Tresind wowed us again – Iftar 2017

Iftar at Tresind is become more of a ritual for me. One that cannot be missed. Last night I fulfilled this ritual at the beautiful restaurant located in Nassima Royal Hotel. Tresind’s Iftar menu this Ramadan is priced at AED 150++ and follows the classic Mughlai concept of Kebabs, Curries and Biryani.

While we were waiting to break our fast, we were served a refreshing concoction of Almond Lassi. Perfect combination of nutrition and hydration, this chilled drink makes a good choice to cool down an empty stomach. Loved how they have covered the glasses in banana leaves to give it a little rustic touch.

Iftari Amuse Bouche

I have loved the welcome Zaatar bread at Tresind ever since I first dined at the restaurant. Although the bread has gone through generations, all the way from pav to foccacia, this pre-starter has never lost its charm.

We started with a lovely Iftari Amuse Bouche that was set up on every table so those who are fasting can instantly break their fast without any wait.
Accompanying the Zaatar foccacia was hummus which had a unique gritty texture. This, in my opinion, made it even more perfect with the foccacia.
The date candies stuffed with popping sugar added a dense bite while balancing it with the sweet crunchy feel. These were quite similar to what Tresind had last year in their Ramadan Amuse Bouche, but the dates this time around were slimmer and came wrapped in a transparent rice paper giving them the look and feel of a candy.

The olives and sweet peppers stuffed with cheese were great for an instant creamy rush while we waited for the next surprise.

Dragon fruit chaat

Along with the dates, foccacia and hummus, the Iftari Amuse Bouche also featured this refreshing contrasting salad platter of sorts.

The Dragon fruit chaat plated beautifully within the half of a Dragon fruit cake with mini watermelon, grape and Dragon fruit scoops – all topped with a spicy tangy tamarind and chaat masala mix.

On the other hand, the Caesar salad canapé started with a large chunk of romaine lettuce as the base, topped with spicy pesto and creamy Caesar dressing.
I would have loved to repeat these, since they were honestly so good, but I also knew there’s a lot more coming our way, so we resisted the temptation and decided to move on with kebabs.

Kebab Platter

Over the last few years, Dubai has seen an influx of restaurants that have turned Indian cuisine into an art. While every restaurant has its own unique flavor that adds a feather to Dubai’s dining hat, Tresind is one of the few that risked by venturing out into the unknown with the then unheard of molecular gastronomy.
These kebabs, while very simple in nature, pack a punch in terms of presentation and taste.

The Iftar set menu offers a choice between one of these four meaty kebabs, but since we were there for a tasting, we ended up trying all.

The first one is a luscious and cooked to the bone tandoori lamb chop, topped with rosemary reduction and plated ever so beautifully over an arty green chutney.

Followed by that is a crunchy portion of tandoori prawns, delicately placed over an English muffin and served alongside hollandaise foam.

 

Chicken seekh kebabs come in next over a smoked platter, the mince grilled to a smooth consistency that simply melts in every bite.

Skewered Wagyu Boti kebabs, served smoked in a pot with a piece of burnt charcoal, offer a tender closure to the appetizers platter.

Tangy onions and a spicy mint chutney make the perfect accompaniment for these last two.

I honestly can’t pick a favorite, because each one of them was perfect. But if I really had to choose one, the prawns and seekh kebabs would land at a tie on the first spot.

Palate Cleanser

An apricot sorbet came in next to break our appetizers and mains.

Lava Lamp

The Lava Lamp has always been of the classics at Tresind. Scroll down all the way to my last year’s Iftar tasting at Tresind and you will find this in there.

So much is my love for this creative mocktail, that I happened to receive the exact same flavor I tried last year, and trust me, I wasn’t complaining one bit.
Why, because it was a mix of my favorites – passion fruit and mango flavors.

This interesting drink starts off with dry ice, followed by a blend of passion fruit and mango juice. Then comes passion fruit seeds, berries and lots of theatrical appeal. It’s simply amazing to watch the dry ice smoke add enough bubble effect to make those berries appear like they are bouncing within the lamp.

And the flavor, well, let’s just say if I could drink only one drink for the rest of my life, this would be it. Perfectly chilled, perfectly presented and perfectly refreshing.
Swipe left to watch the video of the making of this drink and for more pictures.

Curries

After kebabs, it was time for curries in this Mughlai extravaganza at Tresind. While we opted for the non-vegetarian menu, they have one specifically for vegetarians as well, so don’t cut it off your list yet. This meaty menu however, offers a choice between Rajasthani Laal Mass, Butter Chicken and Kerala Fish Moilee.

Laal Mass, the most authentic type, featured extremely tender meat that made it a gravy delight.

Butter chicken, in all its classic glory, came with tender chicken pieces, finished with a perfected gravy.

Kerala Fish Moilee, although not my first choice in terms of meat, had the fish done so beautifully, I instantly fell in love. The live was slightly biased though, towards the coconut based broth dotted with dried coconut pieces, and steamed vegetables including broccoli, zucchini, beans, carrots and more.

All these were accompanied with freshly baked, warm and soft lachcha parathas.

Even though this would come as a surprise, I highly recommend the fish Moilee. The fish melts in your mouth just like cotton, and is spiced really well.

Biryani

This one here was really special. You know how Biryanis have always been really special to me right, so we opted for not one, but two Biryanis from Tresind’s Iftar menu. Well, they had three options on offer, but three would be an overkill. Moreover, we were so stuffed with all the kebabs and curries, even two seemed like a Herculean task, but thanks to take-away, all that leftover Biryani came back safe with me.

We went ahead with the boneless Chicken Biryani (obviously), and the Shrimp Biryani (again, duh!), leaving the Lamb variety for a later occasion. Cooked in a heavy pot, these biryanis were presented in a unique style with the hot and spicy meat marinade gravy spread over the fragrant Basmati rice and garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Served alongside the classic burhani boondi raita, these cooked to perfection. Moreover, they instantly made their way to a really high spot in my Biryani Love List.
Even if I would have managed to finish them, it would have been quite a task to relish each and every grain. So yes, as I mentioned in the start, I packed these and brought them back home to savour them for my Iftar the next evening. And they stayed just fine, the tender chicken and shrimp pieces, the spicy masala, the aromatic rice, and… well you get the idea.

Secret: there was one more reason I didn’t want to stuff myself with the Biryanis. Because of what was coming up next.

Mithai Thali

The grand surprise at Tresind’s Iftar menu was this Mithai Thali.

Let’s do a quick round up of everything this dessert platter holds.
* Gulab Jamun
* Baklava
* Chocolate coated Jalebi
* Tresind’s famous Daulat ki chaat
* Ras Malai placed on a Shahi Tukda
* Boondi Laddoo with Shrikhand
* Ghevar
* Nitrogen Kulfi

So many of them! This was a true representation of everything Tresind is – extensive variety, artistic appeal and delightful flavors.
Which is your favorite dessert from these?

Paan Candy Floss

The end was in the classic Tresind style with the paan flavored cotton candy. These fluffy clouds presented in a miniature van have been my favorite ever since my first visit to Tresind. And just to give you perspective, this one was my 4th.

Tresind

Location: Level 2, Nassima Royal Hotel, Sheikh Zayad Road, Trade Centre Area, Dubai
Contact: 04 4489523