We’ve had Flavio and Fabio’s Seafood Menu booked since November, but for various reasons we had to postpone until now. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely!
This supper club transports you to a night in Rome the moment you walk across this Italian threshold. You come face to face with Flavio cooking up a storm in the kitchen while Fabio serves you an aperitif. There are images of beautiful Italian landscapes showing on the TV, Italian music plays on the sound system (the personalised Italian Supper Club’s playlist found on the QR code on the back of your menu), and a table for eight awaits you out on the stylish balcony with a gorgeous view of Dubai’s skyline lit up at night.
To start the evening off, there are delectable welcome bites of toasts with butter and anchovies; fried courgette and courgette mousse, and stuffed basil leaves with Italian ricotta cheese served with honey to get everyone acquainted before taking a seat at the table.
The comprehensive menu is exciting, but you just don’t anticipate how much food is about to arrive. Perhaps skip breakfast or lunch, or have a very light version of the two to make sure you get the full-on experience of this 8-course meal! There are two starters, beginning with the large Burrata stuffed with Pesto on Rocket Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, and the second, the fabulous Octopus Tentacle with a crunchy finish on a velvety Pumpkin and Lavender Puree. This was my top overall dish (opinions differed) in both flavours and textures. The octopus was cooked to perfection.
The menu presents 3 main courses which are broken up in traditional Italian style, by 2 Primi (the first course of hot food that typically does not contain meat) and 1 Secondi (a meat, fish or vegetable main dish). The Sardinian Organic Risotto with a silky Prawn Extraction is the first of the Primi – which was the mildest flavoured course – followed by a palette cleanser of a refreshingly gorgeous Lemon Sorbet with Mint before the second Primi of the Squid Ink Linguine with Veraci Clams (specially brought in all the way from Italy), Cherry Tomatoes and Bottarga (a delicacy of salted, cured fish roe, typically of grey mullet or bluefin tuna). This was incredibly tasty and one we relished.
The Secondi was a beautiful presentation of Prawn and Squid Guazzetto with Porcini Mushrooms on a bed of soft Truffled Potatoes. You either have the space to finish this one off completely, or you don’t. I’m proud to say we both cleared all our plates, but the struggle was very real.
And what Italian meal is complete without a Tiramisu? The ‘Tiramisupper’ by Fabio could have done with a few more coffee dipped ladyfingers to break up the heavy dose of cream, but tasty nonetheless.
To a super Italian feast and fun evening, “grazie” to you both!
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