KATSUYA BY STARCK

‘Katsu’ means ‘victory’ – so will a new location be a winner?

After closing its outpost in The Dubai Mall last year, Katsuya – the brainchild of LA-based master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi – has reopened its doors at the Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel. The new space, conceived by celebrated French designer Philippe Starck, is even more spectacular than its predecessor. If you removed the roof and observed the restaurant from above, it’s supposed to resemble a bento box – all straight lines and compartments. This means there are plenty of cosy nooks for diners to choose from, while an outdoor terrace offers views over the turtle lagoon.

Be warned – upon entering, the entire wait staff will greet you with a loud chorus of “irasshaimase”. We thought the Japanese welcome sounded forced, and certainly became grating after hearing it for the fifth time. Otherwise, we were impressed by the slick, friendly service. The menu definitely leans more towards fusion than traditional Japanese, but you’ll be rewarded for keeping an open mind. The mellow green edamame hummus (Dhs55), a dish exclusive to the Dubai restaurant, was a stroke of genius. The Hollywood (Dhs75) – a tongue-incheek name for the popular California roll – is loaded with shrimp tempura and topped with spicy albacore. It was the sushi equivalent of a kung-fu film – completely over-the-top, and probably quite culturally inaccurate, but still, very enjoyable.

The wagyu tenderloin yakitori (Dhs275) arrived as luscious slithers of meat, masterfully grilled using the robata technique and were gorgeously rich and buttery. One disappointment was the hibachi shrimp (Dhs85), served on a small grill at the table. It lacked that special smoky flavour. When it comes to dessert, we can see why the brownie toban (Dhs59) is a crowd-pleaser – a tempting mess of fudgy brownie, marshmallow, chocolate mochi and vanilla ice cream. The almost criminally rich double chocolate lava cake (Dhs55) was also worth the guilt-factor. By this point, a purist would be sobbing into their matcha, but for the mainstream, Katsuya is a fun introduction to Japanese cuisine. Jumeirah Al Naseem, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, daily noon to 1am. Tel: (04) 419 0676. Taxi: Al Naseem. katsuyarestaurant.com