Jam roly poly at Rhodes Mezzanine and other Dubai food stories

Dear foodsters,

Greetings from Dubai – the land of food on demand. It may not be the most ethical of places, (think Atlantis whale shark controversy) but you can’t fault its food scene. Some have even gone as far as to call it tasteless, but on the contrary my friends, there’s a lot about it that’s absolutely, lip-smackingly tasty.

The locals (or at least the well acclimatised expats I’ve spoken to) think it’s winter here, but it’s not, it’s 25 degrees. It’s 25 degrees and yesterday I found myself in Rhodes Mezzanine at the Grosvenor House hotel eating Jam roly poly under the watchful gaze of head chef and Gary Rhodes protege Paul Lupton.

Rhodes Mezzanine

Head chef, Lancashire-born Paul Lupton

Now as you might have learned previously, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, or, at least, I claim not to. This all changed yesterday when I tasted Lupton’s take on the British classic, with its hot, sticky sweet strawberry jam, vanilla pod custard and crumbling pastry. YUM.

Jam roly poly, Rhodes Mezzanine style

Lupton told me of his struggles with suppliers and the problems chefs face sourcing food in a place where top quality ingredients need to be imported in the most part. There isn’t much in the way of local fare here for those reasons (the surrounding deserts don’t exactly make for fruitful harvests) and the closest I’ve come to trying a delicacy was a fabulous Kaskawan cheese omelette on my first morning at a French restaurant.

Kaskawan omelette, mmm

Other highlights include grilled halloumi, thyme salad and liquorice shisha at Lebanese restaurant Al Reem, fish and chips from the Scottish-run chip shop just down the road (though you’ll pay for the nose for this kind of shameless Blighty nostalgia) and pistachio crusted prawns at high end Turkish restaurant Ottomans.

Right, must dash – it has to be time for some more sun… anyone got any Dubai foodie anecdotes?