International Classics at the Neighborhood Eatery – fümé
You definitely shouldn’t miss out on this amazing, uh uh, Fumazing experience at fümé.
Offering simply fascinating dishes made using the freshest ingredients and flavored with an array of spices & sauces, this neighborhood eatery serves more than just food on a plate. It serves an experience that encapsulates different tastes of the world in one spoonful.
Read on to find out more about the three starters, four mains and two desserts I sampled at my tasting session at fümé in Pier 7, Dubai Marina.
These crispy calamari starters at fümé were too tempting to resist. Now I’m not a fan of seafood, so calamari wasn’t something I was looking forward to. Knowing my choice, I would have preferred crispy shrimps instead. But the fried calamari bites won my heart.
It went perfectly well with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dip in the Thai chili sauce which complemented the red chilli slices hidden within the fried calamari pieces.
Must have.
The specialty of the house, this Duck salad at fümé packs a wonderful Christmassy look in its exotic layers.
Starting with a base of cold watermelon, it is nourished with pulled duck that is marinated in hoisin sauce and fried crispy.
This is topped with a blend of coriander and mint greens as well as crunchy cashews and a splash of hoisin.
Duck lovers definitely need to try this!
This steak tartare at fümé features tender minced beef combined with onions and tomatoes, topped with a slow cooked organic egg. It is served alongside bread bites that add a lovely crunch.
When broken, the egg beautifully flows its yolk over the mince, adding to its creaminess.
We made sure to cool off with some refreshing fruit juices.
Moving on to the main courses, we started off with this hot smoked Norwegian salmon that was served alongside teriyaki sauce and pickled cucumbers.
Fümé, otherwise known as smoke, offers smoked dishes a signature. The smoked salmon is so tender, it just melts in your mouth. The sauce and pickles add a good balance for the savory taste.
Another classic comfort dish at fümé – the marinated chicken brought tender pieces of meat basted in a honey and chilli blend, topped with really spicy chilies, a burnt lemon and a charred onion.
The chicken simply fell off the bone, making this one of the best offerings at this neighborhood eatery.
And obviously I ate the chilli.
And yes, it was absolutely spicy!!!
You can never run out of comfort food at fümé. Another soothingly warm and yes, comforting dish were the smashed potatoes. Well, they weren’t actually smashed our mashed, but were baked to tender perfection. And that’s just the beginning. These golden spuds with a crisp skin were topped with the rich crème fraiche and accented with tangy capers and veal bacon bits.
Honestly, these were my favorite. The only thing I regret was that I was too stuffed with all the other deliciousness by the time I got to these, and hence couldn’t enjoy them as much as I would have loved to.
I’m not only going back for these, but I’ll also bring back an extra take away portion with me for those midnight cravings.
Burger anyone?
This classic American dish at fümé is anything but plain. It’s got a lot of drama – with the life and hot sauce, a burst of fall colors – with the vinegar cabbage slaw, and of the impeccable taste of the soft bun and tender pulled beef brisket.
My advice: unless you really are a big burger person, share this one!
This could last all evening. Flaunting a very quirky name – Girls, 12 inches of pleasure – this eclair offers a nutty appeal. Sandwiching whipped cream, it is topped with rich chocolate and salted caramel brittle.
Taking sweet to a new high, the date and banana pudding ends the meal on a very sweet note. It is served along with custard cream that swirls in perfectly with the date syrup base and a scoop of vanilla ice cream that adds a cool twist to the warm and scrumptious cake.
