Hosted on the rooftop of the Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai hotel, with million-dirham seascape views spanning all the way to the Sheikh Zayed Road skyscrapers, including of course the iconic Burj Khalifa, Kai Enzo Japanese Mediterranean restaurant would be a massive recommendation even if it were located in a windowless basement!
Definitely one of Dubai’s most delicious Japanese-inspired fine-dining restaurants!
Redefining the best spot for a Dubai sundowner, waiting to capture the golden embrace of the setting sun…
As if the large outdoor terrace were not enough, very clever engineering makes so that the entire glass roof can retract to open up to the cool Dubai skies of winter!
However, despite the obvious eye-candy of exhilarating views, incredibly, I would rate the professionalism of the service even higher than the premises – and that is a major acknowledgement that I do not give lightly: in fact, Dubai is blessed with Instagrammable views, and decorated restaurants are a dime-a-dozen – but elite, top-class, and true fine-dining service is quite rare indeed.
At Kai Enzo the teamwork from the good Chef and team in the kitchens, and extends to a genuine and dignified service at the table, starting from the bar staff, who are top talents in their own right.
Fully stocked, including some rare treats from the liquor encyclopedias of the world, the focus on Japanese drinks is obvious…
…however, it was a cocktail combining sake and vodka which caught our fancy!
Surely no one would consider vodka of Mediterranean origin, but the emphasis on a modern fusion between the Far East and Europe underlined the cocktail magic presented in an elegant ceramic envelope.
The kitchens quickly challenged the bar for top attention, presenting a marvelous eggplant dip, charred on live fire, then combined with an earthy miso paste, topped with dried bonito flakes, and crowned with a drizzle of date syrup!
An earthquake of umami flavors rose to battle the natural saltiness of the dry fish flakes, then were vanquished with flair by the sweetness of the dates – a magnificent round-the-world journey of competing and collaborating flavors which elevated this first dish to the foodie heavens.
We realized at that moment that Kai Enzo would be an unforgettable dining experience!
The appetizers that followed were no less enthralling – it is clear that a masterful Chef is at work behind the scenes.
Because it is one thing to collect the culinary experience necessary to execute recipes with precision (and consistent speed!), but it is totally a different universe of skills to create new recipes.
I might be mistaken, but I’d bet my last twenty-five fils that the dishes presented at Kai Enzo you will not find anywhere else in Dubai.
Perfect wagyu gyoza dumplings, with a luscious chili paste – which totally woke up the normal soya sauce destiny for the poor gyozas! – and a fancy zucchini salad with delicate pine nuts and a white balsamic dressing prepared us for the mains.
Observe the attention to detail, and especially the accompaniment of real natural wasabi root – not the psychedelic green artificial paste served at most all Japanese eateries outside of Japan!
The combination of traditional freshest sashimi and playful modern maki rolls – spicy tuna with gochujang, for example – worked very well, and the presentation framed an attention to detail which culminated in perfection.
But I did mention the service was the point of excellence – and you will be asking, “What! Even better than these amazing dishes!”
Well, it’s hard to be accurate in summarizing the overall feeling of delight in partaking in such a marvellous fine-dining experience, and it is really a combination of many aspects; but finding the appropriate balance between courteous attentive service, and dignified, professional friendliness is not a precise science, and neither an art, as is preparing a magnificent dish or cocktail – it is above all about establishing a human connection, and to that I place much value and appreciation.
Kai Enzo offered an exceptional world-class dining experience, above all thanks to the dining hall staff.
But there is more on the table!
Tender wagyu beef wakiniku – where else has your server asked for your preference as to the cooking of the meat for skewers? And then of course delivered to your exact medium-rare request?
And the salt grilled sea bream flaked apart on the plate, and melted on your tongue, tastefully accompanied by grape fruit!
Desserts followed suit, also aiming high on the scale of wow!
A splendid pistachio pavlova, and a mountain of Hokkaido cheese ice cream!
For an outstanding fine-dining experience at La Mer North, Kai Enzo restaurant takes the liberty of excelling in both creativity and precision of execution from the kitchens, supported by virtuoso bartending, basking in the limelight of tip-top views both urban and natural, but especially benefitting from a genuine human touch of excellence in proposing an unforgettable weekend lunch at the Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai.
