Review: Friday brunch at Kitakits
By Irene Arsenia, Staff Reporter
DUBAI - If there’s one thing I can’t resist in Dubai, it’s a buffet of Filipino food, so it took little coaxing when I was invited to review Kitakits resto-bar at the Marco Polo Hotel in Deira.
It was past noon when I arrived at the renovated Filipino hangout, which was open for Friday brunch. I scanned the area for a place to sit and was shortly approached by a waiter. Because I did not make a table reservation, I couldn’t be picky. Thankfully, the waiter found me a seat at the furthest end of the resto-bar, near the buffet counter and literally just a step away from the lechon counter. Suits me fine, I said as I took a seat. I was then given a glass of iced tea which, I was told, would be refilled as many times as I wanted.
I allowed myself to be happily distracted by the live entertainment, courtesy of two stand-up comedians who regaled the crowd with a bit of singing, crowd karaoke and comedy. The place was fairly packed, with families and groups making up majority of the crowd. But I wasn’t here for people watching. I was excited to check out the buffet.
At the lechon counter, a small queue was starting to build up so I decided to walk to the opposite end of the buffet area where there was a live cooking counter for tempura, fish balls, shrimp dipped in batter and lumpiang shanghai.
Moving to the main buffet table, I could see a fair selection of Filipino dishes. There was a vat of bulalo, different kinds of main courses including my favorite kare-kare and crispy pata, a dessert counter with varieties of cupcakes, cakes, chocolate mousse and fruits, a selection of sushi, the yummy lechon, and something I did not expect—salted eggs with diced tomatoes.
The bulalo soup was delicious; I came back for seconds. Then I attacked a huge platter of salted eggs with diced tomatoes, which I have to shamefully admit that I enjoyed so much I came back for a third helping. It was the first time I have ever seen this delicacy served at a Filipino buffet in Dubai, so I was overjoyed.
The kare-kare was also a winner, the peanut sauce was extra creamy and the ox-tail was soft and tender. I also loved the freshly-fried battered shrimp, which went well with the sweet and sour dipping. Later, I took what probably looked like a hoard of crispy pata...
I excitedly lined up for the lechon and was happy to get extra crispy pieces of skin and some tender pieces of meat. I’ve tried the lechon at another buffet at a hotel in Dubai, and I can say that the one from Kitakits tasted more authentic, although still not quite as flavorful as the ones I have tasted in Cebu. But in Dubai, this is definitely the closest you can get to tasty Cebu lechon.
And just when I thought the culinary adventure wouldn’t end, the waiter said that the buffet also included free halo-halo, that delicious jumble of tropical fruits, sago, beans, evaporated milk, sugar and crushed ice. What a delight! I ordered one right away.
As I was mixing my glass of halo-halo later, I noticed a few children and their nannies disappearing into a back door. Curious, I walked towards the door and opened it. What greeted me was another surprise: it was the hotel’s swimming pool area that Kitakits guests can use when they avail of the buffet. Now that's Friday brunch, Pinoy style.
Buffet price: AED69 for adults and AED35 for children ages 6-12 (free for children below 5 years old) and includes unlimited iced tea, halo-halo and free use of pool
Timings: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays
Location: Kitakits, Marco Polo Hotel, Deira
Contact: 04 2720000
