By Dave Bent
Dubai is currently experiencing a wave of new restaurant openings, and among the recent launches was Cocotte, which has bragging rights to its unique French-inspired rotisserie chicken that has quickly become the rage these days at its cozy JBR Beach Mall spot.
Food Trip Magazine recently checked out the place and also had a quick chat with Peter Mississian, the restaurant’s manager, who gladly walked us through the menu.
“If you need a healthy rotisserie, you’re in the right place,” he told us.
Dubai is Cocotte’s first branch outside of the UK. The restaurant chain is in London’s trendiest spots like Notting Hill, Shoreditch, South Kensington, Parsons Green and Queen’s Park.
“Dubai is a very special place. It has a very great market. The market needs a French-inspired rotisserie. That’s why we are here. That’s what we provide,” Mississian said, when asked about Cocotte’s move to open a branch in the city.
We had baked chicken wings as well as chicken & truffle croquettes for starters and were immediately excited about what lies ahead. Cocotte’s signature chicken wings were heaven sent – oven-baked with a mix of special homemade sauces for that unique flavour. The croquettes’ fillings were finger-licking good, we were opting for another round.
We held that thought for a moment though as the Caesar salad along with the roasted cauliflower and the much-awaited rotisserie chicken and beef tenderloin steak, which we decided to have for mains and sides, were on its way.
The star of Cocotte’s menu is the chicken: French-inspired flavours, marinated for 24 hours in a blend of Herbs de Provence and secret spices, before being cooked to perfection on the traditional rotisserie spit. The finished result is a beautifully moist and tasty chicken with a glorious, golden skin. Indeed, we enjoyed the flavour with each bite.
We had everyone’s favourite desserts for the sweet tooth – Crème brûlée, which had a slight variation to it, glazed with a thin sugar coating; and a brownie fudge.
The ambiance at Cocotte is a bit cosy. The place, touristy. The JBR Beach Mall is a stretch of seaside indoor shops lined with rows of dining venues; skyscraper hotels fill the backdrop. Ain Dubai, dubbed the world’s tallest observation wheel at 250 metres, beckons.
It was a pleasant December 30 evening with a windy chill. Cocotte can seat up to 85 people – indoor and al fresco. We decided to enjoy the breeze and so asked for a table by the garden. The menu list, by the way, is not pricey as what we had expected.
Cocotte is a French-inspired rotisserie concept created by founder and chef Romain Bourrillon, who has created a menu filled with healthy and delicious home-made dishes using techniques he honed during his time working in Belgium’s Michelin-starred restaurants.
In all, dining at Cocotte is an experience for the books.