It must be a tough time to be a banker. Well, that's what I thought, seeing page after page of newsprint filled with pictures of sobbing stockbrokers in London, New York and Frankfurt. It's a shame.
Why? Not because I feel sorry for their loss, particularly; I just love wandering around financial hubs, seeing tickertape stock figures slide past shimmering skyscrapers and suited City types rush off to count another billion.
There's a thrilling buzz - of expectation, hope and possibility - and I hoped Dubai's International Financial Centre would be no different - especially because I was going there to eat at the latest restaurant for those on an expense account: Zuma.
A seat at Zuma is somewhat difficult to get, unless you book ahead about five days. (They are mysteriously closed on Saturdays, saying it's the only night the staff gets off. On the weekend?)
We found our 8pm seating to be in a sparsely filled room, which was a great way to easily see the battalion of chefs in action in Zuma's three open kitchens - sushi, grill and, um, regular. By the time we left at 10pm, there wasn't space to squeeze a sliver of tuna in between the packed diners.
We kicked off with some edamame, as suggested by the waiting staff, and since we were craving a tangy hit, went for those fried with garlic, ginger and chilli.
Despite the frying, the soybeans maintain their crisp integrity, and the chunky hot sauce is fiercely addictive. Team those with some of Zuma's signature beverages, and you're off to a great start.
The concept at Zuma, we were warned, is that you order a number of small sharing plates which arrive at the table as soon as they are ready - and with its cool wood dining room and open kitchens, you'll feel like you're in the Wall Street version of Wagamama (seriously, it's a good thing).
And so, we ordered, reeling off a list of delightfully-named dishes - Ju-No-Ume! Yuzu Seabass! - Lobster Miso! - Dynamite Spider Maki!
Crisp tentacles
That wasn't the half of what we had for starters, but there were two hungry girls and too many offers we couldn't refuse. In the yuzu seabass sashimi, delicate slices of fish, fanned out across a plate and dressed with a truffle-citrus sauce, melted in the mouth, filling the palate with subtle fragrance. It's one of the best things I've ever eaten.
I ate it slowly, savouring every drop of dressing, fish and the little portion of grilled aubergine topped with dabs of salty salmon roe.
Other dishes intruded upon my sashimi reverie - but that doesn't mean that the intrusion was unwelcome. Deep-fried squid - with lovely crisp little tentacles, the best bit - were topped with lime and green chilli, while steaming cubes of tofu, fried in a spicy batter were teamed with creamy chunks of avocado.
Miso soup's rich savoury flavour is a must-have at any Japanese meal, but go the Zuma route and add lobster's sweet creaminess - it's a winning Japanese version of bisque. And they don't skimp on the melting claw meat either.
More deep-fried delights came, but in the grand Japanese tradition of tempura, they were never heavy or oily. Thus a soft-shelled crab (legs and all, don't be afraid) goes, hot from the fryer, into maki rolls doused in chilli mayonnaise.
The concept of small dishes continues into the main course, where we had the chance to try the robata, or Japanese grill. Beef tenderloin, marinated in a sweet soy marinade was charred and crispy (blame a well-done-only dining partner) but the interior was still melting.
It's chopped into chopstick-manageable chunks and topped with toasted sesame. I almost never go for chicken, but the prospect of grilled chicken wings with lime and salt - like some kind of hot, savoury margarita - was too good to turn down.
They arrive, adorably impaled in twin skewers, with a little spoon of flaky sea salt and a lime half to squeeze over. Don't bother with rice - you won't feel the loss - and grab some grilled vegetables on the side instead (the mains are just the meat, no sides).
Sweet potato nearly tempted us, until the waitress suggested the garlic mushrooms. Shitake and ceps, grilled with sweet garlic-soy, are a juicy winner.
Fresh and lively
And on we went, to the second-most stunning dish of the night: Seared foie gras. It's a perfect example of yoshinko, Japanese interpretations of Western cooking.
Where the French would team the fatty liver with salt and some kind of fruit compote like fig, Zuma's chef marinates it in miso (salty soybean paste), sears it to crispness outside and places a burgundy dab of pickled Japanese plum compote (ume) on the side.
I promise, after all of this, you will still have room for dessert - and you just cannot miss the jasmine poached peach. Served in a box of shaved ice, the fragrant peach half floats on a crispy biscuit, sweet cream and fruity sorbet.
Tiny forest strawberries - the size of a fingernail but popping with sweetness - are scattered over the top with a few jasmine flowers. The best thing about Japanese desserts, although there aren't many, is that they are never too sweet. It's fresh, lively and unusual.
Which quite well sums up Zuma itself - it's as buzzy as a restaurant in a booming financial district should be, full of pretty people eating beautifully-presented food. And yet it's relaxed, unpressured and never do you feel like you should only look at the food, rather than eat it. And with the bill at a pretty reasonable Dh950 for two, you'll come out feeling full, cool and just a little bullish.
Checklist
Where: Zuma, Dubai International Financial Centre, The Gate District. Building 6.
For reservations call: 04 4255660
Must-have: Yuzu seabass sashimi, seared foie gras and poached peach.
Verdict: 4 stars
