Due to my husband's obsession with Manga and my fascination with different forms of dining, we have fallen in love with Japanese cuisine. We have witnessed a culinary entertainment in a Teppanyaki table, dined in a contemporary ramen bar and grabbed some sushi from the conveyor belt. Traditional Japanese-style dining in a private room with a low table and floor cushions is what we wanted to experience next. It has been in our foodie bucket list for quite awhile and it was finally fulfilled during our stay at The Ajman Palace Hotel and Resort. Believe me when I say that the magic of spontaneity truly works! :)
An hour before the Japanese dinner date happened, I was contemplating where to dine at The Ajman Palace. The hotel has eight dining options! Part of me already wanted to steer away from confusion and just call for a room service, until I clicked on the online menu of Dragon's Place. The Asian Fusion restaurant offers Thai and Japanese cuisine, which simply means I can have a flavorful chicken satay and a delicate Japanese roll in one sitting! The prices are not that bad either! So, I dropped the room service plan and asked my husband to take me to Dragon's Place instead.
Intimate Dining at Dragon's Place
A little past eight in the evening, Ed and I were warmly welcomed at Dragon's Place. The restaurant has a refined and intimate ambiance. We were introduced to the mouthwatering menu and the newly opened Teppanyaki Bar. Although teppanyaki greatly amazes us, we decided to stick with my Thai-Jap dinner plans and go a la carte. It was also then that we noticed a private room occupied by a family.
Strengthened with my love for dining differently, I asked if there's still a vacant private room. The restaurant's manager gladly offered the room for six; too spacious for a couple and too perfect for a quiet private dinner in a restaurant!
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| Dragon's Place: a Japanese and Thai restaurant at The Ajman Palace |
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| a private room and the sushi bar behind |
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| immensely lovin' the privacy |
The Food and Beverage Menu in an iPad
I spent a few minutes browsing the menu. It wasn't really necessary as I already knew what I wanted to have for dinner when I saw the fine selection of Asian cuisine at The Ajman Palace's website. I just simply love sliding my finger through the digital menu! :) It's not on paper but in an iPad. And while I checked out the menu in a techie way, we were given cold towers, followed by two complimentary Japanese drinks and canapes.
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| the digital menu, the welcome drink and the delicious canape |
The Seiza and The Sunken Floor
While having our dinner, I honestly told my husband that I found it hard to sit Japanese-style. For minutes, I was trying my very best to do the seiza; knees on the cushion and buttocks resting on the heels. Pain traveled from my legs to my toes! He laughed at me and told me not to try too hard. I realized that I was the only one doing it and he was sitting comfortably on the cushion while his feet dangled in the sunken floor beneath the low table! Ang daya! :)
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| Japanese dinner date in Dragon's Place at The Ajman Palace |
Fine Japanese Cuisine at Dragon's Place
Ed had Shake Yaki. The thick salmon fillet was beautifully presented in a flat-plate, garnished with herbs and served with a bowl of white rice. He said it's visually and tastefully satisfying! This time, he never waited for me to blatantly ask for a small portion. As soon as I saw him smiling after his first bite, he immediately said I should try it! The husband clearly knows I couldn't just let him devour all the goodness.
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| the happy husband and his Shake Yaki |
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| a wonderfully plated wholesome meal |
The Shake Yaki is delicious, but I vaguely remember its distinctive taste. It's not because it wasn't good enough for me. It's simply because of the California Rolls which took my taste buds on a dreamy state! It's the most beautiful serving of Japanese Rolls that I have ever seen and the yummiest I have ever had in my entire life!
The dreamy flavors came from the splendid combination of avocado, cucumber, crab sticks and ebi wrapped in Japanese rice and tobiko, and drizzled with creamy Japanese mayonnaise. Rich and delicate, each roll made me forget everything that has been on my palate!
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| dreamy and tantalizing California Rolls |
Something Thai on the Japanese Table
As planned, I also had Chicken Satay on the side. The chicken skewers were perfectly grilled and came with an excellent peanut butter sauce. The Thai dish was packed with flavors; meaty, peanut-buttery, a little sweet and a little spicy. It was great, but as I've said, the limelight already belongs to the California Rolls that night!
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| Chicken Satay with peanut sauce |
The Classic Thai Dessert and The Non-Alcoholic Beer
We finished the Japanese-style dinner in a Thai way. Sticky rice with coconut milk and mango has always been our favorite, hence we chose it over the exotic lemongrass ice cream on the dessert menu. I was already A-okay on how our Asian fusion dinner date went and was ready to go after dessert, but Ed refused to leave the place without trying the Asahi; a non-alcoholic Japanese beer.
The Ajman Palace is a dry hotel, meaning they don't serve alcoholic drinks! I don't drink, yet I think it's great that the hotel offers an alternative to the quench the thirst (and the curiosity) of an occasional drinker.
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| sticky rice with coconut milk and mango |
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| zero alcohol Japanese beer |
With the moderately priced menu, I never expected our dinner to be as fabulous as it turned out to be. Everything was such a pleasant surprise at Dragon's Place; from having a private Japanese dining room for ourselves to the well-presented and flavorful Asian dishes. Once again, spontaneity did some beautiful tricks.
Location:
Dragon's Place
The Ajman Palace
Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi Street
Ajman, UAE
Contact # 06 701 8888
How to get to The Ajman Palace by public transportation from Dubai?
-Take the bus E400 from Union Bus Station in Dubai
-Travel time: approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on road traffic
-Take a cab from Ajman Bus Station to The Ajman Palace (Fare: 10 AED)
For the menu list, please visit The Ajman Palace Hotel and Resort's official website.
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