DIFC has a new seafood restaurant…

Recently, What’s On brought you a first look of a chic new Asian seafood restaurant found in DIFC. Blue Seafood Asia has barely been open a few weeks and is already capturing the local dining crowd, thanks to its secluded alfresco terrace and vibrant oceanic interiors.

As we enter the Burj Damman restaurant, a fresh fish display piques our interest from the get-go. From lobster, to red snapper, sea bass and more, there’s a huge variety of options to choose from, solidifying the restaurant’s ‘sea to table’ concept.

A table on the alfresco terrace is waiting for us, surrounded by tropical greenery and a mix of comfortable sofa seating or traditional tables to choose from. Special attention has been paid to the details, from the rustic wooden menu, to a huge mural of Asian fisherman above the kitchen window.

Beginning with the raw bar options, we’re prompted to go for the raw tuna pizza (Dhs68) and it more than meets our expectations. Crispy tortilla bread makes up the base, while large slivers of raw tuna are combined with avocado cream, lemon aioli, cucumber ribbons, thinly sliced capsicum and a dash of chilli oil for the perfect balance of flavours and texture.

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From the dim sum section, we couldn’t not try the prawn pot-stickers (Dhs37), which are a similar to gyoza but with a large delicate crisp stuck to the edge. The stickers were soft and crunchy in all the right places, but we would’ve preferred a little more filling to really appreciate the flavours.

We also tried the fresh ceviche with sea bass (Dhs65) which arrives as a generous portion with plenty of sliced onion, avocado and coriander. The fish chunks are long and thin, not what we expected but tasty all the same, and the accompanying puffed nori chips are a welcome addition.

The wasabi prawns (Dhs51) deliver a seamless balance of sweet and spicy. Served in a creamy sauce, the crunchy tempura coating is topped with deliciously soft pieces of Thai mango.

Blue’s take on the chocolate fondant includes a meringue slice which serves as a bed to the oozing caramel centre. It’s an odd combination as the over-sticky meringue lets down the dish, but the plate deserves top marks for presentation.

By DIFC’s standard, the restaurant is well-priced and service is undeniably enthusiastic. Blue’s dishes are creative and flavourful, but we’ll have to wait and see if they can stand out against the tough competition.

Blue Seafood Asia, Waldorf Astoria, DIFC, Dubai, open Saturday to Wednesday, 12pm to 1am, Thursday to Friday 12pm to 2am. Tel: (0)4 432 2300. @blueseafoodasia