Karma Kafe just too pricey for lunch
Posted on 09 June 2009 with no comments from readers
Why is an otherwise inviting new restaurant in a shopping mall empty at lunchtime? This reviewer found it hard to fathom until it came to the time to pay the bill: Dhs1,006( $274) for a two-course menu for three without tip.
Welcome to the Karma Kafe, a relatively new restaurant in the Souk Al Bahar, part of the Downtown Dubai and with wonderful views towards the Burj Dubai and its fountains. In cooler times of year the terrace must be a great spot for alfresco dining.
Summer heat necessitates a table indoors, perhaps besides the large translucent figure of the buddha. Otherwise this is just a snazzy brasserie interior with a few splashes of bright colour.
Asian fusion
The cuisine is modern Asian, although the chef – when he appeared to greet one of only two lunch time parties in the restaurant – turned out to be South African.
The teppanyaki beef was succulent enough and the fish beautifully cooked. But the wantons seemed a bit glutinous and vegetable rice is a simple dish, hard to improve.
Yet this sort of fare is served up in many food courts in Dubai for a fraction of the price, and prices have now clearly reached the levels that cause a strike among diners. The second party in the restaurant comprised the sort of visitor that sadly for restaurant owners is rather uncommon in Dubai these days: a couple of Japanese ladies who shop.
Of course, it was not only the food bill that came in expensive. You pay more for a glass of wine in a many Dubai restaurants then it costs for a bottle in the Dubai Duty Free. Do you really need to be a millionaire to afford a glass of chardonnay in a restaurant?
Perhaps you do, but it is not going to make a future for Dubai restaurants, and certainly not fill their tables at lunch time. It could be that the owners planned for a different economic climate or just misunderstood Dubai salaries and demographics.
Salaries missing
There certainly are not many executives wining and dining on expense accounts, and actually such entertainment has always been relatively rare in Dubai. And for typical office workers earning Dhs10-15,000 per month going out for a Dhs1,006 lunch is not going to happen often.
Is the market then the high-end tourist? Paris Hilton and her New Best Friend stopping for lunch? Well, these days it is Dave and Sharon on a cheap package deal to explore Dubai, and they will stick to the food court.
