olea - kempinski hotel mall of the emirates

located in the kempenski hotel mall of the emirates. it serveslevantinecuisine from falfel, mansaf, maqlobe, kebe neye, lentil soup, msakhan, nakanek (sausage) and many more. the food was pretty good and cooked properly. they had a variety of good salads as well. the only thing i was disappointed by was the dessert. the knafe was the only great dessert they had, thats all. the ambience and the setting were nice as well.

i personally wouldnt go again unless i was invited, especially since i am big on dessert.

cheers,
khulood

olea at kempenski hotel, mall of the emirates has such an expansive menu offering that it could almost be exhausting. we were already exhausted from the super busy day at the zomato blogger conference. interacting with fellow bloggers was exciting and tiring after 5 hours. we were treated to a massive feast at olea for which a review would not do justice. will be writing a detailed blog soon but know this. 

olea, specializing inlevantinecuisine which has heritage in the ottoman era but adds a contemporary twist to the modern arabian taste. fans of middle eastern cuisine, will most definitely like the fine-dining experience of olea without a doubt. though the place is massive in size, they have managed to keep the ambiance intimate and you do not feel lost at any point.

the dessert menu was insane with an entire room (the size of a studio flat) being dedicated to it. tried a lot of dishes from the open-spread but my favorite bit of the evening were the sweet endings. 

-- a drop of ink may make a million think. 
@ayaashpaw

with great zomato conference, came great food by olea at kempinski hotel; a restaurant servinglevantinecuisine (traditional cuisine of the levant)

on entering, we were warmly greeted by the staff who held our welcome drinks which refreshed us in no time. as we settled on our table, there came a jolly man dressed in a traditional dress holding a huge pot of tamarind juice. he wouldn't leave until each one of us tried the drink and trust me, i would have regretted not drinking it.

i couldn't help but notice how fantastic the copper interiors were. being a lover of everything copper, it was a treat to my eyes. the ambience felt just right with vibrant vibes and the lighting too was perfect. they have a bar at one end with amazing display of drinks and glasses. 

the buffet was a wide spread consisting selection of salads, cheese, breads, grills, main course and desserts. since i did not notice the salad and cheese spread at first, (who notices the salads anyway? not me) i began with some mixed grills and falafels. the grills were very good. loved the crisp falafels. i found some to be cold and soft though. moving on the mains; i absolutely loved eating the hashweh (rice with mince and nuts) and maqlooba. also, there were raw kibbeh which i dared to try and the rest is history.

for the desserts, what grabbed my attention was the super cheesy kunafa on the massive vessel. i asked the server to give me a little but he served me a big fat chunk of it (not that i'm complaining) i instantly fell in love as i took the first bite because it had the right amount of sweetness. there were other popular middle eastern desserts too but since they are too sweet for my liking, i skipped those. noticed the flowing fountain (half chocolate and half strawberry) but sadly there were no sticks for dipping the fruits and madeleines. the pretty cupcakes then caught my eye. however, these weren't as good as they looked.

overall, i had a good time but i wouldn't return any sooner.

olea is many places in one place. the breakfast buffet and dinner offer very different dining experiences. the friendly chefs, staff and guest relations are top class. so is the décor and food. even the traditionallevantinedesserts like kunafa are done to perfection. i am a fan of their al fresco dining at night - under the stars, with burj al arab on one side interrupted by the speeding metro, and the lavish open terrace space helping cook up positive dinner conversations. nice. pride oflevantinecuisine.

excellent location and relaxed seating including lovely al fresco setting, authentic and high qualitylevantinecuisine with a good selection of dishes

for me this is literally the best restaurant of dubai for arabic/levantinefood. as a foreigner, this is where i first liked most of the dishes. presentation of the food and service are also rally good. terrace area with shisha and woth live music is my favoruite.

the bestlevantinecuisine i have ever had! my 1st experience at this warm and welcoming restaurant , located at the kempinksi hotel, mall of the emirates.

