Come 'home' for iftar

As Ramadan enters its final week, we sample the offerings at Promenade at Four Points by Sheraton, Bur Dubai, and feel a familiar 'dining room' buzz

by

Sushmita Bose

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Published: Fri 1 Jul 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Fri 1 Jul 2016, 2:00 AM

This is the last iftar review wknd. is doing for Ramadan 2016; next week onwards, it's back to the fine dining table talk. As we hit the Holy Month's home stretch, it's almost fitting we got the chance to savour a hotel iftar that tasted - and felt - like we were having an extended dinner at home. Promenade at Four Points by Sheraton in Bur Dubai has been hosting its iftar with great success - given its strategic location and amazing value-for-money per pax tag (Dh85) - and you only have to look around for endorsement: clusters of friends, families and workmates are at it with gusto (read: the sense of enjoyment is very pronounced). You'd be forgiven for thinking you've dropped by at a friend's (or relative's) place for iftar. that's the kind of familiarity Promenade evokes these balmy evenings.
I'm not a big fan of buffets; by extension, I'm not a big fan of hotel iftars - the all-you-can-eat kind of stuff, where you have Middle Eastern favourites jostling with some "signature" dishes (but then, you find the same "signatures" at a lot of other places). Just a few weeks ago, I'd written about how I found the iftar 'set menu' at Jodhpur (in Al Murooj Rotana, Downtown Dubai) a refreshing change, simply because you're not spoilt for choice and hyperventilating over (or getting massively bored with) the huge array on display.
With Promenade, I'll need to eat my words - but only to a certain extent. And "only to a certain extent" because I have an innate problem with scope. Other than being a light eater, wide varieties tend to intimidate me, bore me (I have a low attention span), and I end up choosing foolishly and feeling gypped. But why I didn't mind getting spoilt for choice at Promenade, despite the predictability of the food range, is because the quality is top-notch. In my books, being top-notch while cooking up a 'buffet-scale' arrangement is a game-changer.
I'm not going to get into a roll call of the dishes; I'm sure you've heard them all - the warm mezze platters and the salads, the Continental mix thrown into South Asian authenticity, etc - so no "oohs" and "aahs" are likely to ensue. But suffice to know that if you are having mutton masala, the mutton is cooked to perfection (I'm always a bit scared of cooked mutton's consistency since I've had too many bad experiences with "tough meat" and, at times, overcooked meat). The flavours complement the texture (and here, I'm not talking about mutton only); you know the moment you bite into something that it's honest-to-God fresh.
The meat sambousek, the fatayer - they were all the best I've had in a long time (I actually went back for second helpings, much to the intrigue of my dining partner who, usually, always sees me wasting the first round). The chaat corner, handing out dahi bhallas, gol gappas and papdi chaat with alacrity, was brilliant; the staff is thoroughly indulgent, so if you want yours to be customised (more sweet than tangy, like I did), they'll do so with a smile and an extra dollop. On a sweet note, the gulab jamuns were a treat as was the ubiquitous umm ali.
The menu, as is wont with most iftar spreads, keeps changing (within the same format, obviously) every day. But I have a feeling it wasn't just my lucky evening that made for a superb dining experience.
You may have to contend with a certain amount of bonhomie; there's a lot of sociability evident. Sight and sound. Rest assured you'll have a feeling everyone is in it together. That's what the spirit of Ramadan is all about, isn't it?
What we liked: Great range of food, home-style cooking, value-for-money tariff
What we didn't like: A tad noisy, specially if you are looking for a quiet meal
Cost per head: Dh85
Contact: Promenade, Four Points by Sheraton, Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, Dubai , Tel: 04-3977444
Rating: 4/5

sushmita@khaleejtimes.com

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