Amidst art and heritage at Fen Restaurant

Nothing meets the definition of ‘hidden gem’ quite like this. Throughout my 2 hour ride to Sharjah during rush hour on a Tuesday evening, I kept hoping the restaurant would be worth all that effort. I am glad I wasn’t proved wrong. Located amidst the hustle and bustle of Mureijah Square Sharjah, lies a haven of peace and tranquillity. The Sharjah Art Foundation is an oasis that assists in the flourishing of art and culture, showcasing traditional values with a touch of modern appeal. The hidden gem here was the recently opened Fen Restaurant. A dream child of Sheikha Hoor, this restaurant is nothing less of time travel. Housed in a traditional structure with wooden doors and windows, minimal décor and a very soothing vibe, Fen instils a feeling of calm amidst chaos from the very minute you step it.

Popular among tourists, locals and art lovers, you are quite likely to stumble upon this restaurant while strolling around the museum and art area near Sharjah corniche. In addition to art galleries and a mosque, this complex also accommodates a compact library and Fen Café amidst the heritage inspired ‘Arabian house’ structure, that allows them to cater to a wider audience.

This one is worth a visit if you are located in Dubai. And a must if you reside in Sharjah or Ajman.

Read on for my review and photos of some beautifully crafted dishes.

Falling in line with their minimalist approach, the menu at Fen Restaurant spans across a mere 3 pages, but offers a variety of globally influenced dishes with a touch of Middle Eastern flavors.

Their menu highlights the concept of clean eating and healthy living, and this is evident in every dish – right from the organic ingredients, to the minimalist plating and the authentic flavors.

While we were waiting for our dishes to arrive, we were offered these crusty sesame bread sticks, which are honestly the best I have had in a long long time. They somehow reminded me of the Indian jeera biscuits that make a perfect match with tea.

We ventured into their variety with two delicious soups that were perfectly warm and got us on to for a healthy start.

Broccoli soup

The creamy Broccoli soup was sparsely spiced to maintain the vegetable flavor and came with a wonderful walnut garnish.

Roasted Pumpkin

The Roasted Pumpkin soup gave off a slight tanginess and blended perfectly well with the macadamia nut garnish.

Like most of the items at Fen, these soups were topped with edible micro-greens that added a beautiful organic touch. They were served alongside lightly buttered crusty bread that went hand in hand with the thick texture of the soup.

At Fen Restaurant, classic meets contemporary, and we were humbled to get a feel of both. The salads at Fen are prepared using fresh, locally sourced, and wherever possible, homegrown ingredients. This makes everything taste so fresh and interesting.

Classic Caesar Salad

The first one, Classic Caesar Salad comes with grilled herb chicken that is cooked to a juicy perfection. It is served over a bed of romaine lettuce with parmesan shavings and a creamy light Caesar dressing.

Shaved Fennel & Rocket Salad

The second one, Shaved Fennel & Rocket Salad, is a good option for vegetarians. I have always been in love with fennel and there was nothing more refreshing that nibbling on those shaved fennel pieces. This salad comes with fresh peach pieces placed around rocket leaves that are topped with macadamia nuts and dressed with their homemade citrus yoghurt.

My favorite was the latter, mainly because of the fennel, but if you want to go Japanese, you can also try out their Aburi Hamachi Sashimi with rocket leaves and yuzu dressing.

A little fish, and a little meat go a long way, and then the whole world seems better again. Inspired by global cuisine, yet adhering to Middle Eastern flavors, the menu options at Fen Restaurant surprise you with their very concept.

Wild Hammour

This one is a Wild Hammour cooked in sous vide style and presented in a lettuce wrap. The Hammour fillet, placed over a bed of organic brown rice was served alongside Hoisin and chilli garlic sauce. The fish was as tender as cotton, really. And even though I am not a very big fan of Hoisin sauce, the chilli garlic (being more of my forte) went perfectly well with the brown rice. And yes, the rice! I prefer brown rice over white any day, and love them especially for their crunch.

Wagyu beef Ravioli

The next one was Wagyu beef Ravioli with smoked mozzarella. The pasta with all those pretty edges, was perfectly al dente, and the beef cheek meat was spiced just right. The ravioli was topped with a balsamic glaze that gave it a rustic look and feel, along with a drizzle of linseed oil and micro greens garnish.

Wagyu Rump Steak

The last main course, and honestly the one I loved the most was this Wagyu Rump Steak. The meat in this one is locally sourced and it was cooked well done on our request. What I loved the most was the manner in which it was served over a homegrown sweet potato mash. The mash, topped with a mixed green salad, dressed with Yuzu, black lava salt and a savory home made gravy gave it just the right finish.
Every bite of this meat was a revelation. I would have loved to have a second serving of this, but well I was too full to even finish one. And then we had to leave some space for desserts too!

Desserts. Love ‘em, hate ‘em (well, don’t), but you cannot escape them. And why should you? They are quite literally the sweetest, most interesting part of the menu, right? We were served an amazing selection of these at Fen Resturant.

Cupcakes

First,came in these pretty cupcakes. Look at that red velvet goodness on the first one and the galaxy effect on the second!

Cookies

This homemade cookie tower was the next surprise. The base Chocolate Chip, moved up to Pistachio with sea salt, Oreo, and Peanut Butter Cookie. These were comparatively much lighter and felt healthier than cookies you would get elsewhere. Plus, they looked almost like muffins which made them a 2-in-1 delight!

Cake

The final dessert was slightly more authentic to the heritage feel of the restaurant and the complex. Perfectly scrumptious, the carrot cake was served freshly baked. What made it even more interesting was the pomegranate seed and pistachio garnish and the sauce on the side.

Drinks

We also tried some of their special Mojitos which proved to be real coolers amidst all that May heat.

Fen Cafe & Restaurant

Location: Inside Sharjah Art Foundation, Al Mureijah Square, Al Mareija, Sharjah
Contact: 04 2759083

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