Indulge in authentic, fancy yet affordable Thai crab dishes in an elegant Asian ambiance in Dubai.
If you’re craving for crab and authentic Thai dishes while you’re in the United Arab Emirates, bring your appetite and troop with your family and friends to Benjarong Restaurant located at the 24th floor of Dusit Thani Dubai! Benjarong Royal Thai Cuisine is offering Crab Craze for the entire month of January 2015.
Here’s the deal :
Food : Crab meat, claws and pinchers cooked in long-simmering Thai style, prepared by a seasoned chef who cooks for Thai and UAE royalties.
Ambiance : Majestic interiors of Benjarong Restaurant resembles royal dining halls of King Rama IV.
View : Stunning Dubai skyline with iconic, Burj Khalifa seen from the 24th floor of Dusit Thani Dubai.
Entertainment : Traditional Thai music and dances add flare to unique dining pleasure.
Cost : Surprisingly affordable ala-carte menu, reasonable for the entire gastronomic experience.
Trust me, if not, believe these humble photos from our recent Crab Craze dinner at Benjarong!
Thai musicians and dancers at the lobby welcome guests with warm smiles!
For someone who have been to Bangkok, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai for 4 times and fell in love with Thailand, its culture, food and heritage, going to Dusit Thani Dubai in the middle of Sheikh Zayed Road where incredibly gorgeous skyscrapers including the hotel itself, and dining in Benjarong Restaurant to savor Crab Craze dishes with fellow Filipino UAE-based bloggers was truly a memorable treat!
So there I was, one Tuesday evening, together with
Carla of http://www.myyellowbells.blogspot.ae/,
Sheila of http://www.abandme.com/,
Ion of http://www.boydubai.com/ and
Kenneth of http://kennethsurat.com/.
Freshest coconut juice and mieng kam, a Thai street food snack wrapped in leaves.
We started with drinks and a familiar Thai appetizer. I initially requested for coconut juice, while my blogger-friends ordered tall cold glasses of lemon grass that’s equally refreshing as I sampled it too after finishing my buco-juice.
I personally preferred coconut juice as Benjarong Restaurant serves it the right way. Sipping coconut water directly from the chilled coconut shell, sourced from Thailand no less (as it tasted sweeter than other coconuts from somewhere else!), and not from a glass or worse, tetra-pack or cans, was a delight that I don’t experience on a daily basis. That simple bliss was paired with munching leaf-wrapped and textured Thai street snack called, Miang Kahm (or Mieng Kam).
The next thing I knew, plateful of crab dishes were brought to our table by friendly and efficient staff.
PU-JA. Deep fried crab meat and minced chicken in a crab shell with sweet chili sauce. AED 35.
Pu-ja. It was love at first bite! It reminded me of simple home-cooking of my late maternal grandmother who used to cook crab meat omelet sans chicken and crab shell. It’s one of those dishes from Benjarong’s Crab Craze I can definitely recommend!
SOM TUM PUNIM. Spicy green papaya salad with crispy soft shell crab. AED 45.
Som Tum Punim. We had mixed reactions with this Thai salad based on spice-tolerance. Personally, I liked it as the crispy soft shell crab serves as light buffer that balances the kick provided by the spicy green papaya salad. Spicy perhaps, is an understatement! It’s a must-order-dish for those who prefer something hot yet, infused with calcium-rich soft shell crab!
GAENG SOM PUMA NORMAI DONG. Hot and sour curry with Blue Crab and sour bamboo shoot. AED 70.
Gaeng Som Puma Normai Dong. Whew! What a name for a dish! Quite a challenge to say its name in Thai, quite a challenge to like it too. I honestly give my nod and two-thumbs-up for all the dishes in the Crab Craze menu, however, this one’s an exception. Probably, because I am not fond of bamboo shoots and its aroma; but for some people who have an acquired taste for such, you may find this dish flavorful! To each his own.
PU PAD PRIG GAENG. Stir fried Alaska King Crab with red curry paste, string beans and sweet basil. AED 75.
Pu Pad Prig Gaeng. This is love on a plate! Every ingredient on this dish worked well!
SEN JUN PAD PU. Fried rice noodles with crab meat. AED 55.
Sen Ju Pad Pu. Bet even kids will like this!
LON PU-KEM. Salted crab in coconut cream dip served with vegetables. AED 65.
Lon Pu Kem. Healthy, nutritious, tasteful. The coconut cream dip with salted crab was perfectly paired with those freshly blanched veggies. Colors, textures and flavors in one plate! Go order it!
CHICKEN IN GREEN CURRY.
Although, it’s not on the Crab Craze menu but perhaps, on the usual menu of Benjarong, Chicken in Green Curry was also served. This Thai classical dish is always a hit! Extra rice, please! :D
Of course, every meal must end sweetly! When most of us were struggling in satiation, we’re asked to choose desserts from the menu. Fortunately, I get to sample my favorite Thai sweet delight, Sticky Rice with Ripe Mango!
My favorite! Classic Thai Sticky Rice with ripe mango plus warm pot of Jasmine tea. Heavenly!
Didn’t I mention, traditional Thai music, dances and smiles are also provided at Dusit Thani Dubai?
Thank you, Chef Naruemol of Benjarong Restaurant! It was an awesome dinner! We felt like royalties too! Hehe!
Visit Benjarong Royal Thai Cuisine at Dusit Thani Dubai this January 2015, to satisfy that Thai and crab craving in you! I hope they extend Crab Craze the whole year ’round!
Warm and inviting Asian ambiance at the lobby of Dusit Thani Dubai!
*Special thanks to Benjarong Restaurant, Dusit Thani Dubai for the sumptuous Crab Craze dinner! Thank you so much, Danelle for the invite!
*All prices mentioned on this post are inclusive of 10% municipality fees and 10% service charge as per Benjarong’s Crab Craze menu.
Benjarong Royal Thai Cuisine | 24th floor, Dusit Thani Dubai , 133, Sheikh Zayed Road P.O. Box 23335 Dubai | Lunch: Daily, 12:00 to 15:00 | Dinner: Daily, 19:00 to 23:30 | website : www.dusit.com/dusitthani/dubai | e-mail : dtdu@dusit.com
*All photos on this post were taken using Samsung Note 3.
>><<
Filed under: DUBAI, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, UAE Tagged: benjarong, crab craze, delicious, Dusit Thani, dusit thani dubai, food, restaurants, restaurants in dubai, Thai cuisine, thai food, TRAVEL, traveler, where to dine in dubai