When I heard Busaba Eathai was opening in JBR on The Beach this year, I was hesitant to get too excited. It is a popular Thai restaurant chain from London with 12 locations across the United Kingdom. Upon hearing the term “restaurant chain”, I usually head in the opposite direction.
That is not the case with this particular concept, because the man behind it is none other than the London restaurateur Alan Yau, who created Hakkasan, a restaurant chain that’s left an indelible mark in the world of fine dining.
Busaba Eathai in Dubai looks like the ones you’ll find in the UK: it has the same dark wooden communal tables surrounded by benches and large, cylindrical lights casting an amber glow.
It’s sleek, unembellished and serene. Upbeat, soulful music enhances the laid-back ambience.
Although there are two levels, the upper floor was closed on the day of my visit. There is a steady trickle of patrons who come for lunch, giving it a lively vibe.
The menu – nearly identical to its UK outlets – offers salads, small plates, stir-fries, wok noodle dishes, soups, chargrilled dishes, curries, rice dishes and an assortment of sides.
The most-expensive dish on the menu is the chargrilled duck for Dh75, but most mains will only set you back between Dh40 and Dh60.
The waiting staff are friendly, efficient and savvy. They know the menu well and mine appears to have actually tasted each dish I ask about. She insists I should try the Thai calamari – a signature dish at Dh37. The large chunks of calamari are fried, but the batter is thin and not heavy, making these sweet and salty bites addictive.
Slivers of ginger are a nice touch and there’s an infusion of coriander and green peppercorn in each bite. These may be a tad too salty for some, but I can’t get enough of them. For mains, I try the chilli prawn stir-fry (Dh51), which the menu indicates is spicy. I ask for a less spicy version, but it still comes packed with quite a bit of heat. That aside, the dish is an explosion of flavour.
The prawns are tossed with a handful of red and green Thai chillies, onions, garlic and Thai sweet basil leaves. At first glance, it looks simple, but the flavour is complex. Those unseen ingredients – fish sauce, Thai chilli paste and oyster sauce – take the flavour to another level. With just seven medium-sized prawns, the portion is not meant for sharing, so you won’t feel guilty keeping this one to yourself.
We also have the massaman duck curry (Dh60), which arrives as a brown mass of unattractive gravy. Upon tucking in, however, the tender pieces of duck fall apart on first chew. It’s a classic rendition of this famous Thai dish with large chunks of potato, onions and nuts, but it is simply too overloaded with cinnamon for our tastes.
Don’t miss the tom kha gai soup (Dh41). Presented beautifully, this colourful, flavour-packed soup is the highlight of the meal. The opaque white coconut broth is creamy and rich, filled with whole mushrooms, lime leaves, spinach leaves, lemongrass, a mass of slippery glass noodles and grilled chicken, incorporating thigh meat for maximum flavour. It’s a large portion and will satisfy as a light lunch.
The meal ends with a delicious coconut Kaffir lime panna cotta (Dh30). The delicate lime-infused cream is topped with slender pieces of silky coconut, Kaffir lime zest and a thin layer of mango gelatin.
Set on a layer of coconut sweetened with a simple syrup, this dessert is an excellent balance of sweet and tart without going overboard on either. Forget that Busaba Eathai is a restaurant chain and go out of your way to eat here.
There’s an impressive depth of flavour in dishes across the menu and you’ll be hard-pressed to find authentic Thai cuisine at a better price, especially in this part of Dubai.
The location on The Beach is its first outside of the UK. Fingers crossed, it won’t be the last.
• A three-course meal for two at Busaba Eathai, The Beach, with two desserts costs Dh250. Call 04 428 1421. Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and conducted incognito.
sjohnson@thenational.ae
