Zuma | DIFC, Dubai- What’s the hype really about?

April 5, 2016 , Haiya

I’ve been wanting to go to Zuma ever since I heard it’s the “best” sushi spot in Dubai, and last night I finally went. It was M’s good friend H’s birthday, and his wife (my good friend W), decided to surprise him by taking us all to his favorite Japanese restaurant in Dubai. Best decision ever.

Before I even elaborate on the night, I’m just going to put the burning question out there: is Zuma really worth the hype? The answer is: Yes. Every bit of it. Zuma offers the high life experience Dubai is famous for, but still manages to keep it super classy. It’s not just about the sizzle though. The food was flawless. Every single dish we tried was perfection on a plate, albeit varying levels of it. The fact that the place is jam packed 7 days a week bears testament to my conclusion.

As you drive into the parking, beware of the super lazy valet guy who will try to get you to park your car on your own (happened to us and our friends). We took the elevator to the upper deck/ reception, from where we were shown our table (which is one level down).

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We started off with some Edamame (duh), Miso Soup, Avocado and Asparagus Salad, Crispy Fried Calamari, and Seabass with Truffle Sauce and Salmon Roe. The salad was light and refreshing and had a subtle tangy vinaigrette that we all enjoyed a lot. The calamari was utter perfection with a squeeze of lime and a thin slice of green chili, but till date the best calamari I’ve had anywhere is still at Busaba Eathai. The seabass though- WOW. Wow, wow, wow. As far as M is concerned, if you put truffle anything on anything, he’ll be all snow angels. But this really was extremely delicious and I can only wish that all sashimi came like this. We were only at appetizers and I was already sold. No joke.

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We then tried an assortment of sushi and maki. The Spider Dragon Roll that starred crispy soft shell crab stole the show. Another fan favorite was the Prawn Tempura Roll. My favorite though, hands down, was the Spicy Tuna Maki Roll. We also tried the Premium Tuna Roll but it didn’t stand out for me at all.

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By this point, we were pretty full already, but we were yet to try the succulent and flavorful Wagyu Skewers, the tender and juicy Baby Chicken with barley, miso and ginger, and of course, the famed Mushroom Rice with miso truffle butter that is mixed on your table. Need I say more? I think not. But I will say this: this was really, really good food, you guys. If you haven’t already been, you need to get down here.

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Dessert was the famous Zuma Chocolate Fondant with a side of vanilla bean ice cream and some fresh fruit, and this was a night spent extremely well, with good food and great friends.

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Here’s to many more!

Be sure to call ahead and make a reservation on 04 4255660.

Zuma Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

 

 

7 comments

  1. The problem with the blogs is I do not know how much is a review score so what did you actually rate them ?

    Very nice review

    1. Hi Ali, thank you for pointing out what you feel is wrong with blogs. I try not to give a rating because ratings are so relative. My reviews and pictures are often so detailed that they give people a chance to assess for themselves whether they’d like to go or not, and how they would rate that place. That said, I’d give Zuma a 5/5 🙂 Everything was on point.

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