You probably thought DIFC had everything it needed, didn’t you?<\/p>\n
So did I.<\/p>\n
Thus, imagine my surprise when a new venue came along and is basically like, “Actually…how about we try this?”<\/p>\n
Take a former art gallery and transform it into a unique multi-level restaurant, complete with outdoor space, and you’ve got my new favorite venue in DIFC.\u00a0 Equal parts casual and effortlessly cool, the menu is a bit eclectic (it works for me, but I can see how others might prefer a more traditional approach) and the engagement of the staff is well above average.\u00a0 This is BB<\/a>.\u00a0 As they mention on their website, “Begin anywhere,” which is precisely what we did.<\/p>\n Seated near one of my favorite chefs in the city<\/a>, my dining partner and I happily welcomed a glass of Marquis de Joncary Joseph Perrier champagne to start, a special served here (in coupes no less) for AED65.\u00a0 While not forced in any way, we were immediately put in a celebratory mood.\u00a0 For food, we decided to trust the kitchen with our order, who, after alerting them to some allergies, did not let us down.\u00a0 To begin, our favorite dish was the deceptively simple Crispy Glazed Sprouts<\/em> (AED28) As a second course, we tried to varieties of the beautiful\u00a0Bao — look for this on my ‘best of December’ list, because you will certainly find this dish there.\u00a0 I preferred the Chicken Bang Bang<\/em> version (AED45) slightly over the Habibi<\/em> option (AED48), pictured below.\u00a0 While I do not have a ton of experience with Bao, I will say these pillowy bits of dough were cooked to perfection, stuffed with well seasoned and balanced proteins.\u00a0 If I had only one thing to order, it would be one of these two.\u00a0 Also, there are four other varieties, so I’ll definitely have something new to try on my next visit.\u00a0 I’d love to hear feedback from those who have more experience with this delicacy and how it compares.<\/p>\n Following the Bao, we were served a variety of Pho, which ranges in price from AED45 to AED60.\u00a0 Now, let’s clarify that, like Bao, I am not anything of an expert on this dish.\u00a0 While I loved the proteins and the overall presentation, I felt perhaps the broth on all three versions we tried could have involved a bit more depth, heat, and sourness.\u00a0 While the tofu wasn’t for me, I do respect this venue, which, as mentioned above, has plenty of options for vegetarian diners.\u00a0 Additionally, unlike the first course, which was easy to share, you’re going to have to order your own Pho, because it’s too difficult to split (much as we tried).\u00a0 As a minor note, I’d love to see the bowls served with chopsticks and a big spoon, but these are small requests.<\/p>\n And finally, with a selection of desserts, we opted for the Fry Pan Brownie<\/em>, AED45.\u00a0 Served with a caramel sauce and cheesecake ice cream (!), although I thought I was too full, I managed to find room for a few bites.<\/p>\n As a final note, I think it’s worth mentioning that my friend and I were at the venue for over three hours (and no, that had nothing to do with how long it took for the food to arrive).\u00a0 Much like my experience at Cabin<\/a>, I was delighted to be welcomed to a place that encouraged a lingering meal and conversation.<\/p>\n Some of the food, if you would like to see:<\/p>\nwhich I could eat by the truckload<\/del>, seconded by the Super Green Hummus<\/em> (AED22), served with crispy chips.\u00a0 A healthy Super Salad<\/em> (AED22),\u00a0‘Kung Fu’ chicken wings<\/em> (AED32), and relatively authentic Padron Peppers<\/i> (AED20) balanced the rest of our first course.\u00a0 Could we have stopped there?\u00a0 Probably.\u00a0 Fortunately, in the spirit of tasting the menu, we continued.\u00a0 You’ll note that four of our five dishes were vegetarian — props to a very inclusionary menu.<\/p>\n\n