A Taste for Gold

Gold O’Vada Pao by O’Pao

How do you make the humble vada pao gourmet? Fill the vada with Italian truffle butter and cheese, and then wrap it in 22-carat edible gold from France. Introduced by O’Pao restaurant in September, the Gold O'Vada Pao is served in a carved wooden box lit with a nitrogen base, and comes with a side of sweet potato fries and mint lemonade. Amol Dhote, the founder of O’Pao, says it is mildly spicy, oozes a truffle smell and tastes like mashed potato with cheese inside a soft scrumptious bun. It’s available at the restaurant in Al Karama and is priced at AED 99 (indicative price in India around Rs 2,000).

Enjoy a cup of Gold Cappuccino

The Ultimate Gold Cappuccino at Sahn Eddar Lounge in Dubai’s celebrated hotel Burj Al Arab is made using 100 per cent Arabica beans mixed with foamed milk. It is then blended with 24-carat gold. Instead of regular cappuccino art, the coffee is decorated with the hotel’s iconic sail-shaped design. It is served alongside Grand Cru Guanaja—a chocolate marshmallow—also sprinkled with gold. The Armani Hotel Dubai in the Burj Khalifa also serves a gold cappuccino adorned with 23-carat gold flakes served alongside dark chocolate. Priced at AED 120 (indicative price in India around Rs 2,400).

Gold Biryani at Bombay Borough

Dubbed the ‘world’s most expensive biryani’, the Royal Gold Biryani at Bombay Borough is served with Kashmiri seekh kebabs, lamb chops, Mughlai koftas, etc, all wrapped in edible gold leaves. It is cooked using the dum technique and is served with salan, pomegranate raita, etc. The entire plate is garnished with 23-carat edible gold leaves. It is available only on pre-order and is priced at AED 1,000 (indicative price in India around Rs 20,000).

The Golden Steak at Nusr-Et

The Nusr-Et steak restaurant in Dubai, owned by Turkish chef Salt Bae (real name Nusret Gocke), serves Wagyu beef steaks covered in edible gold foil. The celebrity chef is known for his theatrical salt-sprinkling antics. When you order the golden steak, it is cut on your table with a little show from the chef himself. The restaurant is patronised by celebrities such as David Beckham and Leonardo DiCaprio. The steak is priced at AED 1,250 (indicative price in India around Rs 25,000).

Gold ice cream at Scoopi Café

This one is for true ice-cream lovers. Considered the ‘world’s most expensive ice cream’, it is made using fresh Madagascar vanilla beans with the most expensive saffron from Iran and Italian black truffles. It has 23-carat edible gold sprinkled on top. The ice cream, also known as Black Diamond, is served in a golden handmade Versace bowl with a silver spoon. You are allowed to keep the bowl and spoon. The restaurant, which was set up in 2015, also serves a charcoal ice cream adorned with edible gold. It is priced at AED 2,999 (indicative price in India around Rs 60,000).