Manar Elbaz

Dubai’s Souk Madinat Jumeirah has welcomed a new Japanese restaurant that puts a unique modern twist on traditional Japanese cuisine. 

SushiYaki opened its doors in Dec. 2023, inviting guests to experience tradition and innovation as Head Chef Jolbi Huacho showcases his creativity while crafting the dishes. 

Huacho, who grew up in Preu, was fascinated with Japanese cuisine after working as a chef assistant at Peruvian-Japanese restaurants at the beginning of his career in 2012.

“I was in love with the way Japanese people work,” he told Arab News Japan. “There is a step-by-step (process) and there is respect for the product.” 

The chef worked in renowned restaurants all over the world until he found his way to the United Arab Emirates, where one of his mentors invited him. “I collected experience from chefs of different kinds of cuisine from all over the world,” he recalled. 

While the restaurant offers traditional Japanese dishes like miso soup, it also tries to blend cultures and take inspiration from other Asian countries.

For example, instead of the regular salmon nigiri, they add oyster wasabi sauce and grill it. The sashimi is also transformed with the addition of the garnishing and the different sauces. 

The chef recommends trying out the seabass ceviche and yellowtail carpaccio, which are rich in flavor and bring out the chef’s creativity. 

“There are three kinds of ceviche, salmon, tuna, and fish. All of them have a particular flavor. (Guests) should try one of each,” the chef said. 

Furthermore, the restaurant occasionally introduces limited-edition menus. For example, they recently rolled out a Valentine’s Day platter for ¥9,366 that included oysters, tartare, and toro nigiri. 

Although it just opened recently, the restaurant has received positive feedback from guests. With almost 200 attendees at its opening ceremony, the restaurant has maintained a constant flow of customers in Madinat Jumeirah’s busy environment, pushing the boundaries of Japanese dining in the UAE. 

Located in Souk Madinat Jumeirah’s waterfront area, the restaurant opens from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., and prices start at ¥2,045.