Great Lebanese experience: Restaurant Reem Al Bawadi (27. October 2016)
The Restaurant Reem Al Bawadi is a great Lebanese restaurant located right next to the Dubai Marina. It is great especially because it is a perfect mixture of fit for tourists and accommodating the local culture and dishes. One more amazing thing is the fact that you get to smoke “Shisha Double Apple” (50 AED on the menu but charged 75 AED) during dinner and the char coal service works. Could be better but works.
I decided to go for a nice selection of different local dishes and started with “hummus (The Middle Eastern staple: A creamy spread of mashed and seasoned chickpeas with tahini, olive oil and lemon juice)” (26 AED) which was simple, smooth and rich at the same time.
The “Labneh with fresh mint (a thick, creamy, strained yogurt (halfway between yogurt & cheese) blended with fresh mint and drizzled olive oil)” (24 AED) was interesting but obviously had a slightly sour taste but went well with the pita bread.
My favourite that day was definitely the “Chicken Liver (marinated chicken liver sautéed with vegetables, pomegranate molasses)” (35 AED) as it had an incredible flavour. Mouth-watering, and mouth-filling rich.
The “Tabouleh (a classic Middle Eastern salad using finely chopped parsley, tomato, bulger and onion seasoned with salt, lemon juice and olive oil for a tangy finish)” (26 AED) was refreshing as always but definitely a bit too much parsley for my personal gusto.
Next up was the “Baba Ghannouj (a rich, smokey and creamy combination of eggplant, onions, tomatoes, green capsicum, olive oil, and pomegranate seeds)” (26 AED) which always goes well with more pita bread.
A friend recommended the “Fatoush” (a zesty refreshing combination of tomato, diced cucumber, lettuce, parsley, radish, watercress, with Fresh thyme, lemon, olive oil dressing, and crispy bread)” (24 AED) to me but I must admit that it was actually nothing I liked much.
What you should absolutely order is the “Marroccon Tea” (28 AED) – not so much because of its taste. I mean, it is good, but nothing special. Why you should definitely order it though is the procedure of how it is served.
Something quite interesting was the “Fried Kebbeh” (5 pieces of fried Middle Eastern meatballs – a firm shell of lamb and crushed bulgar, filled with minced lamb and pine nuts)” (35 AED) which definitely did not look like what I had expected but was even more tasty as my expectations were basically non-existing.
As my friend used to live here, she pointed out that “Umm Ali” (25 AED) is a typical Arabian dish which looks quite boring but is actually surprisingly tasty – especially, considering that the dessert is based on old bread.
The atmosphere of the place is lovely and the view onto the harbor is definitely interesting as you get to see quite a few yachts and people boarding them to get into international waters to party out there. The service of the place is friendly but somewhat neither efficient nor really attentive. However, at least what you get is tasty and the prices are decent (also true for beverages, i.e. 1L mineral water, 10 AED; Large Perrier, 1L, 28 AED; Turkish Coffee, 18 AED).
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Reem Al Bawadi
Marina Walk
Dubai Marina
Dubai (UAE)
Tel.: +971 44 52 25 25
Homepage: http://www.reemalbawadi.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
