Four Seasons

LOUNGE. DIP. EAT. SIP. REPEAT. Researching a new restaurant, prior to visiting is always something that I love to do, and it's made more interesting when you are researching something new. Sea Fu, is one of the restaurants at the Four Seasons Resort, Dubai which is located on a beautiful terrace, overlooking the sea. You reach Sea Fu after a bit of a wander through the resort which takes you through the beautiful arabic lobby, down the wide sweeping steps and on a pathway through the gardens, past a large tempting blue pool complete with private cabanas and then onto a large terrace with options for relaxed dining outside or inside. We visit on a day where the sun is shining, there's a slight sea breeze and choose to dine outside as it's just such a perfect day for al fresco eating. The restaurant name, Sea Fu is derived from the Chinese word 'Sifu' which means 'Master' or 'Tutor' and a clever play on the words brings you Sea Fu or 'Sea' and 'Food'" The food is a combination of Mediterranean seafood and Asian-style fish and we spot a traditional Asian style grill and an open kitchen further back on the terrace. The Drinks : I'm driving so order an Estragoni mocktail which is not only pleasing to the eye but tastes fresh with just the right level of herb to be tasty without being overpowering, my companion choose a lemon grass gin based cocktail which smells fragrant and I'm told it's good. Starters : The Fish and Seafood Fritto Misto arrives, perfectly cooked, crisp, crunchy and tasty with two sauces on the side and doesn't disappoint. I choose the Smoked Salmon Bruschetta which I loved, the bruschetta was crisp, the seaweed butter was a new one for me and I loved it, the salmon delicately smoked and served with a small fresh salad with samfire, something I haven't had since I left the UK, it's refreshing, salty and crunchy making for an interesting salad. Mains : We choose the Daily Market Fish aka catch of the day which was sublime, and quite possibly the best fish I've tasted so far this year. Served with a rich buttery buerre blanc with just the right level of acidity it pairs well with the fish, I also have a fresh tomato Mediterranean salsa sauce packed full of herbs and black olives which I love, I'm not sure of the exact name, since Chef has gone a little off menu to serve me something without rice as per my request. My companion choses the mini Lobster 'Club Sandwich' which is served on pumpernickel bread and is oh so delicate, the sweet lobster flavours come through and as well as being a pretty dish, it's a dish that works well and the pumpernickel is delightfully light, the combination works well and it's a playful tasty dish. Desserts We move onto the third course by choosing two of our favourites from the menu, a Dark Chocolate & Orange Cake served with Praline ice cream, mandarin sauce, who can not love this combination, the cake was rich, dark and moist whilst the Ice Cream Trio dished up some interesting flavours, Matcha green tea, sesame, and raspberry and beetroot. I loved the raspberry and beetroot the most, the beetroot leaving just a faint earthy richness to the icecream which worked well, it's an unusual but tasty combination. Finally we ended our afternoon with some Jing teas. Delicate Silver Needle, Fujian, China White Tea as well as Oolong Tea Vintage Cooked Pu erh Mini Cakes, Yunnan, China. There's something quite delightful about sitting on the terrace, enjoying the sea breeze, whilst sipping beautiful tea served in lovely clear glass teapots and cups, designed to showcase the brilliant hues of the tea as well as to allow the tea to steep perfectly. Overall, we loved Sea Fu. Service is efficient and staff are knowledgeably and accommodating, as well as the lunch and dinner menu, there is a bar menu too, and staff allowed us to mix and match our meals from the various menus available. My only criticism, and it's a small one, is that the menu on-line is not representative of the menu currently being served, and so having scoped out what I was going to order whilst doing my research, I was a little disappointed not to find that menu in operation when we visited, having said that staff coped well to help overcome this and provided some delightful alternatives. Open for lunch through to dinner, Sea Fu is bound to be a popular choice for guests and non residents alike. I'm told the resort looks stunning when lit up in the evening, so this is on the list for a return trip, to savour sundowners and then dinner and to further explore the menu. Disclaimer : I was an invited guest at SeaFu, but with no obligation to write a review. All opinions are my own, as are the images which I took on the day.