In short, we think so…

There’s a shift in the dining scene in Dubai. We’re saying out with the dainty dishes and delicate seafood that sing with umami, as much as we love you – it’s time to turn in your hat and welcome a new (not really) era of dining. We welcome back rich steaks that are filled with marbling, dripping in a delicious garlic compound butter and then drizzled with a chimichurri sauce. Enter Caro Steakhouse.

Found within the walls of the Fairmont Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, this steakhouse gives big prohibition-era dining, in the best possible way. Warm wooden tables with neatly folded linen serviettes perched atop and warm white lighting accentuate the venue around us.

Meat us at our spot

 

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Arriving at the table and instantly greeted with (one of) the most important parts of any dining experience. The bread. At Caro, the miniature garlic and rosemary loaves are served with a lightly salted beef dripping – we can already expect the rest of the meal to sing a symphony of richness.

If there is ever any opportunity for me to enjoy a souffle, I will. Thankfully, on the list of enticing starters, I find a twice-baked cheddar cheese souffle (Dhs80). served with pickled apple and celery with candied walnuts. While the souffle was a tad overbaked, the flavours and the mornay sauce made the dish worth every last calorie. No steakhouse is complete without a beef carpaccio (Dhs150). At Caro, theirs is served with crispy shallots and a Dijon mustard dressing that has the perfect amount of acidity to compliment the thinly sliced beef.

Steak-ing our claim

You know a steakhouse means business when a separate menu is handed to you just for the steaks. The steak book is a little leather book of wonders. Choose between Canadian, Australian and Japanese Wagyu.

Each region where the meat comes from is detailed in the book, explaining why each meat cut is unique.

We opt for a Canadian 300 gram Tenderloin Dry Aged 28+ days AAA piece of steak (Dhs500). Canadian beef is celebrated for its lean and tender texture, with a remarkable flavour. According to the little leather book “Canada’s commitment to sustainable agriculture minimizes environmental impact, and the low-stress animal handling practices contribute to meat quality.” That sounds like a score in our metaphorical books.

Paired with garlic and tarragon compound butter, and then lightly drizzled with a chimichurri sauce, we are overjoyed by our choice of cut. The steak knife slices through the meat like the very compound butter that is currently melting into the fibres.

At this point in the evening, the age-old question of “dessert?” is brought up at the table and under normal circumstances, the answer is “Oh no, there’s no more room.” However, you cannot come to Caro and not have dessert  – take it from me.

The idea of mashing up two classic desserts was not one I was very fond of until the apple crumble creme brûlée (Dhs55) was presented to me. There is nothing quite like the tartness of stewed apples, paired with the sweet brûléed sugar, and the silky smooth custard. The marrying of two dishes I will happily enjoy at any possible opportunity.

What’s On Verdict: If the foodie scene is making way for steakhouses, count me in. But if there isn’t a little leather book of meat cuts to choose from, count me out.

Caro, The Fairmont Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, open Sun to Thu 5pm to 1am and Fri and Sat 5pm to 3am @caro.dxb

Images: Supplied