Manar Elbaz

DUBAI: Ichiryu Ramen House, the only Japanese restaurant in Dubai that offers a solo dining area, will be opening a small-bites food stall dedicated to takoyaki at Al Ghurair Centre called Tako Ichiban House. 

Takoyaki is a popular Japanese street food that consists of octopus inside hot grilled ball-shaped dumplings and is topped with sauce. 

The food stall will be offering six different flavors of takoyaki, starting at ¥809. They will also offer other authentic Japanese dishes, such as Hanbagu and Gyūdon with miso soup. 

Additionally, Tako Ichiban House will also offer a “Nomimono” set, which will include a drink topped with a lid that includes takoyaki of the customer’s choice. 

“Tako Ichiban House is where we promise to bring high-quality Japanese small bites to the UAE,” Nicolai De Guzman, Ichiryu’s Chief Designer Officer, told Arab News Japan. 

“We are hoping to expand this across the UAE and across the GCC region. The plan for Ichiryu is something you can multiple easily. We are hoping to expand in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia,” he added. 

Guzman shared that the restaurant has a 10-year plan that they are currently working on, but Tako Ichiban House was not part of it. “We didn’t realize that (our customers) loved takoyaki so much, so we created another brand just for it,” he said. 

Tako Ichiban House will be open on Feb. 16 as part of Al Ghurair Center’s new food hall, Flayva.

The new food hall will serve as an all-in-one culinary hotspot and will accommodate approximately 500 guests at a time, renovating Al Ghurair Center’s dining scene. 

“With the launch of Flayva, we extend our commitment to creating and nurturing a vibrant community hub within the heart of one of Dubai’s most historic neighbourhoods,” said Anwar Atari, Al Ghurair Properties’ Chief Executive Officer.

“Inspired by the growing popularity of food halls in the city, Flayva is more than a dining space; it’s a lively community hub where residents can come together and discover an eclectic fusion of local and international flavours, all under one roof,” he added. 

The food halls will also include Vietnamese, Lebanese, and Indonesian restaurants, as well as boba tea shops. 

Starting Feb. 16, Flayva will be open Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 1 a.m.