I’ve heard complaints about Table 9’s not-so-modern decor and its inconvenient location across Dubai Creek – which, for those living in Dubai might seem like another emirate – but stepping into chef Darren Velvick’s new venture at the Hilton Dubai Creek, I set those rumblings aside and focused on the food.
We settled in on a Friday night with no reservations (and no wait) with about 20 diners in the room. The room stayed half-full – or half-empty depending on your outlook – all evening. The staff were quick and attentive to start, but service slowed considerably as the evening wore on. The space is small (it only seats 45), dimly lit and awash in white linen. The ceiling is low, which makes the room feel cramped. The beige carpet with dark circles screams “conference room” and the shiny chrome columns in the middle of the room feel intrusive. But there are a few modern touches – including a widescreen TV that allows for live viewing of the chef at work. But if you’re here for an intimate dinner, as we were, opt for a corner table in the back from where the screen isn’t visible.
My husband and I chose the four-course tasting menu (with the option of substituting items from the three- or six-course menus). The amuse-bouches included eight crispy balls – two each of Parmesan risotto, tempura shrimp, fish and duck (the best of the bunch) served with chilli mayo and lime mayo. We ate them all, but they were somewhat unremarkable. We thought a better start would have been a more interesting signature item from the chef. But, as we soon found out, Velvick is a chef who knows what he’s doing.
We got our first glimpse of Velvick’s talent with my husband’s mackerel ceviche. Crunchy bits of apple, cucumber and croutons contrasted well with the soft fish and velvety avocado. My first course of juicy watermelon and smooth burrata was paired with cucumber and crispy-fried onions. Both dishes were a playground of textures – sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy all at once.
It wasn’t only textures the chef played with, but also flavour combinations. Our second course of a delicate soft-shell crab was smothered in sweet mango and red-pepper flakes. It was equal parts tangy, sweet and spicy. Then came my favourite dish of the night: a crispy soft-boiled egg paired with blanched vegetables. Enveloped in crunchy breadcrumbs, the warm egg oozed yolk as I cut into it. A hint of honey provided sweetness. This was far from a simple egg dish, and it’s a must-try on any visit to Table 9.
My main course was beef fillet set on mushroom marmalade. The fillet was tender, juicy and cooked to a perfect medium-rare, but the flavour wasn’t rich enough for me, and it didn’t make my list of favourite steaks in the UAE. My palate favours grain-fed American beef and this was an Australian fillet. However, it did come with a surprising treat of bone-marrow bonbons. The bite-size bonbons’ crispy-breadcrumb coating gave way to a smooth centre and I savoured them. Bone marrow sounds off-putting, but it’s basically just fat (80 per cent fat, in fact). The bonbons were rich, buttery and akin to eating the best bite of a great steak – the fatty piece with all the flavour.
We found the highlights of the menu in Velvick’s first two courses. His creativity when it comes to texture alone wins him praise, but his talent for coming up with new tastes by combining contrasting flavours makes Table 9 a restaurant worthy of a trek across the creek.
• Dinner for two at Table 9 by Darren Velvick, Hilton Dubai Creek, costs Dh674. Call 04 212 7551 for reservations. Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and conducted incognito
sjohnson@thenational.ae
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
Company%20Profile
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A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
Apple's%20Lockdown%20Mode%20at%20a%20glance
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Sweet%20Tooth
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Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
The%20specs
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Company%20profile
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5