Le Classique - Gourmet Brunch at Emirates Golf Club

For those seeking a culinary adventure, award-winning Le Classique restaurant at the iconic Emirates Golf Club has unveiled its new "Gourmet Brunch", featuring an à la carte menu of small yet exceptional dishes expertly prepared by Chef Remi Verrier.

The Food

As you would expect, all of the ingredients are of the highest quality, and served with full French flair. For starters (part une) a selection of kitchen soups are brought to your table including a classic French Onion Soup, a Creamy Corn Veloute, alongside a strangely ingenious creation of Aerated Mash Potato featuring Truffle Cream and Beef Jus. All of which were rich and unctuous, although the strange feeling of drinking mashed potato took a while to adjust to, however delicious it was.

For starters part deux, we ventured up to the small live cooking station where the chef had a selection of creamy Garlic Snails with Mushrooms, Tender Tiger Prawns served with an Exotic Thai Ginger Sauce and Foie Gras Poele with a Red Wine Reduction which may not be to everyone's taste….but hey, when in Paris….? There was also a Roasted Australian Angus Prime Sirloin of Beef with a Port Wine Sauce which was so tender you could cut it with a spoon.

We then tried to go for the main courses, but were attentively reminded by the waitress that there was a whole selection of cold starters that we had somehow missed on the way in. So…almost reluctantly at this point, we wandered up for starters part trois. The selection of cold starters on display were both visually stunning, and conceptually on point, including delicately spiced quenelles of Crab Meat, a simple Salad Nicoise, The Best Beef Tartar I have ever tasted, a slice of Duck Breast on a bed of Quinoa, a mixed Green Pea and Broad Bean Salad, a ice platter of Sushi, Oysters and Shell on Prawns, a healthy Cheese Board, Chorizo sausage, and a cleansing Tomato water served in a shot glass.

Finally able to move onto the main courses, we were presented with a selection of 7 dishes from the menu, all served in petit form and ordered a la carte. In the interests of presenting the most fair and objective review possible, and in no way dictated by our rapacious greed, we decided to try every one of the 7 dishes on offer. Starting with the Lamb filet, served elegantly atop a smooth Pea Puree and a Tender piece of Beef served on top of a simple Carrot fan. Next came the unique flavour profiles of perfectly seared Scallop with Cauliflower Puree with a Vanilla and Porto reduction, Pork Cheek with Bulgar and Roast Pistachio, Red Mullet (Substituted on the night for Sea Bass) and Black Risotto, Polenta and Tomato Cheese and the Ratatouille Potato Ice-cream with Espelette Piment, which was truly sui generis. All of the dishes, whilst small, delicate and simple to eat, clearly take a gargantuan amount of effort and preparation to turn ingredients into final product. For example, the beef is par boiled in a pressure bag to prevent the muscles retracting and becoming tough when they are seared to order. Instead, the sautéing process acts as a solidifying agent in a faux-pressure cooker environment where flavor emulsifies itself into a melt in your mouth texture, as explained by restaurant Manager Miguel (a trained French chef himself who often still gets involved in service if the restaurant is busy)

To finish off the gourmet journey, the delicious dessert buffet features Black and White Chocolate Mousse, a sumptuous Chocolate and Caramel Tart, a fresh fruit platter and Red Velvet Cake amongst other sweet delicacies. On this occasion however, there was only one dessert to finish off this experience. We sauntered across to the waiting chef, and opted for the archetypal, yet in this environment not so clichéd Crepe Suzette. The sticky caramelized sugar, butter, orange and liquor served as the perfect aperitif, and also the white flag of our appetites, which had been finally caressed into submission.

The Drink

There are 3 packages available at The Gourmet Brunch, AED 245 for food and soft beverages, AED 415 for food and choice of unlimited reds and whites, or AED 550 for food and premium bubbly. The novel factor here which works so well is that Le Classique select 12 of the wines from their extensive cellar and parade them for all to sample in statuesque decanters atop the bar. 6 reds and 6 whites of varying density, crispness and dryness allow you partake in your own mini wine tasting adventure and pair grapes with each dish. In an effort to sample and take notes on all 12 varieties, we started with The Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc (Chile), a False Bay Chardonnay and Rose, and then moved onto the deeper Reds before our Sommelier/Waiter informed us that the wines list included in the brunch changes each week. You will have to sample each one for yourself, but take our word on the quality and variety on offer across their extensive 18 page wine list.

The Atmosphere

You know you are in for a treat as soon as you walk into Le classique. The dark red finishes, glass wine displays, self-serve decanters and ofcourse the stunning, sprawling view of Emirates Golf Course sets the scene for any special meal perfectly . The Music is classic whilst not intrusive, and you could easily be in a scene form Moulin Rouge, or Ratatouille. The Gourmet Brunch is available on either a Tuesday between 7pm and 10.30pm or a Saturday from 12 noon until 3.30pm, with seating available al fresco on the terrace or inside the restaurant. Whilst we were sat on the inside of the restaurant, our table was right on the precipice of the golf course with the terrace doors sprung open so felt we had the best of both worlds. If you want to treat someone special, have missed a birthday, valentines day, anniversary, have parents or visiting glitterati, then Le Classique has you covered at every angle.

Overall

You can tell the class of any cultural establishment both by the number of natives dining there, and the way it can transport you to the place it represents, no matter how far away your actual geographic location. Judging by the fact that when we came to our 4th or 5th glass of vino, I had discovered myself slipping back into my A-Level French class by practicing my Anglo-French "assie-tois, parce que's and voulez vou's they must be doing a grand job. The highest compliment we can give is that we did not use a single drop of salt or pepper on ANY dish, to do so would be an insult and the 2 solitary silver grinders remained untouched, sat in isolation on the corner of our table like naughty school children. A salute to the workmanship and individual brilliance of each dish, enhanced by the fact that you are able to pair your own wines with each dish, at your own discretion. A classical transportation to the high society of French Fine Dining which takes its place in the upper echelons of the burgeoning Evening or Saturday afternoon Brunch scene. Well Done #JeSuisSatisfait