Don Alfonso 1890 Dubai - Food Fit for Kings

A couple of weeks ago, myself and a colleague were invited to go to a female press afternoon at the restaurant Don Alfonso which is located in the Shangri La on the Sheikh Zayed Road and all I can say is “WOW”!

The restaurant is everything you would expect from one located within the Shangri La. The bar, with it’s brushed aluminum top, the brushed aluminum chandeliers each table with the comfortable arm chairs and beautiful fresh flower arraignments, give you an insight into luxury that they convey into their food.

Since moving to Dubai, I have really struggled with flavors.  Asian food is amazing.  Arabic food fantastic, American food delicious, English food gorgeous, but Italian food…  Maybe it is my heritage.  Maybe I know the flavors so well because I was brought up, sat in the kitchen after church on a Sunday, with my Nona, Mother and aunts, gossiping, squealing, laughing, shouting, arguing whilst they all fought for to be heard (think Big Fat Greek Wedding and times it by 5).  But at the heart of this, they were all cooking.  Each one - including me, was always given a job to do which would finalise in the whole family being sat around the dinner table as we ate what we had cooked just a few hours later.

Eggplant Parmigiana with San Marzano tomato sauce

All food is a passion to me, but Italian food is in my blood.  Nowhere in Dubai that I had eaten so far, has been able to get the flavors spot on, and more often then not, the pasta is horrendously overcooked.  Not so at Don Alfonso.  Actually, the food took me straight back to thinking about my Nona, which left me really rather emotional.

All plated beautifully, the Eggplant Parmigiana with San Marzano tomato sauce, was superb.  The tomato sauce was beautifully sweet, yet it perfectly offset the saltiness of the strong Parmesan cheese.  The main course was a stunning Sea Bream in Aqua Pazza, a delicious broth – very similar to one that my Uncle would make.  

Neapolitan Sfogliatella with Cinnamon cream and candied sour cherry

I was very worried that I would have no space left for the desert, but when they brought out the Traditional Neapolitan Sfogliatella with Cinnamon cream and candied sour cherry, suddenly I was not so full.  

The typical Italian desert, which my Nona would hand-make herself, was nutella perfection.  I was desperately hoping my colleague would not eat hers so I could, but sadly, this was not meant to be as she ate it quicker than I.

All in all, I will definitely be back.  I have my family visiting at the end of March and this is absolutely on my list of places to take them.