32 Marina Street Kitchen

Moderately-priced Thai food from the Bangkok-based chain Discuss this article

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2009

Take a seat at a patio-side table at 32 Marina Street Kitchen and you will have a pristine view of the waterfront. So, if the food was good, it would make a great spot for a date. But, it’s not. The restaurant claims to serve Thai-fusion cuisine – but the menu isn’t fusion food so much as it is an attempt to hit all bases.

Even the Thai offerings have no hint of authenticity, instead tasting mostly of ready-made marinades you could buy in a supermarket. A traditional pad Thai is nauseously sweet, and a papaya salad tastes of tongue-tenderising spice and little more. To make matters worse, the service, while exceptionally friendly, is exceedingly slow. An hour can pass before your mains are delivered and so you’re sure to be too chagrined with the thought of wasting time or calories on dessert.

We can’t help but mourn the Dusit’s wasted opportunity. With serene waterside views, the venue has a great spot for a low-key romantic hideaway, and with its Thai origin it has the credentials to pull off an authentic Thai experience. But it doesn’t, and with the handful of other genuinely delicious (and reasonableThai restaurants in town there’s little incentive to visit this Dusit eatery.

• Previous reviews
  • 01 December,2008- reviewed by Daisy Carrington

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