Triple Brunch, Amwaj Rotana
The Walk, JBR has always enjoyed a healthy conglomeration of food, fashion and beachside frolics. This has traditionally meant that its consumers are used to and expect a certain amount of "choice" whenever they come here. The Triple Brunch concept offered by Amwaj Rotana is no exception to the rule, in that it offers the best of Eastern and Western cuisines as the kitchen teams from all three of their restaurants - Rosso, Benihana and Horizon unite to give the discerning JBR clientele a bit of everything they unquestionably demand.
The Food
We started our culinary journey as they suggest, armed with nothing but a fork and experienced a novel, bucket-list type feature where you get to wander behind the scenes through the actual kitchen of Benihana, interacting with the chefs as they stir, shake and flambé their giant woks and manage to pose for pictures and deep fry multiple tempura dishes with equal aptitude. There is also a selection of food stations within the kitchen itself so it doubles as a serving area as well as an attraction. It featured Yaki Udon Noodles in Bok Choy Oyster Sauce, Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken and a Seafood Curry on one side, with a Fried section of Vegetable Spring Rolls, Octopus Takoyaki, Tori Tori Fried Chicken Bites, Tempura Prawns, and an "Make your own Edamame" bowl with accompanying Chilli Salt, Chilli Paste or Chilli Powder dependant on how hot you like it!
Coming out of the other side of the kitchen, we returned to our seats in Rosso's to devour our catch from the kitche, completely forgetting our vow to explore the rest of what Benihana's had to offer and made our way around the various colourful sections of Rossos. Immediately we allowed ourselves to be drawn towards the Hot Smoked Salmon, Poached Crab and Steamed Clams set amongst some western Salads such as a Fusili pasta salad, Cous Cous and spicy Feta Salad. Moving anti clockwise around the perimeter, we then came to some Grilled varieties of Sticky Chicken, Lamb Chops, Salmon and Prawns. Each with either Mushroom, Butter & Tarragon or mint Jus to accompany them respectively. The Salmon and Chicken were especially flavorsome and warranted a return trip or two.
Next up was the giant BBQ on the outdoor terrace which churned out immaculately grilled prime Pork Bacon (the English variety as oppose to the Streaky US/Canadian kind you see everywhere else ) & Sausages with Butter & Sage. The following part of the meal was a bit of a blur to be honest, and I blame the food coma…but from memory I know it definitely involved small samplings from the carvery of whole US Turkey & Prime Rib topped with a few slices from the Chacuterie station. At this stage we had to forgo the Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Potatoes and Buttered Vegetables which almost certainly would have meant total defeat.
We also have to give special note to the Emirati station which is heralded as one of the best in the region. The chef is regularly recruited by other institutions to train their chefs on the traditional preparation of local emirati delicacies and the Shwarma with Onion, Tomato and Tahina sauce, amongst other dishes was testament to his reputation.
Firmly satiated at this point, and about to move onto the dessert and cheese sections when a jolt of horror suddenly hit the pits of our stomachs as we realised that with only an hour to go that we had completely forgotten to return to Benihana's next door. It took an almighty effort, similar to a marathon runner hitting the "wall" at the 23 mile mark, yet we were determined to finish the race. Wandering leisurely next door to the much quieter Benihana's restaurant proved a welcome relief as we passed the seclection of light, Japanese inspired Sushi Bento, Sashimi, Marinated Salmon and Tuna in Miso dressing, as well as a Soba Noodle Salad, Shitake Mushroom Salad, Hanoi Coleslaw and Spiced Pineapple Salad to name but a few. The main feature, however, of Benihana's is undoutably their world famous Tepanyaki Grill, where the Chef/Comedian/Magician put together an interactive cooking performance involving utensil juggling, flipping a shrimp tail into his shirt pocket, tossing an egg up in the air and splitting it with a spatula, and arranging onion rings into fire-shooting volcano. The show provided both entertainment and a much needed respite for our jam-packed stomachs and ultimately 3 perfectly seasoned pieces Salmon Steak, Beef Short Rib and Corn Fed Chicken which we were now able to enjoy, safe in the knowledge that we had now seen everything there was to see.
Finally (at last) we had made it to desserts. Knowing that this would definitely be the last hurrah, we decided to split our efforts equally between the Cheese Board and the manifold of beautifully crafted desserts on display. These again included numerous options from across the world, including a Maricabo Chocolate fondant with Caramelized nuts, Apple Pie with Cinnamon Anglaise, Individual Banoffee Shots, Red Velvet Roulade, Umali & Awama with Nutella, Blueberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Truffle Cake with Orange Creameux and inventive Ice cream and sorbet flavours such as Chocolate, Rose Petal, Apple and Fig.
The Drinks
The drinks packages are similar to that in any Rotana, with Soft Drinks, House Beverages and a French Bubbly package available for those feeling particularly decadent. Being sat in close proximity to the bar was a big plus, and with an army of attentive staff on hand to top up, refresh or take new orders we were never left parched for too long. Our beverages of choice after sampling a few glasses of Yellow Tail Sparkling were of course, our signature Sauvignon Blanc (Santa Julia Sauvignon Blanc - Argentina) before moving onto Gin and Tonic and Vodka Cranberrys for the rest of the afternoon.
The Atmosphere
Of the two restaurants, we definitely chose the livelier of the two and felt that we had more of a "vibe" sat in Rosso as opposed to Benihana. DJ Charlie Stone, a Swedish-Ghanaian import showed his eclectic discography and set the tone from the moment we took our seats, serenading the mostly 30+ crowd with a mixture of relaxing beach Reggae and RnB with the likes of UB40 and Bob Marley, to Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Lionel Richie's "All night Long." There was also a smattering of Soul, Rare groove and pop music thrown in for good measure towards the end of the day. There were a mixture of large groups, couples on dates, and a fair amount of singles at the bar simply enjoying the relaxing and convivial vibe. The proximity to the beach and the surrounding apartments means the crowd is a mixture of Brunch guests and passing traffic.
Overall
As with lots of brunches we have experienced that set there stalls out across multiple restaurants, the variety and diversity of the dishes and atmospheres on offer are always a major plus point. If you prefer a quieter affair then definitely choose to sit in Benihana over Rosso. It is, however, sometimes a little disconcerting as our natural FOMO (fear of missing out) panic complex overrides some of our usual meandering sense of chill as we try and rush around to everything in a supermarket sweep style. To give you an insight into my rambling brain for part of the day, my non-formulaic food consumption story went a little something like this "starter, main, dessert, back for some sushi….damn…I missed the roast, let's get a slice of that beef, ooooh are those chicken wings? Then some oysters and finally ice cream…and ((slaps forehead)) we have definitely forgotten the Teppanyaki Grill next door! Your smallest pieces of grilled Salmon and chicken please?"
As long as you are OK with possibly missing out on one or two dishes, want to tick visiting a live kitchen during an actual service off your bucket list, and are looking for a relaxing Brunch that will steadily ramp you up into party mode in the convenience of Dubai's iconic JBR…you are in for a TRIPLE treat.
Every Friday from 12 - 4 p.m. Happy Hour until 9 p.m Venue: La Terrazza, Level 2, Amwaj Rotana
Time: 12:30-4:30 pm
Venue: La Terazza, Level 2
AED 235 net per person (including non-alcoholic beverages)
AED 355 net per person (including standard house beverages)
AED 495 net per person (including sparkling and house beverages)
AED 690 net per person (including premium French bubbly and premium beverages)
Join the conversation online. Search #LetsDoBrunch.
For reservations or more information, call +971 (0)4 428 2000 or via email at fb.amwaj@rotana.com.
