a sleepy beach or take a short swim to tone up. But closer to noon, especially if it is a day off, there are more and more people relaxing and sunbathing on a thin strip of sand near the water, and you are beginning to be overcome by the desire to just sit somewhere in the shade and cool. This is where the brilliant invention of hoteliers as brunch comes to mind. This funny word came from a combination of two English terms - breakfast (breakfast) and lunch (lunch).
The result was something like a hearty breakfast, smoothly turning into lunch, ending with the traditional English tea party “5 o'clock”. At the Zabeel Saray, they decided to add some French notes to this tradition, and we got a delicious Brasserie brunch.
Brunch at Zabeel Saray is served from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the luxurious Imperium Restaurant, which has a spacious outdoor terrace with sea views. I must say right away that the exact same terraces are found in all other restaurants of this five-star hotel, therefore, views of the beach and the azure waters of the Persian Gulf open here from everywhere. But back to Imperium.
If you are lucky to be here on Friday, you will have an unforgettable culinary trip through France, thanks to the restaurant’s recreated chefs menu of traditional French small restaurants called Brasserie. Already at the doorstep you will be greeted with a glass of a welcome drink - it can be champagne or freshly squeezed juice. From a small stage in the center of the hall will be live music. Next, you will be amazed by the richness of the buffet - with a variety of seafood, including fresh oysters, and deli meats; more than a dozen salads, terrines and pastes, foie gras on fried brioche buns, vegetable dishes, with a dozen types of cheese, fresh pastries, and, of course, several varieties of meat cooked on the grill or in the oven - roast beef, saddle lamb or calf.
You ask yourself: "How can you not accompany all this splendor with a glass of good French wine?" And the answer will be obvious - of course! I must say that there are three types of brunches in Imperium - to choose from: with food and soft drinks (275 dirhams per person), with an unlimited amount of homemade wine and beer (395 dirhams) and, finally, the most refined option - with an unlimited amount of French Champagne Mumm Cordon Rouge (550 Dirhams). There she is, France!
In all its culinary manifestations. After all, if there is no champagne, then, where does the oyster? Connoisseurs and connoisseurs of French cuisine would immediately suspect something was wrong, and so, everything is in perfect order! You can complete your meal with beautiful and light desserts - tender meringues with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, miniature almond cakes (macaroons), a slice of Opera cake, once invented by the famous French pastry chef Gaston Lenotre, whose name is now called a network of pastry shops around the world, or just fresh fruit with a cup of coffee or tea.
The time spent brunching at Imperium will fly by. And if you sit on the terrace, where a fresh breeze from the sea will blow you, then all the joys of life will open from a completely different side .... By the way, for those who didn’t think enough champagne at the brunch, they are invited to go to Voda Bar right from 16.00, where until 21.00 it will be possible to purchase one cocktail and get the second as a gift “from the establishment”. We will not rush, and after taking a short break, we will leave for Voda Bar a little later ...
Voda Bar: Turkish Delight
Well, what else can you think of when mixing cocktails? All branded recipes have long been known and are used in the best bars in the world. However at the voda bar in
this is not right from the beginning. Believe it or not, even the employees of this exquisite establishment with white trim are sure that one letter is missing in its name ... And it should not sound like “water”, but like a completely different, truly Russian, national strong alcoholic drink. Yes, yes, Voda Bar specializes in cocktails with vodka, and not with a simple one, but with a signature one.
And the brands have nothing to do with it either; the thing is that Voda Bar insists on literally everything for its best cocktails. For example, given the oriental, almost fabulous atmosphere at the Zabeel Saray, one of the cocktails is prepared with vodka, which is infused with Turkish delight. There is also “pepper” on cayenne pepper, and even a “buckwheat” version of the base for cocktails.
Most likely, that’s why even the usual “Cosmopolitan” in this bar envelops with a delicate pink flavor of oriental sweets, and cherry or currant cocktails are slightly given with nutty flavors. They say that soon the assortment of different branded drinks will be increased, plus original snacks that can harmoniously shade a particular cocktail will be added to this. Frankly speaking, Voda Bar is a real paradise for true connoisseurs of bartenders, those who are not interested in ordinary "sweets", and who need only "Turkish delight" ...
The atmosphere in the Voda Bar lounge-bar offers friendly gatherings and casual conversations. Here you can even smoke, both indoors (which is already a rarity in Dubai) and on the terrace.
