Mott 32 review: I didn’t eat the Peking duck or black cod, and returned happier for it

From At.Mosphere and Aura to Address Sky Views and The Frame, Dubai is replete with resplendent views. Live in the city long enough, though, and it’s easy to become jaded when it comes to the panoramas put on by high-rises. Then along comes Mott 32. Located on the 73rd floor of Address Beach Resort, it offers, arguably, the best view from a restaurant (with SushiSamba following in second place) in the emirate. While the lights of Caesars Palace twinkle along on one side and the JBR stretch is lit in all its glory on the other, the highlight here is getting a bird’s-eye view of Ain Dubai – which also means you can get a unique topside show of the fireworks regularly hosted on Bluewaters Island. The National secured a spot on the terrace to see if the meal matched the scene. If you can secure a spot, sit on the terrace come winter or summer. Having said that, the labyrinthine 231-seater restaurant is visually stunning from the inside out. The decor, courtesy of award-winning interior designer Joyce Wang Studio, melds traditional Chinese motifs with industrial-chic elements. Think latticework wooden slats, hexagonal ochre tiles and lantern-shaped chandeliers. Fun fact: the restaurant – which also has outposts in Singapore, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Seoul and Bangkok – is named as an ode to 32 Mott Street in New York, the location of the city’s first Chinese convenience store that opened in 1891. This review could have ended here with the tip – get the Peking duck pancake and black cod, and go home happy. However, head chef Frankie Yang Tao has crafted an innovative menu that goes well beyond these signature dishes. “The dishes reflect modern Hong Kong culture, with touches of Cantonese, Szechuan, and Beijing cuisine,” says Tao. Using these influences, Tao has also spun one of the city’s most lavish vegetarian menus, including a dedicated plant-based section, with each innovative dish a far cry from the other. With that in mind, my dining companion and I decide to sample Mott 32’s more unusual creations – with the clear understanding that we will return soon for a date with that duck. That’s not to say we didn’t try the signature ingredient at all, starting with the shredded duck salad and the “duck” listed in the plant-based section. The salad (Dh85) is the best way to get a generous taste of the 42-day Peking duck if you’ve forgotten to pre-order it or don’t want to pay Dh688 for the whole bird. The meat is succulent yet light, with the beetroot and crispy taro adding a crunchy texture. The accompanying citrus-truffle dressing has an umami flavour that’s so moreish, you could spoon it into the mouth by itself. From the plant-based menu, we tried the smoked Peking “duck” bean curd roll (more on this below) and the crispy vegan “chicken” (Dh90) with Szechuan red peppercorns, dried chilli, cashew nuts (Dh90). A word of warning – while the chillies infuse themselves well with the “meat” (read coconut chunks), bite into one at your own peril. Next, we try the black truffle siu mai (Dh80 for two pieces); the traditional Cantonese dumplings come with the usual prawn and chicken fillings, but with one intriguing addition: soft quail egg. The egg is left runny and, as such, dominates the dim sum with its yolky taste. Dim sum lovers might do better to order the king prawn har gow (Dh80 for four pieces). The slightly sweet, meaty prawn filling is in no way overwhelmed by the har gow wrapper, which is of perfect thickness in proportion to the stuffing. For mains, we get crabmeat fried rice with flying fish roe (Dh110), which is flavourful and akin to popping candy courtesy of the generous garnish of tobiko beads; and the lobster ma po tofu (Dh320), which is now my preferred way of eating lobster. The tingly Sichuan pepper sauce combines its woody and slightly sweet acidic notes so well with the buttery meat and silken tofu that it’s akin to a pleasurable rollercoaster of flavours in every bite. Almost absurdly for a strict meat-eater, the plant-based “Peking duck” – an oven-baked bean curd roll filled with carrot, shiitake mushroom and wood ear fungus – is the highlight of my meal. It is all things yummy and crunchy, and the perfect example of the creative flair that is still needed in many a fine-dining vegan menu. It’s even presented like an authentic duck pancake, complete with crispy-looking skin. Chef Tao is from the city of Nanjing in East China, where he says, “I spent close to two decades refining my culinary expertise within the realm of traditional Chinese cuisine”. He then worked in Dubai for 15 years with the Marriott and Accor groups, and has been with the Mott 32 family for about two years. At the Dubai outpost, Tao gives free rein to his penchant for “creating innovative dishes using different cooking methods such as sous vide, wok-fried, charcoal and molecular cuisine, as well as seasonal and unique ingredients. For example, mushrooms such as enoki, oyster, black fungus and yellow fungus can be used in a variety of Chinese dishes including soup, stir-fries and salads. But I think the best representation of this [is] in our plant-based menu, in the smoked peking “duck” bean curd roll with carrot, shiitake mushroom and wood ear fungus.” Unsurprisingly, the two other dishes he recommends most highly are: the apple-wood-roasted Peking duck and the jasmine-flower-smoked black cod; plus the almond, chocolate and oolong tea “xiao long bao” for dessert. Soups range from Dh60 to a staggering Dh750 for the sharing-style Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a Qing dynasty-era broth served here with South African abalone, sea cucumber, conpoy, fish maw and bamboo pith. Starters, including dim sum, cost between Dh55 and Dh105; mains go for Dh160 to Dh580; and desserts cost between Dh75 and Dh85. The apple-wood roasted duck, which has to be ordered in advance, is good for up to four people and costs Dh688. Mott 32 is open Sunday to Friday from 4.30pm to 1am, and on Saturdays from noon to 4pm for brunch; and 6pm to 2am for dinner. For reservations, contact 04 278 4832 or sevenrooms.com . This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant

Mott 32 review: I didn’t eat the Peking duck or black cod, and returned happier for it

The restaurant has the best view in town with a meal to match