So I have this amazing friend, she discovers the most amazing places to dine at, so she said we are going to The Collective tonight, I said, tell me where I need to be and I'll be there, its a new place opening up at The Grand Hayat. Now for those of you who don't know The Grand Hayat, is one of the most prestigious hotels in Dubai, its been around for a while, I remember coming staying here always with my Dad, I would always end up eating at the hotel cause he would be away for work. So place has a superb, pool area, and around a dozen places to dine at. Today I want to share with you the next big thing, The Collective, is at the lower ground level, its like a secret garden tucked in away from the hustle bustle of the main lobby, you can hear the fountain water flowing,a dimly lit inclining path way through which you enter the main area of one of the three restaurants,and an amazing bakery that have been brought together in one, so the whole place is pretty magical,their motto is " Eat Life Stories" so believe it or not everything at this place, has a story.The tableware, the decor, the settings.... The amazing thing is there's no fix menu, since the restaurant Head Chef RM, who's also a Vision By Marti,is heading this place and its not just good food, its thoughtful, tasteful food. They offer,a Mediterranean Grill bar, Bombay Cafe that specializes in Parsi Cuisine, Levant Emporium & a very unique Boutique Bakery.
Now it's a food review, so I'll tell you that I couldn't try everything,there's too much things that I wanted to, but I have thing of repeating things, I like in the first place, which restricts me from trying a lot things in one time, but I tend to go back to places I like, and I absolutely loved The Collective and I'll surely be going back...
The very talented Salad Bar guy, made us some fresh greens salad,topped with this amazing cheese and fresh pomegranate.I just loved it, it was fresh and delicious,they do their own breads too, so I tried some fresh pita with paprika hummus, a very nice taste, I was glad they didnt put beetroot to it,like others.Right after the salad bar, which is served in the most prettiest hand painted morrocan bowls.Is the "kashkawal" stand, those of you who aren't familiar, it is a Turkish style pretzel, topped with Akkawi cheese and fresh honey, my fellow foodies, I haven't tasted one this good in Dubai ever, the last was at the Grand Bazar in Turkey itself.
There was Arabic grills, Lamb Tagine and Couscous too! The chicken grill and the lamb kafta were being done fresh, were moist on the inside and the marinate was just perfect. Flavorful stuff !!
So now, next stop was the Mediterranean grill , I tasted the Tiger Prawns,the meat slides off the shell at the touch of your fork, so amazing, the Roast beef, stunning again, there was some grilled crabs too and its all being done infront of you, they've artisan ovens and heavy grills, installed to make things work to perfection, a feast for the eyes too.
Now the Indian corner, had Parsi food, they were also doing fresh Pav ( bread buns ) I tried the Sali Murgh,which was like a Qorma topped with fried thin crisp,served with fresh tawa parathas and also the Kaali Daal, in small portions, I have not such nicely cooked daal in ages. I have had Parsi food earlier,so all I can say is everything was warm, fresh, meat was done well,the daal tasted perfect. So its a hit !!
The drinks were brought to our table, we have a pomegranate drink, and some lemonade, both amazing.
I know the review is long, but I have to tell you about the most important part of the restaurant The Bakery, this place does their own ice cream, serves Gelato, fresh pancakes, crepes, waffles and has a Tropical fresh fruit stand, and a Nutella Fountain !!!!! ( heart skips a beat?) They also have fusion Baklava and a wide array of freshly baked cookies and cakes. Tucked away in a corner were these, amazing chocolate coated almonds, its Swiss chocolate, melts in your mouth and the crunch of the almonds... ooh ! What more do you want to me tell you? The Collective,lives up to its name and repo!
Lastly, there's an ala carte menu, it opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday and a special menu is offered on Friday.
Looking forward to running into you guys at The Collective.
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