December 2015 www.womanthismonth.com 73 LIFESTYLE | food review A Labour of Love Its vibrant façade contains a relentless spirit that strives to offer guests an unparalleled dining experience. Come along for a delicious trip to the Mediterranean with Ankita Mamgain at this beautiful restaurant. You might have all the ingredients right, but it’s the fine details that set a great restaurant apart from a merely good one. And only a select few seem to get the recipe right at the first attempt. Nicole’s Mediterranean Restaurant & Lounge in block 338, Adliya, is one of those rare gems, as we recently discovered. Greeted by beaming smiles at the door, we decided to settle down on the rooftop. A fine dining venue, it doesn’t have the intimidating atmosphere one usually expects from such places. The ground floor is a European-style dining room that offers comfortable seating and views of the adjoining water fountains, brought to life by colourful lights. The first floor is a chic lounge that will transport you to the party hubs of Spain and Lebanon and the rooftop is a delightful open air space that mixes a bit of Santorini to the milieu. While enjoying the light breeze, we scanned through the menu. The food spans the entire coastline of the Mediterranean offering eclectic flavours of Italy, France, Greece, Lebanon and Spain. There’s even a separate tapas menu if you want to stick to small bites. But just as we were making up our minds chef Chris appeared and offered to present a few dishes that are soon to be introduced, which seemed like an excellent idea. The first course arrived shortly; beautifully plated and full of invigorating aromas. Gambas Al Ajillo, garlic sautéed shrimp in spicy tomato sauce and coriander pesto, and Zucchini Fritters with tomato chutney, spicy garlic aioli and herbs. Both offered a grand explosion of flavours and whetted our appetite for more. Next we tried the French onion soup, a time-honoured recipe, that was delightfully comforting. Chef then presented a crab cake dish, served with a refreshing crab and cucumber salad. The flavours were so delicate and perfectly balanced, making it one of the highlights of the evening. The main course consisted of creamy mushroom risotto and braised New Zealand lamb shank with creamy mustard spatzel, grilled eggplant garlic confit and lamb jus. By now we knew, this wasn’t just another restaurant. Nicole’s takes its food very seriously. Having worked in the US for many years chef Chris brings his creative flair and enthusiasm to the restaurant and is eager to please. Full to bursting by now, we still couldn’t resist what came next. Almost-citrus crusted scallops with spring onion puree, pear onion and spinach ragout, orange segments and lemon aioli. An exquisite preparation, this artwork on the plate truly indulges your taste buds. Chocolate studded brioche bread pudding with cognac flambéed banana, caramel banana ice cream and caramel drizzle, ended this decadent experience. In conclusion, you know what made the husband-wife team, of Fadi and Denise Kfoury start the restaurant in the first place; their palpable penchant for and appreciation of the fine tastes of life. Having named it after their only daughter, they share this at Nicole’s with all their heart and a lot of love.
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