the staff and supervisor (hasan) were extremely friendly, courteous and very helpful in explaining what the menu was all about.

we finally chose the mixed grill dish (which i felt was a bit too overpriced for the quantity) and spit roasted lamb served in potato stew. i must say this is the best lamb dish i have had in ages. juicy, succulent and tender - 3 words to describe the lamb. the potato stew was absolutely palatable.

would definitely recommend this restaurant to those who have never triedlevantinecuisine.

food instagram: @forkingfoodiedxb / personal instagram: @xotina143

review: had my first everlevantineexperience here at this restaurant. it was a beautiful buffet with wonderful cuisines from all over the middle east. i love how there were live stations of chefs preparing pastries, and turkish ice cream. i also enjoyed the tamarind drink that was poured table side for us. all of the flavours were outstanding and the two dessert stations were my favourites as i love both arabic and western treats!

rating: 5/5

order:levantinelinner buffet - 195dhs

pricing: good value.

service: wonderful staff members who are polite, and are always smiling.

ambiance: wonderful middle eastern vibe, love the presentation office​ the buffet areas. the buffet is spread throughout the whole place, so that was nice to be able to see food in almost every corner of the restaurant!

if you are a meat lover, then you'll probably enjoy some good dishes at kempinski's ola. the restaurant offers alevantinecuisine buffet every thursday from 6 pm to 11 pm. the thing i loved the most about olea is the atmosphere. it is quite noisy in there, so don't expect a calm relaxing dinner, but that's the fun part. there's a live entertainment with an arabic singer, hennah station and a magician for the kids, an ice cream station with the "ice-cream guy" keeps making noise to attract people to the station, and a gentleman walking through the tables offering irq sous drink, the place is so alive with all what's happening around. 

outside in the open area they offer shisha, and they also serve alcohol. the buffet includes soft drinks that are readily available at a separate station, so you don't need to call a waiter everytime you want a soda or a juice.

in terms of food they had some good dishes from the levant region, such as the chicken maklouba, mansaf, msakhan, some grills, and lamb meat. the cheese mankousha that was freshly made was very delicious. 

the salad bar was okay. the buffet lacked appetizers, and the dessert was mediocre. but all that did not ruin our experience since the general atmosphere was really nice and one could feel in a busy souq rather than in a restaurant. needless to say that if you're a couple looking for a romantic dinner, this experience is not for you. if you're with friends or family, and with kids, then you'll probably have an excellent time over there.

the staff at olea are very friendly and attentive, eventhough the place was super busy.

price per person: aed 195
serves alcohol: yes
shisha available: yes
best for: friends and family
parking available: yes, complimentary valet at the hotel or at moe
vouchers accepted: the entertainer for main course only. not available for thelevantinebuffet dinner.

olea is a fine dining restaurant specialising in thelevantinecuisine, located in kempinski, moe. 

pretty spacious. i believe they have buffet nights while we sampled the ala carte menu. the restuant was empty and we had the whole place to ourselves.

we tried the hummous, shorabat freekeh, lamb chops, red grouper in claypot, crispy  fried sultan ibrahim and samakeh harra. 

hummous beiruti which is a spicy version of the same dish was a standout. sultan ibrahim was exceptional. the dish was also pleasingly presented.

kids relished the lamb chops.

samakeh harra was average while shorabat freekeh was bit of a disappointment.

the decor and ambiance of the restaurant is good. service standards are what one would expect from a high end eatery. 

the live music dishing out mellifluous arabic tunes enhances the overall experience.

i had heard about this restaurant from my friend and i was invited for this new concept oflevantinelinner. the buffet spread was huge and had a good choice. their specialty in mezze was mouhamara and the tamarind juice was appetizing. i'm in love with the kebabs, they're a must try! the music in the background was soothing and the service was outstanding.

