​As most people, I discovered Barracuda on a random day, during a random, hungry drive up and down Jumeirah Road, looking for a place to quiet down the hungry wolf in my tummy. My friends and I were just coming for the beach, after playing volleyball for what felt like ages, so we were eager to eat, drink and talk (us girls, the boys just wanted to eat). Mind you, we are not ones to go for fast food. We can be tired, we can be starving, we can be hungover, we can be...whatever....we are still in control of saying no to junk food.



Upon approaching Barracuda,we noticed all seats were taken, both indoors and outdoors. Hmmm...that's always a good sign. When the waiter asked us to wait for a few minutes, the wolf inside my tummy howled and growled so loud, I couldn't quiet it down for the world. No breakfast, no snack?? It was already 4 in the afternoon...



To start with, we had hummus, fattoush and moutabal (although the waitress tried to convince us that what we call moutabal is actually Egyptian baba ghanoush; it was a very funny conversation that left me in awe, really. The service level in Dubai never ceases to amaze me). All was good, average, nothing to write home about, I'd say. The portion are generous, so sharing is the way to go here (sharing is caring, folks, pass the hummus).



In the quest of putting my growling wolf to sleep, I order the seafood soup and then fish to share: sea bream cooked with lemon and oil and singary red snapper. Both of them were cooked superb. The sea bream was soft and "mouth hugging"; the oil created a film on my taste buds, through which the lemon could cut, acid and pungent. It was a very good after taste. The singary red snapper was the true beauty on the table, turning heads across my dining companions: the fish cut open and spread on the metal plate, cooked in a mix of "secret-Alexandrian" spices, it was a delight because it was, for me, one of those dishes that didn't miss anything. 



So, first visit to Barracuda? Great success (sorry Borat for stealing your line). Second one followed only a week after, when the girls and I decided to have a diet-friendly, Thursday dinner. On the menu? Sayyadiya soup, crab soup, red snapper with potatoes and, again, the lemon and oil fish. The sayyadiya soup hit the spot, it was what I wanted and looked for; similar to the one we make back home, a clear broth with small chunks of fish and many tiny bones (which I wasn't bothered with), yum with a pinch of lemon and, fortunately, no cream. Same as the first time, the dining experience was one to remember: we were thrilled and, at the end of the meal, we were all happily rubbing our tummies, grinning.

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My third and last visit to Barracuda happened just a week ago.  After driving through the city in the search of an open blood donation center (no, this is not a joke. I chose to donate blood on a Saturday - coming to know that this is the only day in the week when all centers are closed...no, this is not funny), I took my "hopelessly in love with fish" friend to Barracuda. I was excited (and hungry, as always) to introduce him to my "fish-fix" place, after raving about it for months on end. 



We entered Barracuda at 12.50pm, not knowing that they open at 1 (yes, it was a Saturday of the "unknown"). Accommodating,  they showed us to a table, where we patiently waited for someone to take our drinks order. And we waited..And then we ordered....And then we waited some more for the bottle of water...And then we waited again for the menus...And then again for the orders to be taken. I'm not a crazy diner, on the contrary, I've been in their shoes, I know the drill. But 10 minutes for a bottle of water, and then 10 more to get the food menus, and then 10 more to place the order, was a bit too long for my growling wolf to handle. Add a distracted waitress to the agonizing wait, and my frustration is increased.



Based on my previous dining experiences, we ordered the sayyadiya soup, the seafood soup, a sea bream on a bed of potatoes and the seafood tagine (let's try something new, my friend said. It will be good, he said). Knowing what's to come, I could not contain my giggles, I kept talking non-sense to my friend, to distracted myself. He didn't find me funny. 



Oh, but then the food came. And it was nothing like I was expecting (Even now, while writing, I sigh). With the risk of sounding dramatic, the contrast was sky high. The sayyadiya soup that was so tasty last time it was so not this time: over salty (to keep the dramatic tone, it tasted like a fish soup concentrate that was over reduced), too thick for a broth but too liquid to be a cream, with a huge piece of fish inside (cooked well, no complaints there). Long gone was the balanced broth I liked. Based on previous experience and the waitress's explanation, the soup should contains small pieces of fish with small bones ("It will be difficult to eat, ma'am), but instead of that, I was admiring a too big fish in a too small soup bowl.

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The seafood soup was the same as last time, thanks God. The broth was mild in flavour, with a good, creamy texture, with seafood cooked to perfection (tip for seafood novices: to assess if the seafood is fresh, always taste the calamari; if they're not chewy and melt easily, then they're not frozen and it's a fairly good indication of the quality of ingredients), seasoned with fresh dill. I would've loved a hint of acid, but that's a matter of personal taste. As always, I had issues with eating the crab (FYI, read my explanation for this in the "Seamood" review).

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The sea bream on the bed of potatoes should have been the highlight of our lunch. Again, based on previous experience (and I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of that), the potatoes should have been oven baked and have a golden brown colour, and the fish filled with a delicious filling, a perfect balance between acid, fat, salt and spice. This time around though, the potatoes seemed just boiled (golden brown colour lacking), and the fish was overcooked. Of course, the seasoning mix was there, but, in my humble opinion and with my simple logic, if the fish is overcooked, its meat cannot absorb all flavour. I was disappointed.



Last, but not least, let's talk about the tagine. I am a sucker for food with sauce, with gravy, where I can dip and soak my bread in. I don't want to beat around the bush - the tagine was over salted and I have my doubts that all seafood (shrimps, calamari and white fish) inside was fresh. I just poked at them with my fork, smelled the tagine, but didn't eat. I have a feeling the base was the same one used for the sayyadiya soup - the same saltiness, the same "fishy" flavour (fishy in a bad way, mind you). On top of that, the dish had a distinct bitterness to it, that might come out of cooking fresh herbs for too long. Not amazing. 



Our lunch finished with me, confused, asking the waitress if they changed the chef, and her saying no. In all fairness, she asked me what is wrong and I passed my comments. I can only hope they reached the kitchen.



What I like and always will in Barracuda? The fresh fish counter, the patience with which the Egyptian chef explains the differences between fish and the different cooking methods, the cart with the mezzeh lined up, the mix of the crowd. What I don't like? Please see above and add to add the big amount of hammour - an overfished species that people continue to order with oblivion.



I thought I found a place to get my "fish-fix", but after last visit, I left utterly sad.. I am all for change, if it is for the better, but why change something that is good and works? Maybe they didn't and it's just me?