East Asian sweets and desserts are on the rise in Dubai, with more and more bakeries influenced by the region’s cuisine cropping up around the city in the last year: think soft, fluffy bread or flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pastries with unfamiliar flavourings like azuki (sweet red bean) and black sesame.
Dessert connoisseurs with their finger on the saccharine pulse will be familiar with the history of East Asian-influenced bakeries here. One of the first spots to serve ethereal Japanese breads, often shaped like Hello Kitty, was Yamanote at Al Wasl Square; testament to the popularity of their baked goods is a new, larger spot on The Dubai Mall’s lower ground floor.
The newest addition to the Japanese dining scene in Dubai is Mikado Bakery. Spring-boarding off Mikado Cafe, its successful flagship location in Abu Dhabi, Mikado Bakery opened in October last year in Boxpark, spearheaded by bakery chef Yoshio Nishiyama and executive chef Fabio Nakazato, who tell tabloid!, “Mikado Bakery retains the authenticity of Japan with a modern twist. Our bakery fuses the refinement of the French and the precision of the Japanese. No detail is too small, no stone unturned — we strive for perfection each time.”
Nakazato says that once upon a time, acquiring more esoteric, hallmark Japanese ingredients like high quality matcha powder and azuki red bean was a challenge. He says it’s getting easier with the rising presence of East Asian-influenced dining destinations in the region, but Nishiyama still imports ingredients like the traditional rice flour used in Japanese bread-baking from Japan for maximum authenticity.
Mikado Bakery is also diligent in designing its baked treats to fit local customs: “We are careful to use non-alcoholic alternatives to sake and mirin [rice wine],” Nakazato says.
Those looking to experience a taste of Japan will find satisfaction in the traditional-yet-innovative menu. Matcha is a mainstay, the touchstone Japanese green tea flavour appearing in dishes such as the matcha roll cake, a delicate green-tea flavoured sponge with whipped cream and red berry filling, and the matcha cream pan (Japanese for ‘bread’), soft Japanese bread encasing a smooth matcha (or vanilla, for the more conservative among us) custard. The kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) cheesecake is another unique flavour, with an almost citrusy aftertaste that’s sure to leave newcomers intrigued.
The green tea date bread is a marriage of the most recognisable flavours of both Japan and the UAE, and is naturally a bestseller. Try the exquisite almond croissant, or Mikado Bakery’s regional twist on popular Japanese streetfood dorayaki, a pancake filled with azuki paste, which substitutes the traditional red bean with regional favourites Nutella and banana to appeal to local palates.
But the simplest things often speak the loudest, and Mikado Bakery’s milk shokupan is no exception — at first glance a simple, thick-cut loaf of white bread, this versatile, pillowy baked treat really shows just how different an experience fare from Asian bakeries is.
Taipei Dao Teahouse and Cafe
Downtown’s Taipei Dao Teahouse and Cafe will take your taste buds on a tour further south, importing its inspiration and fine ingredients from the island of Taiwan. Intrepid diners may recall Taipei Dao’s original incarnation as Sino Chai in Dubai Healthcare City; manager and tea-master Felice Liao renamed, revamped and relocated to South Ridge in Downtown last year.
Taipei Dao’s food philosophy is all about two things, the first being authenticity. Liao has created a little piece of Taiwan in Downtown, from Taipei Dao’s menu to its decor to its beverages (enjoy bubble tea the traditional Taiwanese way with your muffin or pastry — Taipei Dao serves it hot instead of cold, and it works magic on the tapioca pearls inside).
The second commandment of Taipei Dao’s food philosophy is being good to yourself, even if the mere suggestion might initially leave you sceptical when we’re talking rich pastries and exquisite cakes. Liao dishes on Taipei Dao’s commitment to healthiness: “We specially import organic ingredients like tea seed oil, organic palm sugar, germinated brown rice, and deep sea mineral salt, so our dishes aren’t as highly processed as others”.
It’s almost hard to believe that Taipei Dao’s chocolate lava cake, served with the unexpected contrast of homemade pomelo ice cream, was conceived with health in mind. A perfectly moist exterior gives way to a decadent, gooey centre, and we’re personally all for such a rich experience being relatively guilt-free. Liao tells tabloid! in the East Asian culinary tradition, bread is often its own standalone dish, rather a supplement to a larger meal.
It shows in how filling Taipei Dao’s wares are, taking inspiration from the very same kinds of bread Liao enjoyed in her native Taiwan. There’s a simple richness to offerings such as the perfectly flaky naisu bolo Danish and the thousand layer bread. Diners seeking the more unique tastes of Taiwan should opt for the black sesame bread, a confection of mouth-watering pastry and smooth rich flavour with notes of dark chocolate and spice, or the adorable peanut bread, shaped almost like a bow for you to unwrap the smooth nuttiness of the house-made peanut spread inside.
So why are we seeing more and more East Asian-influenced bakeries opening around the city? Liao says that East Asian breads and pastries tend to cut the sweetness, relying instead on subtle flavours and wholesomeness, which appeals to the health conscious among us. It’s also a question of adventure: Liao, Nishiyama and Nakazato all agree that the palates of diners in Dubai are diversifying and becoming bolder, in large part thanks to Dubai’s international status as a ‘go-to’ travel location.
Dining out is an easy way to immerse yourself in a culture that you might not be able to otherwise. Whether it’s the tranquil minimalism of Mikado Bakery’s Dubai shopfront, or the ornate interior of Taipei Dao, it’s all about the experience of something new and unfamiliar — and of delighting all five senses. Mikado Bakery and Taipei Dao have been luring a diverse clientele of locals and international alike in recent months on the strength of their baked goods — when it comes to Asian bakeries, the proof is definitely in the pan.
