Shams El-Mutwalli

DUBAI: Japanese restaurant Mitsu-Ya launched on March 1 in the United Arab Emirates, after making its breakthrough in Lebanon.

The restaurant offers an Izakaya and Omakase experience, with ingredients imported from Japan to maintain quality and taste. Many of the items offered on the menu include: Shoyu Ramen, Mushroom Ramen, Sweet Miso Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen, Miso Yasai Ramen, Yuzu Shio Ramen, Ebi Wonton Ramen, Beef Tantanmen, and more. There are also a range of Maki rolls including classics like Spicy Salmon, California, Volcano Futo-Maki, as well as various sashimi options.

Customers can complement their meal with a wide selection of appetizers including Clams Soy Butter, Tempura, Grilled Squid, Grilled Seabass, and a range of grilled meats.

The meal can be finished off with any of Mitsu-Ya’s desserts like the Green Tea Fondant, Mochi, and others.

A special Omakase package that invites customers to sit back at the sushi bar and allow the chef to prepare a vast selection sushi and sashimi, can also be purchased.

“Traditionally serving food both hot and cold in a variety of flavours and textures, in small dishes meant to be shared with one another, it is in fact strongly reminiscent of Japanese Culture,” Chef Mitsu Teru Arai shared.

The restaurant’s interior design is kept simple and fluid, with traditional Japanese music playing in the background. The atmosphere of the restaurant can also be defined as “cozy” and “authentic,” that is “composed of light colors, dim lighting and colorful oil paper umbrellas,” says Chef Mitsu.

The choice to bring Mitsu-Ya to the UAE aligns with the restaurant’s mission, as
“Dubai is a cosmopolitan location today with a lot of foodies and food connoisseurs, which is suitable with our aim to approach the authentic and traditional experience of Mitsu-Ya closer to the international scene,” one of the partners told Arab News Japan.

Chef Mitsu introduced the concepts of Izakaya and Omakase to Beirut through Mitsu-Ya, and was positively received amongst the consumer base in Lebanon.