I love vintage and when the name of a place is reminiscent of vintage names, I’m sold on the place even before I taste a bite. Step into Hotel Delmaar with me, it’s a slice of tropical goodness, it’s all palms and white hues and the name has the word ‘hotel’ in it. Even though the venue is nestled among the many restaurants at Select Citywalk, it’s a bit of an oasis and that’s what drew me it. The striking Amazonian animal motif wallpapers and the quirky light fixtures, add to the vibe that is best described as a scene from a Gerald Durrell book, so you could go here to sip on Moroccan Tea with a book in tow or you could go here and tank up on an array of world cuisine dishes from the Mediterranean to Mexico.
Speaking of Mediterranean, start with the Mezze platter, every element is well done but keep space for my other favourite starters, especially the Bone Broth Soup, it is a gift from the Gods. The broth is made with slow-cooked mutton bones, with sides of peanuts, fried garlic and onions, shredded chicken and lime, chilli and coriander. A bit like a watered-down (in a good way!) version of Laksa, sans the coconut milk, making it lighter but as hearty and very delicious. Keep space for the Lamb Kibbeh, pair it with the Mezze Platter and that for me is culinary heaven.
For mains, the selection is rather extensive, from pasta, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and a huge portion of main dishes. The Pesto and Roasted Garlic Hand Tossed pizza are ideal for this weather and so is the Confit Chicken Ravioli. I suggest you go in a group so you can try more things because the mains are large portions of comfort food basics like Chicken a la Kiev and Classic Fish and Chips. Since I’ve been to Hotel Delmaar about four times already, my staple favourites have got to be Pan Seared Salmon and Lamb Shanks which come with roasted root vegetables and saffron polenta. If you happen to be on a date, make it extra romantic and choose from the ‘Mains to Share’ menu at Delmaar. The Lamb Kebab with Pita is by far one of the most exceptional, lightly flavoured, perfectly grilled ‘seekh’ style kebabs, where you can actually taste the lamb, it’s a dish I keep going back for. The vegetarian selection is as good, especially the Chargrilled Cottage Cheese and Broccoli Skewers, possibly the best way cottage cheese can be used in a world cuisine menu. Finish your meal with comfort classics like Apple Pie and New York Cheesecake, both of which are everything they promise to be, decadent and delicious.
Pair your meal with a decent line up of cocktails and wines. The Sangrias are beautifully done, especially the ‘Summer Stone’ with red wine, apricot nectar, rum reduction, fresh plums and apricots, cherries, topped with ginger ale. It sounds busy but it’s perfectly balanced. If you’re a cocktail person, then I would highly recommend, the ‘Match Ado about Whisky’, which is whisky, matcha tea, ginger syrup and citrus juice and the ‘Spiced Exotica’ with homemade spiced rum, tea and a syrup of fresh berries. The cocktails aren’t unnecessarily spiffy and they needn’t be, all a good cocktail needs are balance and these guys have cracked it!
Speaking of Mediterranean, start with the Mezze platter, every element is well done but keep space for my other favourite starters, especially the Bone Broth Soup, it is a gift from the Gods. The broth is made with slow-cooked mutton bones, with sides of peanuts, fried garlic and onions, shredded chicken and lime, chilli and coriander. A bit like a watered-down (in a good way!) version of Laksa, sans the coconut milk, making it lighter but as hearty and very delicious. Keep space for the Lamb Kibbeh, pair it with the Mezze Platter and that for me is culinary heaven.
For mains, the selection is rather extensive, from pasta, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and a huge portion of main dishes. The Pesto and Roasted Garlic Hand Tossed pizza are ideal for this weather and so is the Confit Chicken Ravioli. I suggest you go in a group so you can try more things because the mains are large portions of comfort food basics like Chicken a la Kiev and Classic Fish and Chips. Since I’ve been to Hotel Delmaar about four times already, my staple favourites have got to be Pan Seared Salmon and Lamb Shanks which come with roasted root vegetables and saffron polenta. If you happen to be on a date, make it extra romantic and choose from the ‘Mains to Share’ menu at Delmaar. The Lamb Kebab with Pita is by far one of the most exceptional, lightly flavoured, perfectly grilled ‘seekh’ style kebabs, where you can actually taste the lamb, it’s a dish I keep going back for. The vegetarian selection is as good, especially the Chargrilled Cottage Cheese and Broccoli Skewers, possibly the best way cottage cheese can be used in a world cuisine menu. Finish your meal with comfort classics like Apple Pie and New York Cheesecake, both of which are everything they promise to be, decadent and delicious.
Pair your meal with a decent line up of cocktails and wines. The Sangrias are beautifully done, especially the ‘Summer Stone’ with red wine, apricot nectar, rum reduction, fresh plums and apricots, cherries, topped with ginger ale. It sounds busy but it’s perfectly balanced. If you’re a cocktail person, then I would highly recommend, the ‘Match Ado about Whisky’, which is whisky, matcha tea, ginger syrup and citrus juice and the ‘Spiced Exotica’ with homemade spiced rum, tea and a syrup of fresh berries. The cocktails aren’t unnecessarily spiffy and they needn’t be, all a good cocktail needs are balance and these guys have cracked it!