The Farm
Al Barari Villas,
Opposite Falcon City,
Al Barari, Dubai
24th December, 2016
(In the tune of Old MacDonald) Al Barari had ‘The Farm’ – E I E I OH WOW!
17th December, 2016 – It was a cold winters morning in Dubai. My mother and I were downstairs taking our customary morning walk around the colony park, breathing in the fresh air (something that’s hard to get nowadays), talking about the plans for the day. We were on Round 4, when hunger struck me – I knew because my stomach said so – and a thought suddenly popped up in my head. “Boy, the weather is perfect for a nice sit-out breakfast.” I turned to my mum and said “We should go to The Farm soon, before the weather gets warm again.” “Wait for your sister to come for her vacation, then we’ll go” my mum replied. And just like that we had a plan.
On a side note, this was not the first time I had planned to visit The Farm for breakfast. In January 2016, my friends and I had decided to venture out on a similar cold winters morning for breakfast to The Farm. But that’s a story for another time.
So it was with a slight trepidation that I booked a table for 4 at The Farm for the 24th of December, 2016. The booking process was simple enough. I logged on to Zomato, and with the help of their reservation facility, booked a table successfully for 8:30 a.m. For anyone looking to visit The Farm, my advise to you would be to book at least a week in advance (yes, a week!), as you are guaranteed to find the place fully booked on most days.
24th December, 2016 – ‘Twas the morning of Christmas Eve. We woke up early enough, unlike most people on a Saturday morning, got dressed, and left for The Farm. Located inside Al Barari, surrounded by trees and forestry, The Farm is the perfect representation of a modern European-style bistro. The glass doors, the picturesque view of a lake flowing through the forest, and the serenity that surrounds the restaurant provides a unique dining experience that leaves visitors with the impression that they are no longer in Dubai.
8:30 a.m. – We arrived at the restaurant right on time for our reservation. As we stepped out of our car, we were greeted by the stench of camel and goat s**t, not exactly the fragrance that would set our tummies rumbling but something we should have expected given that the restaurant is called ‘The Farm’. The stench, fortunately, did not last too long and dissipated by the time we reached the restaurant. We were immediately taken and seated outside, which was what we wanted as the weather was pleasantly brilliant. As we sat down and made ourselves comfortable, the waiter arrived with our menus (which were iPads, basically!).
The menu was as extensive as it could be, so deciding breakfast was not an easy task, no matter how bad my stomach was rumbling for food. The choices varied from Breakfast Combos (English and Arabic Breakfasts) to Morning Favourites (Eggs Florentine, Shakshuka, Pancakes). After juggling around with breakfast ideas, we finally arrived at our order. For me it was the English Breakfast (Hash Browns, Chicken Sausages, Bacon, Easy Over Eggs, and Brown Baguette with a side of Baked Beans) and Fresh Watermelon Juice. For mum, it was a Spanish Omelette and an Avocado and Green Apple Smoothie; for dad Shakshuka and a Purifier; and for my sis, it was Chocolate Waffles and a Lemon and Mint Cooler.
8:40 a.m. – The waiter arrived with our drinks – the rich red Watermelon Juice; the brownish almost mud-like Purifier; the thick lime green Avocado smoothie; and the dark transparent green Mint Cooler. The watermelon juice was quite fresh, though I never doubted the source, and refreshing; the Purifier was surprisingly spicy; the Lemon and Mint Cooler was slightly on the tangy side for me, but I think that’s what gives the drink a little kick; but the Avocado smoothie was not too my liking, though my mum liked it plenty. Soon after, our breakfast was served. When ordering, I thought my dish was going to be the biggest of them all, but upon seeing the Chocolate Waffles, I knew my breakfast was beat, no matter how many items it had.
Hungry, I dug straight into the Hash Browns, which were no more than potato medallions. The Hash Browns were quite delicious, despite them requiring additional seasoning (mainly pepper). Once done, I moved to the eggs, done over easy as I had requested. The moment my fork touched the egg, it broke and the yolk ran as free as the lake beside us – a sign of an egg done right, according to me. Simultaneously, I bit into the toasted baguette slices, now all moist with egg yolk, and helped myself to the baked beans. Next, I moved on to the sausages, which were soft, full of flavour, and absolutely delicious. I saved the bacon for last, each strip as crispy and juicy as the other, though some bits were slightly on the ‘burnt’ side.
I just about managed to finish my breakfast, when I was handed bites of other dishes as well (this happens when you dine out with a family like mine). First came the Spanish Omelette, and while it had the key Spanish feature – po-tah-to (po-tay-to) – there’s something about potato in omelette that just doesn’t feel right. Next came the Shakshuka – a traditional Persian egg dish served on a to-mah-to (to-may-to) base. The dish looked like anything but a Shakshuka, instead the dish was a scrambled egg marinated in the tomato sauce, though it did taste like one. The pièce de résistance was the Chocolate Waffles, which served as my dessert, and served me quite well. Though I managed to eat only a small slice, it was enough to make a lasting impression.
The chocolate in the waffles was not overly sweet, which certainly made it much easier to eat the dish without having to check your sugar levels every 10 minutes. But what really made the dish was the addition of the vanilla ice-cream (which certainly was sweet), which complemented the chocolate flavour and provided a wetness that the dish would have otherwise lacked.
After such a heavy meal, it was only natural to work off the fat with a little walk. Fortunately, The Farm has an open space that provides diners an opportunity to venture out into the gardens and take pictures (and selfies) of the greenery, the lake, and the birds (who also can’t resist a place like this). After a short walk, followed by the obligatory family picture, we decided to head back home, unsure if our stomachs would be ready for the next meal. Overall, breakfast at The Farm, accompanied by the perfect weather made this a Christmas Eve morning to remember.