Manar Elbaz

DUBAI: From vintage interiors to simple dishes, Dubai’s brand-new Japanese restaurant Kima promises a fresh and authentic take on Japanese casual dining, promising guests an unforgettable experience at an affordable price.

Unlike minimalist fine dining Japanese spots that are frequently found in the UAE, this restaurant aims to provoke feelings of nostalgia through its wooden tables, posters from the 1930s, and city pop classics that are constantly playing in the background, teleporting guests to the streets of Tokyo.

Tucked away in Jumeirah Lake Towers’ Cluster R, the small yet cozy restaurant hopes to foster a feeling of community through having limited tables close to each other, encouraging customers to talk with one another. 

The restaurant is founded by Polish chef Pawel Kazanowski and Tastil Moure. The former was first introduced to Japanese culture when he encountered Japanese tourists as a child, leaving him impressed with their hospitality and kindness.

He moved to the United Kingdom in 2000 to work at a Japanese restaurant, where he slowly began to learn cooking techniques from Japanese chefs. 

“I really liked the Japanese approach to everything, not just cooking,” Kazanowski told Arab News Japan. “If they want to do something, they will do it properly. In cooking, the taste is very pure and you can taste many different flavors.” 

The restaurant relies on traditional yet simple comfort dishes that let the taste speak for itself. With ingredients imported directly from Japan, guests can try a variety of dishes such as scallop carpaccio, yakisoba, and miso soup, as well as limited dishes like the Hokkaido scallops and the beef tataki. 

“I wanted to do traditional Japanese food with good ingredients, well executed and nicely presented,” the chef shared. “We wanted to bring a typical, authentic Japanese izakaya to Dubai. When Japanese people visited us, they were so impressed. They feel like it’s just like home.”

The Polish chef frequently visits Japan to keep up with current food trends and incorporate them in the menu,  “Japan has something for everyone to discover,” he said. “I recommend people to go to Osaka. It is like a culinary city in Japan. It is a bit different and has a lot of street food.”

While the restaurant plans to expand to other locations in the future, Kazanowski is now focused on fostering a local community in Dubai. “We want to make (the experience) repeatable for people, and we already have. I’ve seen people come around five times within a month.”

“We have a good response but I want to build it stronger. I think there is a need for a restaurant like this in Dubai and probably in Saudi Arabia,” he added. 

The chef is planning to establish another Japanese restaurant in Dubai at the beginning of 2026. “It will be a bit high-end, but not really fine dining,” he shared

KIMA is open from 12pm to 11pm from Tuesdays to Sundays.