MaKiRa, Dusit Thani Dubai
It's been a while since Jing and I hit up a good Japanese restaurant, so when we were invited for lunch at MaKiRa, there was no way we could say no 😉
MaKiRa is a vibrant and quirky Japanese restaurant that specializes in Maki and Ramen (hence MaKira). The restaurant takes pride in using premium ingredients and following authentic Japanese cooking techniques so we were pretty excited to have a good lunch.
Interior
Upon entering MaKiRa, we were greeted by a cozy and homey interior. The open kitchen, which doubles as a bar, allows diners to watch their favorite Japanese dishes being skillfully prepared while enjoying their meal. I particularly appreciated the airy ambient - the spacious layout and large windows let in plenty of natural light, giving the place a more expansive feel.
Food
Starting off strong with the Seafood Salad with fresh tuna, salmon, hamachi, ebi and crab sticks tossed in miso and sesame dressing. The freshness of the ingredients was evident, and the crab sticks had a delightful sweetness.
If you love seaweed, The Hiyashi Chuka Wakame is a must try. It has a light, refreshing taste with a balance of sweetness and umami. The tangy and savory flavor complimented the natural taste of the seaweed.
When it came to sushi, we opted for the MaKiRa Signature Roll which offered a refreshing burst of flavor thanks to the hint of yuzu. The Aburi Truffle Wagyu Roll quickly became a favorite, introducing a unique taste that I thoroughly enjoyed.
For main course, I couldn't resist trying their specialty Seafood Ramen. This dish felt like a warm hug, perfectly spiced and loaded with fresh seafood. It's a hearty bowl, easily shareable between two people, though it did cool down a bit too quickly for my liking.
Jing chose the New Style Chirashi for her main course, and it did not disappoint. If you're a fan of sashimi, this bowl is a treat. The hamachi and salmon offered a rich, buttery flavor with a delicate sweetness, melting in your mouth with a clean, slightly tangy finish. The tako (octopus) had a slightly sweet, briny taste, though it required a bit more chewing. The premium quality of the ingredients was evident, especially in the roe, which burst with a rich, oceanic flavor.
We couldn't leave without trying the desserts. The Matcha Crème Brûlée had potential, but it leaned towards the sweeter side—I would have preferred more of that signature bitter and earthy matcha flavor. On the other hand, the Yuzu Cheesecake was a personal favorite, with its refreshing yuzu notes making it the perfect way to end our meal.
To complement our meal, we enjoyed a classic jasmine tea and a matcha latte. The jasmine tea was as expected but the matcha latte again was leaning on the sweet side.
Overall we enjoyed our time and our meal. A special mention to Deepak, our server that afternoon for being so patient with us as we asked for more information about the dish that was being served.
