Around the world in five Dubai restaurants

You could easily be mistaken for thinking you’d walked into a lofty restaurant in Osaka (or Downtown Manhattan) when entering Netsu, the brainchild of chef-owner Ross Shonhan. It’s got a contemporary warehouse feel with polished concrete juxtaposed with sake barrels giving a decidedly eastern impression. Then your eye catches the surge of bright orange flames erupting from the central open kitchen. This is warayaki-style cooking, where rice straw is used to feed the open fire grill. The menu is distinctly Japanese – echoed by the graphic kabuki artwork adorning the walls – but also features hints of neighbouring regions too in dishes such as its Korean Fried Chicken. But it would be remiss not to sample the ample sushi selection lovingly prepared by chefs in a further open kitchen, and the wagyu beef short rib cooked over the theatrical grill. Catch the attention of the resident sake sommelier for a masterclass in the Japanese spirit – and a pairing for each course. 

The one Michelin-starred Tasca, on the top floor of Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai is perhaps the best positioned restaurant in Dubai, proffering views of both the glistening gulf and downtown Dubai’s equally shimmering skyline. Snag a table on the terrace next to the rooftop infinity pool at sundown to watch the light disappear over the horizon, and order a feast of small plates from the menu. As with Belcanto or Cantinho do Avillez in his native Portugal, chef José Avillez brings the best of contemporary Portuguese cuisine together at Tasca – along with an extensive list of hand-picked Portuguese wines. Try the fresh and zingy cured and marinated seabass, and indulgent truffle wagyu tartare, washed down with a signature Smoking Gun cocktail made with bourbon, campari and port.