DUBAI: Ask me a week ago to name the best Japanese restaurants in the city and Nobu and Zuma would have topped my list. Having now dined at Okku, Monarch Hotel, I have a new contender for Most Chic Japanese Restaurant in Dubai.
Walking past the jellyfish aquarium at the bar, Okku makes a grand first impression. The award-winning restaurant's new lunch menu comes at prices that are almost too good to resist. From Dh69, going up to Dh125 for a set menu, this was turning into a posh lunch that wouldn't burn a hole in my pocket.
With no time for small talk (when magnificent food lay in the not-too-distant future, who had time to chat?), the orders flew off our tongues before our minds had time to process the items on the menu.
The miso soup was a pleasant surprise. Served in a traditional lacquer bowl, we were delighted at the lack of soup spoons. Finally! A restaurant which served miso soup in the way it's meant to be consumed: straight out of the bowl.
While still revelling in the authenticity of the experience, we were served starters: Hamachi Wasabi and Salmon Tartare.
The Hamachi Wasabi was a fish-lover's dream. Wafer thin slices of yellowtail sashimi with a topping of spring onions and a hint of wasabi, swimming in a ponzu sauce, the dish was devoured in seconds. Very unlady-like, I know, but with food this good, it's worth throwing the rules out the window. It was the Salmon Tartare however, that had me dreaming of seconds. The chopped raw salmon marinated in a yuzu-orange soy, accompanied by "home-made" potato crisps, was more exquisite a treat than my taste buds were prepared for. Painstakingly simple, yet elegant, the dish won my approval of best starters at a Japanese restaurant.
Fast and delicious
Unlike some restaurants where you spend forever waiting between courses, the dishes at Okku magically appear on your table as soon as you've polished off the last one. Accordingly, with no time to spare between courses, we were treated to our mains: Yuzu Saikyo Miso Black Cod, Okku Burger and some sashimi to share for good measure.
As with any modernised Japanese restaurant worth its salt, miso black cod on the menu was a must. With both Nobu and Zuma specialising in the same dish, I was intrigued to see Okku's take on this overnight classic. With the exception of the two mounds of rice which would have been easy to do away with, the cod was gastronomically delightful. Marinated in a yuzu saikyo miso paste, before being baked in the oven to tender perfection, the fish was sweet, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth all at once.
Between mouthfuls of the cod, I couldn't resist sampling from the sashimi bowl. Raw salmon, tuna, scallops, prawn, king crab and oyster, atop a bed of crushed ice, made me feel like a Japanese princess at a royal banquet.
Stuffed to the brim, but secure in the knowledge of having consumed a healthy meal, I was all smiles as dessert was brought forth. For once, even dessert was of the non-fat version. Delicious scoops of berry and mandarin sorbet, in the colours of summer, with a tangy twist at the end of each spoonful.
The next time I head back to Okku, and there will definitely be a next time, it's the Unagi Yaki (grilled fresh water eel) I want to try out. That and about 20 other dishes on the menu…
Average cost for two: Dh198
