Tag Archives: Festival City

Time for a small history lesson – WAIT don’t close the browser I promise you history can actually be entertaining! Though I learnt this the hard way, vis a vis my older brother assuming control of the TV remote and consequently forcing me to watch several grueling hours of the History Channel – its true! In 1959 Paul Gineste de Saurs purchased an Italian restaurant in Paris for the main purpose of establishing a market for the wine his family produced, naming it Le Relais de Venise son Entrecote. He changed the menu to offer a mustard based salad and steak frites with a butter based sauce modeled after Café de Paris in Geneva. After his death one of his daughters took control of Le Relais de Venise, a son created L’Entrecote and a second daughter created Le Relais de l’Entrecote newly opened in Dubai. Some of you may recognize L’Entrecote Café de Paris which is open in the Dubai Mall and Khaleej Palce. Considering the name has been around since the 1940’s you would think it would be nothing short of excellent. Unfortunately the restaurant in Dubai rather than being a true franchise is nothing but a fake knock off of the original complete with soggy, oily, limp fries and a sauce that is probably composed of 99.999999 one more 9 % oil. When I hear Le Relais de l’Entrecote has opened in Dubai I am truly excited, because at times nothing quenches my hunger like a classic dish of steak frites. Walking along the Festival City walk proves to be a pleasant experience. Beautiful boats docked to my left, the Dubai sky line in the distance and string of restaurants to my right. We take our seats on their outside terrace and have the simplest order experience ever “I’d like my steak medium Please.” Our salad arrives and it’s a fresh crunchy, crispy, green creation. Though the mustard sauce is a little on the thick side, anything with a sharp, bold taste gets a welcoming from me. Our steak frites arrives and the first stop for my eyes is the fries (nice, that rhymed). My stomach demands fresh, crispy, golden, warm fries and when my stomach doesn’t get what it demands all hell breaks loose. The result is all heaven breaking loose – do people even say that? The steak to start is tender, cooked as I prescribed it to be and doused in a rich buttery, herb infused sauce. I wipe my plate clean, fries, steak, sauce and all. The waitress then comes along with a trey for my second serving. There is something about cleaning off your plate, secretly hoping for a seconds and getting it. Sitting back and watching my plate being generously replenished I ponder to myself - it’s the simple things in life that give the most happiness. My profiterole arrives, one of their supposed specialties, and unfortunately it is nothing but a blubbering goop/mess of melted chocolate. If feel as though the chef slipped and accidently poured a more than ample amount of chocolate on my plate, completely suffocating the profiteroles and stated “Just send it out who doesn’t like more chocolate.” My main meal was a solid delight. But I have to wonder if the restaurant was adequately located. To me a steak frites meal is a quintessential on the go type lunch. It’s the type of outlet that can handle its own in a standalone location. Would I want to return for more steak frites? Yes!! Will I return? Aka make the trip all the way down to Festival City is where things get a bit shaky.