The team behind Cipriani and Novikov debut another exciting fusion restaurant
With a slew of new restaurant openings within the last six months in Citywalk 2, the culinary scene in Jumeirah is lit. We visit Eshak, a restaurant that fuses Middle Eastern and East European cuisines.
The locale: Citywalk 2 has transformed itself into a high-end retail and dining juggernaut. Visit any day of the week and you’ll see a healthy concentration of locals and expats strolling down the broad sidewalks. Located close to Citywalk Mall is Eshak.
The setting: With heavily embroidered chairs, wooden floors, elaborate chandeliers and large wall-mounted psychedelic art works and rugs, the interiors are modish and fit right in with the scheme of the several other ritzy restaurants and shopping spaces that you can see from beyond the restaurant’s doors which open out into the pavement. Weather permitting, choose a table outside for a spot of people watching.
Claim-to-fame: The cuisine is Eastern Europe meets Middle Eastern so expect a fusion between Uzbek, Armenian and Georgian tastes with a Lebanese twist.
The Baklajan Rolls are a Georgian speciality
Small-bites: We start with the Baklajan Rolls, a Georgian preparation, which includes finely sliced and fried slivers of eggplant that are rolled and stuffed with cream cheese drizzled in pesto sauce. There are several Middle Eastern starters too and you’d do well to settle on the Hoummous or even the Muhammara if you can stomach a fiery chilli paste blended with breadcrumbs.
The Lamb Mantas bring some Azerbaijani flare to your plate
Mains: We ordered the Azerbaijani speciality called Chicken Kutabs. Kutabs are stuffed flatbread, and an Azeri speciality. Ours is stuffed with spicy chicken. We also order the Lamb Mantas, another Georgian dish, which are dumplings stuffed with lamb served alongside sour cream. The highlight of our mains though was something from closer to home, the Shashalik kebab, made from beef tenderloin marinated brilliantly and tender enough to be devoured without needing to sink our teeth into it.
The Asal honey cake is a nod to Russian cuisine
Sweet ending: The layered Asal honey cake from Russia is a ubiquitous dessert across several supermarkets in Dubai, but none of them come quite close to the one plated here at Eshak. If you can brave some more sugar, opt for the Wafer Rolls that are fried wafer rolls stuffed with condensed milk. Sugar coma guaranteed.