Leaning back in a deep snow-white armchair, one can appreciate the exquisite ceiling paintings made in the style of the early Renaissance. Someone may be embarrassed by the angels hovering over their heads, but on the whole they are so sweetly complementing the general style of the modern white-blue (due to evening illumination) interior of the Voda Bar, which seems to have always been here ...
Voda Bar adopts a casual dressy dress code. People under the age of 21, as well as those who feel well-dressed in beach shorts and slippers, are not allowed here. But Voda Bar often hosts cute presentations and private receptions for connoisseurs of good wines and lovers of original cocktails. Usually the bar is open from 18.00 to 03.00 in the morning.
People come here to skip an aperitif before dinner or, on the contrary, it is pleasant to end a good evening ...
Voi: all fresh flavors
Translated from Vietnamese, “voi” means “freshness”. A branded restaurant with the same name, whose theme is based on the culinary preferences of Vietnam, once in the distant 1920s the former French colony, amazes already from the doorway. Such beauty and freshness of a black and white eclectic interior, such high ceilings and walls with ornate stucco moldings and murals, such a distance between tables and such a surprisingly light atmosphere, I have not seen anywhere else before. Why are the tables arranged, as at a palace ball, so far apart? Because, people who came to Voi need to feel the sophistication of this restaurant and its dissimilarity to others, and also so that no one bothers them to get real pleasure from the dishes served here.
The tasteful characteristics of the Voi menu are based on the eclecticism of France and the exoticism of Vietnam. The result is such things as, for example, a crab appetizer (France, right?), Only with aromas of fresh cilantro, lemongrass and sesame oil (now, Vietnam is already). And so on throughout the list.
The genuine surprise is rolls with chicken and shrimp, the shell of which is a grid of fried rice noodles. And even the bread here is served in a bamboo basket, in which usually in oriental cuisine steamed dim sums.
Among the bread varieties (and here, the attention of those who adhere to a gluten-free diet) are rice buns, small loaves baked on banana leaves, and crab chips. They are served with high-quality French butter.
As a welcome drink in Voi, you will be offered a signature cocktail “Bellini”, though not with traditional fresh raspberries, but with lychee. Take my word for it, champagne with such an additive gets an interesting and very oriental sound! Further, if desired, you can order wine suitable for fish or meat, but it is better to pay tribute to the skill of the chefs - the food in Voi, indeed, is prepared and presented at the highest level.
Even if you are not a big fan of soups, I highly recommend trying “Pot Au Pho” - beef stew with rice noodles. At first, adding a little fresh cilantro and lime juice to the soup, you won’t even realize that the substance melting in your mouth was just boiled and boiled beef! You can continue your meal with either black cod baked with vanilla pod and Vietnamese coriander in a banana leaf, or pieces of roasted duck with foie gras and lemon grass in tamarind sauce. You will find a completely new perception even of acquaintances by the presence of familiar ingredients and their name of dishes!
Dessert is the new sea of freshness! How do you like lychee sorbet with champagne and compote of fresh berries and fruits with lime and lemon grass syrup? The helpful waiter will certainly offer a glass of pink dessert wine for sweets, and then a cup of signature green tea.
... Giant crystal chandeliers will throw dim flashes of light into the hall, and silence will be broken only due to the smooth gliding of the waiters in silver suits with ornate black embroidery; starchy snow-white tablecloths set off the beauty of the finest porcelain and cutlery ... It is unlikely that somewhere else in Dubai there is such a refined atmosphere of that distant Southeast Asia, which was just beginning to absorb the gastronomic delights of France at the dawn of the twentieth century.
In a word, the restaurant of Franco-Vietnamese haute cuisine Voi is not only freshness and beauty, but also a place where you definitely want to come back again to feel its aristocratic spirit and enjoy a dinner that will give new taste impressions.
Voi Restaurant is open daily from 19.00 until midnight. Dress code: elegant evening. Prices are reasonable for establishments of this level. Service is upscale and unobtrusive. Tables, of course, should be booked in advance.
I tried to show you how only one day can pass at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. Want to fill it with the mood of France? Everything is in your hands, and the professional staff of this amazing hotel will help in this and will always be happy to help! Have a wonderful rest and always enjoy your meal. My "tour de France" has come to an end. But we do not say goodbye ...
