A smorgasbord of choice

Kitchen6 at JW Marriott Marquis in Business Bay offers six international buffet counters to spoil you silly

Allow me to declare something right off the bat: I don't think much of buffets. They always over-promise and under-deliver. Kitchen6 at JW Marriott Marquis in Business Bay has much to boast about, with six live cooking stations, each one offering a different cuisine. Does it deliver? A friend's rave review tempted me to find out.
The award-winning restaurant takes up the entire first floor of the hotel, so the design is very roomy. I loved the semi-circled couch seating, which somehow accorded a sense of a tad bit more privacy. As mentioned, there are six stations: Indian, Arabic, Asian, Western, sushi and desserts. We couldn't possibly list all the dishes in this space (even if we wanted to), but there are some excellent options. The pre-prepared or construct-it-yourself chaats, egg noodles, beef schezwan, lamb kebabs and vegetable fried rice couldn't be faulted. There was a lot we couldn't sample because of how stuffed we were, but steaks, roasts, Shepherd's pie, sashimi, fried fish, pastas, soups  - need I go on? - are all up for grabs!
Special mention for the dessert station, which stands on its own merit: I haven't seen such a spread anywhere. Chocolate fountain with assorted dips, carrot halwa, Umm Ali, pudding, cakes and pastries, ice cream, Indian sweets, sorbets, mousses... You better hope you're good at making decisions!
We heard servers burst into the birthday song at three different tables during the evening, offering each celebrant a small cake, so this seems to be a regular - and popular - complimentary service. Kudos!

TASTE
With so much to choose from, there's bound to be both hits and misses. The chaats were divine; the veg fried rice and shish tawook stood out. But my partner, who'd been here before, was disappointed that the shawarma and dim sums seemed to lack the flavour of his previous time here.

AMBIENCE
The restaurant is classy and the place has been thoughtfully done up. We especially loved the quirky labels on the bottles on display. If you're directionally-challenged, you may get lost trying to find your seat again - the stations are spread out across the entire floor.

SERVICE
While it's mostly self-service, the chefs behind the counters and servers are both cheery and happy to make recommendations, with the latter checking in every now and then to see if all is well, help you navigate counters and clear any finished plates.

PRESENTATION
It's a buffet - how much can you do by way of presentation? And yet, somehow, the food on display is very pleasing to the eye. There is much symmetry in their myriad pots and containers - without the boredom that comes with routine.

VALUE FOR MONEY
Unless you're a competitive eater, there's no way you can do justice to six large counters of food. Not even if you skip a meal and come ravenous (we tried). Prices vary slightly on theme nights and weekday lunches (Dh215 and Dh160, respectively). Still worth it!

Where: Kitchen6, Level 1, JW Marriott Marquis, Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, Dubai
For reservations: 04-4140000
Cost for one: Dh195
Rating: 3.5/5
karen@khaleejtimes.com

• Food and Dining