Dubai now has a new Japanese restaurant, which lets you experience the Kaiseki concept. Kohantei is the new-bee in town, which offers a traditional Japanese multi-course dining experience, inspired from the city of Kyoto. Here’s everything you need to know about this new dining experience inside Dubai Opera House.
What Is The Kaiseki Concept?
The Kaiseki traditional multi-course experience involves an elaborate series of exquisite dishes meticulously served in a humble and intimate setting, which are enjoyed over the course of two to three hours. The menu has been lovingly created by Executive Chef Hisao Ueda, from a treasure chest of exceptional seasonal ingredients which are personally sourced from Japan. Diners can choose from five different Kaiseki menus.
The concept has now made its way to Dubai’s at the Dubai Opera concourse. First things first, you’ve got to follow a bunch of rules when you’re here- just so you can enjoy the meal in true Japanese fashion. On arrival at the Dubai Opera concourse, diners will be asked to remove their shoes at the entrance before being escorted to the eating area. The seating is unlike any other regular restaurant- so expect to sit on pillows thrown on the floor.
Kaiseki Etiquette
1. Remove your shoes at the door
2. Use your chopsticks to pick up your food. When not eating, place them gently on the hashi oki (chopstick rest).
3. Consume your soup directly from the bowl, using both hands.
4. When eating the sashimi, place a small amount of wasabi on the fish, then dip the fish into the soy.
The restaurant features three private dining rooms and an intimate paper-walled dining area with five tables, catering for a total of 28 covers. Well, that also explains why you must make a reservation before hand. The menu is created by executive chef Hisao Ueda, using ingredients sourced from Japan. Expect all-Japanese sushi and seafood, and – as the name suggests – a generous amount of Wagyu beef. The interiors simple, yet pretty with Japanese elements like sliding shoji doors and tatami flooring being the highlights.
What’s On The Menu?
A classic kaiseki menu features a selection of courses consisting of appetisers and starters, soup, sashimi, a simmered dish, a grilled dish and a noodle- or rice-based main course, followed by a light desert.
The restaurant offers six, seven and eight course menus. However, the highlight of the place is its finest quality wagyu beef. Kohantei serves a range of Australian and Japanese steaks. Binge on wagyu beef smothered on a bed of rice, tender cubes of just-seared Shihiro wagyu from Hokkaido, and a benchmark-setting wagyu katsu sando.
The meal course starts from AED 450, going all the way up to AED 1065.
Deets
Location: Kohantei, Unit 6 Plaza Level Dubai Opera House
Timings: Monday to Saturday- 12pm to 3.30pm, 6pm to midnight
Contact: (04) 243 4951