An extensive menu – 30 pages! – of very well-prepared Indian and Far East dishes, Farmhouse restaurant has its own distinct vibe to it.
Hosted in Jacob’s Garden Hotel on Al Rolla street in Bur Dubai, Farmhouse has a stately, old-money feel to it.
Although the component parts felt somewhat disconnected with each other, and the overall hum was intriguing if a little confusing, the good people behind the pots and pans in the kitchen delivered a spirited and exceptional meal!
Possibly intentional, each corner of the Farmhouse was aesthetically disjointed from the others – perhaps to represent the variety found on a farm?
On the flip side, the choice of seating areas is excellent, and there surely will be a corner you can feel at home.
However, everyone can agree the central hub was the eye-catching bar.
Nevertheless, the food was excellent, and we enjoyed every dish.
The Chicken Bao was outstanding – super soft and munchable white bao, and an absolutely scrumptious Korean-style sweet and smokey glazed chicken; and the tandoori shrimp came presented vertically in style, still on the skewers.
The Farmhouse brews its own beer, a slightly sour wheat mash, very flat, and similar to a Hoegaarden in taste, without the orange peel bitterness.
But it also sports well-loved commercial brands, both on tap and in bottle.
Similarly, the signature cocktail Purani Haweli was a promising concoction of whiskey with “Magical Farmhouse Spices”, heralding an innovative blend of traditional Indian flavors, though the resulting aromas skirted attracting my liking on the nose and in the presentation – luckily a great selection of bottled spirits and other cocktails beckons!
The Indian dishes were marvelous, and due credit to the kitchen team, who overtook the decor and bartending and triumphantly crowned a delicious weekend meal at Farmhouse.
The lotus stems appetizers were supremely crunchy and satisfying – very tasty!
And the Nasi Goreng interpetation below came with a delicious molee-style coconut sauce, which elevated the dish to an outstanding level.
And the mutton curry represented the formidable heart of delicious Indian cuisine!
I very much look forward to sampling the other Indian dishes at Farmhouse!
Overall, with an encyclopedic selection on the menu, Farmhouse is a restaurant worth exploring in Bur Dubai on the weekend – and after a few visits, the regular guest can start to narrow down the choices to suit one’s personal tastes and preferences.