The best dishes we ate in January 2025

FACT

31-01-2025

Restaurants come and go in the Middle East, but FACT's unwavering passion for dining remains unchanged. The team can be found across the region, sampling the good, the bad and the exceptional. We eat at every kind of restaurant and experience every type of meal, from flash-in-the-pan novelties to iconic institutions. To spare you the guesswork, here are the best dishes we ate in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh this month.
There are pancakes, and then there are A.O.K Pancakes — the kind that make you pause after the first bite just to fully take in how good they are. Served at FACT award-winning A.O.K Kitchen in KAFD, these beauties were fluffy, light and indulgent, like biting into a sweet, buttery cloud. The warm, caramelised apples added a nice richness, while the golden crumble provided the perfect crunch. And with some of the friendliest staff in town making sure you're well taken care of, it's the kind of dish that instantly puts you in a good mood. — Shaheera Anwar, Staff Writer .
A good friend invited me to Chef Akmal Anuar's new Wasl 51 restaurant earlier this month. Showcasing Singaporean Malay cuisine inspired by generational recipes—many from Chef Akmal's mother—Harummanis features street food classics and traditional Malay dishes. One, however, caught us off guard. Beef lungs wouldn't usually be my pick, but this bold dish invites adventurous diners to try a rare delicacy. Carefully prepared for a tender yet slightly chewy texture, the skewered meat is lightly charcoal-grilled for a smoky char that deepens its earthy richness. Yet it's the fiery and tangy Sambal Belado that takes the dish to the next level. – David Tapley, Editor-in-Chief.
At Al Naqa Kebab, Chef Aphisith Phongsavanh brings a taste of Laos to the Neighbourhood Food Hall in Motor City. The fragrant Lao Black Lemon Lamb Kebab is easily one of the best dishes available in the entire hall, skewered and grilled over charcoal. The juicy meat is infused with lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaf and fresh herbs, creating a vibrant balance of citrusy, earthy, and smoky flavours where each bite offers a fragrant punch, complemented by the slight heat of Laotian spices. – David Tapley, Editor-in-Chief.
If there's one thing I'll always say yes to, it's pasta — especially if it's homemade — and has truffle. And the L˜ARIA's pop-up at Mandarin Oriental, Al Faisaliah in Riyadh, promises just that. The Homemade Black Truffle Tagliolino was everything I expected and is evidently one of the restaurant's best dishes. The pasta was silky, al dente and generously coated in a truffle-infused sauce. The thin shavings of black truffle scattered on top elevated the aroma (and lavishness) of the dish. — Shaheera Anwar, Staff Writer .
Camel meat isn't something you often see prepared with classic French finesse, but Ducasse in AlUla pulls it off. The Confit Camel a la Rossini, slow-cooked in its own fat until tender, is probably the best camel dish you'll ever have. With an almost foie gras-like velvety texture, this camel steak of sorts was delicious and juicy. Having lived in Saudi most of my life, I was surprised this was my first time trying camel, but I'm glad it happened at Alain Ducasse's acclaimed AlUla venue. — Shaheera Anwar, Staff Writer .
At the newly-opened MiMi Mei Fair Dubai, indulgence takes centre stage with the Crispy Golden Langoustine with Black Truffle—a dish that blends luxury and precision. Wrapped in delicate kataifi pastry, the langoustine is fried to a golden crisp, creating a delightful contrast between its crunchy exterior and the succulent seafood within. Elevating the decadence, a generous dollop of caviar crowns the dish, adding briny depth to the delicate shellfish. The finishing touch? A hint of black truffle infuses the dish with earthy opulence and surpasses the Apple Wood-Fired Roasted Peking Duck as my favourite of MiMi Mei Fair Dubai's best dishes. – David Tapley, Editor-in-Chief.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I'd much prefer a cheese plate or even another superb starter rather than dessert. However, a recent visit to NAC in Marina Mall Abu Dhabi introduced me to the Crushed Milk Chocolate Cookies. These moreish morsels are gloriously gooey, served warm so that the chocolate chips have begun to melt and topped with a fantastic Frosties soft serve ice cream. It's a dessert that takes the childhood nostalgia of cookies and a glass of milk and elevates it a notch. – David Tapley, Editor-in-Chief.
Sat on the breezy terrace at L'Amo Bistro del Mare overlooking the bobbing boats in Dubai Harbour; it's difficult not to feel like you're on the Amalfi coast. With a new menu from Head Chef Alessandro Salvatico, seasonal ingredients are reimagined with a modern, artistic touch, and the Ravioli del Plin is a highlight. These delicate, handmade ravioli—named 'Plin' after the Italian word for 'pinch'—are crafted in-house and filled with slow-braised beef, creating a rich and deeply satisfying bite. Bathed in a simple yet luxurious sauce of butter and sage, the dish lets the quality of the ingredients shine, resulting in one of our best dishes of the month. – David Tapley, Editor-in-Chief.
You'd never expect an Arabian spice such as sumac to appear in any dish in a French restaurant, but Café Boulud in Riyadh is all about surprising you. The restaurant's Salmon & Sumac is as strikingly tasteful as it is visually appealing. This perfectly pink grilled salmon fillet, with a generous sprinkle of even brighter pink sumac, is a visual treat. The spice adds a kick, cutting through the fish's rich, buttery texture. Pine nuts and raisins are scattered on top, offering a contrast of crunch and chewiness and elevating the texture of the dish. With a side of quinoa keeping things light yet satisfying, it's a dish that feels both indulgent and healthy. — Shaheera Anwar, Staff Writer .