Is Kinoya all hype or here to stay?
Instagram is swamped with photos of a new traditional Japanese restaurant in Dubai. Kinoya is the brainchild of ramen chef Neha Mishra, better known by her Instagram handle @astoryoffood. Bagging a reservation is a mini nightmare, but that piques my interest even more. I try seven times before getting through to someone on the phone, the only booking channel, so I expect, only serious foodies will bother. This may well be an opening marketing strategy that will change once the hype is over. Since I have dined at her at-home supper club, I am hoping the effort is worthwhile. On the upside, I do manage to secure a table for my preferred date well in advance.
The restaurant is located in the obscure Onyx Tower in The Greens – with next door neighbour, Jumeirah’s Zabeel House hotel – and hence the alcohol licence. The interior resembles that of a classic Japanese restaurant, with a similar simple, quaint and uncluttered style to Kohantei. The look and feel is authentic, except for the music which is either hip-hop or rap (either way beyond my years) and changes the vibe from serene to chaotic. Apart from the main dining area, there are two private rooms, a small bar, a ramen counter and a chef’s table.
Even with an 8pm reservation on a Monday, early by Dubai standards, most of the sake choices are sold out. On recommendation from our waiter, we try the plum wine, which is refreshing, light and as promised, perfect for summer. Also unavailable are a few popular dishes including her beef gyoza. Perhaps venture for lunch, as this is starting to get frustrating.
The menu is divided into two sections – izakaya (a nod to traditional Japanese pub dishes), and ramen, Neha’s speciality. It’s hard to choose from the intriguing menu, but between two of us, we settle on five izakaya dishes and one regular bowl of ramen.
We start with the Wagyu tsukune (in layman’s terms, a minced meatball) which has to be the best dish I have eaten this year for the texture that melts in my mouth, thanks to the Wagyu marbling, the execution, and the dipping sauce with an onsen egg yolk. The burnt butter scallops with mushrooms in a shoyu sauce come next and they too impress. Lightly seared, these are not overcooked, sealing the flavours in the scallops. The portions are ideal to share between two.
I have found my new favourite comfort food in the rice with ‘burnt’ salmon, spicy mayo and ‘ikura’ salmon roe. The salmon is delicately prepared, served with just enough spicy mayo to simply add a touch of moistness to the rice, without drenching it. A topping of ikura adds some texture, making it a well balanced dish. My least favourite dish is the negitoro-maki, a tuna sushi roll which is rather bland compared to the vibrant flavours of the other plates.
Finally we get to our shio ramen, which, understandably, is difficult to share. Neha’s famous noodles don’t disappoint. These are made from scratch and are thin, but not delicate. The broth is hearty and although appetising, the ramen differs from her supper club. Maybe it’s not a novelty anymore? It’s also not something I would particularly order again in the midst of a Dubai summer.
Our waiter either overestimates our appetite or is trying to upsell, but I cancel the last dish – the karaage. This is handled promptly and without a fuss. Service is attentive when required, and we are left to enjoy our food without any annoying hovering.
I can never resist dessert and although I am completely satiated, we try two for the sake of reviewing. The strawberry parfait is too sweet, but a cool treat after the ramen. The egg flan is silky without crumbling, and not oversweet. It ticks the presentation, taste and texture boxes, leaving my dining companion and I to fight over the last morsels.
The restaurant boasts a cool, trendy vibe – and is void of crying children and loud groups. Everyone is here for the food, with a clear emphasis on the meal rather than any fanfare. The bill is a pleasant surprise at a very wallet-friendly AED215 per person (without alcohol). Kinoya is cheaper than the supper club (which was priced at AED300 per head) and relatively more accessible – if you have the patience to book. Although the ramen is good, the majority of the izakaya dishes are more noteworthy for execution and flavour. It’s a shame though that the booking process is so arduous.
With all this in mind, I give Kinoya a decent 3.5 out of 5 FooDiva knife rating. Once the initial hype dies down and one can easily book a table (I hope), Kinoya could become a worthy option for a casual and affordable traditional Japanese meal – but only time will tell.
Would you persevere and call a restaurant multiple times to make a reservation?
KP
Who is FooDiva’s anon guest reviewer? KP balances cooking with eating out. She loves a good restaurant recommendation and hates wasting calories on a bad meal.
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