Caesars is like the all-day-dining restaurant you find in hotels, specialising in regional and international cuisine, it has something for everything. A Dubai institution, it’s as old school as they get. If you lived in Dubai through the 90’s and 00’s then there is a strong possibility you have been to Caesars, the restaurant and/or the confectionary. And although the interior has been updated (more than once) it still has the same old (fuddy-duddy by today’s standards) DNA it did back then. I find it familiar…like driving down Baniyas Street or visiting Meena Bazaar – it reminds me of my Dubai.
The menu has changed little and still, for some unfathomable reason, includes a number of Iranian dishes, which is what I came to try. Although they do not offer any khoresh (stews) Caesars does serve a surprisingly extensive number of kababs, including Kabab-e Maygoo (shrimp) and Kabab-e Barreh (lamb chops). Their Koobideh, one of the hardest kababs to get right, is actually pretty good.
In addition to the grills, they also offer a decent Āsh-e Reshteh – a thick herb and noodle soup. Hugely popular throughout Iran, Āsh-e Reshteh can trace its roots back to Zoroastrian Persia where it was known as Shuli. A substantial, one-pot meal in itself, this vegetarian āsh is made using a bouquet of herbs such as parsley and/or coriander, spring onions, spinach, and kidney beans, chickpeas, reshteh (Persian noodles), kashk (drained and then dried yoghurt). It is garnished with na’nâ dâgh (fried powdered mint), fried onions and a splash of kashk.
Shirazi salad is also on the menu and should be included with any main you order. Perhaps the biggest surprise of my meal there was the availability of Iranian Falooda. Try it with only a squeeze of fresh lime – nothing else – yummy.
Service at Caesars is equally old school and a little slow, but their smiles are genuine and that counts for a lot. The franchise is a Dubai landmark. If you haven’t yet been, I strongly suggest you do. If you have, ask when the last time you went was…and go. It’s still as great as it has always been.
Waste NOT. Want NOT.
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