Levee’s French Mediterranean Menu Ticks All the Right Boxes

  • Category: Food
  • November 8, 2018

Who can resist indulging in a delicious meal outdoors by the beach, especially at this time of the year in Dubai? We took up the offer to enjoy a dinner at Levee at La Mer in Jumeirah. Inside was spacious and reminiscent of a European style eatery in neutrals and natural wood accents. The ambiance is light, airy and we opted to dine al fresco to enjoy the weather and the beach. The best part here isthat Chef Izu Anu is the consulting chef and the entire menu is his brainchild. And anyone is familiar with Chef Izu, everything from the olive oil to the breads are either sourced from his farm or created from scratch.

This is a mainly French eatery with a Mediterranean twist boasting healthy, fresh food. For starters, we indulged in Chef Izu’s Burrata salad with cherry tomatoes, marinated capsicum, basil, rocket leaves, Campaillou croutons, and cherry vinegar. The difference is the cheese really as its next level creamy, soft, and very fresh—making it one of Dubai’s best Burrata salads.

We enjoyed two of the fresh soups and they were befitting of the chilly weather we are finally having in Dubai. I had red lentil soup with with Campaillou croutons which was hearty and satisfying and my daughter had the tomato soup with garlic, chives, and olive oil, also served with Campaillou croutons, both soothing and satisfying. For a change, we also had Arancini, with emmental and parmesan cheeses, served with a vierge sauce. We also enjoyed a watermelon cooler and the Lycheelicious mocktails from their extensive menu of fresh juices and mocktails.

Our mains consisted of Chef Izu’s signature burger with seared tenderloin, caramelized onions, Hollandaise sauce, all served on a homemade Brioche bun. It was light and flavorful with a medley of tastes. The Italian Gnochi—which came highly recommended—came with a creamy pesto sauce and served with sun-dried cherry tomatoes. However, I would definitely say the rigatoni with fried onions, mushrooms, and truffle was our favorite amongst these superb dishes since anything with truffles is irresistible.

For a chilly evening outdoors, we were served the best comforting desserts—one was a French toast but not just any old French toast, this was a large portion of homemade bread, cooked to perfection and served with an scoop of ice-cream. We also loved Chef Izu’s caramel cake served with a crème Anglaise. It wasn’t overpoweringly sweet and had a rustic homemade taste. Last, but not least, we had the chocolate mousse which was more like a ganache in texture and was sinfully chocolaty and rich.

The Verdict: One of the first eateries to open up at La Mer, Levee is a lovely place to stop and have a delicious meal alongside the beach. And with Chef Izu behind the menu, you definitely will not go wrong.

http://leveecafeandlounge.ae/