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Clean Cuisine Clean eating seems to be the new buzzword in food circles, not just globally, but in this part of the world as well. It involves ridding your diet of unnecessary chemicals, processed and refined foods, and other nasties (such as GMO products, saturated fats, added sugars and salt), to focus on real and whole foods. Eating clean can naturally lead to benefits such as weight loss – but that is a byproduct, rather than the primary goal, which is to promote health and wellbeing and avoid many of the modern health conditions that may have arisen due to the proliferation of chemicals in our diets over the last couple of hundred years. Says natural chef and nutrition expert Neha Jamani (www.thesacredkitchen.org), “The simplest way to define eating clean would be avoiding processed foods. On a scale, a box of sugary cereal is not considered clean, while fresh produce is on the other end of the clean spectrum. Each person’s food scale differs due to a unique relationship to food mediated by culture, traditions, and lifestyle.” Happily, an increasing number of high-end restaurants here are shifting focus to offer clean cuisine that allows us to indulge in guilt-free luxury dining. You are probably off to a good start, as it’s more likely that they use quality ingredients and most of the dishes are created from scratch. Consider staying away from the mass-market buffets and head to the independent, chef-led restaurants instead. Some restaurants that come to mind when thinking of delicious ingredient-led dishes are La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie and La Petite Maison - both specialising in French cuisine. Qbara is another venue that has gained renown for sophisticated Middle Eastern dishes that incorporate ancient grains such as freekeh in the menu, and for providing lots of gluten-free and dairy-free options. Former Qbara chef Colin Clague now heads Jean-Georges Dubai where he continues to serve creative, interesting food in which the produce is allowed to shine – think steamed gulf shrimp with melon and wasabi. A new wave of celebrity chef restaurants where fuss-free, clean 42 • STYLE
cuisine is front and centre include Marina Social, by Jason Atherton, offering light, Mediterranean-inspired comfort food; and The Croft by resident chef Darren Velvick, where you’ll find a rustic-style, contemporary, British menu using organic and local ingredients as far as possible. It’s not just the indie restaurants that are going for a wholesome, more balanced approach to food - leading hotels aren’t far behind. The Hyatt group has a sustainable seafood offering, while the Mövenpick chain offers ‘Go Healthy’ menus in all their hotels, to promote sustainable, local and seasonal ingredients. Choosing the right restaurant is only the first step; the key to eating healthy and well is ordering smart. One of the easiest ways to do that is to opt for more vegetarian dishes. A number of restaurants here do very good vegetarian food, including Zuma where, the sushi and sashimi choices would tick all the clean eating boxes, as also many high-end Indian restaurants such as Rang Mahal by Atul Kocchar. If the greens, whole grains, and lentils aren’t tempting enough, then opt for fish and seafood, and lean cuts of meat. Another tip is to avoid dishes that are overloaded with sauces and cream – swap for lighter steamed, poached or grilled dishes that are flavoured with herbs and spices instead. If a dish must have a sauce, then a vegetable- rather than a cheese- or creambased sauce is the superior choice. A salad for a starter is an obvious way to fill yourself up with veggies early in the meal. Broth-based soups score. Avoiding fried foods is a no-brainer, as is portion control – food combining is critical here to ensure the right balance of vegetables, proteins and carbs on your plate. Clean eating is fundamentally about making conscious, informed choices about unprocessed, natural, nutrientrich foods that are kind to the body, and the planet too. And it’s easier to do than you think.
Sudeshna Ghosh is a seasoned food and lifestyle editor, who lives and works in Dubai as an editorial consultant, freelance journalist and lifestyle blogger. Stylenowme.blog.com
images courtesy of La petite maison
Sudeshna Ghosh shares tips on Where to eat clean in Dubai while still enjoying luxury dining in this season of indulgence.