Talking Fork

UPDATE: It's official - Reif Othman has left Play. Given the precipitous slide in service standards over the past six months, it really comes as no surprise.

Ok so this is going to be one of those reviews that might not please everyone. Play has been around for a while now and has made some pretty bold claims about itself. One such gem is that Play provides an atmosphere of effortless indulgence and creates a sanctuary for everyone who approaches life in a more playful way. What that means exactly I’m unsure but I think it means come down and eat and drink at Play.

Headed up by arguably Dubai's most sought after Chef of the moment, Reif Othman who's enviable reputation and fantastic pedigree is a major hook for any destination. Hailing from Singapore and credited with making Zuma a star of the local culinary scene, it was with great anticipation that we made our reservation for dinner.

Continuing with the self praise - Play's website boldly states that the concept has been carefully curated to unlock new possibilities in culinary pleasure, allowing guests to relax, socialize, and celebrate in an electric environment that stimulates the senses. With the rhetoric culminating in claiming to have re-written the rules of dining through a new approach to feeding the soul as well as the body, creating unforgettable experiences around the world. That’s one heck of an intro.

Given all of the above I think one could be forgiven for having exceptionally high expectations upon arrival to the restaurant located in the H Hotel on Sheik Zayed Road.

It didn’t really get off to an amazing start, we received a lukewarm welcome at the hotel lobby, after which we were transported up to the 36th floor in a pretty un-glamorous looking elevator that lands you at the nicely appointed hostess area with all its glistening trophies lined up. From here we go through one final check in before entering the restaurant and bar proper.

The interiors are designed in a contemporary art deco style (think Arabian Gatsby) by Gregory Gatserelia, and feature sharp cut brass walls and beautiful marble flooring across a split level dining area. There’s a faceted ceiling made up of perforated and varied sized sheets of bronze aluminum. During the original opening period there seemed to also have been some cascading gold and black sculptural chandeliers adding some additional drama to this rather large space.

However, in it's more recent rendition - gone are the chandeliers as well as the conventional dining tables. These have been replaced by excessively awkward and uncomfortable tables that feature built in brass rimmed ice buckets, (which seem more appropriate for a night club setting than a fine dining restaurant). The unfortunate result of which leaves one with no leg room while sitting and when combined with the low slung chairs the entire seating arrangement just didn't seem to make sense, which was a shame.

Uncomfortable seating aside, there are some interesting touches across the interiors, from the beautiful bonsai's to the large brass clocks and scattered musical instruments that are set atop of glass cabinets that house champagne glasses and illuminated prints of jazz era gentleman in various poses. While the venue's eye-catching aesthetic is quite nice, it does tend to come across as being too dimly lit which in some respects hides a little of the sophistication in the details. There are also speakers hung everywhere throughout the venue which gives a further cue as to what this place is actually about.

From a culinary perspective Play is an interesting concept in so far as the attempt at delivering a fusion menu that celebrates Asian and Mediterranean cuisines in a unique and quirky way. However, reading the menu at face value you would never know that this is the intention. Adding further to the minor level menu confusion are the page headings which give no reference to the menu structure.

Typically in a fine dining scenario guests are offered a brief run down of the concept and the menu (perhaps even by the chef) and while this can be tedious on occasion, it is mostly a useful piece of conversation. One would imagine with such a headline chef that the venue would be keen to wax poetical about the menu’s inspiration with guests and in turn that diners would want to get some background and possibly ask questions about their impending selections from the menu.

But no, at Play this doesn't seem to be an important part of the dining experience.

So with no explanation or recommendations we made a series of somewhat random menu choices, which were: the Surf 'N' Turf Sushi Rolls (AED82), the Duck Gyoza (AED65) and onto to the Ceviche (AED95), rounding out the entries with the crunchy 16/20 Tiger Prawns (AED115).

So how were the entrees? The prawns came wrapped in kataifi which was supposed to be the fusion part of the dish. Upon eating, this surprisingly came across as unrefined, oily and flat - elevated only by the sublime truffle mayonnaise dipping sauce. Moving on, and despite the fact that the Surf 'N' Turf Sushi Rolls were unceremoniously dumped on the table with little more than a 'here you go', they were actaually a highlight. They offered a wonderful combination of deeply marinated sukiyaki beef combined with lotus chips and spicy tenkatsu prawns. This item is a must try.

The Duck Gyoza landed on table courtesy of the third different waiter in as many dishes with minimal fanfare or fusion embellishment as a dish. This Gyoza could have easily been mistaken for any old gyoza at a hawkers stand that does dumplings. So I guess you could claim they were pretty authentic but the dish came across as very basic for fine dining. In fairness, taste wise - the chili ponzu dipping sauce was excellent and combined really well with the gamey duck inside each morsel.

The highlight of the entrees was the Ceviche, which brilliantly combined fried crispy baby squid with a selection of raw fish, apple, tomato and a lovely citrus ponzu that worked very nicely together to create a memorable dish. The crunch of the baby squid provided a welcome contrast to the raw elements, while the zesty citrus elevated things even further, perhaps offering the strongest glimpse yet into the menu's playful fusion mission. This was a definite winner.

A little something about the service.

Long after the food has been forgotten, it is service that will always be remembered. When it comes to high end dining, service excellence has to be a mainstay to command premium prices and have guests walk away happy with their experience.

Throughout the course of the entrees each dish had been delivered by a different server - each of whom were’nt especially friendly either, which seemed strange and uncoordinated. This also led to a lack of rapport that in great venues builds with the staff as the meal unfolds. This is one of the key elements that adds greatly to making a meal an experience that goes beyond the food and completely lacking at Play - which only served to project an attitude of either inexperience or aloofness.

Getting back to the meal and as the space began to fill out a little more and the DJ elevating the volume just a notch, the mains came to the table. In this case we opted for the Black Cod (AED 215), which arrived bathed in a beautifully conceived gravy that had some deep zesty flavors courtesy of the sour amarillo chili sauce. This was very much a feature of the entire evening. When it landed, the initial feeling was that perhaps the fish had been given a second life as it was swimming in the sauce but these fears eased as it became clear that fish was cooked to perfection with the flesh light and flaky just as you would hope it would be, it was in a word - outstanding. While unfair to make comparisons, the Black Miso Cod at Zuma is probably better but definitely much less adventurous.

At the other end of the fusion spectrum came the Carbonara Barrel (AED 185) which offers a table side preparation (inside a large 24 month aged cheese wheel) for a bit of theater and is topped with an onsen egg. The aroma of this dish was very alluring and the pasta was cooked absolutely perfectly al dente. The dish was creamy and delectable with the broad beans adding some crunchy contrast. While at the very top end of the range price wise, this has to be one of the best pastas in Dubai.

Fusion can sometimes mean confusion and it's always slightly concerning when one of the side orders is the star performer of the evening but it must be stated that the crisp, beautifully cooked florets of The Asparagus Side which comes seasoned with a truffle butter and lightly salted (AED 68) was perfectly executed and absolutely to die for.

Conclusion

In summing up the food, I think it’s fair to say that it was good but not groundbreaking. There were flashes of brilliance but also some misses. Did the experience re-write the rules of dining as so boldly claimed by the restaurant? Not by a long shot - and that's where the issue lies.

Bottom Line:

The food was decent but with no introduction to the concept or even so much as amuse-bouche to begin the meal with, the entire dining experience lacked refinement and in many respects let the food and chef's concept down. To be honest the service was way off the mark for fine dining and did little to justify the premium pricing of the menu.

Ultimately, Play comes across as insincere and more like a nightclub masquerading as a fine dining restaurant.