Fümé, it's punkie not smoky

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The name Fümé, which is French for smoked, implies a restaurant that is not very vegetarian friendly, since the emphasis is on a technique typically used to cook meat or fish. Regardless, when I visited Pier 7, the seven story gourmet tower at Dubai Marina late last week, I was curious to check it out before making a decision on which restaurant to dine at.

Once there I had a quick look at the menu, which at first didn’t look like it had a lot of veggie options, but the “punkie carrots, maple syrup and herbs” caught my attention. The thought of having a vegetable with maple syrup sounded strange but intriguing at the same time, so I decided I had to try it.

Fümé markets itself as a neighborhood eatery with food from around the word and does not take reservations. It is hard to pinpoint a word that best describes the vibe and décor of the place, but I would go with funky, underground, vintage, industrial, or hipster – I guess the word "awesome" probably sums it up best! My friend and I had to wait 20 minutes for the table so we waited in the bar area which was pretty full for a Wednesday night.

Upon a closer look at the menu, I noticed a section entitled “5 a day to keep the doctor away,” which had a few vegetarian options.  The menu is not exactly vegetarian-heavy, so I ordered a few sides and small dishes and of course the punkie carrot dish.  Even though the options were limited, my friend and I were pleasantly surprised at how good some of the vegetarian dishes were. In fact my friend ordered the smoked salmon, but ended up enjoying the vegetarian food more!

The mushroom empanadas were a little smoky for my liking, but the smoked hot sauce was really good. In fact all the sauces at Fümé are homemade, including the ketchup.  This was the only dish I found smoky though.

The punkie carrots were doused in maple syrup, topped with fresh herbs, and served over smashed carrots, which had the sweetness of a squash, probably due to the maple syrup.  The mild sweetness of the maple syrup and the freshness of the herbs added some delicious flavors to what would otherwise have been a plain dish. However, the grilled corn with piri piri butter served with a touch of cream cheese was even better.  It was moist, mildly spicy and so delicious that I found myself going for the last kernel left on the cob!

The grilled portabella mushrooms were ok, but the stir-fried black pepper tofu tasted far better than it looked, so I would definitely recommend it.

I didn’t try the dessert this time around, but I did catch a glimpse of the jam doughnuts and custard on another table on the way out, which looked divine!

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