Delicious décor

“Everywhere's so same-y same-y” - “There's nowhere like we have back home” - “There's nowhere with charm” - “Too big and lacking any atmosphere” - and so it goes on. These are the usual complaints I hear about the Dubai dining scene. Not from others. Not from critics. Usually from myself. I hear similar moans from others, but if I'm going to be honest, it's usually me whingeing about the city's limitations.

Rather than focus on the negative, though, which is fun but ultimately fruitless, it's far more productive to note those places that break the mould. And one such place is Mekong at the recently opened Anantara The Palm hotel.

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Striking decor is the central reason why Mekong stands out, with its unique blend of birdcage lighting, rickshaw seating, French shutter ceiling, Chinese statues, rich red paints, faux tiled roofing, strip-wood flooring and more, creating a mash-up of Vietnam, China and Thailand under one common, Asian-styled roof. The place screams SE Asia from entry to exit, but still leaves you in no doubt that you're in a five-star hotel, with its manicured finish and numerous staff.

Standing out is more than just about the decor, of course. The food also needs to stand alone, to wow the crowd, to be able to amaze, even if it were taken from its salubrious Palm Jumeirah surroundings, and instead served by crazed zombies wearing tuxedos in a corrugated iron shack on the side of a six-lane highway. That's when food makes the experience worthwhile, alb-eit in a somewhat extreme example.

So does Mekong's fare pass the test?

More yes than no, with some items being must-eat-must-return dishes, others being one-hit-wonders. In the first list goes the chicken satay, the king scallops, the duck pancake rolls and the black cod. Nothing says Chinese food like duck pancake rolls; they're rich and extremely moreish. And the black cod, much like its counterpart at Zuma, is one of those dishes you have to taste. But in the latter list - those dishes you may not want again - the fried monkey and duck red curry. The former has the texture of… well, it's how I imagine monkey brain might taste. The latter was full of flavour, but the meat needs to go on a diet; the fat content is high.

The recommendation therefore is to stick to the classics and enjoy the decor. The hotel overall is an incredible piece of escapist construction, with its over-the-water rooms, poolside quarters and Asian themes, all of which create an atmosphere of being transported to the Orient. This thinking extends into the signature restaurant, Mekong, which successfully takes you to the Far East after a bumpy journey along the Palm's crescent road.

Whilst there are a few dishes in need of improvement, the overall experience is worth the journey. And if, like me, you feel that Dubai's dining scene is in need of more variety, you may be surprised to find such an eclectic restaurant at one of the city's 5-star hotels.

The Original Mekong...is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia and is - at 4,350km - the 12^th-longest river in the worldWhat we liked: The decor/
ambience

What we didn't like: The fried monkey 
mushrooms

Cost for two: Dh400 (without drinks)

Contact: Mek-ong, Anantara The Palm, Dubai, 04-5678888

Editor'sRating: ***1/2