Amin Abbas

ABU DHABI: NIRI is a homegrown restaurant in Abu Dhabi that highlights Japanese cuisine and spirit through food and hospitality.  

The restaurant was established in July 2021, focusing on a dining experience for “everyone to enjoy,” according to the Japanese chef of the restaurant, Yasuyuki Takemoto.

However, the process did not come easy. 

Takemoto added that some of the many challenges of establishing a restaurant included, “supplier selection, examination and procurement of ingredients, store and kitchen design, a secure storage space, exhaust air conditioning equipment, etc.”

Takemoto said the hard work paid off as positive responses from those who experienced NIRI started to come in.

He added that this restaurant can be distinguished from the other Japanese restaurants in the region on the basis of authenticity. NIRI prioritizes a “simple Japanese cooking method that is not biased towards fusion,” said Takemoto. 

As NIRI reaches new heights everyday, Takemoto discusses plans for the future. He teases the idea of a new restaurant with a concept different from NIRI, where the kitchen staff will be taught the techniques and traditions of Japanese cuisine.