On The Menu: Ostro Café & Restaurant, dusitD2 kenz hotel
FACT delves into the new O’Vegan menu at the charming neighbourhood eatery in Barsha Heights.
Veganism has seen a real boom in recent years, with people becoming more health-conscious and moving towards adopting a plant-based diet. In line with this, we’ve seen a significant increase in demand for vegan dishes across restaurant menus in Dubai. Yet, Ostro Café & Restaurant at the charming dusitD2 kenz hotel in Barsha Heights has gone all out by introducing a full vegan menu.
The beautifully presented O’Vegan menu introduces 13 new dishes and three beverages to the cosy Mediterranean restaurant. Bathed in natural light, Ostro Café & Restaurant is the ideal spot to escape busy Barsha for a laid back lunch or a casual dinner with friends.
Built around light ingredients that will not leave you bloated, Ostro’s O’Vegan menu offers appealing dishes that are beautifully presented, colourfully plated and bursting with fresh summer flavours.
We begin with a hearty and comforting bowl of Creamy Coconut Soup (AED 42). Dotted with flecks of olive oil, the thick soup features onion, garlic, leeks, cauliflower and coconut cream and the resulting dish is an absolute joy to eat.
With a trio of delightful salads on offer, we opt for the O’Vegan Salad Bowl (AED 59), a textural marvel combing together the robust flavours of black lentils and spinach with fresh avocado, bejewelled pomegranate seeds, crunchy walnuts and slithers of apple. All brought together by a sweet and moreish orange and tahini dressing.
The playfully named Crunchy Munchy Salad (AED 57) is another excellent choice that offers a harmonious mix of broccoli, carrot, sunflower seeds, blueberries and almond flakes. The resulting dish provides a nice bite and is ideal for a hot summer day in Dubai.
Main courses comprise of a selection of vegan pasta dishes such as the Date Night Vegan Risotto (AED 57) and the Veggie Paghetti (AED 65), but it was the Hale & Hearty Lasagna (AED 75) that had us well and truly enamoured. Removing lasagne sheets, the pasta is replaced by roasted eggplant in a hybrid dish that lies somewhere between lasagne and Parmigiana, effortlessly blending garlic, tomato, vegan mozzarella cheese, cauliflower and cashew nut sauce into one undeniably moreish plate.
The trio of desserts are not to be missed and include the Panacotta V-Ubble (AED 55), Say Yes Chocolate Cake (AED 79) and Nuts About Cheesecake (AED 69). With its coconut cream, vegan creme cheese and almond powder, the latter offers a crunchy base and plenty of tropical flavours.
The new O’Vegan menu is packed full of flavoursome dishes that are light, healthy and altogether appealing. Combined with the venue’s cosy Mediterranean farmhouse stylings, Ostro Café & Restaurant makes for a refreshing option for dining in Barsha Heights.
GO: Follow @ostrodubai on Instagram or call (0)4 567 2246 for reservations and more information.
