Oh boy. I’ve been following and witnessing the journey of Enigma at Palazzo Versace since Day 1.
Here are the stages Enigma went though, the chefs that came and went:
Journey Of A Nordic Chef By Bjorn Frantzen
And now, finally, Enigma at Palazzo Versace are serving up a Persian menu under the patronage of Head Chef Mansour and I’m hoping the fourth time’s the charm because I don’t remember being this impressed and pleased with a meal at Enigma since Vanguard.
My reasons for finding my most recent meal at Enigma most satisfying are threefold:
- The menu is extremely reasonable and I hope more people realize that it’s actually a great option for a decent, presentable, and impressive meal that won’t break the bank and doesn’t have to wait for special occasions only
- As far as my (perhaps limited) knowledge goes, there aren’t any other high end Persian restaurants in Dubai. Please do leave a comment below if I’m wrong.
- I felt like I’m dining in a Versace adorned Persian court. From the decor, through the wall work to the music, everything was a reminder of the attention to detail that is synonymous with Palazzo Versace.
Moreover, it was great to see the same waiters there who have been around since Day 1, but also new ones being added to the mix, who were clearly as passionate about and in love with the restaurant and its menu as one can fathom.
We were started off with the drinks’ menu, and the mixologist spoke of the menu and his creations with charming fervour. All the cocktails and cocktails were cleverly named after famous Persian poems and literature. Both my guest and I simply described what flavors and notes we were in the mood for, and the mixologist’s recommendations completely met the mark!
My mocktail had hints of hazelnuts in a berry base and was utterly refreshing.
Here’s what we ate at Enigma:
The meal starts of with Sabzi Khordan, which can also be called the mother of all amuse bouches, as it puts all the bread baskets in the world to shame. This spread contained picked vegetables, flaky sea salt, a sun-dried tomato tapenade, homemade cows cheese, olives, and of course freshly made bread. There were also a couple of artfully constructed canapés that comprised of the perfect mix of all the items in the platter.
Zeytoon Parwadeh. The finest olives marinated in mayonnaise and mixed with chopped walnuts and pomegranate. I know, mayo sounds gross, and I absolute hate mayo, but this was extremely indulgent and I couldn’t resist reaching for more- and more!
Borani, which was yogurt with finely chopped spinach and garlic. For some reason, this sounded better than it tasted. I think the garlic in it was roasted, and I was looking forward to more of a raw garlic punch in my face.
The Kashke Bademjun, a luscious, creamy compote of charcoal grilled eggplants, fried mint, roasted onions, and Kashk. I didn’t know what Kashk was, but one bite in, I realized it might stand for Goats Cheese. I hate Goats Cheese, but my friend and plus one adored this warm appetizer. She also noted how it didn’t actually have much of the smoky taste one would expect from a description that involves the word “charcoal”, but she actually preferred it this way and found the dish to be perfectly balanced.
I can’t remember what this was called but my friend and I called this a “Heart Attack Waiting To Happen”. This was so, SO good, yet so, so bad, haha! Served with out main courses, this crispy crunchy square comprised of that bottom layer of rice and potato in a pan. It was dripping with oil, and we decided not to have more than a single bite.
For mains we were surprised with a platter of grills and couldn’t decide which we liked best! The Kebab Versace and the hammour were definite winners though.
The grills were fantastic, but a stew done well always earns my respect as I understand the time and love that goes into anything that is slow-cooked and requires patience. Layers of flavors develop that are otherwise impossible to achieve, and this lamb stew had depth and was delicious.
I especially loved the grilled veggies on the side which are synonymous with Iranian grilled meats, however these were exquisitely presented in individual portions.
No matter how full I am, the meal has to conclude with dessert, and the pick of the night was Faloodeh. The word wasn’t alien to me at all, as it sounds very much like Pakistani Faloodah, and I was half prepared for the very same dessert to arrive at our table. There were some significant differences between the two though: 1. Iranian Faloodeh comprises of pretty much raw rice noodles, as opposed to the cooked (and chilled) ones you can expect from Pakistani Faloodeh. This was hence more crunchy than chewy and slippery. 2. This comprised of saffron ice cream, as opposed to the Kulfi ice-cream one can expect from Pakistani Faloodah. 3. This had the quintessential Enigma touch, with liquid nitrogen, fresh homemade syrups and a whole lot of oohs and aahs.
The table-side preparation made for a healthy dose of theatrics.
The rose and lemon sorbet was utterly refreshing and cut through the richness of the saffron ice-cream. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the crunchy rice vermicelli, as I’m far too accustomed to the cooked, chewy version, but perhaps I’ll squires a taste for this overtime.
Many chefs talk about letting the integrity and quality of ingredients do the talking, but Chef Mansour lets his actions speak louder than words. Enigma at Palazzo Versace has been able to maintain its opulent air but has become less pretentious. You can really go there for a relaxed meal now, especially one that won’t break the bank.
