MINA Brasserie — Restaurant in Dubai

Here's the deal with going to restaurants that are the offspring of celebrity chefs who have built their reputation by compiling culinary accolades and awards: YOU EXPECT NOTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION. Unfortunately, that is not what I experienced. The staff were very kind and non-pretentious, a rarity in high end restaurants where they are trained to be arrogant and condescending, so bravo for that. The waiteress explained the menu very well (maybe too well at times, but that's fine). I ordered the salmon tartar and the tuna tartar (the chef's special recipe). The salmon tartar was a disappointing dish mainly because it was over-salted, overpowering the ability to really taste the other plate components. The tuna tartar was wonderful and lived up to expectations from a taste perspective, however I did struggle with several instances of gnawing on some tuna fatty strings that I had to spit out. That should not happen with sushi grade tuna in upscale restaurants. Also, after the waiteress placed both plates on the table and saw me starting with the salmon, she said she will be back to mix the tuna tartar after I finish the salmon. I finished the salmon, waited for 5 minutes, looked around, but no one came; so I mixed it myself (don't tell me you will be back to mix, if you are too busy to do it; just tell me to mix it myself). Moving on, I ordered the lobster pasta and the waiteress was kind enough to check and see if I was ready for her to process the order as I was finishing my appetizer (Well done! I have often had the main course annoyingly pop up as I was still eating my appetizer in many high end restaurants, such as Zuma and Nusret). The plate looked gorgeous and amazingly appetizing. The tomato sauce was heavenly and perfectly balanced. However, the lobster pieces (needless to say they were a few of them on the plate; charge me more but give me enough pieces to suffice for the pasta portion) were inconsistently cooked. Some tail pieces were tender and succulent (as should be), others were chewy as if they had been boiling all morning, which was very disappointing. Also, I ordered some grated parmesan cheese, but by the time it arrived I had already finished half the meal; and needless to say, I don't know what insipid tasteless grated cheese I got, but it surely was not parmigiano-reggiano. To sum it all up, it would pass as an ok meal, but not what one would expect from a Michael Mina restaurant and all the expectations that come with the name. On my way out, I saw the burger on someone's table, and it looked gorgeous and very appetizing. Maybe I will give that a shot next time and hopefully will not be...

Mon amour and I went to MINA because of their chocolate soufflé and it’s close to museum of future, only to find our most lovely dining experience during our short trip in Dubai.

Very nice ambience and the service is heart warming. We didn’t know they have weekend lunch offer and really appreciate it that we can try their dishes at such a good price.

We stayed in smoking area, the greens are real plants and MINA is winning my heart, cos most restaurants use plastic plants and it’s easy to maintain. Yesterday we had drinks from ZUMA and Maine oysters, so now when we r ordering drinks from MINA, our mind is ready to judge. LOVED the classic martini and the espresso martini, the bartender girl is really good vibe and made the drinks as per our taste and we are not at all disappointed. Mon amour loved the truffle flavored sth Italian cheese brioche from the appetizer bread, it’s well balanced and texture is amazing.

As I remember we ordered the WAGYU BEEF CARPACCIO, grilled octopus, CHICKEN PROVENÇAL and fillet mignon. EVEYTHING US FABULOUS but Chicken with green orzo is our favorite, the chicken is tender inside with crispy skin and VERY FLAVORFUL inside out. Totally mon amour’s favorite chicken dish in his whole 36 years’ life hhh.

We can’t help but express our appreciation and gratitude for the food in MINA and the manager and the chef came to our table, very friendly and handsome, they served us the tiramisu and the chocolate soufflé, OH MY THE TIRAMISU and Soufflé of our heart, the texture takes you to another star on a silky feather magic carpet. Me and my partner don’t like super sugary, and these two desserts are ideal, satisfy all our craving for sweets but not nailing ur head into the earth mud.

Mon amour said I should come every weekend and eat tiramisu on behalf of him, he will consider as if he is eating it. Trust me this is the highest level of his appreciation, I v offered to eat and drink many other our favorites trying to pull his leg, he was always hopeless resisting, this time I think the tiramisu has the power for us two humble human being to melt our boundaries and become one🤣

Anyways, finally got the time to write a review to share our appreciation...

I visited MINA this evening through an invitation by the Four Seasons Hotel management and, unfortunately, it did not live up to the expectations. While the staff was welcoming and friendly, there were noticeable issues with service quality and training. Upon arrival, we received the menu promptly, but it took some time to find someone to actually take our order. The waitstaff appeared untrained and unfamiliar with proper dining etiquette, leading to several mishaps throughout our meal.

First, our orders were mixed up—a salad we hadn’t ordered was served instead. Furthermore, nearly all the dishes that were supposed to be served hot arrived cold. The idea of eating a cold lobster pasta was disappointing, to say the least. The food was indeed flavorful, with the beef carpaccio standing out as exceptionally delicious, but the temperature issues really detracted from the experience.

Another surprising moment occurred when a server removed our salad plate without waiting for our response, even though we had specifically requested to keep the remaining salad. Although she later apologized and offered to replace it, when the new salad arrived, there were no dishes or cutlery on our table, and she seemed surprised when we asked for them.

One more thing to add that the live music was too loud and we couldn’t hear ourselves on the table.

Overall, while the food itself had great potential, the service quality fell short. I strongly believe that with some urgent training for the waitstaff, this restaurant could improve the guest experience...