Miss Tess: Go for the food, stay for the fun

THERE ARE PROBABLY no other restaurants in town where we've had a noisier meal than Miss Tess at the Taj Dubai last Friday night. And contrary to all regular instincts, we absolutely loved it. Why? Because rather than the enforced EDM beats restaurants believe are now required to make their place trendy, this eatery rocked to the sound of endless birthday celebrations, songs with which you can sing along spun by the DJ and guffaw-inducing cheesy performances by the tireless dining room dancers. Don't believe us? Click on their YouTube channel's promotional video for a brief taster of the frenetic energy you will encounter. Titled 'Asian Invasion' you can witness back-flipping Muay Thai fighters and Geisha-type performers doing their thing all set to a typical Far Eastern soundtrack.
You'll certainly be part of the Asian street food vibe action if you choose to head down tonight! For one-night-only (Wednesday, September 26) Miss Tess is celebrating one year of success and is asking you to join them for an unforgettable evening inspired by the golden age of Asian cinema - packed full of food, fun and surprise performances. The larger than life brunch will begin at 6pm with two complimentary drinks for ladies and happy hour for guys. From 8pm to 11pm for Dhs288, feast on gigantic sushi, bottomless noodles and colossal desserts accompanied by a choice of free flowing cocktails.
But what are the dishes like, you cry. In a nutshell, they perfectly complement Miss Tess' atmosphere. Taking the street food theme to the max, meals arrive piping hot, quick and bursting with flavour. Once you've got over the two artists dressed in sumo suits, or as the Blues Brothers, or as Fifties rockers (they make multiple appearances) lip-syncing to ABBA tracks, for example, and you've taken in the neon lights and brightly-coloured tuk-tuk in the middle of the room, you can focus on what makes Miss Tess so popular. We began the evening by getting into the carefree spirit and simply asking the member of staff to bring us whatever they thought the chef did best. What returned were portions of chicken gyoza, vegetable spring rolls and crispy salt and pepper calamari. While they at first didn't appear particularly inspired choices, each was hearty and satisfying with the calamari being a standout component.
Next up came the big gun. There was some rice, which was lovely, and a few noodles going around, but it was the Korean BBQ beef, which will live long in the memory. Marinated and served with egg and spinach, it was delectable and a decent enough reason for you to go tonight!
Where: Miss Tess, Taj Dubai
Best dish: Korean BBQ
Price: Dhs288 (evening brunch)
When: September 26
david@khaleejtimes.com 

• Food and Dining