We had just taken our seats at our table in the open dining area of Thiptara, in the Palace Downtown hotel, when my companion gave us a startled look, and asked if we, too, had felt our chairs moving. Sure enough, we had. A part of the al fresco seating area at the Thai restaurant, whose name translates to ‘Magic by the water’, is built on a corner of the manmade lake of Burj Khalifa, with its huge, rumbling, famous Dubai Fountain.
“You’ll get used to it in a few minutes,” grinned our waiter, handing us the menus. Thai food isn’t the first cuisine that a tourist might pick while in Dubai, but we were told that the restaurant, which has been around for more than a decade now, is famous for its Bangkok-style seafood and the stunning view.
As we took in the Burj Khalifa towering behind us, the fountain kicked into action, with lights blinking and the waters ‘dancing’ to Adele’s ‘Skyfall’. The playlist, we were told, is changed every day and is a mix of English and Arabic songs. Taking in the spectacle, we almost neglect our delicious yum sum o — a salad with tiger prawns, chicken and coconut in tamarind sauce.
Ten minutes after the first ‘dance’ of the fountains, we witnessed the façade of the Burj Khalifa come alive with lights. “I’m someone who lives in Dubai and yet can never tire of the fountains and the lights here,” said Charina, who was showing us around the city. We all managed to nod our heads in agreement, slightly stunned by what we had just seen.
The chef recommended that we be served the set menu, which has starters, soups, main courses and desserts put together by her. We were only too happy to oblige and be spared the bother of picking out dishes for each course. With our eyes glued to the waters, every half hour, we waited with bated breath for the fountains to come alive and the spectacle of lights to begin.
We had seen towering skyscrapers all day, but taking in the gorgeous view with some crispy fried sea bass and chicken satay was something else. Our meal stretched to nearly three hours, most of which we spent with our chairs facing the waters, plates in hand.
Between mouthfuls of gaeng gai , a chicken red curry with eggplant and basil leaves, I bring up how romantic the atmosphere is. Cleressa Pinto, the marketing and communications manager, tells me that the setting has become popular for people who want to propose to their partners in front of the best view of the fountains.
Digging into lemon sorbet and chocolate spring rolls — an unlikely dessert combination which washed over my palate with an exciting burst of flavours — we turned our eyes towards the fountains once again, partly hoping for romantic dinners and wishful proposals in the future, with a side of seafood.
