The Rib Room at Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Jumeirah Emirates Towers has relaunched its steakhouse restaurant yet again; now by the name of The Rib Room. Quite cleverly, the hotel’s Agency wine bar has relocated right next door which am sure helps pull in the punters.

Mustard satin seating, mahogany walls and a glass bottled centerpiece make for a slick, masculine feel. Gotta love a restaurant with plenty of banquettes, and The Rib Room has eight to be precise; perfect seating for our small group. Pretty buzzy for a mid-week dinner during Ramadan – but perhaps dimming the lights a tad will add to the atmosphere.

With Venezuelan lady Ana Maria Gasperi as head chef, who moved across from sister restaurant, Al Qasr’s MJ steakhouse, FooDiva’s culinary expectations were set high. Ribs, steaks and all things beef-like aside, the menu tempts with its diversity; plenty of fish and shellfish, chicken, lamb, veggie main courses, soups, salads and oh so many appetisers. Where does FooDiva start?

The traditionalist in me called for the prawn cocktail, which arrived as a timbale layered with prawns and sliced avocado doused in Marie Rose sauce (a rather scrumptious blend of mayo and ketchup harking back to the 70’s) on a slice of rye bread. Whilst the prawns were juicy, the avocados were a tad unripe. Personally I would have preferred the ingredients served in a coupe or cocktail glass, without the rye holding it together. The Australian Blue mussels meuniere and a foie gras duo (pan fried and terrine) were popular choices at our table.

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