Every now and then a restaurant that has been around for some time comes to my attention and I wonder why I've never ventured into it before. Mirabel has been attracting rave reviews from the likes of Time Out Abu Dhabi, but given my less than pleasant experience at the equally positively reviewed The One Cafe, I took their superlatives with a pinch of salt. A voucher opportunity came and went on Groupon, but when it was featured again on Cobone, I managed to convince my friends to join me on yet another culinary expedition. With four vouchers worth a total of AED 320 bought for AED 140, we headed to Fatouh Al Khair Center expecting a quiet weeknight dinner. Mirabel turned out to be the busiest spot in a generally deserted 'mall', and it made me wonder why they resorted to promoting their business on a group-discount site since it seemed to be doing quite well, not that I was complaining. A review on Time Out Abu Dhabi described the place as 'something out of the NY Upper East Side', and as an avid follower of the Gossip Girl TV series (I know, I know...), I was also looking forward to experiencing that ambiance. I have to say, the way it opened out into the mall spoiled the mood a little, so maybe a more enclosed area would've given it an air of exclusivity, but anyway, we were primarily there for the food.
We were promptly handed menus upon being seated, and I was glad to see that the dine-in menu was more extensive than the online version. We had picked our dishes beforehand so we did not take too much time to place our orders, although there were some last minute changes. My friend and I opted for the Norwegian Cod Fish & Chips with mashed peas, malt vinegar and chunky fries while my other two friends went with Chicken Milanese with mashed potato and Grilled Ribe-Eye Tagliata with roasted garlic and potatoes (the latter being my impromptu suggestion). Complementary bread and butter were placed on our table, but they couldn't hold a candle to Shaekspeare & Co's assorted bread basket and herbed butter (also complementary).
Maybe someday I will appreciate the intimacy of a two-party dinner date, but at the moment, I love dining in groups as the natural flow of conversation makes the wait between courses seem insignificant and a wider selection of items is available for sampling. The mains seemed to arrive in no time. The presentation of the dishes was, for the lack of a better word, appropriate for the standard of the restaurant but nothing extraordinary. I have to admit at this point that given the prices of the mains, I was almost expecting the serving size to be Chili's-esque, not that it was not filling. The Fish & Chips was good, with the batter crispy and the fish flaky and most importantly, not fishy. However, if not for the mashed peas and the malt vinegar, which I did not incorporate into my meal, the dish could've easily passed for something from 'London Fish & Chips', where cod fillets and chips go for AED 35 as opposed to Mirabel's AED 82.
We were promptly handed menus upon being seated, and I was glad to see that the dine-in menu was more extensive than the online version. We had picked our dishes beforehand so we did not take too much time to place our orders, although there were some last minute changes. My friend and I opted for the Norwegian Cod Fish & Chips with mashed peas, malt vinegar and chunky fries while my other two friends went with Chicken Milanese with mashed potato and Grilled Ribe-Eye Tagliata with roasted garlic and potatoes (the latter being my impromptu suggestion). Complementary bread and butter were placed on our table, but they couldn't hold a candle to Shaekspeare & Co's assorted bread basket and herbed butter (also complementary).Maybe someday I will appreciate the intimacy of a two-party dinner date, but at the moment, I love dining in groups as the natural flow of conversation makes the wait between courses seem insignificant and a wider selection of items is available for sampling. The mains seemed to arrive in no time. The presentation of the dishes was, for the lack of a better word, appropriate for the standard of the restaurant but nothing extraordinary. I have to admit at this point that given the prices of the mains, I was almost expecting the serving size to be Chili's-esque, not that it was not filling. The Fish & Chips was good, with the batter crispy and the fish flaky and most importantly, not fishy. However, if not for the mashed peas and the malt vinegar, which I did not incorporate into my meal, the dish could've easily passed for something from 'London Fish & Chips', where cod fillets and chips go for AED 35 as opposed to Mirabel's AED 82.
Now on to the two extremes. The disappointment of the night was Chicken Milanese (AED 74). The chicken was ordinary at best, and it was accompanied by rocket le
aves and mustard 
infused mashed potato. None of us are big fans of rocket leaves given its bitter taste, and on that particular night we were all the more reluctant to have fresh salad in any form with the recent outbreak of E.coli. The mashed potato was fluffy with a hint of mustard, but some more depth to its flavor - perhaps with some sprinkling of cheese - would've been appreciated. The star dish of the night was the Grilled Rib-Eye Tagliata (AED 78). 
The sliced steak arrived grilled just the way we wanted it - well done but not tough and chewy, and the meat tasted ever so slightly smoky. The side of roasted garlic and potatoes was everything I had hoped it would be. The garlic pods, roasted with its skin on, oozed out the most delicious natural paste of garlic, softened and sweetened in the roasting process. I almost wished I had ordered that instead, and I made a mental note to come back for it in the future.
The service was pretty prompt although it was a busy night. Our vouchers were accepted without a hint of disappointment on our server's face (something that I have encountered before much to my annoyance). Her presence of mind was also commendable as she issued four different invoices for each voucher and presented the exact balance that each of us had to pay as our dishes were of different values. Overall, Mirabel left a positive impression and I plan to go back with the Buy 1 Breakfast Get 1 Free next on my agenda.
aves and mustard infused mashed potato. None of us are big fans of rocket leaves given its bitter taste, and on that particular night we were all the more reluctant to have fresh salad in any form with the recent outbreak of E.coli. The mashed potato was fluffy with a hint of mustard, but some more depth to its flavor - perhaps with some sprinkling of cheese - would've been appreciated. The star dish of the night was the Grilled Rib-Eye Tagliata (AED 78). The sliced steak arrived grilled just the way we wanted it - well done but not tough and chewy, and the meat tasted ever so slightly smoky. The side of roasted garlic and potatoes was everything I had hoped it would be. The garlic pods, roasted with its skin on, oozed out the most delicious natural paste of garlic, softened and sweetened in the roasting process. I almost wished I had ordered that instead, and I made a mental note to come back for it in the future.The service was pretty prompt although it was a busy night. Our vouchers were accepted without a hint of disappointment on our server's face (something that I have encountered before much to my annoyance). Her presence of mind was also commendable as she issued four different invoices for each voucher and presented the exact balance that each of us had to pay as our dishes were of different values. Overall, Mirabel left a positive impression and I plan to go back with the Buy 1 Breakfast Get 1 Free next on my agenda.
Dear iSamia,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your critique of Mirabel. I'm so glad you had a good experience with us and plan on coming back!
At Mirabel we are constantly searching for ways to improve our customer's experiences and you'll be delighted to hear that we've made some changes that, as a foodie, you'll be happy to hear.
The last chef, a British chap has gone on to other pastures and has been replaced with a Michelin trained chef from France big on style and substance. He's just starting now and the level of cuisine has continued to increase.
Come by again and try the menu with his touch, review the restaurant on Tripadvisor fairly and we'll send you a voucher for a free slice of any of our great cakes to say thanks!
On the subject of bread, he comes from a baking background and after trying his offerings after letting him loose in our bakery, we decided he was so good that we're going to open a little bakery stand for homemade bread at our restaurant!
We hope to see you back soon.. Thanks again for the enjoyable article.
Best-
Alex
Managing Director
Mirabel