we have heard of the term brunch, but this place has coined the term linner,
it didn't strike immediately, but it's a meal between your lunch and dinner!
levantine cuisine at is finest and variety galore, the setting is classy, urban and lounge type,
as live music and tunes flow in the background, it transports you to lebanon, experience it as in words i can't describe.
with so much appetizing food around you, it's confusing from where to start,
your stomach gets confused and has to digest everything, enjoyment is all for the heart.
the regular dips were all flawless, be it the baba ghanoush, mohammara, hummus or moutabel,
we kept some digestive beverage handy, as tamarindi was served authentically at the table.
the fresh and warm saj was prepared right infront of the eyes,
cheese, zaatar and chilli paste fillings were excellent, bread so soft and sweet, in it the true essence lies.
the shawarma was decent, but the piping hot crisp felafel took me by surprise,
garlic paste was served on request, kudos to the hospitality and service staff guys.
the non veg was next, the quintessential kebabs i devoured as it was admirable,
the lamb one was delightful, the sheesh tawook so soft and commendable.
the main courses i went on to next, this was totally new for me and i am glad i tried a few,
the shrimp muttafa was exquisite, a bit similar to indian dishes, with spices subdue.
the wheat frikeh was one of a kind, similar to oats/porridge and chicken in it was smoky and well grilled,
the lamb makanek is a middle eastern take on sausages, but more spices and taste in it well filled.
makloba djaj was another nutritious dish, flavorful and aromatic and a healthier version of biryani if i can say,
we needed a break now, for desserts and sweets we needed to make some way.
the fresh kunefe was so authentic, cheesy and i loved its crusty part, overall not too sweet,
the arabic ice cream was a bit chewy, subdued flavors and sweetness, for my palette a bit offbeat.
the room full of desserts had lip smacking variety of arabic sweets and baklavas,
pistachio based, some filled with cream, all so unique, flaky and fresh that i really couldn't pause.
literally more than i could ask for, way more than i could digest, it was so overwhelming.
if you lovelevantinecuisine like me, or you want to try dishes beyond the obvious, this place i am definitely recommending.

i went to the olea opening on thursday night. olea is a gorgeous restaurant at the kempinski moe that serveslevantinecuisine.

the restaurant also serves alchohol and has a nice bar. apart from that they also have a salad bar, live manakesh corner, a long buffet counter a complete dessert room and a live singer for entertainment. they also have a traditional tamarind juice server who pours a glass of cold tamarind juice for guests.
they serve sheesha as well.
the restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. the weather was amazing so i sat outside, the views are lovely!! you get a glimpse of the burj al arab and apart from that the outdoor seating is amazing and very comfy!
the food at the restaurant was delicious. i loved the live manakesh!
staff were extremely polite and friendly.

if you enjoylevantinecuisine or want to try it then i do suggest you try olea.

it was my first time visit to kempenski hotel, the hotel has its royal grandeur . loved the golden theme and chrystal chandeliers . the door man was dressed in arabian costume , khandoora with a fancy belt and he had their tradition sword too. he guided us to olea , which is in second floor.

olea , is been a year in kempenski , servinglevantineala carte dinner . now they have launched their linner buffet , so what's linner its lunch and dinner together. from 6pm to 11 pm . very apt for some one who wants to have late lunch and early dinner. scrumptiouslevantinedinner buffet is served here , which is priced at 195 per per person .

mr. abhijeet , their assistant manger was visiting all tables ,checking out the guests and he came up to us and explained the concept of olea . the sevenlevantinecountries are all blessed with olives , and in french olea means olives so that how the name originated . and they have incorporated that olive shades into their interior designing aspects too. the cushion furnishings are in shade of a olive green colour . also a a big cart with olives are kept at the entrance.

it's alevantinefine dine with , expert chefs , they havelevantinecuisine chefs only , the saj is syrian delicacy so the chef is from syria , the tamar al hind welcome drink is palestinian speciality so the chef is from palestine making it. that's their core factor , specialized chefs for eachlevantinecuisine served there.

