Jaan at the Penthouse – Drink & Dine with a view

Last night we went to try out the new and upcoming resto-lounge Jaan at the Penthouse. Indian celebrity chef Farrokh Khambata’s debut into the Dubai nightlife scene, Jaan (life) features a swanky Modernist bar and a sophisticated dining area – all that with remarkable views of the Dubai skyline from the 31st floor of Sofitel Downtown. The global dishes on their food menu are highlighted with a twist of Indian inspired flavors making it the perfect showcase of Progressive Indian cuisine.

Their drinks menu is interestingly divided into Forte, Funky, Fruity, Fancy, Fenir and Faux – so you can choose just what you want based on your taste preferences.

Smoking Cosmo, a part of Jaan at the Penthouse’s Funky drinks collection, is a cosmopolitan served with dry ice smoke in a unique cigar shaped glass. The drink is presented with a quirky flask.

Famed as the best in the West, Bourbon Colours is a part of Jaan at the Penthouse’s Forte Drinks selection. It features bitters with red apple and cinnamon honey for that mix of strong and sweet flavors. This too, is presented with a quirky flask.

Time for some live starters

Life of Nemo! An exciting name and an even more exciting presentation. This butso styled kuromaguro blue fin tuna, spiced with Japanese dashi condiments is presrented over a fish bowl with live nemo fishes swimming in it. This crudos dish at Jaan at the Penthouse takes the concept of live action up a notch. The tuna fish was extremely tender. Since this is a raw offering, it was not really up my alley, but for raw food lovers, Life of Nemo would definitely be a delight.

Watch the live presentation of this dish on my Insta-blog @truetotaste here!

Salmon Kejriwal. Interesting, no?
Farrokh’s menu offering keeps getting fascinating.
This Indian inspired Sushi comes rolled up with salmon fish and egg cooked at 75 degrees in sous vide style. It is spiced with a mild flavored smoked jwala chilli mayo. And then there’s the dry ice smoke to give it a theatrical finish.

Watch the live presentation of this dish on my Insta-blog @truetotaste here!

How could I not try prawns?!
Wrapped in Turkey Bacon, these grilled prawns are flavored with Indian inspired narangi sriracha and spiced orange reduction. So tender, so crunchy, I could eat these all evening. And look at how sweetly they are presented like savoury popsicles. Must have.
They also have Indian butter garlic styled big head prawns – definitely having those on my next visit.

Smoke smoke baby!

This cherry wood smoked infused chicken at Jaan at the Penthouse is highly recommended. Tender chicken is spiced with button peppers and Indian boriya mirch chillies. The best part – it is topped with crunchy cashew nuts.
Right from the presentation to the last bite, I loved every aspect of this dish. Must have. Please have this.

Watch the unveiling of the Cherry Wood Chicken on my Insta-blog @truetotaste here!

How about some naan-za!
This extremely cheesy cross between naan and pizza comes filled with camembert cheese and truffle oil in a baked dough.
Baked in tandoor, these bite sized pieces are perfect as bar bites or for munching while you wait for the main course.

Hokkaido mushrooms and truffle koftas – these exquisite combination of gucchi and butter mushrooms felt like wild mushroom mince in every bite. Cheesy and garlicky, they were served over a buttery makhani gravy.
Loved them. Just perfect.

Pretty Punjabi this one.
The Lebanese inspired Punjabi main course – Sizzling Cholé Hommus gravy – features whole chickpeas with Punjabi spices and is paired with stuffed Amritsari Kulchas. The leavened breakfast bread is filled with a spicy potato stuffing. Love how the pomegranate garnish on the kulchas cuts the green chilli spice of the chole. I missed the creamy texture of the classic hummus though.

Watch the video of how the creamy Sizzling Cholé Hommus falls perfectly on plate on my Insta-blog @truetotaste here!

Is that some sort of bhel puri at Jaan at the Penthouse?

There’s still lots of molecular gastronomy to go at Jaan at the Penthouse. Like this chaat-esque Dauphinois of Jhaal Muri Potato where French style potatoes are served with the Bengal street favorite snack and topped with a yogurt based sauce.
These were my favorite. The mushy potatoes, sev and posed rice mix and the creamy sauce. I really wish I could have them all but by the time they arrived I was stuffed.

Watch the serving of Jhaal Muri on my Insta-blog @truetotaste here!

It’s no doubt we all love butter chicken. Especially the Dhaba highway restaurant styled butter chicken at Jaan at the Penthouse.
This classic dish features melt-in-your-mouth hand pulled chicken in a rich butter cream gravy.
The smart part – it is served in a tiffin box. How sweet no? Umm…not in terms of taste, just presentation.
In the backdrop is the Jaan bread basket flaunting a collection of warm and freshly made rotis, naan and parathas.
Order this if you are a true butter chicken fan!

Before we moved on to the final main course and desserts, we went in for a second round of drinks. The Baboona blossom on the left from the Forte menu is a twisted Manhattan that comes with a touch of chamomile. The Kitty Brewer on the right from the Funky menu is served in a cat tail glass with a hint of mandarin. So Meow!

Truly worth their weight in gold, the gucchi mushrooms – a rare variety of wild mushrooms grown in the Himalayas are the star of this magnifico Pulao rice along with the very healthy pine nuts of course.
Now if you remember, mushrooms have been my latest fave. And being able to have one of the most exquisite varieties was definitely a pleasure. The rice was absolutely delicious. The earthen style of dum cooking covered with dough, had them cooked to perfection, such that the rice had a sheen to it, but it didn’t make them oily or heavy.
Must must have. I just feel too bad I couldn’t eat it all. They were just delicious. And finding those lovely mushrooms hidden within… just wow!

Watch the unveiling of the Pulao on my Insta-blog @truetotaste here!

A cross between the French toast and Indian Shahi Tukda, this progressive dessert takes the sweet ending concept up a notch.
The dense fried bread is topped with a squeeze of maple cinnamon syrup and garnished with caramel threads. It is served alongside a creamy almond kulfi made with reduced milk.
I loved biting into the bread. It was something out of this world. Funny thing, I was initially skeptical on having two desserts and was planning to give this one a miss. Glad I didn’t.

What was being injected in that dish? Watch the video on my Insta-blog @truetotaste here!

Sweet sweeter sweetest – this is Nirvana.
Saffron panna cotta topped with thandai mousse sits in a raspberry coulis base. The raspberry sauce is poured around the panna cotta to give it a slightly sweet, slightly tangy finish.
And don’t forget the golden chocolate twigs.

Jaan at the Penthouse is definitely worth a visit, not just once or twice, but again and again. Perfect for a family affair dinner or a weekend lounging with friends or your better half, this restaurant transports you to the top of the world. Really.