After spending a good month in Malaysia feasting on local food with the family, it was nice to return to a South East Asian restaurant here in Dubai, this time with just the husband – for a date night. Quiet catch-up time – just the two of us. Best bit? We got to sit at the kitchen counter – something you can never do with little kids (without fearing for them falling off every 5 minutes…)
This, is our Chef’s Counter experience – watching Lao’s Chef de Cuisine Chef Bayu Fidiyanto and team – cook, and prepare dishes for our date night.
An Introduction
We had picked the early booking on a Friday evening, early September – getting to the venue at 6:30pm. The sun had just set, sending the sky awashed in soft hues of pink and lavender. Sunset, beach-side from the east crescent of the Palm has always been beautiful, and it was nice that we could have a quick stroll just before dinner. Winter is coming 😉
Upon introducing ourselves to the team at Lao, we were brought to the kitchen counter. This is where we met Chef Bayu and his team. Chef himself is from Surabaya, Indonesia – and the team were from all over – Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, India.
Our Chef’s Counter Experience
For the Chef’s Counter Experience – the team chooses signature dishes that are on the menu.
We watched as Chef carefully prepared tuna tacos, sprinkling it with spring onions and sesame seed. There was just the right amount of spiciness from the wasabi mayo on top. The sashimi and sushi platter came next – and I was glad to see they kept it simple – salmon, tuna, and a sushi roll each. Just a bite to whet the appetite, so we could have space for so much more.
Next, was a classic dish from Thailand – the papaya salad.
Chef Pearl prepped the sauce to start. “Can you take spicy?” she asked. I took the spoon and had a little taste and almost died. My husband was just nodding his head away in appreciation, loving it to bits – muttering “Yes it’s perfect”. Putting on my good wife hat, I thought I’ll give in just this time and agreed to go ahead with it. I mean, he did put on a nice shirt for our date night tonight, and long trousers as well dare I mention. Chef Pearl finished putting together the dish – and brought it to our counter. Yes, it was spicy but to be honest, it was absolutely delicious. I took a big generous sip of my cocktail to counter the spiciness, while I watched my husband demolish the dish.
This was getting fun. What’s next?
Getting to the mains
Shortly after, came the chicken satay and BBQ beef ribs, served on a little grill – still smokin’ from the charcoal within.
Alongside – Lao’s tom yum goong soup – which I really need to recreate at home. Whilst it is now known that my spiciness level is not as great as the husband’s, I actually really do enjoy a little bit of it. It was just right – having a sip of hot soup, a nibble of the satay, and chatting with the Chefs.
In between dishes, we watched the team work in the open kitchen right in front of us – firing up the wok, putting together so many dishes – so efficiently, so quickly.
The mains came soon after – beef rendang, another classic Indonesian dish which is also widely found in Malaysia. The team uses beef ribs here, and it was so tender, I could easily eat an entire bowl of rice with just this one dish.
Also served together, was kung pao chicken – which I always felt was a very westernised dish, possibly because we don’t have it much in my little hometown in Malaysia. I actually think the first time I had it was in New Zealand when we were living there, ha ha! That aside – it was a very well-done dish, flavoursome and beautifully presented. The only problem? We were so full.
Sweet Endings
To end the evening – we finished off with a bowl of mango sticky rice, and a plate of this and that – green tea ice cream, mochi ice cream, chocolate and more. Relieved to see that the desserts were just the right size – not too big, not too small.
A different sorta Date Night
If you’re looking for a different sorta date night – give Lao’s Chef Counter a try. You get to speak to the team throughout the evening, watch them prepare and cook not just your dishes but everyone elses’ in the restaurant. It is a humbling experience to observe what goes on in the kitchen, and you appreciate what is being served to you – so much more.
Many thanks to Chef Bayu and team for the experience
Lao’s Chef Counter is available upon request.
- AED 450 for 5 course menu
- AED 750 for 5 course menu with beverage pairings
Available daily, from 6:30pm to 10:30pm
Note that 50% pre-payment required 48 hours before the booking, payment is fully refundable for cancellation 24 hours prior to the experience. More on Lao at hilton.com