The Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara project architect is Hyder Consulting, while the hotel interior designer was PIA for the initial concept, with refining completed by AK Design.
Food and beverage
The approach to food and beverage is similar to that of the overall design — all built for quality not volume, a long-term project with very specific aims. It is the restaurants, however, that Anantara has been able to exert most of its influence over, having come on board with the operation at such a late stage.
The signature restaurant is of course, Thai, and sits just 52 people. Adorned with Thai silk falling from the ceiling and decorated with Thai golds, arts and statues, Pachaylen will be very authentic with only Thai staff I am told.
Koopman explains: “What’s the problem with most Thai restaurants? They have 600 dishes listed on the menu so what happens? Everyone orders the same familiar thing as there is too much choice. So we probably won’t have a menu. A lot of the service staff in the Thai restaurant will be chefs, we want the chefs to explain the food”.
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The all-day dining restaurant, Ingredients, also takes a different approach, with kitchens as opposed to buffet stations, says Darwiche: “It’s all mise en place, meaning food is served à la minute”.
Ingredients only accommodates 132 covers, but the focus is on really meeting guests needs — there will be “liquid breakfasts” for busy execs, a low seating area for those just wanting coffee and dessert, olive oil, salt, pepper and coffee gurus on hand, and a range of quality Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian and Japanese cuisine.
“Everyone will find their own comfort food and also a sense of adventure,” says Darwiche.
The hotel will also offer a pool menu, outdoor terrace, an upmarket bar called Impressions with seating for 80 guests, an area dedicated to 16-20-year-olds with treats such as hot chocolate and macaroons, and high tea with an Emirati touch.
“They love their sweets so much in this part of the world,” says Darwiche. “Did you know there are 90 different types of dates? We want to be the hotel that offers the [Abu Dhabi residents] what they have at home.”
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