Food Blog | Brasserie Boulud by Daniel Boulud | Wafi | Sheikh Rashid Rd | Dubai
Really excited to share one of my favorite business lunches I’ve had in Dubai so far, and it is none other than Brasserie Boulud by Daniel Boulud. This is a very pleasant French restaurant designed by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud serving up delicious French cuisine in the comfort of a fantastic-looking restaurant.
Do note: This meal was eaten in December 2021, and they may have seasonal changes to their menu/business lunch menu.
Where It Is
This is one of those restaurants where you will have to go a fair distance for, given it’s near Wafi Mall but what I’ll say is that it is pretty worth the trip! You can either park at Wafi Mall or leave your car in the hands of their chauffeur services - free of charge if you’re a guest at the restaurant.
Address: 2nd Floor - Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk Wafi - Sheikh Rashid Rd - Dubai
Operating Hours:
LUNCH HOURS:
Monday to Friday: 12:30 PM to 3 PM (Business Lunch the French Way)
Saturday: 1 PM to 4 PM (Lunch with Benefits)
DINNER HOURS:
Monday to Saturday: Bar open from 6:00PM till Midnight | Dinner from 7 PM, last food order at 10:30PM
What it Costs
The prices on the menu are the net price so that’s what the meal will come up to. You will have the option of the 2 courses (AED 125) or the 3 courses (AED150). The difference is that the 2-course option, you will only have either choice of appetizer or dessert with your choice of main, whereas you will get all 3 if you get the 3-course option.
There is also an added caveat that you have to top up AED40 if you want their Gigot d’Agneau de Sept Heures (slow-cooked leg of lamb - main) and AED10 if you want their selection of French cheeses (dessert).
I ate here with my party of 3 - and we got 1 two-course set and 2 three-course sets, bringing the bill up to AED425. An additional thing to note is that this is inclusive of filtered water and coffee/tea.
We had these dishes:
Appetizers: Escargots de Bourgogne (Burgundy Snails), Cervettes à l’ Ail (Seared Omani Shrimp) and Rillette de Canard (Pulled duck leg confit)
Mains: Loup de Mer Grillé (Grilled Black Sea Bass), Steak au Poivre (Grilled beef rump - we got two of this)
Desserts: Tarte Tatin & Fondant au Chocolat
How it Tastes
Starting off with the bread, you know the food is going to be yummy because the bread is super tasty. Has the right crunchiness and airiness that makes a delicious piece of bread.
Among the appetizers, I would actually say that my favorite is actually surprisingly the escargots. I personally haven’t had much escargot in my lifetime but it is really tasty! I honestly recommend the escargot as your appetizer of choice because it is really tasty. If I were to give it a comparison, I would say it is definitely most similar to chicken - but it is the sauce and everything else that really pulls the whole dish together.
I would definitely say that the Rillette de Canard will be one of those you like it or you don’t kind of appetizers given I think it is more of an acquired taste. I personally liked it - you have a whole host of different flavors in there coming from the duck, pomegranate, and the mustard dressing - but as I said, I think the escargot still edges ahead. I would say the escargot is even less of an acquired taste than the duck confit.
If you want to play it safe, the Cervettes à l’ Ail (Seared Omani Shrimp) is a very safe option that most will enjoy. The shrimp is cooked off beautifully and you get some bread to go along with it - which goes very well with the sauce!
Onto the mains!
I had more of the Steak au Poivre (Grilled beef rump) and it comes with a serving of fries. Honestly, I can’t say much other than this is a very nice piece of steak! Really tender (medium), almost melt in your mouth, well-seasoned piece of steak and there’s no other way to describe it.
I’m also a big fan of creamed spinach so I think that this is quite a good balance of your protein-coupled with some yummy greens, with fries to the side. The fries are really tasty and crispy as well! I would definitely say that this is probably what you want to go with if you’re not as adventurous for a Beef Tartare but looking for some nice protein.
The grilled black sea bass is really good as well - the chicken jus (sauce) is super addictive and you have a very nice blend of vegetables (from pumpkin seeds to glazed carrots) to couple with a well-cooked seabass with really crispy skin!
I’m honestly a HUGE fan of both of the desserts we ordered. I’m a really big fan of hot + cold dishes (think brownies, etc.), so their desserts are definitely the type that I’m a big fan of.
First up, the Fondant au Chocolat. Really rich chocolate is definitely the first thing that will pop into your head. The marriage between the hot (because they literally flame off a layer of chocolate in front of you before adding the coconut ice cream on top) and the cold from the ice cream make this a super yummy dish.
The tarte tartin is also really yummy. The pastry is super yummy and the apple tart is really rich in flavor - making it a great way to finish off the meal.
Honestly speaking, it is really rare for me to not criticize a single dish, but I think that Brasserie Boulud really serves up fantastic food at a reasonable business lunch price which deserves a lot of recognition!
Star Rating
9/10. Couple that with fantastic service and this is easily one of the highest-rated restaurants on my blog! They take a lot of care in their food and it really shows in the presentation and the taste. This is definitely my favorite business lunch I’ve had in Dubai thus far!