Raised on home-cooked Italian food I’m generally reluctant to dedicate an evening’s dining to the cuisine that I will inevitably compare to that of my parents’ kitchen or the motherland itself. The magic of Dubai’s imported food industry is that both the chefs and the produce come from the cuisine’s country of origin, and this certainly bodes well for Brunello. Burrata is one of the best cheese experiences you can have. And Brunello brings the very best quality from Puglia and then sets it on a bed of asparagus, tomatoes, pesto and olive oil. It’s creamy mozzarella bliss. I followed this up with raviolini filled with braised veal served with taleggio and porcini sauce and topped with truffles. I’m still madly in love with this dish and my only regret is ordering it in the starter portion. Next time, it’s my main course! To the waiter’s consternation my order included the veal Milanese, and when it arrived (as my third course!) I understood why. It was a colossal butterflied chop that took up an entire plate. The meat inside was soft and moist, but this is where my aforementioned purist stance on Italian cooking comes in. Milanese should simply be breadcrumbed; this Pankocrusted version missed the mark in terms of authenticity. Brunello’s menu is broad, so my advice for a meal worth the trip to the Palm’s outer reaches is: pasta. Make your way through the entire menu section dedicated to stuffed versions, and try the one that combines the joy of burrata and takes advantage of truffle season. Buon appetito!
INFO: Brunello Restaurant, Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah
www.kempinski.com/palmjumeirah
Original online version of this review at www.ahlanlive.com
