Foodle

There is a particular kind of restaurant discourse that does more harm than good. Not because the restaurant is bad, but because the noise around it becomes so loud that it distorts what is actually on the plate.

Middle Child sits squarely in that space.

The room is warm and bookish. Mustard yellow, soft wood, shelves of cookbooks and bottles. It feels calm by design rather than by affectation. The food follows suit. Familiar flavours, cooked with care. A sour cream and onion dip that knows exactly what it is. A hand cut steak tartare that is assertive, toothsome, and very nearly excellent. At its best, some of the dishes here are among the best of their kind I have eaten in Dubai.

Does everything delight? Non.

There are moments where things lean one dimensional. A steak that tips too sweet. A soft serve whose idea is more compelling than its execution. None of this feels terminal, or even surprising. This is a young restaurant, opened by a first time restaurateur, finding its rhythm in public. That is not a flaw. It is a process.

What interests me more is the conversation around it.

Middle Child is often spoken about in absolutes. As a revelation. As a standard bearer. As something that must be adored rather than discussed. That does the restaurant no favours. It sets expectations that are almost impossible to meet and leaves little room for the more interesting, more generous truth.

Which is that this is a good restaurant with flickers of a very good one. Bistro adjacent cooking that values restraint over spectacle. Plates that do not beg to be photographed before they are eaten. Service that is warm, human, and genuinely joyful.

Strip away the mythology and what remains is far more compelling. A place that understands its scale. Knows its audience. And does not shout to be heard.

In a city that often mistakes excess for excellence, that quiet confidence matters.

Would I go back? Yes. Almost certainly for lunch.

Sometimes the most interesting restaurants are not the loudest ones, but the ones that reward attention rather than appetite alone.

The full review is now live on EatGoSee and on my Substack. You can read it via the link in my profile. Less

Everyone knew Grégoire Berger would do something significant after Ossiano.

Few expected this.

An unlicensed seafood restaurant on Al Wasl Road. No aquarium. No enviable wine cellar. No return to the temple of spectacle he helped define. Well, maybe some spectacle.

Kraken commits loudly on the surface. Mirrored ceilings ripple. Tentacles loom. The room is theatrical, occasionally polarising, and entirely unapologetic. Even the bathrooms feel faintly Ursula from the Little Mermaid. But beneath the theatre sits something steadier.

Serious skill.

For those who knew Ossiano well, there are familiar notes. A greatest-hits anthology just short of a few singles, confidently executed and offered at a far more accessible price point. For everyone else, it simply reads as very good seafood cooking done with confidence, creativity and intent.

The tuna sausage and mash is the culinary equivalent of being tucked in at night with a 10 tog duvet. The dry-cured kingfish is cooked by a Jedi. The butterflied Sultan Ibrahim, cooked with precision, is reason enough to return.

Not everything lands perfectly. Some dishes are pulled from the heat just before texture fully makes its case. Step back, though, and the balance is clear.

Kraken sails between drama and discipline and one should chart a course for Al Wasl Road.

Full review now live on EatGoSee and Substack. Link in bio.

Kraken Seafood Restaurant, Al Wasl Rd, Al Wasl, Jumeirah 2, Dubai

Have you been? Less

My breakfast sandwich obsession continues, this time at the new-ish @animalesbarbequeco. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a big-deal example of a food truck matriculating to a brick-and-mortar operation, so having this impressive setup materialize in our city is throwing off major “worth-the-wait” vibes. Ditto the spectacular breakfast sandwich. First things first: If there’s a better ham to be found in the Twin Cities, I haven’t encountered it, but it makes total sense that pork would be the front-and-center attribute of a barbecue joint’s breakfast sandwich, right? I’m so glad to see that chef/owner @jonwipfli has stamped the “Dr. Jon’s” name onto this ham, because his doctorate-level skills in the curing and smoking departments deserve top billing. And talk about a pile-on! The portion size is enough to outfit a smallish Easter dinner, in a good way, and it’s sliced so entrancingly thin that Hobart must be placing a “sheer” setting on its meat slicers. I’m also completely hooked on the soufflé-style egg, a baked marvel that is so delicately ethereal that I seriously wondered if molecular gastronomist José Andrés was working the brunch service. All other components are first-rate. The bun is a sterling example of the milk bun genre, rich and delicate and gently toasted. There’s just enough gooey Swiss cheese to make its presence known, and the sole condiment is a barely sweet and nicely punchy maple-mustard sauce. All of this goodness (if this isn’t Breakfast Sandwich Hall of Fame material, what is?) goes for $15.60, which is $13 with a tacked-on 20 percent service fee. Worth every penny, and then some. Weekends only. (And gratitude to @raphael_brion for the recommendation). #breakfastsandwich #breakfastsandwiches #barbecue #barbeque #bbq #ham #animales #mpls #minneapolis #brunch. Less

LET’S BAKE SOME BARS!!

Minnesota bakers, we need your ❤️

Got killer Scotcheroos, lemon bars, blondies or your own special BARS everyone raves about? Bring them to our Bars Bake Sale benefiting The Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund.

Comment “BAKE SALE” and we will DM you a link with more info and how to sign up to bake bars. Help serve those who so often serve us. 🍒
Please share this post with your baking buddies!

Saturday, March 21, 2026
12 to 2PM Bake Sale
2 to 4PM DJ and community vibes
📍 Graze Food Hall by Travail

Watch our socials for more info about the in-person event coming soon! ✨ Less

went in with cult-level expectations.
walked out like… that’s it?!

@pst.singapore has been on my list since they opened last june. globally hyped, consistently ranked on the 50 top pizzas in the world list, with a cult following in tokyo… and yet.

the apps? tragic. sour lasagna. sad meatballs. chewy octopus. oily broccoli.

the pizzas were the saving grace, thank god. solid overall, but nothing i’d rush back for. their crusts are intentionally extra charred for a smoky hit, which i did enjoy. they also sprinkle okinawan salt into the oven before baking for extra umami.

but the pies ran a bit too wet so the ratios felt off, and one was straight-up salty (the romana, so skip that). ps: you can ask for less char if that’s not your thing.

best three pies we tried:
– signature tamaki (with datterini tomatoes that you’re meant to smush all over… except one slice was missing its tomato 😅)
– arrabiata with their housemade nduja
– 5 formaggi with honey drizzle

still want to try the tokyo original, but in sg… @beyondthedough_pizza > @pst.singapore for tokyo-neopolitan style, no contest.

#pstpizzastudiotamaki #sgpizza #sgfoodblogger #sgrestaurantreview #sgeats Less