Cinnamon Restaurant in Suba Hotel

Although it was hard for me to leave my family behind, I must admit that I also got excited because of the new experiences and adventures that are in store for me here in Dubai---the culture, the people, the places, and of course, the food!

I'm very excited every time Mark asks me out on lunch or dinner here in Dubai as I'm always looking forward to share our dining experiences here in my blog. For me it's already a privilege to get to experience dining in different restaurants here in Dubai through our lunch and dinner dates, but I can't believe that there will be a lot more to it!

Lunch for Two in Suba Hotel's Cinnamon Restaurant

Although I've already had a number of invites for events and restaurant reviews back in the Philippines, it never crossed my mind that I'll be doing that here in Dubai. So imagine how giddy and thrilled I was when I got an invite through email for a hotel restaurant review! I immediately tagged Mark along and confirmed our presence for a lunch at Cinnamon Restaurant in Suba Hotel last Friday, January 2.

Off to our first date for 2015! :D

After confirming with the restaurant manager, Mark and I were given the liberty to choose our seats. I was expecting to be with a couple more bloggers, but was surprised to know that Mark and I were the only invited guests. :D

The restaurant is housed at the mezzanine of Suba Hotel. The place looks chic with its matching peach table napkins and seats and an elegant table setting, plus a soothing background music, which is ideal for a romantic dinner or lunch date.

Cinnamon offers à la carte and table d'hôte meals for lunch and buffet for dinner. It took a little while before we were served with our lunch.

Water, Soda (Mirinda and Pepsi), and Juices (mango juice and iced tea)

Drinks were served first followed by a basket of bread and butter. Mark was a bit hungry that he immediately devoured the hot bread before I could even take a photo of it. :p

We've been waiting for quite a while and Mark was so hungry that he finished the basket of bread in no time!

Good thing the food started coming in a little after Mark finished the breads, which he somehow regretted because the breads should have been a perfect pair for this mushroom soup. Hahaha! :p

The soup was served hot in a medium-sized bowl. Mark took a spoonful the moment his bowl was served and immediately approved of its taste. The creaminess and saltiness of the soup was balanced out by the sweetness and chunky texture of the generous serving of mushroom bits. This mushroom soup definitely set our expectations high for our lunch.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This vegetable salad, which was served a little after, didn't pale into comparison with the mushroom soup. Another generous serving, this bowl of freshness was also a hit on our table. The playful and vibrant colors of the vegetables were definitely an eye candy. I love how the combination of sweetness from the green, red, and yellow bell peppers and lettuce, saltiness from the feta cheese, and tangy and spicy kick from the lemon, radish, olives, and mint leaves tickled my palates in every spoonful. The vegetables also had that crunch which shouts out freshness!

After we finished the soup and salad, we got on to our main course and were served with a plate each of fish and chips. Mark and I drooled when this dish, with another generous serving, was served. He even posed with the dish as he wants to somehow have a remembrance of his muscles before he lose them from all these gastronomic treat! Hahaha! :p

I love how the vegetables deviated from the all-yellow color of the dish. They were seasoned just right and steamed to perfection and still maintained that crunch which I so loved. The thick-cut fries were crunchy yet soft inside and was not oily at all.

If there's one downer, though, it would be the star of the plate, the fish. Mark and I agreed that it tasted fresh but it was a little too salty, I guess maybe because of the breading. The sauce that came with it didn't also appeal to our palates mainly because we're not fans of mustard. As my palate suggested, the sauce was a combination of hollandaise sauce and mustard. I wasn't able to finish my plate because I was already full, while Mark was able to wipe his plate clean! Hahaha!

Mark and I were already cooling down and preparing to leave the restaurant when this plate was served! It had the same thick-cut fries and sauce as with the fish and chips, plus a generous serving of grilled boneless chicken. The chicken was very tender and juicy and had the right amount of saltiness. It also had that distinct Indian spice which was a good combination with the charred tasted of the grilled chicken. The chicken was so good that it didn't need any sauce and we didn't mind eating it as is.

I got a couple of chicken chunks and left everything for Mark to gobble up. Apart from the sauce, Mark and I surely enjoyed this dish! The chicken definitely redeemed Cinnamon back.

We were asked if we wanted some coffee or tea, so we chose the latter to somehow loosen up our already full tummies. I immediately felt relieved on my first sip. It was soothing to the stomach and was a good way to end our lunch.

I was very sure that we're already done with our lunch because we were already served with tea, not until we were served with dessert! It's apparently a full-course meal! We were served with not just one, but two plates of strawberry cheesecake slices.

Although Mark didn't like the strawberry gelatin, I loved everything in this dessert. The gelatin added a play of texture to the dessert together with the creamy cheesecake and soft crust. I think the gelatin was a good addition and alternative too as strawberry jams or syrup tend to be a bit sweet and fresh strawberries sometimes tend to be a bit sour. The cheesecake had the right amount of sweetness and the strawberry flavor was not overpowering. There's also a hint of saltiness from the cheese and crust.

Mark and I definitely enjoyed our lunch! We surely had happy tummies! Thank you very much, Suba Hotel!

Special thanks to Ms. Manoranjani Sampath (Account Executive) for the invite. I'd also like to thank and commend the restaurant manager, Mr. Shabbir Ali, who was very accommodating and was all-hands with us during our lunch. Thank you very much to Sunita Lama and the rest of the servers who made sure that Mark and I had a great dining experience.

with Mr. Shabbir Ali (Restaurant Manager)

with the very attentive staff, Sunita Lama

We sure had a great dining experience. Mark and I also agreed that the hotel seemed to be a nice one and we're already planning for a "staycation" there hopefully soon. :)

We haven't tried the rooms and hotel service yet, but everything seems to look nice. Even the bathroom shouts out elegance! Not to mention the very friendly and attentive hotel and restaurant staff. No wonder the hotel was given 4 stars!

For updates about Suba Hotels, you can visit and like them on Facebook: facebook.com/SubaGroupofHotels. You can also visit their website: www.subahoteldubai.com.

CINNAMON RESTAURANT, SUBA HOTEL
P.O. Box 80666, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone:+971 4 6030 777
Fax:+971 4 6030 888
www.subahoteldubai.com
Email:info@subahoteldubai.com
GPS:25.262201, 55.320014
Nearest Metro Station: Union (Red Line)

We were guests at Cinnamon Restaurant in Suba Hotel and our meal was complimentary, but as always, this post is sincerely written and all views and opinions are my own.