A leading Hong Kong restaurant group is bringing two of its concepts to the UAE this year — starting with a Mexican restaurant.

You read that right: Dubai’s next Mexican eatery comes via Asia. The menu at Brickhouse, opening this month at the Manzil Downtown Dubai, is totally focused on Mexican food, we understand — no fusion silliness here.



The interior of Brickhouse, due to open in Downtown Dubai this month.


It’s coming to the city with Emaar Hospitality Group and Hong Kong’s Maximal Concepts, which also runs dim sum spot Mott 32. That restaurant, which is reviewed in the Michelin guide for Hong Kong (it got a two-fork “good standard” rating this year) is also tipped to open in the UAE this year, according to Maximal Concepts’ website, although an opening date is not confirmed.

Brickhouse is opening opposite the recently launched Jamaican-Chinese restaurant, Ting Irie, and will have both indoor seating and an outdoor terrace and aims to be a “local eatery involved with the community and part of Dubai life and artistic scene,” according Emaar Hospitality Group’s Chris Newman. If you’re a street artist, you’ll be invited to do your thing on the walls on a regular basis.

The menu is created by executive chef Justin Haefler, who runs the original Brickhouse restaurant in Hong Kong (although he won’t be in the kitchen here, we’ve been told). He trained for three years under Rick Bayless, so should be well-versed in Mexican cuisine. The OG Brickhouse has several awards (some consecutively) from Hong Kong media, so we are looking forward to seeing what they deliver. The menu there includes guacamole, ceviches, tacos, tostadas and salads.

It will be open noon-midnight weekdays and until 1am on weekends. Stay tuned for opening and licensing details.