Tripe is one of those things, like haggis, that most diners steer clear of. Just the thought of eating an ox's innards can make even seasoned hotel industry professionals sick to their stomach.
But being the sort of person who will try anything once, I accept with alacrity during an advance tasting at the Fairmont Dubai's Spectrum on One restaurant, which is running a Cantonese food festival until Friday.
On my plate, tripe looks like a sort of whitish meat that is closer to turkey mortadella in texture than anything slimy or leathery. On the tongue, it's spicy and gingery, and almost delicate in texture. And because it's finely sliced, it requires very little chewing – quite an achievement given the disadvantages that tripe starts out with. Like most organ meats, it's tasty, nutritious and looks rather tame when plated. But get past the squeamishness, and you will have flound a new favourite.
Also worth trying is the Beijing-style duck soup, a clear, wholesome broth that could have come straight from a family kitchen, and a cold starter of braised tofu, which is elevated by being teamed with peanuts and soya sauce.
Lighter, mellower and often rather blander than many other Chinese culinary traditions, Cantonese food has been much exported and is typically steamed, boiled or stir-fried. And perhaps to appease city diners, guest Chef Chan Chan Wing from the Swissôtel Beijing Hong Kong Macau Centre, puts the wok at the centre of this promo.
The wok-fried prawns in chilli sauce are typical of this tradition, and diners who normally steer clear of dishes marked spicy on the menu will find this one to their tastes. But I cannot recommend the Mu-Shu Chicken enough. Really just chicken and scrambled egg with Chinese trumpet mushrooms, it's a runaway success that wins because of the unusual combinations rather than any fancy spices.
I also like the braised mushrooms and fresh bean curd skin – the black mushrooms are juicy, tender and full of flavour and perfectly complemented the slightly rubbery bean curd skin.
The fried rice that comes with this lot is superb, light and fluffy and really rather creamy. Team it with the tripe for a food adventure as good as any you can get in Dubai.
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