Lobster rolls are, quite simply, the perfect summer food, and they are popping up on menus around the UAE. Popular in the north-eastern United States and parts of Canada, this decadent sandwich traditionally includes lobster meat – either soaked in butter or mixed with mayonnaise, celery and other bits and bobs — messily packed into a toasted, split-top hot-dog bun. It’s the kind of food you eat at a seaside restaurant with a side of ocean breeze and French fries. UAE food lovers are increasingly becoming spoilt for choice when it comes to sampling the treat. Here are a few spots in Abu Dhabi and Dubai where you can get your fix.
Catch Dubai
The lobster roll at this restaurant comes as two separate rolls and is so conducive for sharing. The split-top, homemade potato rolls are buttered and toasted, resulting in excellent vehicles with which to transport all that lobster down your gullet. The buns are filled with an abundant portion of sweet, rich lobster chunks mixed with (a bit too much) mayonnaise and a smattering of chives. The lingering taste is simply butter and lobster.
• Dh110 for two rolls, Catch Dubai, Fairmont Dubai. Call 04 550 9257
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Boca Dubai
Lobster rolls have been one of Boca’s signature dishes since it opened nearly two years ago. Served in pairs, they perfectly fit the sharing-style menu Boca is known for. The homemade brioche rolls are split-top, buttered and toasted, but the lobster is not presented in salad form mixed with mayonnaise. Instead, you get layers of flavour and texture with tangy, creamy homemade lemon aioli, purple cabbage coleslaw, thin strips of fried veggies that change according to season (courgette and aubergine on our visit) and a sprinkling of dill and mustard seeds that add depth. Piled atop all that yum are four large chunks of sweet lobster that’s been boiled and then drenched in butter. Don’t miss these.
• Dh130 for two, Boca Dubai, DIFC, Gate Village 6, Dubai. Call 04 323 1833
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Ting Irie
The lobster roll in this newly opened Jamaican cafe on The Boulevard in Dubai was – lucky for us – added to the menu the day before we popped in to check out what is allegedly the first Jamaican restaurant in the country. Instead of a split-top bun, this lobster salad comes packed into a sweet, buttered, toasted cocobun – a slightly sweet Jamaican bread with coconut in the mix. Firm on the outside, soft inside, cocobuns make for one tasty sandwich. At Ting Irie, the bun is filled with chunks of lobster that’s been poached in butter and Sriracha sauce. It’s not an exact replica but, layered with abundant flavour, this one wins my vote as the best lobster roll in the country.
• Dh110 for three rolls, Ting Irie, Manzil Downtown Dubai. Call 04 557 5601
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Aubaine
If a fat lobster roll served in a hot-dog bun isn’t your idea of sophisticated fare, then pay a visit to Aubaine. The French cafe in The Dubai Mall has a homard club sandwich on the menu. If you don’t speak French, you might mistakenly bypass this bite altogether (homard is French for lobster). It’s not technically a roll, but this one earns a place on our list. The petite sandwich (perfect for a light lunch) is a creamy mixture of lobster chunks and ancho-chilli cocktail sauce delicately stacked between three layers of crispy pain au lait. It also comes with confit tomatoes, avocado and lettuce. This is exactly what you’d expect the French to do with a lobster roll.
• Dh85, Aubaine, The Dubai Mall. Call 04 501 6970
* Stacie Overton Johnson
Firebird Diner
The rolls here are a far cry from traditional lobster rolls, but the New England lobster version is a twist done well. Instead of split-top buns, the bread comes in the form of two soft, buttered, toasted brioche strips. These are tasty, but they take a back seat to the lobster. The ample portion of lobster is mixed with mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning and celery – all piled high in oval mounds on top of the brioche strips for a sweet, hearty blast of lobster with every bite. It’s tangy, tasty and certainly worth a try.
• Dh78 for two rolls, Firebird Diner, Four Seasons DIFC, Dubai. Call 04 506 0100
* Stacie Overton Johnson
The Shack
The Shack has done a really good version of the split-top bun, which was perfectly toasted and topped with melted butter. The lobster portion was generous, served in fairly sizeable chunks, in perfect ratio to the mayonnaise dressing, which was topped with green onion. The dish comes with crisp, skin-on French fries, a small portion of coleslaw and a very questionable-tasting pickle. There is also a slightly confusing-sounding hot version, where the lobster is grilled in butter and then combined with the mayo. Hot lobster? Cold mayo? When the cold original is this good, I’ll pass.
• Dh79, The Shack, Technip building, Embassies district, Muroor Road, Abu Dhabi. Call 02 449 1114
* Ann Marie McQueen
Le Cafe
Having grown up in Maine, I like to think I know what makes a good lobster roll, so I ordered the Classic Maine Lobster Club at Emirates Palace with some scepticism. The cumin bun, if not an authentic element, tasted fresh but offered more bread-to-filling ratio – the lobster pieces were small and covered in too much tangy mayonnaise. Like most Mainers, I believe the mayonnaise in a lobster roll should simply hold the chunks of meat together, not offer additional flavour or texture. The side of French fries was delicious – perfectly golden and crispy while soft inside – and did their part to make up for the lacklustre sandwich, even lending a hint of the scent of fried foods found at a lobster shack, such as clams. Sitting in Emirates Palace isn’t quite the same as digging into an authentic lobster roll at the seaside in Maine, but if you’re looking for a touch of fancy with your roll, it is the right spot.
• Dh115, Le Cafe, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi. Call 02 690 7999
* Ellen Fortini
The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill
Specialising in seafood and steak, it’s no surprise that this popular JBR hangout delivers in the lobster-roll department, offering a refined, snack-sized take on the classic dish. The homemade potato-bread bun is toasted on the inside, offering a light, fluffy texture and slightly sweet taste. The large lobster lumps are garnished with flavoured butter, tiny fragments of celery and chives, allowing the crustacean to shine. The dish comes with a generous serving of homemade, wafer-thin fried crisps. The roll, listed as an appetiser, is filling. You might find following with a main course a struggle.
• Dh95, The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill, The DoubleTree by Hilton, JBR, Dubai. Call 04 457 6719
* Rob Garratt
Slider Station
This lobster roll is little – it’s only about 10 centimetres long. Served in a lightly fried, split-top milk bun – too sweet for my taste – it contains meaty chunks of lobster and a sprinkle of spring onions, which provide a welcome crunch. The mayonnaise-based sriracha sauce leaves a pleasant burn rather than a too-hot bite. The roll, listed as an appetiser, is served on a side plate with no accompaniments. It’s a tiny finger sandwich better suited for afternoon tea. Don’t count on it to fill you up.
• Dh60, Slider Station, Galleria Mall, Al Wasl Road, Dubai. Call 600 544 005
* Felicity Campbell
Burger and Lobster
If you are going to call yourself Burger and Lobster, then nothing short of your A-game is expected when serving a lobster roll. And the DIFC branch of the popular gourmet burger chain more than delivers. The filled-to-bursting lobster roll in this uber chic eatery is served on a buttered and toasted brioche bun and stuffed with generous chunks of lobster meat sprinkled with parsley. Thankfully, it wasn’t drowned with mayonnaise, there was just enough to keep the sweet meat moist and tangy. But since I am partial to messy sandwiches, I chose to add a hefty dose of the lemon butter sauce served on the side for extra decadence. Rich and delicious, one roll is simply not enough.
• Dh135, Burger and Lobster, Burj Daman Building DIFC, Dubai. Call 04 514 8838
* Saeed Saeed