The Year of Tolerance Iftar at Fairmont Hotel, Dubai

Every Ramadan, Fairmont Dubai hosts the most beautiful iftar at the only indoor Ramadan tent on Sheikh Zayed Road. This year it lauds the Year of Tolerance with a celebratory iftar which showcases a daily rotating assortment of salads, mains, soups, mezze, breads, and a huge desserts display, all nestled amidst the elegance of Cascades restaurant. Small candlelit Ramadan lanterns adorned each table with Madjool dates; the servers’ were also serving some traditional Arabic beverages, including jalab, Qamar Al-deen, as well as assorted fresh juices.

The mezze portion of the iftar was a presentation of Arabic flaky pastries, including cheese sambousek, spinach fatayer, and kibbeh, as well as two kinds of soups—lentil and harira soup which I enjoyed with a splash of lemon.

There is a huge healthy salads section which has some mezze classics like moutabel, fattoush, hommous, green beans salad, a lentil salad, a mixed greens salad, and so many more that it’s hard to list them all down. There is also a prawn salad which was a unanimous favorite of ours.

The mains were really varied and had a balanced mix of seafood, meat, and chicken, as well as a station with a chef preparing fresh shawarmas. I headed straight for the humungous Ouzi counter where the chef placed the tender meat and rice which I drizzled over some creamy white yogurt dressing. It was super satisfying after fasting the entire day.

There were also several hearty and warming stews in clay pots—chicken musakhan, lamb harris, and chicken tajine. Some Asian dishes we tucked into included makai beans ki sabzi, achari chicken and chicken biryani. My favorites amongst these highlights were the pan seared fish with dill sauce, potatoes and lahm in tomato sauce, and lamb okra. We enjoyed these with the freshly made Saj bread. Every station also had a wide assortment of pickles, nuts, cheeses, as well as yogurt, and relishes.  There are also mixed grills in both meat and chicken which went deliciously when paired with the healthy salads.

There was an entire section with fresh fruit offerings with a nice board above it with handwritten details about tolerance both in English and Arabic. Most of the sweet treats showcased are Arabic; including some delicious Khusaf, creamy Halawat Al Jeben, Asabe Zenab, Gular, Warbat Pistachio fresh, and nestled in-between were some raspberry linzter tarts, chocolate mousse brown cups, and my favorite-the rose water cream caramel. As we tucked into our sweet treats, the servers were making the rounds with the hot Arabic qahwa.

The Verdict: The iftar at Cascades in Fairmont Dubai is a beautiful venue with a large variety of well thought-out dishes, from the mezze to the mains and the desserts; there is definitely something for everyone here. For a mouthwatering iftar that pays tribute to the UAE’s Year of Tolerance, don’t miss this one!

Visit: www.fairmont.com/dubai