Dubai: Crescendo – French buffet at Anantara

// Anantara was so kind to be hosting our little blogger meeting this evening, and we didn’t pay for food and drinks.//

On her way back from Thailand, Julia from Sweetescapes.net had a short layover in Dubai, and Hanna and I had been looking forward to seeing her.

I had promised Julia that I would pick her up in the airport, which turned out to be a stupid idea, because the weekend traffic combined with a lot of roadwork turned the trip into a 2-hour long journey, so poor Julia had to wait for me.

Luckily, we easily recognized each other, and as fast as the speed limits allowed, we drove off to Ananatara at The Palm Jumeirah, where we were meeting Hanna for late dinner at Crescendo, which is Anantara’s buffet restaurant.

We arrived at the restaurant at 10pm, and the buffet closed at 10:30pm, so there was no time for small talk. Instead we grabbed each our plate and hurried up to have a closer look at the French specialties which were hiding in the buffet’s big, brightly colored pots. Unfortunately, poor Julia had to make do with a cup of tea, as she had caught a stomach infection in Thailand, and hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Coq au vin, bouillabaisse and soupe à l’oignon, all the classics were there. You’ve heard me complain many times about how the Dubai buffets usually pay more attention to the looks than to the taste, but at Crescendo, it was quite the opposite. Not that the food looked unappetizing, but I think we all can agree that those slow-cooked, made-from-scratch dishes aren’t always very photogenic. It tasted really good, and the flavor of the food had a depth and an intensity, which indicated quality ingredients and patience in front of the stove.

The only hmmm-experience I had, was when I full of excitement lifted the lid off a pot, which according to the sign was supposed to contain red cabbage and confit de canard (duck confit). Even though I dug around for a long time, I didn’t manage to locate the bird. I know I could have asked the staff to get me some, but there were so many other dishes to choose among, so I just proceeded to the next casserole.

The desserts also were very nice, and the Paris-Brest cake was amazing. I would love to get my hands on that recipe! The cheese buffet looked as if it had been plundered by a crowd of hungry cheese monsters, but we were there very late, so I guess it was just proof that the diners earlier that evening really liked cheese.