The Jewel in the Crown of Dubai’s Restaurant Scene, The Blue Jade at the Ritz Carlton

The Blue Jade at the Ritz Carlton, Dubai is one of the most decorated restaurants in Dubai and recently was awarded the Best South-East Asian Restaurant in Timeout. Our expectations were high but the restaurant surpassed these by providing a great all round experience: the atmosphere, the beautiful menu and most of the personal touches that made our experience so special.

We arrived at the Ritz and were immediately met by Hai, our waiter for the evening. The Blue Jade or “ultimate dream stone” signifies peace and serenity.  The restaurant is minimalist yet stylish. The atmosphere is relaxed with subtle lighting and soft ambient music was playing in the background.

Outside The Blue Jade

Hai gave us the choice to sit inside or out. Since we live in cold, rainy England we naturally chose outside. Dubai January nights do get cold but he sat us at a table overlooked by some patio heaters to keep the night chill at bay. After introducing himself he learnt our names and politely insisted on referring to us as Miss Rachel & Miss Maria for the entire evening.

The objective of the restaurant is to take its diners on a culinary journey through the local and authentic delicacies of the East. All the small details are taken care of, with the cutlery presented in personal, inscribed presentation boxes.

Cutlery presentation boxes

Hai explained the menu and their three month special concept where the kitchen focuses on the best from certain places. For us it was the exotic four-course “Journey to Thailand” set menu, which we both eagerly ordered.

Our first step of the journey was the “Welcome Bali tea”: a sweet tea infused with lychee and honey. A very lovely welcome and very easy to drink.

Sweet “Welcome” Tea

Next up was an amuse bouche of a beautiful textured, crispy and crunchy hoisin duck roll with a rich soft centre. The carrot and cucumber complemented the dish perfectly and the use of Singapore noodles wrapped around the filling instead of a soft pancake was a first for me and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Amuse Bouche

My starter was finely sliced and buttery soft Beef Tataki. The tataki came with a wasabi and sesame dressing which wasn’t over powering but had a small, lively kick to it. The apple and mint salad was very refreshing and paired very well and with the sparkling rosé they chose.

Buttery Soft Beef Tataki

Each new dish brought new flavours and sensations to our journey, and every dish had an excellent wine as a companion. The creamy and thick Spicy Chicken Coconut Soup arrived with fresh chillies, lemon and coriander on the side to add to taste. Maria instantly added it all, but realised quite early that this wasn’t needed. The tender Roasted Duck in Red Curry was accented by sweet grapes, tart cherry tomatoes and a rich Riesling.

Spicy Chicken Coconut Soup

Roasted Duck in Red Curry

The final leg of our journey was Fried Banana with Coconut Ice Cream and mangosteen. Whilst I’m a huge fan of Thai food I’m usually disappointed by their desserts. However, this was delicately light, encased in an airy crispy shell and balanced perfectly with smooth coconut ice cream. The mangosteen was sweet & fruity, sharp & juicy and complemented with a juicy Muscato.

Fried Banana with Coconut Ice Cream

Whilst every step of our culinary journey was beautifully cooked, presented and served, the restaurant also went to great lengths to make our entire experience memorable.

We were lucky enough to meet the architect of this fabulous culinary journey when Vietnamese born Chef Ta Van came out to introduce himself. He was very happy to help and eager for feedback.

As I have a number of allergies I let the restaurant know before we arrived. Everyone it seemed had been briefed and were all doing an amazing job in accommodating us. This is especially good to note not just for allergies but also for pregnant women who are unable to eat certain foods.

Hai presenting Miss Maria with her Babymoon Card

Hai’s insistence on learning our names would have been enough to ensure the personal touch and guarantee a tip. However, he went above and beyond by creating a personalised good luck card for Maria and her baby. He even had the staff of the restaurant offer advice in their native languages too.

Miss Maria with her Babymoon Card

Babymoon Card – tips from the staff

Babymoon Card – Tips

The blend of brilliant food and excellent customer service explains the popularity of the restaurant. The hotel and restaurant usually run at 80-90% occupancy, so in addition to recommending a visit we’d also recommend that you book first using the website, by phone: +971 4 318 6150 or email: dine.dubai@ritzcarlton.com. Thank you to all the staff at The Blue Jade, Ritz Carlton for ensuring that we had a wonderful evening.

Thank you to The Ritz Carlton for hosting us, however our opinions are always honest and our own.

Last modified: 27th November 2018