Zoco, The Crave Brunch, The Atrium Al Habtoor City
Brunch Reviews | In Unspecified on July 10th, 2017
300-400 AED
Unspecified
Zoco is a bright and modern Mexican/Latin American cantina at the heart of Al Habtoor City, where patrons (not to be confused with the popular brand of tequila) are invited to go #LocoforZoco at the Crave Brunch every Friday.
THE FOOD
The dishes at Zoco have been specially curated by the team of chefs with simplicity, passion and authentic spices & soul at the foundation of their philosophy. It also helps that a number of the staff have roots in either Mexico or Latin America.
We were advised to begin our meal in the traditional way, with Nacho's and the various Salsa's and Guacamole on display at the buffet. Hard to get wrong and not often elevated to anything more than just a snack, but the Guacamole was full of flavour and the hints of lime, garlic and chilli balanced perfectly. We enjoyed it so much, that we kept a bowl of it on the side to dip our meats into later. The same could also be said of the black Habanero chilli paste that was made from the kitchen. Be warned though, this comes with a serious Schoville warning and is not for the faint of heart.
Other dishes of note from the buffet included the Snapper Ceviche and live Soft Taco stand, from which the fish stood slightly taller than the crowd of chicken and beef. The buffet included a mix of well know dishes such as Chicken Quesadillas, Enchiladas, and Mini Burrito's but also a couple of new ones to us. The hearty Tortilla Soup and Beef Pozole are dishes designed for comfort, a cold winters day and a good movie. So while intrigued, decided to leave these for another day for fear of filling ourselves up too quickly. Esquites is an off-the-cob sweetcorn dish that according to the bible of serious eats, is "Smoky, sweet, spicy, and tangy, slathered with a creamy, cheesy, lime-scented, chili-flecked sauce," and we have to agree. Next came the Chilaquiles, which according to the chef are basically corn tortilla pieces that are fried, cooked in salsa, and sprinkled with cheese. They are often served for breakfast with eggs and a side of beans. Essentially a "use everything you have left in your fridge" deconstructed Enchilada.
With a word of warning from our waiter, we returned to our seats for the ensuing "pass around" dishes of Salmon, Beef, Lamb Skewers, Picanha and Prawns, leaving the Mexican Beef BBQ ribs to stew forlornly on the edge of the buffet. Mixed reviews on what carried our biggest expectations of the day, as the dishes, presented beautifully on black slate plates were either well cooked in the case of the meats, and undercooked in the case of the seafood. Such a shame as the Salmon In particular "looked" exquisite, however the flavours of the Lamb and Picanha, paired superbly with our Guacamole and Black Habanero dips from earlier were soon to see our disappointment fade.
The pick of the desserts had to be the traditional Churros and the Tres Leches (3 milk cake) which ended our meal on an eventual and pulsating high.
THE DRINK
There are 3 packages to choose from at the Crave brunch, soft, house and bubbly. Spirits include vodka, gin, rum and whiskey, although we were quite surprised not to see tequila on the list! Amstel, red (merlot), white (chenin blanc), rose sparkling (de bertoli) and 2 cocktails (Margarita & Sangria Blanca) complete the drinks available while the service from the wait staff is swift and smothered in smiles.
THE OTHER STUFF
ZOCO is born from a love of fresh, exciting, beautiful food & drink - they call it "The essence of La Buena Vida."
The restaurant itself is set inside a bright and spacious cave-like taverna, with exposed brickwork, a mesmerizing display of wine bottles attached to the roof, high curved beams and floor to ceiling views over the Dubai canal bridge.
For entertainment, a live Latin band performs a Mariachi show, complete with maracas, bongo drums and a wandering performer who glides from table to table and serenades each group, encouraging them to get up and join her on the dance floor in true Latin carnival spirit. The response at the start of brunch was noticeably lukewarm, however towards the end of the day once the margaritas had done their work, the dancefloor was packed with tables doing the "Macarena" and singing along enthusiastically (if not musically) to favourites such as "Despacito." The crowd is a mixture of mainly expat groups aged 35+, mostly parents both with and without the shackles of children encumbering them, though it was difficult to tell the difference with the exuberance of some groups. Not a bad thing at all and actually quite refreshing to see a good all round brunch which caters to the family, yet still allows mum and dad to misbehave. A guaranteed party from start to finish.
Every Friday - 12.30pm - 4.00pm
AED 250 inclusive of soft beverages.
AED 350 inclusive of house beverages.
AED 420 Inclusive of bubbly.
Complimentary for children under 6 years.
