Noir: Latin American and Asian fusion dishes that are too good to miss

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If dark, moody decor, teamed with a giant screen that shows clips of ‘Twilight’ while you eat delicious food, sounds like something for you…then head to Noir at the Kempinski Hotel, MOE, immediately. 

It’s still in the first few months since opening, so don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it but don’t make the mistake of not visiting now you know, because the food is too good to miss. 

A mixture of Latin American and Asian fusion dishes served tapas style to your table. Choose to dine in the seriously stylish main restaurant or, as we did, on the stunning terrace (think big comfy sofas and chairs and even an open fire). As well as the delicious dishes there’s a long list of cocktails to choose from, the menu even shows you how strong and sweet each one is alongside a small picture of the glass it comes in. 

This place is about attention to detail but the main event is the rich tasty food. Here’s our pick of the best dishes…

Waguy Tataki Beef (AED 95):

We love a great piece of beef here at Lovin Dubai, and the Waguy that they serve up at Noir is simply amazing. Delicate, thin strips of the finest cuts are served with a delicious salad comprised of tomatoes, avocado and radish. A great little dish that starts off the Noir experience well.

Waguy  Tataki  Beef

Tuna Cheviche (AED 50):

One of the strongest flavours we experience at Noir was this beautiful tuna cheviche. The tuna was beautifully prepared and arrived in a bowl of ice to keep the fresh tangy flavour of the fish just right in the warm Dubai temperatures. 

Tuna  Cheviche

Salmon Tiradito (AED 45) & Gratinated Chupe de Jaiva (AED 85):

The gratinated chupe de jaiva sounds fancy and tastes the same. Imagine the creamiest combination of crab meat with cheese and white sauce. Served with toasted dipping bread. Pure heaven. Combine this with the salmon tiradito with sesame truffle (perfect for truffle lovers such as myself), and you have two dishes that when combined with one of the in-house cocktails is so satisfying that you may not want to eat anything else!

Salmon  Tiradito  Gratinated  Chupe  De  Jaiva

Avocado Canneloni (AED 80):

We took a bit of a gamble on this one as we really didn’t know what to expect. What arrived was not your average cannelloni by any stretch. Doing away with the pasta aspect, the chefs at Noir have created cannelloni actually wrapped in avocado, containing crab meat and prawns with an essence dressing. It’s rich in taste and a wonderfully complex texture in the mouth. 

Avocado  Canneloni

Sauteed Skewers (AED 150):

Just when we thought we couldn’t actually fit any more food into our stomachs, the skewers arrived and we managed to find the space. A mixture of beef, chicken and prawns with spicy peanut and sautéed sauce, they were cooked beautifully and served in a hipster style jar to our table. 

Sauteed  Skewers

Noir Tempura (AED 90):

A combination of prawn, calamari and sea bass nibbles transported us back to good old English fish and chips, and was so crunchy and delicious. You really can’t fault them.

Noir  Tempura

Double Mini Burgers(AED 85):

Ok, ok, we’re just being greedy now, but when you’re faced with food like this, it’s hard to say no! Before dessert we gave the double mini burgers a go. Served with a side of chips, the two burgers (chicken and beef), were just small enough to be considered tapas, and just big enough to be considered a meal in themselves. If you’re popping into Noir to try one of the many cocktails on offer, then these are the perfect accompaniment. Good simple food done well. 

Double  Mini  Burger

DESSERT TIME:

Coconut Quindim (AED 40):

After the obvious Harry Potter references were made (quidditch anyone?), we tucked into the delicious quindim. A delicious panna cotta type mousse surrounded by maraca and mango, fresh raspberries, mango chunks and topped with a coconut pastry to add that needed bit of crunch. Not too heavy, not too light. 

Coconut  Quindim

Sweet Nachos (AED 40):

We’d never heard of sweet nachos before, and it took us a while to get used to them at first. Instead of your usual guacamole etc, you get a bowl of nachos, covered in chocolate fudge sauce with peanut butter marshmallows, turning this well-known dish into a crunchy and not-too-sweet dessert. Simply gorgeous.

Sweet  Nachos

Ice Creams (AED 40 for three scoops):

Just in case we weren’t ready to call it a night and curl up somewhere warm to let our food digest, we ordered the ice cream. Served in a huge ice cube, the freshness and flavour of the ice cream was out of this world. We opted for the mango, chocolate and banana, each one soft, creamy and full of flavour. This was really the end of the meal for us though. We were officially done!

Choc  Mango  Banana  Ice  Cream

Important info:

Address: Noir, Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road, P.O. Box 120679, Dubai 

Telephone: +971 4 409 5222

E-Mail: info@noir-dubai.com

Website: kempinski.com/en/dubai/mall-of-the-emirates/dining/bars/Noir-Dubai/

All words and pictures by Mark Field: www.markfieldphotography.com

more info: Tel: +971 55 839 1571/ markfieldphotography@gmail.com

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