Can this stylish Jumeirah spot serve food as chic as its surroundings?

Walk into Culinary Boutique and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a furniture store by mistake. From the aqua wall tiles and warm brass jars, to the strategically placed throw pillows, Culinary Boutique wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of a home interiors magazine. This is little surprise considering it’s the brainchild of Emirati entrepreneur Hessa Al Qassim, who was part of the Dubai cookery school, Top Chef, and owns a luxury tailor store.

Culinary-Boutique_1Even the light fittings are painfully stylish

Upstairs there’s a petite balcony with sneaky views of the Burj Khalifa through the trees, as well as two state-of-the-art chrome kitchens where a busy schedule of cooking workshops run daily for adults and children.

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We started with a raw spaghetti salad (Dhs48) with spiralised carrot, radish and courgette topped with shredded cabbage, nuts and a cashew nut dressing. Al Qassim has clearly emphasised the use of fresh ingredients, which is evident in this deliciously crunchy and moreish dish. The burrata and beetroot chutney salad (Dhs80) came with a healthy dose of herby, flavourful pesto. A little more beetroot could have turned this into a superb dish.

The beautifully presented lobster tail (Dhs80) with asparagus tempura could have benefitted from a little less butter and the Hokkaido scallops risotto (Dhs120) had a strong blue cheese flavour that stole the limelight from the Iranian caviar. Less is more in both cases.

Culinary-Boutique_Truffle-Ravioli-with-Quail-egg-and-Black-TruffleThe truffle ravioli  

For dessert, the lip-smacking chocolate fondant was a satisfying end and a perfect accompaniment to their great cup of coffee.

Culinary Boutique has a lovely buzz and oozes class, and we liked how you could book a group cooking class there with your friends. Who knows, in some cases, you might even do a better job than the chefs.

Culinary-Boutique_Interior2 Culinary-Boutique_Interior3Culinary-Boutique_Fresh-Fruit-Granola Culinary-Boutique_Grilled-Wagyu-Striploin-Grade-9+

Villa 56, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, daily 8am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 3450023. Taxi: just before Dubai Zoo. culinaryboutique.com

Rating

Food: B

Atmosphere: Chic yet cosy

Price: Dhs250 to Dhs749 for two   

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