Recently, I came to the realization that breakfast is a very intimate affair. You can only enjoy it in the company of good friends with whom you have a decent conversation. You can only enjoy it in the company of people you "click" with on a sober level ( funny thing to say, I know, but this is Dubai after all and most of us spend our nights in quite inebriated states, with people we only find things in common after a few glasses of wine). 

 

On a work-free Thursday morning (loving Dubai for the abundance of public holidays and long weekends), my breakfast club and I headed to The Pantry, on Al Wasl. It seemed that I am one of the few who hasn't had the pleasure of sampling the Pantry's delicacies yet. My breakfast club (as well as every other resident of Dubai, I guess) visited this place weeks back, before I discovered the beauty and benefit of an (early) breakfast.

 

The Pantry is one busy place (Jones the Grocer, watch out for the competition!). Moms enjoying their morning coffee along with their (noisy) kids, local ladies gossiping over cups of coffee, couples chatting or reading newspapers, parents making funny faces trying to keep their babies entertained in between two mouthfuls of muesli. There were no free tables upon arrival and, out of our own initiative (our presence inside the cafe hasn't been acknowledged by any member of the staff) we took a seat at a high table, waiting for a more-acommodating, free seating arrangement and a waiter/waitress to check on us. People are pouring in at The Pantry, but they all receive the same treatment, which is ignorance and indiference, and are left standing in the middle of the restaurant, in a sea of confusion. At least we got a seat!

 

Finding a table at The Pantry feels very much like a running or shooting competition. You notice a free table, you run and grab it. Doesn't matter if it is not clean yet, or if the bill of the previous guests is still there. You go and speedily sit down, who knows when the next one will be free. And, given that there is no waiting list or hostess to guide the queue of guests, it is the only method worth implementing. 

 

After only 10 minutes of waiting, we spot a family leaving from a table next to the and we (literally) run to take it. You guessed. It is neither clean nor released from the bill, but it is free and that is its best attribute at the moment. I am starving.

 

Not long after seating down, we receive the menus (with the table still dirty). Its number of dishes is of an impressive size and variety, I didn't know the concept was "around the world" dining. The breakfast category accomodates dishes such as eggs Benedict and omelettes, muesli, fruits and "breakfast sandwiches" - Caprese, bresaola or smoked salmon; am I allowed to eat these only for breakfast or are they suitable for lunch and/or dinner too? -. Next up is the "all day dining", with its sub-categories: soup,salads & starters, sandwiches (afternoon-friendly only), mains, rice & noodles, pastas, steakes, burgers & hot dogs, pizza (build it yourself kind of thing, an endless number of combinations available), pizza specials and desserts. When you need two lines to write only the menu categories, you know you have too many. Not to mention that the mains range from Indian-inspired dishes to Thai, Italian and even Middle Eastern. Same goes for the rice & noodles sub-category which includes truffled lobster risotto and, guess what, bakmi goreng. Go Indonesia!

 

I am officially lost and, although I am dieing to try other (afternoon appropriate, according to The Pantry) dishes, I go for the Middle Eastern breakfast: poached eggs over spinach, lamb kebabs, morning salad, cheese flatbread, labneh, fresh orange juice and coffee. For AED 70. Not too bad, I thought. I changed my mind later on....

 

While liking all the other ingredients, one particularly does not suit my palete and personality: spinach. Asking the waitress to replace it with something else, I got as a reply that "it is not possible, as it is included in the breakfast". Please keep it, reduce your food cost. You cannot replace it, ok. Just don't put it on my plate.

My friends ordered another Middle Eastern breakfast (spinach included), eggs Benedict and full English breakfast ( you know, sausages, beans, that sort of thing). All washed down with fresh orange juice and lattees.

 

I never thought that an egg-based breakfast could take up to 65 minutes (times). During this time, the restaurant manager approched our table, smiling from ear to ear to ask if "we enjoyed the food" (?!?!?!?). There was no food to enjoy and I didn't fancy the drinks too much either. We tried to get the waitress's attention numeroud times, we only managed twice, to inquire about our food. "I will check with the kitchen, just 5 more minutes." In the morning, no one wants to wait 65 minutes for an omelette or for poached eggs. It would have been quicker to take public transport (not even drive) to my place, scramble the eggs, add toppings, make the omlette and take the metro back to The Pantry, saving my friends from starvation.

