Idle State

The Ambience

The restaurant is tastefully decorated and simultaneously comfortable. Tables are spaced nicely from each other and the noise level in the restaurant low - making conversation easy and free and somewhat private - also thanks to the soft ceiling furnishing being very high.

The restaurant is busy and we have had to wait for a table on a couple of occasions - which is fine because we arrived without a booking. The Maître de is always very friendly and charming and was happy to give us a call when a table became available so that we were able to wander around other parts of the Marina. On two visits it didn't take long for a table to become available - we were waiting only 15 minutes or so.

I much less like the outside tables (in the enclosed corridor) - they are noisy and Emaar have unfortunately allowed some vendors to set up stalls right by many of the restaurants. You can get a crowded out feeling from passers-by stopping to look at the stalls and people trying to squeeze past them at the same time. Besides that, I'm generally not fond of eating in public thoroughfares anyway.

The Food

Royal Orchid offer a small array of steamed dim sum - there is about 6 or 8 different choices - from fairly standard prawn to more exotic combinations. The dim sum is not at all sticky and melts in the mouth as dim sum should. Strangely, though, the mixed dim sum comes with only four pieces - so we weren't sure which of the available dim sum we were actually getting. My suggestion would be that the assorted dim sum should be a sampler of all the available pieces.

Being a little bit of a sucker for the decadence of duck, should it be on the menu, I've had the Duck in Hoisin sauce more than once. The duck is superbly prepared - moist and fresh with some crispness to the skin and at the same time without too much fat. The Hoisin sauce is great - right at the border of being too salty.

I'm not a fan of Singapore noodles - to me they are bain-marie food-court food - not something to get when you are in a restaurant with a whole lot of other exciting fare on the menu. Twice companion diners have ordered them and been quite happy with the what they have received.

The other dish which has rapidly become a favourite is the crispy lamb. I guess it's Szechwan since it has a little peppery taste to it. Definitely worth trying. The green and red curries were silky smooth and very tasty. I try not to eat food which I can easily prepare myself at home in restaurants but these curries are just great and, of course, have the added bonus of me not having to prepare them.

The food service always prompt.

The Service

One thing that really shines in the Royal Orchid is the service. The waiters are human - not automatons. They are friendly, courteous and are - as good wait staff are - available for the most part, when you need them, without hovering over the table. They are quick to notice and replace a dropped utensil.

Staff are knowledgeable about the menu and give you the option of how you want the food delivered - altogether, to share and so on.

Last time we ate at Royal Orchid it was quite late and the waiter had forgotten to give us napkins (they hadn't been reset on the table). However, it was without fuss that they were brought when we mentioned it.

The Bill

I'm always deeply satisfied with the Bill at Royal Orchid - because it seems to me to be perfectly priced and completely reasonable. However, the restaurant always seems to have trouble providing the bill when asked. On two visits we have had to ask twice. Not a big issue, since we could carry on talking, but slow bills always leave something in the back of your mind and generally cause choppy conversation.

Overall

I suspect I shall become semi regular at Royal Orchid while in Dubai. Definitelya good value satisfying meal in a great environment.

To avoid disappointment, it's probably worth booking on 04 367 4040. The restuarant is very close to Spinneys in the Marina Walk.