Renowned Swedish chef Bjorn Frantzen has made a bold entry into Dubai's fine dining scene with the opening of FZN at Atlantis The Palm. The menu uniquely blends Asian and French flavours with Nordic influences, resulting in dishes that are both intricate and striking. This high-end tasting menu concept is a sister restaurant to Frantzen in Sweden, which was awarded three Michelin stars, making it the first in the country to achieve that distinction.
When paying such a premium for a meal, the experience begins well before the first bite. From the entrance, guests are led through a carefully designed journey. Standing before a discreet doorway, I press the buzzer. For a moment, it feels like entering a speakeasy bar, before a hallway leads to a lift that whisks me up to a lounge where the evening begins with champagne and canapes.
A Living Room That Sets the Stage
Called The Living Room, this cosy space is designed to resemble a mountain retreat, complete with fur throws on chairs. While sipping champagne and sampling canapes, anticipation builds as a mystery box is opened, revealing the star ingredients of the meal. Expect Japanese tuna, Norwegian king crab, and the finest caviar. That signals the transition to the Dining Room.
An Open Kitchen with a Front-Row View
Passing through a wine cellar stacked with 1,300 bottles from around the world, I enter the action-packed Dining Room, where chefs take centre stage. The open kitchen concept offers the choice of sitting at one of four tables seating 14 guests or perching at the chef's counter, which seats 13. With a total capacity of just 27 guests, the setting is intimate.
There is no menu handed out; each course arrives as a surprise. Many dishes are finished tableside, allowing diners to watch world-class chefs at work.
A Nine-Course Culinary Journey
The meal begins with one of the prettiest dishes imaginable - a rose-shaped Japanese turnip with otoro tartare, fermented strawberry, and coffee oil. The bluefin tuna belly melts in the mouth, while the strawberry and coffee oil add unexpected depth.
Another standout is chawanmushi, which translates to 'steamed cup' in Japanese. This silky egg custard is infused with beef broth and finished with smoked olive oil, caviar, and gold dust. Made tableside, it is an explosion of flavour.
(L-R) French Toast and Chawanmushi with beef broth and caviar
(L-R) Grilled King Crab and Tarte Tatin Apple Dessert
Crudo Otoro - Japanese turnip-fermented strawberry coffee oil
Next is grilled king crab with finger lime, saffron, and sea buckthorn beurre blanc, topped with ikura (salmon caviar). The combination of ingredients elevates the dish to another level.
A particular highlight is a dish called 'French Toast', but this is far from ordinary. The deep-fried bread with spring onion emulsion is topped with grilled eel and beef charcuterie, which is cooked at the table. One bite leaves a smoky, meaty imprint on the palate.
The evening ends with two desserts-a frozen lime marshmallow and a tarte of apple and celeriac, both light yet packed with flavour. Every dish is not just about taste; the presentation is an art form in itself.