Fine Dining: Center Cut, Ritz Carlton DIFC, Dubai

Tonight I wish for nothing more than to dine on exquisite, tender red meat and delicate seafood. Vegetables and sides, optional. A good cognac after the fact; necessary. But where to go? I envision a fine dining experience enhanced by an interior design oozing class and refinement. All dark timber panelling, industrial installation artwork, wine burgundy and rich butterscotch textures balanced by wood plank floors and marble stairs. A most masculine of fine dining restaurants, that’s where. Where else but at the Ritz Carlton DIFC’s Center Cut.

Prime Wagyu Beef: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Prime Wagyu Beef: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Center Cut’s menu is in keeping with the pervading ambience of the restaurant: its offerings focusing on US and Australian cuts of beef, garnishes, sauces and a selection of high grade seafood. Wagyu sirloin, ribeye and other various cuts are demonstrated to the diner by knowledgable staff and wheeled out to each table via a specially designed trolley.

Prime Wagyu Beef: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Prime Wagyu Beef: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

A generous portion of Aussie Angus flesh labelled Chateaubriand caught my eye. You see, it is a recipe, not a cut of meat. It was created for French statesman Francois René Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848) by his chef, Montmireil, around 1822. The peculiarity of the steak is in its thickness. It is served with a Spanish sauce diluted with white wine, then reduced and at the moment of serving enriched with a pat of butter.

Prime Cut of Beef: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Prime Cut of Beef: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Yes, Center Cut is one of Dubai’s finest steak houses, but to be honest, my appetite for seafaring creatures increased remarkably the instant I read “salmon” and “scallop” on the menu. Seared scallop and pan-fried salmon, done rare – what I’d like to be served for my last meal…

Scallop: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Scallop: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Seafood is complimented by uniquely created condiments and paired with the finest white wines…

Salmon, Rare: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Salmon, Rare: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Then to round out the meal, cognac, which is smooth brandy produced in the Cognac region of France. My choice? Remy Martin. Why choose a brandy aged for 6 years when cognac is aged up to 37? And as we know certain beverages only get better with age…

Cognac after dinner: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

Cognac after dinner: f/2.5; 1/60sec; ISO-1600

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