Kiku celebrates 7 years of success this month

Widely recognized as the first restaurant to truly educate people in Dubai about the wonders of Japanese cuisine, Kiku offers diners the largest variety of authentic Japanese cuisine with more than 240 dishes on the menu.

"Seven years ago most Dubai residents wouldn't have gone out of their way for Japanese food, as the idea of raw fish or even cooked fish served with rice and seaweed didn't sound very appealing. With its emphasis on high quality and freshness coupled with the authenticity of the cuisine, Kiku changed this mindset and today, dishes like Ikura (salmon roe) and tender slices of barbecued eel over rice are devoured with much zest," said Stéphane Blanc, Director Operations, Le Méridien Dubai.

Having recently gone through an extensive renovation, the restaurant is designed in tranquil Asian-style and features a large sushi counter overlooking the open kitchen where talented chefs work their artistry, a private Teppanyaki room that seats 7 people as well as a Tatami Room that can seat a maximum of 20 guests, and is the largest in Dubai.

"There are many dishes on our menu that are seldom seen in other Japanese restaurants, making Kiku the first choice for Dubai's discerning palates. For folks who are not necessarily raw-fish eaters, the menu is plentiful with tasty dishes like crispy tempura selections of shrimp and vegetables, hot and cold noodle dishes and many cooked styles of other varied Japanese cuisine," added Stéphane.

The sake list at Kiku is probably one of the largest selections to be found anywhere in this region, with 15 varieties of rice beverages, 4 kinds of Shochu and Awamori.

Chef Shinoda at Kiku has more than 28 years of experience, having worked at the prestigious Hotel Okura in Tokyo for 22 years followed by a stint at the Splendor Hotel in Taiwan. Over the years, he has travelled extensively in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the USA and the UK training Japanese chefs in the art of preparing Sushi and Sashimi.