 

Finally, tadaaaa, the food arrived...the omelette for the lady on the right, eggs Benedict for the boys, one Middles Eastern breakfast to share and another Middle Eastern breakfast for whoever didn't receive a plate yet. Me! I got the "with (a lot of ) spinach" plate, after all the fuss. Not only was the spinach boiled and not sauteed, my two poached eggs were swimming in the middle of it. I sent it back and it was amazing because, instead of taking only the bowl of green jumble, my plate disappeared completely back to the kitchen. Of course, I became the target of jokes such as (I quote) "here, have a flatbread from my plate, you pay me back later", "this spinach is different, tastes different" or my favourite "but this is Dubai spinach, much better than European one". I also became very hungry.

 

My friends seemed to be liking the food, although there was no overjoy in their eyes. Hunger is the best chef, I guess. The eggs Benedict were a hit and the Hollandaise was delicate and glistering yellow. The eggs were also beautifully poached and, once cut through, the yolk ran through the plate. It was a dish that didn't need salt, pepper or any other addition.

 

The full English was ok, nothing to write home about. Poached eggs, beans and sausages, all decent and of a reasonable size. Complaint went again to the small orange juice, thinned with ice.

 

The regular Middle Eastern breakfast is somewhat of a disappointment for the AED 70 charge. The orange juice, although fresh, is served in a very small glass with ice. The coffee (long black) tasted more like water than coffee and just didn't do the trick of waking any of us up. What is called "lamb kebab" on the menu is actually two finger-long minced kebab rolls. I didn't find the pomegranate dressing. What is called Feta and halloumi flatbread is actually 2 hard, small, square pieces of bread. It tastes of cheese, yes, but nothing else special. The morning salad? What is the difference between morning and evening salad anyway? 5 leaves of mixed leaves and one cherry tomato cut in half. 

 

While my friends seemed to be enjoying their food (and spinach), I was still waiting. When my plate finally arrived, the spinach has been "replaced" by 2 extra leaves of mixed salad (upsized) and my two poached eggs were now alone in a large, white bowl, looking very unattractive. After I gave back what i previously borrowed (lamb kebab, flatbread, labneh), I was left starring at my eggs - thinking how to give them a "21-st century makeover", while still keeping them simple. Olive oil, salt and pepper, that should do. Same as the Benedict, the eggs were beautifully poached and, cutting into them, my bowl filled with a sun-yellow warm liquid, ready to be enjoyed. Sadly, there was no bread basket on the table, so I had to borrow again some bread from my "full English" companion. 

 

Normally, we don't leave the breakfast table without indulging in decadent chocolate cakes, bread puddings and the likes, but this time it had to be done.

We left The Pantry at 1pm and, while we do like to kick back, gossip over coffees and empty plates and leave the place outrageously late after eating, this time it was not by choice. It was nearly 11.45 when the food was delivered and we came in at 10. It was too late.

 

Dear The Pantry,

 

I have a few comments and some advice for the future. A "gourmet cafe" is not the same as a restaurant, hence the menu should differ in variety and size. What was the thought behind the menu development? If it was "international" and something for everyone, please note that there are 196 countries in the world, each with at least (let's say) 4 districts and 4 different cuisines. You want to be international? Try to cook all 196 x 4 dishes.

As an advice, in order to cope with the vast amount of dishes and improve service, set limits. I am sure there are menu items out of which you sell Some dishes are only appropriate for breakfast, while some are only suitable for lunch or dinner. Limit and educate your customers in the same time. 

 

Your service needs urgent improvement. Running a packed house is not an excuse for lousy welcome, confused service and delays in food. One of your values (as well as everyone else's, let's be transparent here) is to offer excellent service. Think what is stopping you from doing it at the moment. Is it the kitchen being slow in delivering the food? Is it the small number of floor staff compared to the size of the restaurant? Is it about skills? 

What I can congratulate on is the attitude of the staff - they are funny and warm, even if they seem a bit on fast-forward.

 

What I also like is the design and ambiance. The chairs are comfortable, the distance between the seat and the table is just right and I didn't feel, at any point, suffocated or overwhelmed by useless decoration. Congratulations!

 

To sum up, dear The Pantry, you have potential. I will, however, still prefer other places for my breakfast-fix, where the service is better and the prices are fairer.