Friday lunch is an important one and the most enjoyable. More so when the weather now is at it’s best in the Middle East and all that you may want to do is relax, soak up the sun and dig into your amazingly presented delicious Spanish fare with splendid terrace view at El Sur Dubai, situated in chic Westin Mina Seyahi. With Atlantis, gorgeous natural light, beautiful green sights and blue waters at your disposal, there is certainly some magic in the air and you may definitely want to make most of your weekend time. Expect to find a swanky open bar at the entrance and guests engrossed in laid-back cheerful conversations. All you have to do is pick up a Sangria, head straight to the terrace, be seated on contemporary white painted chairs and fancy being in a windy alley of Barcelona. With that done, you are now set to order some enticing extravaganza off the menu created by Chef Juan Carlos Hernández and enjoy a carefree afternoon.
I have never really been a fan of buffet brunch ideas though I may have indulged just once in my lifetime as yet. The thought of passing away too many items from the menu, keep me away from the brunches and buffets. I simply adore the idea of set menu where you are presented with items that you can comfortably eat without any food wastage or over doing with the menu. And that exactly is what the goal behind a scrumptiously new “All You Can Eat Tapas” Friday lunch at El Sur.
A fab basket of fresh breads with olive oil and spices.
The menu had limited but wonderful array of authentic items to choose from. After being seated at our preferred choice of table, we started off with Olivas Gordal aliñadas de El Sur – an explosion of sorts! These liquid marinated olives were really so full of flavors it certainly prompted us that we were at the right place and set to cherish this lunch for the first time in many months.
Olivas Gordal aliñadas de El Sur
For Little A, we called for Tortilla de Patatas that was gorgeously presented potato omelet with gusty garlic dip. I was surprised to watch husband appreciate this dish with equal pomp and repeat the order for himself since he doesn’t prefer eating eggs for lunch and dinner. He was sold!
Tortilla de Patatas
Our server recommended that we go in for Queso Manchego Marinado en Aceite de Oliva – marinated olives with Manchego cheese till we decide for next item on the menu. If this doesn’t transport you to Spain, I don’t know what will! Bursting again with flavors, a bite of Manchego with firm but buttery texture, the cheese had well developed and interesting after-taste. We were in for some revelation and ordered some more because the beauty of this lunch is that you can eat unlimited without having to worry about any further damages. What more can you ask for?
Queso Manchego Marinado en Aceite de Oliva
Next came in our Ensalada de Hojas Verdes Tomates - green salad with baby spinach, sun-dried cherry tomatoes and fresh mushrooms with light vinaigrette dressing. The salad was stimulating and the veggies were fresh & crisp. I am really not a fan of salads but this one inevitably won hands down. Three bowls of this between two adults went down with great élan.
Ensalada de Hojas Verdes Tomates
Scintillating our taste buds was juicy Pincho Moruno de Pollo – marinated chicken skewers that took time to cook but was all worth the wait. This again was the safe bet for Little A as well as us. The chicken had mild flavor of spices that was well cooked and went great with the garlic dip. I remember having a Spanish classmate in college who’d boast about typical ways in which pinchitadas are made along the beach or country-side with grilled chicken or lamb. She made once for the class while at a camp in Bhandardara and everyone were super impressed!
Pincho Moruno de Pollo
Our Gambas al Ajillo Guindilla - garlic and chili prawns was very mnemonic of Chinese fare but it still pass off as a vibrant and piquant dish of the afternoon. Husband is very precise of his prawns being cooked well and this surely won some brownie points.
Gambas al Ajillo Guindilla
Last was Patatas bravas - potatoes in spicy tomato sauce which I am assuming would go great with a glass of Sangria (because we didn’t drink that day). It was a perfect snack to enjoy against a chilled casual sitting amongst some memorable conversations.
Patatas bravas
The gluttons that we are, we repeated the above order again for the second time and polished it off with two bowls of Spanish desserts. I am a self-renowned lover of all things sweet. And which is why is felt there could be more items for the dessert but husband thought two items against a marvelous savory Spanish feast is just perfect! Who am I to argue, then? Crema Catalana – or more popularly known as Crème brulée unquestionably deserved an enormous applause. All three of us enjoyed every spoonful of it in each bite!
Crema Catalana
Our warm Arroz Con Le Che was very inviting and mouth watering without a doubt. Silky milk rice pudding without being too sweet is definitely a thing for those who doesn’t have a sweet tooth.
Arroz Con Le Che
As for the ambiance and service, it was informal with exclusive display of art on the walls and hard wood floors. I was super glad when I was informed that Friday is a good time to bring along the children as everyone’s in a mood to unwind while children keep themselves busy. Little A too had a great time nibbling on his favorite olives and cheese and other offerings. We were left to our own conversation and it was ditto with guests on the other tables too until we signaled our server (who were prompt and polite), without feeling as if we had been forgotten.
The Friday lunch at El Sur is a very good value for money and is one of the restaurants in UAE that follow the great traditions of Tapas that coddle an Indian appetite excellently.
Cost of “All You Can Eat Tapas” Friday Lunch – 175 AED per person with soft drinks and juices and 245 AED per person with sangría and beer. Open from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm.
Website – http://www.elsurdubai.com
Contact No. – +971 4 399 7700
