Contemporary French Discovery Menu at Le Classique

French Cuisine has always been very interesting. There is something about it that is so intriguing – right from the name of the dishes to the ingredients in them – complexity is key. But no matter how much I try and refrain from French food, it is this very complexity that pushes me to go beyond my comfort zone and experience something new.

With slow Jazz playing in the backdrop and a dim lit interior offering a very romantic ambience, my dinner at Le Classique in the Emirates Golf Club was a rare find for my palate. One of the oldest restaurants in Dubai, this restaurant has been around for the last 28 years and makes quite a stylish statement.

The talented Chef De Cuisine Remi Verrier of Le Clasique has curated a very special Discovery Menu, which staying true to its name, really does take you on a culinary discovery of sorts. It opens up your taste buds to new flavors which are combined using exclusive ingredients. And the best part, there are no fixed items on this menu – everything you dine on is tailor-made to suit your taste.

While we sat down and started our evening with a glass of Rosé, Chef Remi very graciously walked over to our table and introduced himself along with the menu. He asked us about our preferred flavors, favorite meats, what we were open to experimenting with and what we would definitely want to avoid. He would later craft a bespoke personalized 4-course menu which was exclusive to our table.

Amuse Bouche

We started the Discovery Menu at Le Classique with a pea-liscious amuse bouche. This creamy pre-starter featured sauce vierge topped with pea espuma and garnished with petit garlic flavored croutons.

Very similar to a salsa, but with a more French appeal, the sauce vierge was a dense olive oil and lemon juice based French sauce enhanced with chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, crushed coriander seeds and herbs. The pea espuma was a heavy cream and pea puree based foam accent that added a light and fluffy topping to the sauce.

While the juicy tomatoes and tangy lemons gave our palates a zesty kick, the creamy pea espuma brought in its foamy yet succulent flavor and the croutons ended it on a crunchy bite.

Scallops Carpaccio

We moved on to our next starter course at Le Classique with Scallops Carpaccio. I have never really been fond of scallops. But this time around, the flavors of the scallops had some familiar, they just instantly struck chord with my taste buds.

The little green dots were parsley jus beads, that added a herb accent to the meat.

The scallops were a whole new level of interesting. But what really took the limelight was the thinly sliced and beautifully laid out fresh truffle. With an earthy texture, it complemented the scallops really well and gave the whole thing a very smooth bite.

The carpaccio was served along with sunchok on the side garnished with mini potato crisps.

Slow cooked lamb loin

For our mains at Le Classique, Chef Remi got us something that was spot on. My guest had made a fleeting mention of lamb, which didn’t go unnoticed. Although Chef had suggested beef, he presented us with this beautiful slow cooked lamb loin. It was plated with glazed seasonal vegetables and topped with a drizzle of yuzu puree.

The lamb was cooked medium well; absolutely tender with a slightly pink center. The tangy yuzu puree with its citrusy flavors cut right through the meat giving it a juicy bite. As for the veggies, I just love them. I usually take extra broccoli on my plate, because these vegetables are just so healthy.

This dish was a perfect 10 on 10. I would honestly go back just for this one. (And the truffle)

Crème Caramel pudding

The sweet ending to the very French Discovery menu at Le Classique was this Crème Caramel pudding. It came with a raspberry puree coating and topped with red fruits. The little beads around the crème caramel are passion fruit sphericals. This melt-in-your-mouth dessert encompasses the true essence of French cuisine – perfect presentation, unique ingredients and smooth flavors.

Head over to Emirates Golf Club on Sheikh Zayed Road to sample this Discovery menu at Le Classique. This menu is tailor made to suit your tastes by the very talented Chef Remi Verrier.

Le Classique

Location: Emirates Golf Club, Emirates Hills, Dubai
Contact: 04 5597893