Amazing dishes, but non-satisfactory service performance: Restaurant 11 Woodfire (18. March 2023)
Since there are not too many restaurants of The World’s 50 Best MENA in Dubai, my ambition is to try basically all of them. Tonight, it was time for No. 35. Again, I had asked to have the starters timed, so I wouldn’t end up with all the dishes at the same time. Guess what. It took about five minutes, and the whole four starters were served at once. I mean, sure, I get it. It’s a bit cultural that you share dishes, but if I specifically ask you to time the dishes, and then you still decide to not do it, then I just wonder what the worth of your service is.
In any case, I started with “beef tartare (preserved lime, shiitake, jalapeño, caviar)” (200.00 AED), which was definitely too expensive for what it was. I mean, sure, the meat was good, and the bread was nice too, but the whole thing is not close to CHF 50.00 worth. And only because there is some caviar in this dish, the pricing is not justified.
The “sourdough and house dips (harissa, green olive tapenade)” (43.00 AED) were nice. The harissa one is a bit too intense for my personal gusto, but overall it was enjoyable.
One of the more favourite dishes of mine was the “bone marrow (curry leaves, soy glaze)” (84.00 AED), although not easy to get to the bone marrow because they cut the bone in small pieces instead of cutting it in half the other way round. But, in any case, they were quite delicious, and not only from the interior of the bone (so, the marrow), but also because the sauce with which it was served was exquisite.
The “brussels sprouts (seasonal mushroom, anchovy sauce)” (45.00 AED), which were recommended to me by the waitress, were good. I mean, sure, I love anchovies, which definitely helps. But in any case, the dish was good.
Last but not least, I went for the “Atlantic sea bass (garlic, kashmiri chilli)” (100.00 AED), which was great. I mean, at this point in time I was almost completely stuffed and didn’t feel like eating much more (also, mainly due to the fact that I got the four dishes at once). But, I must say, the fish was lovely.
The place itself is quite nice, and it’s also quite busy, so it is key for you to book in advance.
Even from the outside, the place is appealing. And frankly speaking, if they excelled with the service too, I would absolutely recommend that place. And, to be fair, generally speaking, I do. It just pisses me off that I specifically asked for the starters to be served sequentially, and I mentioned that I didn’t want them to be brought together since else it will be too much at once, and they still failed to do so! I mean, come on, how hard is it?!
So, is 11 Woodfire No. 35 of The World’s 50 Best MENA? Well, food-wise maybe. Service-wise, definitely not!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant 11 Woodfire
Villa 11 75B St
Jumeirah – Jumeirah 1
Dubai (UAE)
Tel.: +971 4 491 90 00
E-Mail: info@11woodfire.com
Homepage: http://www.11woodfire.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. 