the place has quite a good , inside and out side seating capacity for around 200 plus people. they have an indoor live band too , the musician was singing quite good arabic songs of all genres. i heard few popular songs also few folks songs. every one was enjoying it too.

they have outdoor shisha too , coming to the food the starters were kept to one side , the classic mezza and the salads were as starters , beside the starters were the cocktail counter , fresh juices and arabic speciality juices like vimto, jallab and apricot juice were served .
loved the fresh salads, spicy labaneh, shrimp cocktail, red hummus,the spicy mutabbal and the stuffed vine leaves .

even we were served tamar al hind welcome drink too.

the main course is served in another counter , which has open kitchen . the main course started with saffron rice and manasef. the rice was cooked well with slight flavour of saffron , the lamb manasef cooked to perfection , soft lamb cooked in yougurt base. then i had for first time dajaj fareek, looked like cooked lentils and fried chicken was delicious, had the kabaabas they were turkish style . the meat grilled was yum too . the vine leaves were just okay . the shawarma and falalfil were delicious . the lamb mutton okra stew was delicious , the machboos was yumm and the fish kabaab and prawn dish was super duper tasty not to miss out. the stuffed marrow wasn't that great as it should have been .
the palestinian mushkaan was yum too


the opposite counter had , wide varieties of arabic breads , two kinds of soup and few raw meat kabaab saw it for first time . like sushi they have minced meet too called nayeh , different flavours of it

they had live shawerma station and manakish station too . traditional manakish cooked with out oven in front of us , it was a great experience.

what i loved most was the traditional syrian ice cream , fresh ice cream made in front of us with a beat and music .

the kunafa station was the next one, huge kunafa pan with delicious yummy cheesey kunafa

the desert counter was at another side , the first time i saw a dessert counter just with arabic desserts .... yes it was presented very well and all traditional arabic desserts, baklawa, basboosa, arabic cream etc many desserts also they had fondue of strawberry and mango ..... they had wide varieties of arabic sweets .

for kids they had another kids dessert counter with , few balloons and variety of desserts like meringue , cupcake, candies, jollybeans, jelly,macaroon, lollipops etc. looked like a mini candy land .

over all we had a nice experience, they have around 80 plus dishes i just lost the count .this buffet is not one with so much quantity (many dishes) rather it's quality buffet with good selection of authenticlevantinedishes ....

thank mr. abijeet , the ambience and service of your team is awesome, we really enjoyed our linner . i am sure this is the next place to keep up your office meetings or birthday parties . they have good food and good seating capacity too. do check out and let me know

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olea offers incredible arabic cuisines. last night they held their annuallevantinedinner and it didn't disappoint. 

there were a vast selection of items in each section, whether it was starters, mains or desserts. everything was fresh and delicious that you just can't help yourself but keep eating more and more.

as with the arabic culture, there was a large focus on lamb dishes with a few chicken items here and there. shrimp and one other fish cuisine was available and they were extremely popular with the crowd.

i was pleased with the amount of choices in the dessert counters, they had just about every traditional arabic dessert. if you fancy something else, olea also offered a strawberry and orange fondant. strawberry i have had elsewhere but orange was a new one to me. fresh turkish ice cream was also offered this evening and it was smooth and silky, definitely one of the best ice cream i have tasted.

the servers are attentive and are fast to clear plates, by the way you come back, your water will have already be refilled and you are ready to work away at your new plate. 

traditional arabic drinks were also available. the restaurant decor was nice, seats were comfortable and ambience was nice for night out.

having said all that, 90% of the items here as i mentioned are all arabic so if you don't enjoy arabic cuisines then you should go somewhere else. i really enjoyed that olea focused so much on making sure they have adequate spices in their food, particularly the herbs that you would expect in traditional dishes.

all in all there should be something for everyone.