Goldfish.

Plenty to return for.

Goldfish opened last year, and I’ll be honest, reader, I’d heard mixed reviews. I’d heard ‘expensive,’ ‘not special,’ and ‘the staff needs better training.’ Full disclosure, I had met (or rather ‘re-met) Chef Akmal earlier in the week, as he’s shortly opening a new restaurant. By the end of the dinner, we decided I should probably stop by and have lunch at Goldfish.

Date set, I made the ‘trek’ to Jumeirah 1. With increasingly little patience for traffic in Dubai, it’s rare for me to venture towards unlicensed venues, but Goldfish was worth the trip. The restaurant is easy to find and located at The Galleria Mall. Having avoided malls recently, I forget how much this spot is bustling with locals.

My dining partner and I arrive for the opening (lunch) and basically have the place to ourselves (the way I prefer). After chatting with Akmal and Inez, we just tell the team to send us food. After all, who knows a menu better than the chef who made it? (Also, my whole life is picking stuff off…