There are three kinds of tastings:
- The kind that you’re paid to do
- The kind that you do because the PR person is too nice to say no to
- The kind that you’re legitimately excited about and want in your life
Tresind is a case of kind 2. and 3., time and again. Suffice to say, when I was invited for the Ramadan menu preview at Tresind, I was fleet of foot to accept.
Ramadan is an interesting time of year. It is the most blessed month for Muslims and what’s funny is that Muslims are so excited about Ramadan that they don’t even mind abstaining from food (among other things) from dawn till dusk. This is largely due to the huge rewards promised to Muslims for observing the fast (in this world and the next), and I’m fairly confident it’s partly because of how the menus completely transform in Ramadan- in most cultures at least, and people get rewarded everyday with a plethora of sweet, savory and refreshing treats as soon as sun sets.
Rather than the usual breakfast, lunch, sometimes tea, and then dinner; Muslims end up eating a little at sunset, then a little after the Taraweeh (night) prayers, and then they have Suhoor (before dawn). My favorite meal is Iftar, and I like to make so much of it that I get to have the leftovers post Tawaweeh, and then for Suhoor I just drink up a liter of water and have some yogurt and granola. It should hence come as no surprise, that I was more than thrilled to find that Tresind serves their Iftar menu all the way from sunset till 3am!!
Said Iftar/Suhoor Ramadan menu is a steal at just AED 200. First thing’s first though: the iconic chaat trolley is NOT included in this package (it was the most frequently asked question on Snapchat). In hindsight though, that’s not entirely a bad thing, considering the plethora of food that IS included. That said, I think chaat is something I would really like to have as part of any and all Iftars and I’m so grateful for that the PR obliged and brought out the sensational table-side edible entertainment on my request.
What you do get, is the below menu. You get ALL of the Amuse Bouche, and get to pick ONE item from ALL of the other categories. So what you basically end up with is a LOT of food. What makes this menu special and in my case even preferable, is that everything is made to order ergo you don’t have to worry about a hot mess of a buffet plate.
You can still expect to be wowed, even in the absence of the chaat trolley. Their (also iconic) Lava Lamp drink has it’s Ramadan outfit on, and brews up the most refreshing version of Rooh Afza I’ve ever had.
The Amuse Bouche mostly came in a bento box style, along with a very well presented jar of fruit salad, and the salad of the day in our case with a tangy, spicy, chicken salad. I loved the fruit and chicken salads. I also enjoyed the kumquats stuffed with chicken pate, i.e., until I found out it was chicken liver and duck liver pate. Why…..WHY does liver keep sneaking up in my food, everywhere? Sigh. Also, I was not crazy about the zaatar spiced (cold) edemame, nor am I a fan of pop rocks so the dates stuffed with pop rocks and candied orange peels didn’t work for me either. We all loved the crudites and the basil-mint yogurt foam they came with though, and the almond and saffron milk shots were a sweet refreshing treat, very much like drinking liquid kulfi.
Next came a barrage of sides, and my favorite was the spicy, tangy corn on the cob. The crowd favorite was the mini lamb koftas.Oh wait, I also loved the chili tempuras that were stuffed with aloo tikki- YUM.
We then got our hands dirty in some luscious curries and comforting biryanis. The lamb nihari stole the show but the size of the Tiger Prawns in the biryani was INSANE. I kid you not when I say that each prawn was the size of my small hand or that of a large palm.
Another show stopper was the roast selection. We tried the roast chicken and the lamb chops and we couldn’t decide which one we liked better. Both items were the first to be wolfed down.
There was zero room for dessert (which is also included in the package), but we tried some anyway and truth be told I was not impressed. While it was stunning to look at, I felt that a choice of sweetmeats was too rich of an option after such an indulgent meal. My favorite element on the dessert plate was the tart raspberry coulis, and I think the dessert should have been lighter and tarter, to cut through the richness of the meal.
The best part is that the menu is served all the way from sunset till 3am, and needless to say, it’s a great bargain at AED 165 for a choice selection of the finest ingredients and thoughtful creations.
Thanks so much for having me over again, Tresind, and for listening to my two cents 🙂
The rest of you can make a reservation on 04 4489523
