A fusion of French-Vietnamese cuisine, Indochine is one of DIFC’s most recent – and subsequently, most popular – additions to the financial district’s thriving restaurant scene. Launched in Dubai in December 2019, the upmarket eaterie is already making a name for its incredible food, on point design and expert mixologists, drawing on the style, history and success of its New York flagship, which opened in 1984. Taking its name from the Indochina peninsula of South East Asia, the menu reflects its geographical positioning with a smorgasbord of Vietnamese classics that each feature their own contemporary French twist, nodding to the region’s French infusion following the country’s colonization in the 1800s.

The venue itself is split into two distinct areas, with  a cocktail bar on one side, and the restaurant on the other side. While guests can easily intermingle from one side to the next, a separating wall stops prying eyes intruding as diners delve into their dinners.

Like the menu, the bar and restaurant’s aesthetic nods to its Vietnamese roots, mixing bamboo ceilings with blue lit walls, palm-tree printed wallpaper, colonial-style green wicker chairs, and huge vases of over-flowing flora and fauna all creating an exotic, some-what tropical vibe. Offset with crisp white tablecloths, and chequered black-and-white tiled floors, it’s an intoxicating combination of French elegance-meets-Oriental design with a New York state of mind.

It’s a combination of french elegance-meets-oriental design with a new york state of mind

For dinner, we settle into one of the restaurant’s plush leather booths, as they are the perfect vantage point to observe the comings and goings of the after-dark crowd. Hailing from Vietnam and brought over from Hong Kong, Executive Chef Steven Nguyen launched the restaurant, bringing with him  a wealth of experience, and so we leave our order in his capable hands. There are two menus to choose from, across the bar and lounge, the former offering smaller, lighter bite variations of the latter. With dinner on our minds,  our table is soon peppered with delicious-smelling appetisers.

The escargot, which are cooked in lemongrass and kaffir herb butter, are so succulent and juicy that accompanying house-baked Vietnamese baguette is required to soak up the excess jus. The crispy case of the Vegetable Summer Rolls, makes way to a melt-in-your-mouth filling of smoked chilli bean curd, taro and shiitake mushrooms, dipped in a cashew hoisin sauce. Made using the same recipe for the past 35 years,  as with many of the dishes on the menu, we’re told it ensures consistency across Indochine, from New York to Dubai.

For the main course, we’re brought Crispy Scale Amadai, which uses a technique in which the fish’s scales are left on, before cooking in extremely hot oil to make the scales puff up to give the dish its crispy coating. The crunchiness of the skin contrasted with the softness flakiness of the fish inside really brings an inventiveness to the dish. Served with shredded potato and a lemongrass and tomato nage (a flavoured liquid used for poaching), this is a dish for foodies who like something a little unusual or unique on their plate. We’re also served Caramel Black Cod, that comes decorated with shimeji mushrooms and baby bok choy and ginger dashi, which draws out a rich, smokey flavour the more you dive into it.

The escargot, that are cooked in lemongrass and kaffir  herb butter,  are succulent and juicy.

I’ll admit, very little room has been left for dessert, but we soldier on, nonetheless. A vegan Machu tart is light and just a little bit crispy, while the mango chocolate dessert with marzipan is sweet and tangy in equal measure, and insists I return to the restaurant again for a repeat order.

To surmise, the menu does well to modernise French-Asian fusion food, drawing on both cuisines to bring something new to the table. Not just a simple twist, however, but masterful, playful nuances specific to Indochine that will no doubt ensure this New York institution will become something of a mainstay in Dubai.