dream ultra lounge & bar review

So, I’m excited about this one;  Dream ultra lounge and bar has been open for less than one month now and I’m getting the opportunity to do a review!  I’m not in any way, shape or form affiliated with Dream Ultra lounge- again, simply went there, ordered, dined and left (remember Bacco Pizzeria Italiana review?)

My good friend called me up out of the blue and invited me out for lunch, with limited ideas but a plethora of excitement (we hadn’t seen each other for months!), we called up some people and asked them for ideas.  It was my husband who suggested Dream- we’d heard of it but hadn’t gotten the opportunity to dine there since it’s opening- my friend and I were game.

So this is the low down- the location is good, it’s pretty central- I mean everything is central in South- the parking is sufficient and the opening hours acceptable.  The one problem I had right off the bat was the entrance.  There isn’t proper signage and the heavy industrial gates make you question whether you’ve found the right place. There were no directions saying this way or that so it’s just a little bit confusing.

Once inside you’re greeted by a hostess who shows you to your seats.  The decor is modern and sleek with a very sexy color palette- warm burnt oranges and vibrant cherry reds intertwined with subtle taupes and creams, the smooth jazzy tunes blaring in the background only add to the sultry atmosphere- I mean, it is a lounge!  You immediately notice the ‘lofty’ feel- an open mezzanine with tables and chairs overlooking the open floor space, cable wired stair cases and highly polished tiled floors- you can easily envision a ‘pumping’ Friday/Saturday night after work lime or fete.

The staff are very friendly and somewhat informal- giving patrons a sort of ease of dining if you will.  It took me by surprise since I could very naturally see a more formal type exchange between waiter/waitress and diner in an establishment outfitted to the nines like this one.  Either way, what counts for me is an attentive, clean, well-mannered waiter/waitress- which I had.

Now for the most important thing of all- the food.

The menu is simple offering a few choice items- which in my opinion makes sense for a lounge.  There isn’t much frill or fru-fru  to the menu items- unpretentious and to the point.  It’s almost as though the head chef, when creating his menu was saying “you want Thai red curry?  Well, here it is.  You can get it with shrimp, chicken, fish etc etc.  That’s it. You’re done. Choose and move on.”  I like that.  There aren’t pages upon pages of menu items (in fact, it’s a flat menu card- one for drinks and one for food) and noticeably missing were dessert items.

We weren’t offered or given a ‘soft drink’ menu, which I found a slight bit strange.  Are we meant to have hard liquor only? Well, we did!
We both chose Mojitos- not the hardest hard, but who’s checking?

When it came to our choices for food we decided to share everything- there was the Thai coconut mint soup, Emperor wings with sweet/spicy sauce (baked not fried), Chicken alfredo and Thai red curry shrimp.  Everything was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! The tastes were subtle, never intrusive, the spice was perfectly adjusted to suite the discerning Trini palette and the quantity? Nobody could even try to accuse Dream of small portion sizes- I felt like a child at a swinging party- party bag in tow when leaving.  I left with more food in my stomach and doggy bag than I had had when I entered, how could that ever be a bad thing?

As good as the meal was overall, these are the minor adjustments I would make or at least take into consideration:

• The main Thai meals(and I’m guessing the ‘Western Style side of the menu is the same) don’t come with built in sides so you find yourself ordering a dish and having to ‘add- on’ (aptly named ‘add-ons’ on the menu) rice or vegetables or whatnot.  I find this inconvenient as a diner.  I would prefer to have a complete meal as a main since the brain behind the planning (the chef) will know what goes best with what.
• Although the items in the stir-fry vegetables were varied and delicious, cooked to perfection, some of them were very salty as though salt was added at the end and not fully incorportated.
• The presentation could be improved upon.  The soup was brought out with the spoon already submerged- I don’t fancy this- unless it’s some small ‘hole in the wall’ eatery. I’d prefer to have my spoon on the table and as the food is brought to me I’d use it.
• A ‘soft drink‘ non alcoholic menu should be given to diners.
• The music could be a bit lower and the lighting a bit brighter.  I’m no authority on ‘good restaurant practices’ but I think it’s safe to say that when one dines, one must be able to visualize one’s food in totality.

In all fairness to Dream Ultra Lounge and Bar however, they are newly opened so these little details might well be fixed in due course and my lists are my own and based on my dining preferences so that’s something to bare in mind.

However this is my verdict…

I would definitely recommend Dream Ultra Lounge and Bar!

Here is the breakdown:

Pros

• Very clean and furnished to a high standard
• Very reasonable prices especially for the large portion sizes- Dream, don’t get bright and change this!
• Very romantic (although I would quicker say, sexy) atmosphere- turn on the charm gentlemen
• Very tasty, well cooked meals- the chef certainly knows what he/she is doing
• Affable staff
• Menu is simple without too many distractions
• The food was brought to the table very quickly
• Bathrooms are highly sanitized

Cons

• Card machine was giving trouble- slight inconvenience but no big deal, I think they’re working on it- the manager was extremely apologetic and I see this as a minor con, for now.
• Could be a bit brighter during dining hours
• Music could be a bit lower during dining hours
• Non-alcoholic menus should be given as well
• Main dishes should be served with at least one side
• Entrance should be clearly marked and signed

Overall I would give Dream Ultra Lounge and Bar a rating of  8.75/10

February 4, 2013 | Categories: dining out in Trinidad & Tobago, Food Reviews | Tags: Dream lounge trinidad, dream ultra lounge and bar, dream ultra lounge and bar review, places to eat trinidad, restaurants, sultry atmosphere, thai food in trinidad, the hidden cook, Trini restaurants, trinidad and tobago food, trinidad bars and lounges, trinidad bloggers, where to eat in trinidad and tobago | 10 Comments