Overall Rating
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8.0 / 10
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My love for Chinese and Thai cuisines has been great. As mentioned in my other posts, it is probably the Asian blood in me that is cause for this. The most essential and loving aspect of these cuisines is the unique twist of flavors. However, a more modern cuisine of Indo-Chinese can replace this. The reason is quite simple; Indo-Chinese is a burst of two popular cuisines. As Indian cuisine is well known for the use of flavorful spices, the fusion with Chinese flavors and dishes enhances the whole Asian food experience.
The Indo-Chinese cuisine is believed to be developed and originated by the small Chinese community that has lived in Calcutta for over a century. The popularity of this fusion cuisine has circulated all over the country and as an outcome, in recent times it is been included in the menu as a special section for most Indian diners. However, the number of restaurants serving real Indo-Chinese diners is limited. Blue Sapphire is no doubt a pure breed. The outlet is relatively new in this market and is located amidst other diners in the view filled Jumeirah Lake Towers area. The outlet offers both indoor and outdoor seating. No doubt, the view from the outdoor seating is soothing as it faces the lakeside. The pure breed ensures that the very essence of Indo-Chinese cuisine is delivered; which is generously spiced food items influenced by the culture of Calcutta. The interior layout of the outlet was simple with cultural Chinese decors and wall finishes. The furniture was dark toned brown with the upholstery being the traditional Chinese lamp colors, which is yellow and red. As the name of the outlet is blue sapphire, the use of blue colored walls with neon lights is more like a must have component of the fit out. |
The staff was extremely friendly and pro-active. A special mention for Mr. John, the outlet in charge. He ensured that everything was delivered to the table with high quality and professional service. Customer satisfaction that is crucial for any service was of priority to the Blue Sapphire team as well.
The menu from the very first look remarks itself as impressive with an eye catchy cover and organized headings. Similarly, even the food prepared was of good quality with bursting flavors in the mouth. Unlike the cliché or fake Indo-Chinese restaurants, Blue Sapphire ensures that there is no excessive use of sauces in dishes. Before we could start our tasting journey, to cool off the scorching heat we had a Regular Ice Tea and a Lemon Juice.
The menu from the very first look remarks itself as impressive with an eye catchy cover and organized headings. Similarly, even the food prepared was of good quality with bursting flavors in the mouth. Unlike the cliché or fake Indo-Chinese restaurants, Blue Sapphire ensures that there is no excessive use of sauces in dishes. Before we could start our tasting journey, to cool off the scorching heat we had a Regular Ice Tea and a Lemon Juice.
For the starters, we ordered Golden Fried Prawns, and Drums of Heaven. The Golden Fried Prawn was the perfect yummy start to the meal. This platter consisted about 8 pieces of long deep fried prawns with a crunchy breaded covering. It was served with sweet chili sauce as the dip and good enough for 2-3 people.
Drums of Heaven was served in three variations; Regular, Szechwan, and Manchurian. We decided to get our hands on at least two flavors and ordered half portion of Chicken Szechwan and Manchurian each. The half portion was 4 pieces of drums in each variation. My personal favorite from the two was the Manchurian.
For the side dish, we ordered the Chicken Taro Nest, aka Blue Sapphire’s special chicken dish. The dish was a preparation of diced chicken cooked with green and red bell peppers, and a flavor of chili sauce. The presentation of this dish was impressive. It was served in a bowl-shaped potato nest. The portion priced AED 42 was sufficient for 2-3 persons as well.
For the main course, we decided to try a portion of rice and noodles along with some authentic gravy. So the order was Chicken Szechwan fried rice, Chicken Hakka Noodles and Garlic Chicken Gravy. The rice and noodles were served with a serving option of regular or medium portion.
The Szechwan Fried Rice and Hakka noodles, both had a wok stir-fried preparation with chopped vegetables. The flavoring for the dish was an option of either soya sauce or Szechwan flavoring. The prices for regular size ranged between AED 20-25.
The Garlic Chicken Gravy is popularly known as one of the best sellers at Blue Sapphire. It came with the tantalizing aroma of garlic as the main ingredient and spring onions as the garnish. The presentation was simple. Although, I felt the flavor of garlic was too strong for my taste.
As mentioned earlier, John and his team provided us with a complete homely feel. Although we were too stuffed after the starters and main course, the team ensured to top it up with some dessert. We were served the Special Ice Cream Trio with nuts and chocolate sauce topping. The plate had one scoop of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla each placed on a bed of lettuce. My personal favorite from the trio was the vanilla ice cream.
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