Brix Journey

There are cuisines in which puddings have never been a significant feature, and instances in which you prepare yourself and build your expectations for a new, regional restaurant, only to discover that the dessert menu fails to convince you otherwise. Some countries just do the sweeter things better than others. Chef Carmen Rueda Hernandez is Spanish, but with a global approach to cooking and desserts. Hers is a fixation with the adaptability of ingredients, the manipulation of a prawn, a tomato, or a cube of Madagascar chocolate. Hernandez is not bound by the rules of sweet and savoury. Instead, she pushes products in a new direction, creating two dedicated BRIX dessert tasting menus that unfold over multiple courses. “The Silk Road” (AED390) takes diners on a journey through the rich landscapes of the ancient route where each course reflects the spirit of a land once linked by trade, culture and discovery. Meanwhile, “The Voice of Emirates” (AED250) features a four-course menu inspired by the soul of Emirati culture. Both experiences are complete in under an hour, complemented by a curated non-alcoholic pairing. Given the expanse of products and the canny manipulation Hernandez demonstrates, it is no surprise she has experience in some of the world’s most creative restaurants, including icons El Bulli under Ferran Adrià and The Fat Duck under Heston Blumenthal. In an age when many professional kitchens don’t take dessert seriously – or attempt to, but fail spectacularly – Hernandez, a Valrhona ambassador, is challenging the norm and doing something genuinely different and creative, steering dessert in a new direction, and how many restaurants can you say that about?

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