If you are keen to sample the flavours of the Levant by the sea, head straight to the Jumeirah Saadiyat Island resort and allow TEAN to take you on a flavourful journey.
TEAN overlooks the sea and has a positively inviting terrace once the weather cools down, though the restaurant also offers airy and comfortable indoor seating. The decor is beachy and chic, and the service is outstanding.
The menu is extensive. YallaEats recommends that you have a quick look at it before you visit so you don’t feel too overwhelmed by it. Alternatively, you can turn to your server for suggestions as we did, and our server was very accommodating when it came down to choosing the dishes that we’d most enjoy.
Every meal at TEAN begins with a very civilised serving of focaccia, za’atar oil for dipping, and a selection of plump green olives. The bread is delicious but do resist its charms, because undoubtedly, you’ve got a lot of food on the way.
For starters, we shared a colourful and fresh mezze selection. The moutabal and muhammara, a roasted red pepper and walnut dip is sweet, tangy, and lightly spicy, were the standouts of the cold mezze. TEAN makes a divine Muhammara, a roasted red pepper and walnut dip is sweet, tangy, and lightly spicy. Also, the moutabal was something to write home about. The perfectly smoked eggplant topped with pomegranate was so good we found ourselves wrestling to mop the last bits up mix our heaping basket of different Arabic breads. Stuffed grape vines, hummus, and tabbouleh.
For mains, my companion ordered the lambchops; he needed no assistance with his selection. I, on the other hand, love seafood, and TEAN’s menu offerings numerous tasty sounding options. I couldn’t decide. My server seemed to understand that I liked to try new things so, without offering me too many choices, he took the chance to suggest what he considered TEAN’s most notable seafood star of the menu: the salt crusted biah, or sea bream filets smothered in chermoula ( a delicious lemon, garlic, cumin, and coriander spice mix) and baked in a salt. Our server suggested we try the grilled vegetables and piquant Harra potatoes on the side.
The food comes to your liking in terms of speed. We hadn’t time for too leisurely a lunch, so it came somewhat quickly on the heels of our mezze. The lamb chops were balanced pleasingly on a light flatbread and succulent. They were served with a colourful small salad and ripe red figs on the side.
The salt crusted biah was theatrical. The platter was so big that we needed a side table for the dramatic service where the server gently thumps the salt crust to break it, removing big chunks to reveal a delicate white fish contained within. While the idea of salt crust may seem off putting, the salt coating helps the heat of the oven cook the delicate fish evenly and gently without added cooking oils. The end result is a super moist sea bream that’s perfectly seasoned. And no, it’s not overly salty because the fish’s skin adds a layer of protection. The chermoula marinade in between the filets also lent the sea bream a hint of citrus and spice that was not too overpowering and perfectly paired with this fine white fish. We give two big forks up to the salt crusted Biah.
TEAN offers a unexpected take on traditional Levantine dishes, and YallaEats suggest you come hungry and allow your server to guide you through the menu. Also, take a risk here, as these servers are knowledgeable, and the kitchen is very amenable to making small changes to ensure you get exactly what you came for.
TEAN, Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Resort, Saadiyat Island
For more information or to reserve a table, click here.