Half price for children 6 - 12 years.
Viva ZOCO! #LOCOFORZOCO
To Book Call 04 437 00 44 or email reservations@zocodubai.com
Book Now with Eat App
THE FOOD
The dishes at Zoco have been specially curated by the team of chefs with simplicity, passion and authentic spices & soul at the foundation of their philosophy. It also helps that a number of the staff have roots in either Mexico or Latin America.
We were advised to begin our meal in the traditional way, with Nacho's and the various Salsa's and Guacamole on display at the buffet. Hard to get wrong and not often elevated to anything more than just a snack, but the Guacamole was full of flavour and the hints of lime, garlic and chilli balanced perfectly. We enjoyed it so much, that we kept a bowl of it on the side to dip our meats into later. The same could also be said of the black Habanero chilli paste that was made from the kitchen. Be warned though, this comes with a serious Schoville warning and is not for the faint of heart.
Other dishes of note from the buffet included the Snapper Ceviche and live Soft Taco stand, from which the fish stood slightly taller than the crowd of chicken and beef. The buffet included a mix of well know dishes such as Chicken Quesadillas, Enchiladas, and Mini Burrito's but also a couple of new ones to us. The hearty Tortilla Soup and Beef Pozole are dishes designed for comfort, a cold winters day and a good movie. So while intrigued, decided to leave these for another day for fear of filling ourselves up too quickly. Esquites is an off-the-cob sweetcorn dish that according to the bible of serious eats, is "Smoky, sweet, spicy, and tangy, slathered with a creamy, cheesy, lime-scented, chili-flecked sauce," and we have to agree. Next came the Chilaquiles, which according to the chef are basically corn tortilla pieces that are fried, cooked in salsa, and sprinkled with cheese. They are often served for breakfast with eggs and a side of beans. Essentially a "use everything you have left in your fridge" deconstructed Enchilada.
With a word of warning from our waiter, we returned to our seats for the ensuing "pass around" dishes of Salmon, Beef, Lamb Skewers, Picanha and Prawns, leaving the Mexican Beef BBQ ribs to stew forlornly on the edge of the buffet. Mixed reviews on what carried our biggest expectations of the day, as the dishes, presented beautifully on black slate plates were either well cooked in the case of the meats, and undercooked in the case of the seafood. Such a shame as the Salmon In particular "looked" exquisite, however the flavours of the Lamb and Picanha, paired superbly with our Guacamole and Black Habanero dips from earlier were soon to see our disappointment fade.
The pick of the desserts had to be the traditional Churros and the Tres Leches (3 milk cake) which ended our meal on an eventual and pulsating high.
THE DRINK
There are 3 packages to choose from at the Crave brunch, soft, house and bubbly. Spirits include vodka, gin, rum and whiskey, although we were quite surprised not to see tequila on the list! Amstel, red (merlot), white (chenin blanc), rose sparkling (de bertoli) and 2 cocktails (Margarita & Sangria Blanca) complete the drinks available while the service from the wait staff is swift and smothered in smiles.
THE OTHER STUFF
ZOCO is born from a love of fresh, exciting, beautiful food & drink - they call it "The essence of La Buena Vida."
The restaurant itself is set inside a bright and spacious cave-like taverna, with exposed brickwork, a mesmerizing display of wine bottles attached to the roof, high curved beams and floor to ceiling views over the Dubai canal bridge.
For entertainment, a live Latin band performs a Mariachi show, complete with maracas, bongo drums and a wandering performer who glides from table to table and serenades each group, encouraging them to get up and join her on the dance floor in true Latin carnival spirit. The response at the start of brunch was noticeably lukewarm, however towards the end of the day once the margaritas had done their work, the dancefloor was packed with tables doing the "Macarena" and singing along enthusiastically (if not musically) to favourites such as "Despacito." The crowd is a mixture of mainly expat groups aged 35+, mostly parents both with and without the shackles of children encumbering them, though it was difficult to tell the difference with the exuberance of some groups. Not a bad thing at all and actually quite refreshing to see a good all round brunch which caters to the family, yet still allows mum and dad to misbehave. A guaranteed party from start to finish.
Every Friday - 12.30pm - 4.00pm
AED 250 inclusive of soft beverages.
AED 350 inclusive of house beverages.
AED 420 Inclusive of bubbly.
Complimentary for children under 6 years.
Half price for children 6 - 12 years.
Viva ZOCO! #LOCOFORZOCO
To Book Call 04 437 00 44 or email reservations@zocodubai.com
Book Now with Eat App
