La Mer Beach, the newest beachside venture expanse of restaurants, by Meraas, has taken Dubai by storm since its inception. Truth be told, I’m always a little wary of setting sail out there, as it’s towards the Northern end of Dubai, and I live in the Southern end, but it truly is a delightful alternative to JBR, especially if you live closer to it. If there is one restaurant that does make the hike worthwhile though, its Slab at La Mer Beach.
Led by Chef Omar Rodriguez (formerly associated with Mayta) and a true foodie/die-hard David Chang fan who goes by the name of Fadi and is so well-dined that he puts most self-proclaimed foodies too shame, Slab aim to make gourmet food unpretentious, easily accessible and affordable. With heavy emphasis on refined and slow cooking techniques, premium ingredients, and an inexplicable love and passion for food that translates onto the plates and is palpable in every bite, Slab has become -without a doubt- my favorite place in La Mer Beach, and quite easily my favorite casual dining spot in all of Dubai.
Like nearly all cafes and restaurants these days, Slab checks the box of exposed ceilings, but does the rest one up with entirely grey monochrome interiors speckled only with pastel pink and blue salt and pepper mills, and the elegantly plated vibrant food that makes its way from the open kitchen to your tables. The raw faux concrete tabletops were such backdrop goals for food photography and I want them in my collection so bad that they’re been giving me sleepless nights.
Anyway, enough rambling, let’s talk about what I ate.
The amuse bouche that actually changes on the regular (unlike in most restaurants). I landed this refreshing sourdough crostini with a pepperonata compote and crispy garlic. I knew if this was any indication of the meal to follow, I was in good hands!
As soon as I saw “matcha” (pear sour) on the drinks’ menu, I blanked out and looked no further. While it was quite refreshing and balanced, it didn’t taste matcha enough to my hardcore matcha-loving palate. It tasted mostly like Granny Smith apples, which made this a perfect beverage for a hot summers day.
Spoiler Alert: this blogpost will be a rave fest. I kid you not, I can’t stop thinking, dreaming and raving about this soup ever since I had it. I think even the security guard in our building must know by now how comforting this luscious soup was, and a steal for AED 25!! I mean, just LOOK at the portion size! This butternut squash and orange soup was beautifully well rounded and I just wanted to keep rolling it around in my mouth and enveloping my tastebuds with its moreish, comforting lusciousness. The sumac on top was truly something else, and came straight from Jordan. The parmesan crisp nestled in the middle became softy and mushy and made for a rich and moreish textural contrast.
Have you ever had walnut butter before? I haven’t, an I can tell you I’ve been turned. Walnut butter has every bit of that earthiness and bitterness that you would expect from it, which perfectly complemented these roasted root vegetables. It extended a rich creaminess to it without lending any unwanted sweetness. Walnut butter is the brilliant substitute to peanut butter in savory dishes that you didn’t realize your life was missing and needed! This dish usually comes with a ricotta and Goats cheese dressing, but I asked them to hold that as I abhor Goats cheese. The veggies were marinated in balsamic vinegar,
The bar was set so high by all the other dishes I tried, that these cassava chips with avocado dip, and zucchini fritters were both a hard pass for me. They both lacked the depth of flavor and oomph that the rest of the dishes had.
Black quinoa salad with broccoli, cous cous, radish, pistachios, honey mustard dressing, beetroot, quinoa chips and quinoa crisps. The broccoli, which I usually find for to be an overpowering ingredient, actually made for an enriching one this time. This tasted every bit as healthy as it sounds, but not in a kill-me-now way. I like rabbit food, ok?
Although the previous courses were filling and satiating and despite the fact that I could have called it a day by now, the owner insisted I try a couple of mains and boy oh boy, am I glad that I did. This West Bank Pita comprised of the softest bread, slow cooked and pulled-apart chicken, and caramelized onions. I would have preferred for the onions to not have had any sugar added to them, but other than that, this was a deliciously healthy sandwich!
Another thing I really wanted was the beef tataki tacos, but decided to hold the carbs and have just the beef tataki (both options are available to all customers). This Black Angus stripling was to die for. To. Die. For. It is salt-cured for an hour, then washed, and vacuum packed with garlic, herbs and EVOO. Followed by a 9 hour sous vide at 56 degrees celsius, this beaut is then given a quick quick sear and served with fermented black bean powder, onion salsa and beef jus demi-glacé. The SHOCKING part: This bad boy costs only AED 89. I don’t think I want to eat at any expensive restaurant ever again.
You’d think I’d have stopped by now, but as soon as I heard the word “peanut butter” on the dessert menu, I flatlined. No regrets.
The menu will evolve and update every season, so that should keep the interest alive as well, if you’re possibly crazy enough to ever tire of this menu. I cannot recommend this place highly enough and have been unable to stop raving about it in front of every single person I’ve met since my meal there. The love and passion that went into creating Slab is palpable and contagious! Will definitely be frequenting Slab at La Mer Beach a lot!
