BysairaFOOD & DRINKS, Lunch & dinnerMay, 2015

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE MICHELIN-STARRED INDIAN RESTAURANT IN DUBAI?

Originally from NYC, Junoon is a contemporary Indian restaurant in Dubai located at the Shangrila Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.

It isn’t often that we hear of a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant opening in Dubai, so we were eager to accept our invitation to dine at Junoon. Serving contemporary Indian cuisine from across the country, the restaurant offers a diverse menu and features different styles of cooking.

The decor is dark and formal and we couldn’t help but admire the statement piece-a traditional carved wooden door associated with palaces in India. The staff were friendly and happy to help us navigate through the menu.

We began our meal with an eggplant chaat (45 AED)-crispy, sweet and sour it was an absolute delight of flavours and textures. The peri peri shrimp (85 AED) were served with a coconut puree and shrimp oil powder-an interesting combination worth trying for those who love seafood.

Upon recommendation from our server, we ordered the kolhapuri gosht (140 AED) and glad we did so. The meat from the leg of lamb melted in the mouth and the slightly sharp sauce went perfectly with the side of hot roti straight out of the tandoor. Our second main, the tamilian curry was a subtle and light sauce that let the emperor fish shine through-an ideal combination when paired with the paratha.

So, while the appetisers and the main retain that rich Indian heritage, the desserts are a playful and fun take on some of the most popular sweets from the country. We absolutely adored our beautifully presented mango sago (45 AED) with tapioca pudding and pomegranate housed inside a pistachio meringue. The kulfi tasting was a trio of three unique flavours that included curry leaf, cardamom and guava served in a sorbet-style texture and just the right way to end a heavy meal.