The chill pill: 5 cold dishes to sample in Dubai to cool off this summer

Chill out with these seasonal eats…

When summer’s sizzle strikes, you can’t help but look for foods that will put out the fire. Chilled and cold dishes become that much more popular when the temperatures rise, for obvious reasons, and seasonal concoctions are a delight to indulge in, highlighting the very best of the season’s produce – bright flavours, refreshing ingredients and light, airy profiles. If you’re looking to cool down, have a go at this list.

The quintet of summer steak tartare at Couqley (Dhs79)

Sample not one, not two, but five variations of this glorious chilled French dish, with a timeless history going back to the 1900s. Neighbourhood favourite French brasserie Couqley is bringing the essence of this regional tradition – with a Dubai twist – at the Steak Tartare on Ice Festival, featuring French steak tartare, the beef tartare Méditerranée, the chipotle Latino beef tartare, the wagyu shiitake miso truffle, and the summer fresh garden tartare. A solid savoury contender.

Couqley, across various locations, until Aug 31, starts at Dhs79, @couqleyuae

The Maguro crudo at Kokoro (Dhs75)

One for the seafood lovers – the Maguro crudo at the relatively newly opened Kokoro Hand Roll Bar is the summer starter of this season. Featuring bluefin tuna, pickled cucumber and ponzu, not only is the is the fish incredibly fresh, it’s packed with bright, acidic flavours while still staying light and palatable. Essentially, everything at Kokoro is served cold, but the crudo is colder still, because of the liquid content. You’ll be left craving for more.

Kokoro, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Sun to Wed, 12pm to 10.30pm, Thurs to Sat, 12pm to 11.30pm, @kokoro.dxb

Nuestro Gazpacho at La Niña (Dhs65)

A specialty of Spain and Portugal, gazpacho is the soup of the summer – a refreshing, cold pour made of raw blended vegetables, with the star ingredient being the humble tomato. It’s eaten widely in the Iberian peninsula during the summer, so it’s a summer dish through and through. At La Niña, this household staple gets a dressing up, elevated with grapes, chilli, croutons and avocado ice cream. Some people might argue soup isn’t a meal, but I think it is, and especially when it’s hearty like this.

La Niña, ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC, Dubai, daily, 12pm to 1am, Tel: (0) 4 395 1300, @laninadubai

Hiyashi chuka at YUi (Dhs67)

A step ahead from just starters, this is a full blown entree, guaranteed to fill you up. Hiyashi Chuka is a traditional Japanese ramen noodle mixed with a dressing and served cold with a rainbow of toppings from across the landforms. It’s typically a summer main, given the variety of bright and light ingredients and the chilled nature. YUi’s version comes with 100 per cent Japanese flour thin noodles with homemade ponzu-tare, atsu-yaki egg, carrot, daikon, cucumber, wakame, sweet corn, cherry tomato, kikurage, dried bean noodles, and prawn.

YUi Ramen House, Dubai Design District, daily, 12pm to 3.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm, Tel: (0) 4 243 4217, @yui_dxb

Hokkaido cheese ice cream with roasted strawberries at Maison de la Plage (Dhs100)

Any good list of cold dishes absolutely must have a sweet entrant, and this hokkaido cheese ice cream at Maison de la Plage is a mighty monster (a very delicious one) to demolish. What could be better than some ice cream by the beach on a humid evening? There’s a salty, malty-ness to the soft serve, almost like salted caramel without the excessive sugar and paired with the almost-strawberry puree, it strikes the perfect balance between the heaviness of the cheese and the floating tartness of the fruit. A summer win.

Maison De La Plage, Palm West Beach, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, daily, 10am to 2pm, Tel: (0) 4 452 3344, @maisondelaplage_

Images: Supplied/Socials