Despite Dubai's penchant for new restaurants, few have been as highly anticipated as SushiSamba. The world-famous high-end venue already has branches in the US, and London, so when news broke in 2019 that it would open its first Middle Eastern branch in Dubai, it got regional fans and foodies talking.
After a delay in the opening date (the restaurant was originally scheduled to open in 2020), it’s finally happening: SushiSamba Dubai has announced an early November launch, with reservations already being taken on its website.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new space.
The venue: a 3D-printed ceiling and fish market
SushiSamba is located on the 51st floor of Palm Tower, offering its diners 360-degree views of Palm Jumeirah and the glittering Dubai skyline beyond, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. At 230 metres above the ground, it is the highest restaurant on the Palm – so come with your camera fully charged.
The 1,115-square-metre space has been designed to pay tribute to the spirit of Japan, Brazil and Peru. The main dining area, for example, is nestled under a 3D-printed bamboo ceiling inspired by Japanese and Brazilian woodwork and weaving techniques. The restaurant also features a theatre-style open kitchen, a sushi counter, a robata grill and a Tsukiji fish market, so diners can check out the freshness of the fare (and know exactly where it’s coming from). A DJ booth completes the setting.
The food: local ingredients and new dishes
Seasonality, authenticity and freshness are the cornerstones of the menu. It's why some of the ingredients, most notably the seafood, will be flown in from Japan, while the majority of the vegetables will be sourced fresh from UAE farms.
Chef Kyungsoo Moon, culinary director of SushiSamba Dubai, tells The National that despite SushiSamba’s Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese roots, it will not have a fusion menu – instead the dishes are created to be as authentic as possible, while paying tribute to each cuisine’s traditional culinary techniques.
“The food and beverage scene in the UAE is a bit elevated so we want to create something special for Dubai customers, to take it a level up, make it simple and yet amazing,” says Moon.
Those who have visited other branches might still want to stop by the Dubai one, as approximately 50 per cent of the dishes are new creations, he says. These include crispy Hokkaido scallop, yellowtail taquitos, Japanese A5 Wagyu beef gyoza, Wagyu A4 Japanese claypot, a ceviche platter and Peruvian corn salad. The restaurant’s signature Samba roll, meanwhile, will be recreated as the Samba Dubai roll, featuring ingredients such as mango, avocado, soy paper, aji honey truffle and lobster for an indulgent twist.
“We’ve crafted the menu keeping UAE consumers and tastes in mind,” says Moon, naming dishes such as the Brazilian moqueca seafood stew and the Wagyu claypot as some he thinks will appeal to regional tastes.
On the subject of regional flavours, he says the team have also experimented with ingredients such as sumac to add a local touch to the ceviche.
If you want to make the most of your meal, Moon recommends trying a little something from every cuisine. “You can order the sushi, sashimi, ceviche as a starter, and something from the robata grill for a main. The important thing is to enjoy the different flavours.”
More inclusive menus
To serve Dubai’s food and beverage market, the restaurant will cater to various dietary restrictions and have a dedicated gluten-free menu. “Usually when you go to a Japanese restaurant, it’s hard to find gluten-free dishes, as most of them use soy sauce,” he says. “However, we’ve found a sauce that is gluten-free, which we are using for the separate menu.”
There will also be a separate menu for vegans. For instance, the restaurant will have taquitos with crispy tofu; the rolled-up tortilla dish usually comes with a filling of beef or chicken.
Meanwhile, ceviche will also get a vegan makeover in the form of a mushroom version garnished with the flavour of truffle, plus a mushroom claypot main for vegetarians.
“These days, we’re seeing a lot of non-vegetarians also opt for vegetarian and vegan dishes, and I have to respect that,” says Moon.
New experiences: a special SushiSamba afternoon tea?
Brunch is an institution in Dubai, and Moon reveals there will definitely be one coming to this branch – although he does warn diners not to expect too much too soon.
The restaurant will instead focus on introducing new experiences in stages, first perfecting the dinner and lunch menus before launching a brunch in the coming months.
It may also capitalise on the gorgeous sunset views with the launch of an afternoon tea in the future. On that menu will be savoury bites and finger food, from maki rolls to ceviche. “Just don’t expect any scones,” Moon says, with a laugh.
SushiSamba Dubai will open in November; 51st Floor, Palm Tower, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; sushisamba.com
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UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
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England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
The%20specs
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
BABYLON
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
MO
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
