Castle Restaurant, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Welcome
Castle Restaurant is located in Khalifa City A. It is a 30 minute drive from the Abu Dhabi downtown, but well worth the drive. Ample free parking available outside the large gates of “Castle”. They recently undergone management change in mid October, revamping their menu and improving the look/feel of their restaurant. I was lucky enough to be invited for their new menu tasting event. If you have paid a visit in the past, I highly suggest a return to see and experience for yourself.
The “Welcome” of the guests itself was a grand gesture that I have not experienced anywhere else before. Large watermelons were carried in, to mark the beginning of our meal. The servers then poured nitrogen gas into the watermelons to create steaming effects coming out of the watermelons. Our party became largely amused and the servers were accommodating enough to keep pouring gas into the watermelons so that we could capture all the photos and videos. This is the only restaurant in Abu Dhabi that uses molecular gastronomy. The smoking watermelon is brought to all the tables at Castle complimentary! Unfortunately, this is not an edible item due to the amount of gas that is used. I did have a huge craving for watermelons after so I ordered myself a freshly squeezed watermelon juice. That hit the spot! Read on for recommended dishes and a numbing must-have dessert.
Appetizers
Expect a dinner at Castle to be a somewhat long affair to catch up with friends and family. it is a casual dining restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern Food, you can find here modern Indian cuisine, traditional Emirati delicacies, mixed grills and more! I had their Chicken Mushroom Soup – comes with the chicken/mushroom first and the broth is poured into your bowl by your server. This was so flavorful and rich in spice. Other interesting highlight of the night was the Castle Smoking Chaat. Comes in a covered dome platter with smoke infused inside. It was also my first time trying Carrot Hummus. The breads it comes with is also baked perfectly!
Mains
All the dishes we tried here were for sharing. Portion size was perfect around 4 people for each dish. The Chicken Kebabs were cooked so tenderly. Coconut Shrimp Curry was another favorite of mine. It came in a real coconut. My husband enjoyed the Bamboo Biriyani with the sides of yogurt and fresh vegetables.
Desserts
We tried 2 desserts at Castle. First was the Kala Sona Jamun. This looked so appetizing with the pink cotton candy on top, but be sure to eat this quick as the candy melts. If you are an ice cream lover, you will enjoy the Jamun Kulfi Popsicle. I thought the night has ended but that was not all! The finale of the night puts your taste-buds into another world! The servers came around to each person with Chocolate Biscuits…. in nitrogen gas! The cookie came out smoking from the freezing gas and right into my mouth! I became a dragon breathing smoke for a solid 30 seconds – smoke coming out of my mouth and nose. I went away with a numb mouth but an experience to remember!
