If you want a change from your regular traditional iftar, Naya, the latest addition to Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s culinary profile, offers a different experience.
Naya — meaning ‘new’ in Hindi — offers an extensive menu of Indian fare, including the ubiquitous butter chicken, rogan josh and dal makhani to contemporary dishes with a touch of regional India.
My two friends and I were greeted with salted lassi (laban), dates and chilled melon slices after we sat down at our table. This was quickly followed by what can be termed as the Indian version of cold mezzeh — a kachumber (a light salad comprising cucumbers, tomatoes and onion with a dressing of lemon and chaat masala (a spicy taste enhancer used with fruit and vegetables) and assorted lettuce.
My two vegetarian companions said their lentil soup was good, but unfortunately I’ve never been a fan. My aromatic murgh shorba (chicken broth flavoured with garam masala) proved to be extremely comforting, keeping in mind the room temperature in the restaurant was a little on the lower side for me.
“Hot mezzeh” were then served in the form of vegetable samosas, onion pakora, paneer tikka and tandoori gobhi (cauliflower). The tikka and samosas vanished quickly but the onion fritters turned out to be a little on the dry side. For some reason the gobhi was left more or less untouched though its mustard-y flavour was appealing and I’d probably have to return to savour it. I was busy concentrating on my individual serving (two pieces each, no less) of the succulent chicken tikka, seekh kebab and chicken cutlet — patties made from chicken meat with a crispy coating of semolina. I quite surprised myself when I realised I’d polished off most of it.
Halfway through our meal, we sat back and chatted of bygone days, in no rush to move on to the main course after the sumptuous starters. But the entrees seemed to arrive sooner than expected. I guess head chef Pravish Shetty felt it was bad manners to have a table bare of food. “Usually we arrange the starters on the table before the guests arrive to break fast,” he explained some time later, when we “complained” about the quantity we’d eaten and asked how much more was to be served.
The main course included murgh makhani, lamb rogan josh, fish mustard curry and dal tadka. Shetty generously added a couple of vegetarian dishes, keeping in mind the vegetarians at the table, although these weren’t part of the iftar menu. Astonished by the amount of food on the table, I chose to send back the fish in order not to waste more than necessary. While the chicken was standard, the lamb disappointed. However, the dal was a hit with my companions, as was the vegetable biryani. Regrettably not enough justice was done to the biryani as we’d almost reached bursting point.
Mercifully the dessert wasn’t the same proportion as the other servings. The bite-sized ras malai (cottage cheese ball cooked in milk) was delicious as was the mango kulfi (Indian-style ice cream).
“The kulfi is made from Ratnagiri variety of mangoes,” said Shetty. “I remember my mother would place the mangoes in vats of raw rice to ripen them. I follow the same method. This just doesn’t ripen the mangoes it gives it a distinct flavour which you won’t find when they are ripened differently. As for the gulab jamun, we’ve given the traditional recipe a twist with lychee and ginger flavour. It has been a big hit with our guests and in house.” Sadly, that twist didn’t quite work for me, even though my companions relished it.
The details
Where: Naya, Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Price: Dh145 per person
Call: 04-3665866
