Some of the greatest gifts from the ancient trading route called the Silk Road are the spices, flavours and recipes it introduced to different corners of the globe. I’m going to skip the part where it added chapters and lessons to our history books and the hours I spent mugging up facts and figures in school. Aamara, a brand-new restaurant launched in Voco Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road believes history can be delicious instead of drudgery. They have a scrumptious Silk Road-inspired menu to hammer home that point.
Creative fusion dishes connect varied cuisines and cooking techniques like the silk road once did. Starters such as fresh za’atar pesto with onion focaccia link the Middle East to Italy. Seekh kebabs, originally introduced to India by Turkish soldiers, are stuffed here in fluffy baos from China. Ratatouille samosas are a crispy reminder of the centuries-old cultural exchange between India and France.
Every spoonful of every dish is a voyage to different countries. Even the name Aamara is multilingual and means different things in different languages – ‘forever beautiful’ in Arabic, immortal in Sanskrit, ‘everlasting’ in Latin and ‘grace’ in parts of Africa.
Besides firing up your grey cells and tastebuds, the dishes at Aamara are sure to put a sparkle in your eyes. They’re drop-dead gorgeous. You’ll be eating with your eyes long before you start digging in with knives and forks. Keep those phone cameras lined up with the cutlery because you’ll want to document just how dishy-looking these dishes are.
Given that Aamara comes from the same team that created Michelin-starred Tresind and fine-dining vegetarian eatery Avatara, the masterful plating and presentation is on brand. That only is topped by their dramatic live cooking and plating. However stuffed you are by the end of your meal, it would be criminal to leave without watching (and of course eating) the spectacular baklava, pistachio crémeux, and rose gelato for dessert.
Look up from the beautiful plates of food and you’ll notice that this Silk Road-themed eatery has plenty going for them visually in the ambiance department too. They’ve inherited Tresind’s glamorous old spot in Voco Hotel with deep navy blue walls and glittering views of the Museum of the Future. Saunter up to this Instagram spot inside Aamara with one of their meticulously crafted cocktails or mocktails in hand.
Three menu options let you sample the best culinary legacies of the Silk Road – a Chef’s Tasting menu, an a la carte and a set menu. This unique concept of travelling the ancient silk road through food (and not camel caravans or hefty textbooks) is definitely nabbing Aamara a spot on Dubai’s culinary map, and our rotation of places to eat out.