New Year's Eve Dinner at Red Shrimp

Two years ago, Ed and I welcomed 2011 at the foot of Burj Khalifa and witnessed the grandest fireworks display I've ever seen. We wanted to do that again for 2013, but due to unwanted health-related circumstances (in short, I wasn't well), we couldn't stay away from home. So, the only option that we had was to have dinner at a restaurant with a terrace where we could view the fireworks. Red Shrimp at Burjuman Center was the only restaurant I can think of, it has a terrace, it's just a short walk from our place and it's something new for both of us. 

I booked a table for two at Red Shrimp hours before our scheduled dinner. Over the phone, I asked the manager if we could see the fireworks from the terrace, he said that we could have a great view of the fireworks at Dubai Creek and see a little of Burj Khalifa. 

We arrived at Red Shrimp at 9 pm. The restaurant was half empty, probably because most people were at Downtown Dubai for the New Year's Eve countdown at Burj Khalifa. There are 3 dining spots at Red Shrimps; there's an air-conditioned room, an al fresco dining area with a live band and a terrace overlooking Karama.  

At Red Shrimp, diners can have a romantic dinner at a private cabana...

... or dine with a view at the terrace

...or have a meal at a typical air-conditioned restaurant. 

We were quite far from the live band, but we can hear the music at our table. The singers were good, they even accepted song requests. Our only concern was that they mostly played slow songs from the 80s. Yes, it was perfect for the restaurant's romantic atmosphere, but it would have been better if they played upbeat music since it was New Year's Eve.  

Based on the restaurant's name, I didn't expect anything else but seafood. To our surprise, they also serve beef, lamb and chicken dishes, but I was looking forward on feasting on shrimps. I've read somewhere that shrimp is a good luck food for New Year's Day as it resembles a hunched-back of an elderly person, which symbolizes Longevity. 

This is not the daily paper, this is Red Shrimp's Menu! Very unique, isn't it?   

reading The Daily Catch aka Red Shrimp's Menu

For starters, we ordered the Seafood Starter Platter
(seafood spring rolls, fried calamari, shrimp in pandan leaves and shrimp cake)

Our thirst-quenchers: Strawberry Iced Tea for me and Apple Iced Tea for Ed

I came for shrimps, so we ordered the Red Shrimps Signature Platter.
(a humongous plate of 25 shrimps served with 3 kinds of dip and vegetable fried rice) 

feasting on seafood

last dinner date for 2012

The dessert: Lava Chill
(fried ice cream with cherry and chocolate syrup on top)

I give Red Shrimps a satisfactory rating. The ambiance was close to perfect because of the live music and the unique concept at the al fresco dining area. The Signature Shrimp Platter was nothing special; according to Ed, my home-cooked shrimp dish tastes better! The starter platter and the fried ice cream were okay, but were not enough to leave a great impression on our taste buds. The price, oh the price is such an issue! I think, everything's a bit over the top. See our total bill below. Though I like the romantic setting, I can't consider it as restaurant I can go to regularly because dining at Red Shrimp hurts the pocket! 

The Bill:

Seafood Starter Platter: 47 AED

Red Shrimp Signature Platter with Rice: 109 AED

Lava Chill: 39 AED

Large Water: 18 AED

2 Iced Teas: 36 AED

Total: 249 AED

* For those who are wondering about the fireworks display that we wanted to see from Red Shrimp's terrace, read my previous post. Click here.