Banyan Tree Al Wadi

Located amongst the golden sands of the Ras Al Khaimah desert you will discover the tranquil resort of Banyan Tree Al Wadi. The resort features a host of delectable dining options. Today we are here to review two of their signature dining experiences.

Arabian Style BBQ

Firstly the Arabian Style BBQ. Close your eyes an imagine this, a sprawling desert with cascading dunes, lit by the glowing moonlight, the smell of the burning coals on the BBQ and the gentle whistle of the breeze. This is exactly what you can expect when you dine at the Arabian Style BBQ. Tonight we are the only ones dining, possibly as it’s still quite warm and no one is feeling quite as adventurous as us. Our table is perched on top of a sand dune. Small glistening tea lights light the path to our private dining experience. As we unwind and take in the views, chef starts to serve our cold mezze selection.

The cold mezzes consist of muhammara, hummus, moutabel, fattoush, tabbouleh and warm bread. The cold mezzes are a great way to start our Arabic Style BBQ experience. I always feel that the fattoush is a good indication of the standard of the Arabic cuisine yet to come. Although it seems a simple dish I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve been left feeling disappointed. However I can confidently say the fattoush and all the mezzes are great this evening.

Up next, the seafood BBQ. Thick jumbo prawns, Omani lobster tail and grilled fish are all presented fresh from the BBQ, you can taste the charcoal essence. The Omani lobster tail is exceptional, drizzled with a dash of garlic butter, we eat every last bite.

Following on from the seafood is the meat selection, chicken, beef and lamb kofta are again grilled to perfection and served from BBQ to plate. The portions are generous and we are quickly starting to feel full. However we ensure that we keep some space for the dessert. For dessert we are served a selection of fresh cut fruits, basbousa and qatayef.

Chef is extremely knowledgeable and explains each course and all the ingredients to us throughout the meal, plus he gets extra credit for being able to cook so well with so little light.

Safran

Safran is Banyan Tree Al Wadi’s Thai restaurant. Safran features high ceilings and dark marble floors, offering a chic yet comfortable design. Outside the restaurant is a softly lit Arabian watering hole where wild nomadic desert animals gather in the cool of the evening quiet.

For starters we select Safran’s signature appetizer, a sampler of fried crispy sea bass spring roll, chicken satay, pomelo salad and crispy prawn wrapped in rice noodle. The appetizer is large enough to be easily shared by two or more people. The fried crispy sea bass spring roll is delectable, we enjoy the contrast of the crispy sea bass and the soft spring roll. Also worth mentioning is the chicken satay, this is always a great dish.

Next the soup, I tuck into the tom yum goong a traditional spicy prawn soup, lemongrass, galangal with mushroom whilst my colleague enjoys the tom seab soup, braised beef short rib, shallot and Thai parsley. The tom yum soup is rich with a slight creamy texture, not normally seen in tom yum soup but we like this twist, it tastes amazing. The tom seab soup is enjoyable but the tom yum soup surpasses our expectations.

For the main course we order the wok tossed lobster, potato, saffron curry and the wok tossed tiger prawns in tom yum flavours with mushroom and lemongrass, served with 3 types of rice. The wok tosses prawns consist of large juicy prawns smothered in fiery tom yum flavours. The wok tossed lobster is hands down the best dish of our whole dining experience at Banyan Tree Al Wadi. The spicy yet sweet saffron curry is layered thickly atop of the lobster. This dish is so good we clean the plate in a matter of minutes.

To end our wonderful dining experience at Safran, we enjoy the coconut crème brûlée with ginger syrup and mango sticky rice with coconut ice-cream. The crème brûlée is the better of the two, light yet with an intense aroma, this dessert offers a taste bud sensation.

Banyan Tree Spa

We decide that after all the fabulous food we are in desperate need of a massage. Banyan Tree Al Wadi has a highly recognised spa. The spa has won a magnitude of accolades over the years. As we enter the spa we are warmly welcomed by the team and offered a cool face cloth and a fresh beverage. I select the Balinese massage and my colleague selects the Swedish massage. Both massages are performed to perfection and we leave Banyan Tree Al Wadi having had a great dining experience and a relaxing massage.

Banyan Tree Al Wadi

Ras Al Khaimah
07 206 7777

Email: reservations-alwadi@banyantree.com