Sambusek brings the true essence of Lebanese cuisine in the capital, and with its new one-of-a-kind personalised dining concept, you’ll love this restaurant more whether or not you’re a Lebanese cuisine aficionado.
If you love meat, fresh produce and the idea of having a seasoned chef prepare your meal right at your table, then Sambusek’s new dining concept, “At Home with Chef Emad” is for you. More than just a satisfying treat, this personal dining experience is great for families and friends to relish in Beirut’s rich culinary landscape here in Abu Dhabi.
At Sambusek, you may choose to sit inside the elegant restaurant or at the posh terrace (when the weather is fine) and bask in stunning views of the Abu Dhabi skyline and the Arabian waterfront. Presenting a complete Beiruti experience, your host is no other than Sambusek’s Lebanese Head Chef Emad Zalloum. For almost two decades, Chef Emad has been one of the best ambassadors of Lebanese cuisine at properties such as Dubai’s Burj Al Arab. He moved to Abu Dhabi to helm Sambusek, the traditional Lebanese restaurant within Rosewood Abu Dhabi. With his knowledge of Arabian ingredients and recipes, Emad offers a culinary adventure that is truly unique and memorable.
As you are seated, Chef Emad welcomes you with his mini kitchen trolley packed with fresh ingredients then he starts sharing the narrative behind the dishes he’s preparing. An interesting episode of the whole fete is engaging with the chef and learning a bit of his life story and Lebanese traditions that influenced his cooking style.
We started the gastronomic journey to Lebanon with an overflowing serving of cold and hot mezzeh (appetisers). Sambusek’s cold mezzeh is a delightful fresh blend of Lebanese classics — from salads (fatoush & tabouleh) to the restaurant’s signature smoked houmous. While we were enjoying the greens, the hot mezzeh came shortly, which include a smorgasbord of chicken liver, makanek (sausages), cheese manakeesh (flatbread), spinach fatayer (pie), and prawns Provencale. The chicken liver and fried Lebanese sausages with pomegranate molasses were our favourites as they were truly delicious and inviting. Having filled ourselves with the tasty appetisers along with freshly baked bread hot from the wooden oven, we were already fully satiated.
And when we thought we couldn’t ingest more food, Chef Emad started presenting his culinary masterpiece, ‘Noah’s Ark’. At first, it looked like an ordinary whole pumpkin, but as Chef Emad started cutting through the pulp, recounting the story behind his specialty as he goes along, he slowly revealed an aromatic mix of lamb shank and spices on a bed of saffron rice and steamed vegetables — a dish truly fit for a king! ‘Noah’s Ark’ is an original recipe born from Chef Emad’s desire of discovering a different way to cook with pumpkins back in his youth. The star of the feast is made extra special with the lamb being cooked for almost half a day, making the meat intensely tender while maintaining its succulence. A spoonful of lamb meat, soft squash and rice is a perfect bite exploding with earthy flavours that melt in the mouth!
If you do not have a penchant for stuffed pumpkin or if you want to try another dish, you may opt to take the Mixed Grills Platter as your main. The platter offers a selection of shish kebab, shish taouk and kofta kebab with garlic sauce, grilled tomato and onion on the side.
To conclude the feast, Chef Emad serves a heavenly array of mixed baklawa, ashta (Lebanese cream) with honey and fresh cut fruits — a refreshing way to end a hearty dinner!
You can experience “At Home with Chef Emad” every Thursday evening at AED241 per person for a family or group of four. The set menu includes Lebanese grapes and beverages which is a great deal! Be sure to book 24 hours in advance to take advantage of this one-of-a-kind experience.
Sambusek, Rosewood Abu Dhabi. To book, e-mail [email protected] or call 02 813 5550.
