I get invited to a people's homes for diner a lot when I'm in Dubai so I don't often get to eat in restaurants here, but when I do, I have been a little disappointed at their overall quality. The meat should be tastier, being halal, the spices fresher, and the ingredients used in seemingly upmarket restaurants should be better quality than is actually the case. With the exception of the lower end Pakistani and South East Asian eateries, which do what they are supposed to do extremely well, my overall impression of restaurants here is blaah!

About the only place I have really enjoyed a meal in Dubai in the last five years is Fusion Malaysian, at the Royal Meridien in Jumeirah. I think I'll go there tonight and see if it's still any good, but the whole thing about eating in a hotel... blaaah!. In the meantime, do any FTers have some good recommendations for a foodie?

you're not the only one apparently (these two threads from the Middle East Forum)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/middl...emarkable.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/middl...ggestions.html

I have not looked but what about Chowhound or egullet.

And how was it then? (curious as we will be staying in RM next month)

as will we, and I'd like to hit at least a decent restaurant, but not something that will call for over the top attire.

Well, I found someone who was willing to go to Fusion on my last night in town, but unfortunately we started discussing the food at this fairly low end, but excellent Pakistani restaurant called Karachi Darbar. Our mouths started watering and before long we were bombing it down the SZR towards Karama. If you ever want a really good Pakistani meal, ask any taxi driver to take you to Karachi Darbar. I like the one in Karama the best. The place is always packed but it is clean and the staff, while not particularly friendly are efficient and attentive. The Karhai Chicken, Beef Boti and Nihari are really good. If you ask the waiter to pace the naans, they will come out hot, fresh and puffy every 5 minutes or so. If you came in a taxi and you need another to get out of Karama (since yours will have probably legged it by now), ask the waiter to hook you up with a taxi driver that's almost done with his meal and you will be set.

(Sorry, you were expecting a report on Fusion , but this is all I have)