Asiana

Expensive Asian food in the Raffles Hotel Discuss this article

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2009

Like so many five-star restaurants in Dubai, Asiana excels in appearance but disappoints in cuisine. Situated at the top of the iconic Raffles pyramid, its dark industrial look oozes sophistication, and its staff put world-class limbo dancers to shame by the extent to which they bend over backwards.Food, sadly, is very hit and miss.

For starters, Asiana satay is packed full of succulent and perfectly flavoured meat, but som tam Thai – a peanut salad – is so overdressed that you’ll struggle to taste anything more than a nauseating abundance of fish sauce. Main courses are similarly mixed: the beef rendang is delicious, while the pad chia’s seafood finds itself reincarnated – well, swimming again – in over-poweringly salty gravy.

Desserts range from typical fruit, ice cream and coconut milk combos to the alarming-sounding ice kachang, which contains sweetcorn, red beans, sweet potato and vanilla ice cream. If you’re intending to drink, get that credit card ready: glasses of wine start at a head-spinning Dhs60.

Time Out tip: if you reserve in advance and request an outdoor table you’ll be told you’re not allowed to eat outside because it ‘affects the quality of the food’, but ask again on arrival and you’ll immediately be seated on the spectacular terrace.

• Previous reviews
  • 15 December,2008- reviewed by Daisy Carrington
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence

Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.