Food station Fujairah

Enjoy global cuisine in the ‘Diamond of the Middle East’ at Nour Arjaan by Rotana’s Murjan restaurant

With the weather turning into a pointer to the sense of good things unfolding, and the sweeping UAE roads holding out on the promise of enjoyable tickets to ride, now is probably time to think out of the box. What about a luncheon drive to scenic Fujairah — an hour and a half away (tops) from Dubai on a lazy weekend?

The very natty Nour Arjaan by Rotana is strategically placed in pretty-as-a-picture Fujairah City’s downtown area. And Murjan Café and Restaurant caters to the cravings of anyone who wishes to drop by for a hearty meal — hotel guests, tourists traipsing around town and local residents.

The first-floor restaurant overhangs the lobby of the hotel; sunlight floods the area — both the lobby and the dining space — and envelopes you (and you are not really surprised to see a lot of diners reading or working on their laptops while they munch). The restaurant manager makes it a point to chat with every guest who drops by at Murjan, and even though I am not a big fan of hospitality chatter, it’s impossible not to warm up to him.

There’s an incredibly value-for-money lunch buffet (which in itself probably justifies the day trip to Fujairah); priced at Dh75, you get a full range of delights — from Far Eastern to Continental
(and a smattering of Mexican), swinging by South Asia, and, of course, the Middle East. The food is uniformly good, although I found the chicken fajitas to be a tad too spicy and dry. Special mention for the hummus (a personal favourite of mine in any case), the fried kibbeh and cheese sambousek — very primo stuff. Like with most dessert spreads, here, too, you are spoiled for choice, but the cakes are definitely something to write home about.

If buffet cramps your style because you are under obligation to be a sort of Jack-of-all-trades at the food counter, then opt for the reasonably-priced
à la carte menu. The grilled (and really fresh) King Prawns and Asparagus is a standout with its hint of ginger and mango sauce, as is the Smoked Salmon. And if you want more seafood, then do dig into the Grilled Omani Lobster Tail with lemon butter sauce.

A word of caution: if you are planning on sightseeing, then by all means wrap that up before you lunch; and if you’re just an accidental tourist — in Fujairah for the good food — then you might just want to have a little snooze on the backseat on the drive back home. What happens to the just-fed driver? Well, he (or she) can enjoy the terrific drive back and look forward to a siesta once back home.

sushmita@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Food and Dining