The ever-gracious Nobu Matsuhisa was all smiles and blushes when I bumped into him at the entrance of Atlantis The Royal on Friday afternoon, where I wished him good luck for the launch of his namesake restaurant later that night.
Little did I know that the Japanese chef would partake in a 15th-century ritual that invokes good fortune smack bang in the middle of the Royal Bridge Suite at Atlantis, The Palm, which is now home to the largest Nobu restaurant in the world.
Surrounded by VIPs, including Kendall Jenner, Liam Payne and Jonathan Cheban, Matsuhisa and Nobu co-founder Meir Teper initiated the kagami biraki ceremony, which involves the breaking and opening of an enormous barrel of sake.
The duo brandished wooden mallets and cracked open the enormous lid, then passed around the fermented rice beverage in traditional masu cups, even as Japanese Taiko drummers set a celebratory tone.
Jenner was the shining star of the evening, with chef Matsuhisa even paying ode to her in his opening speech, much to the crowd’s delight. “Thank you for coming. I like to share Japanese traditions and cultures the world over, which is why tonight we have the sake ceremony. We always do this to open every Nobu. The ceremony means ‘happy day’, and today is a very happy day as we have Kendall Jenner here to help us launch the new Nobu at Atlantis Dubai. Enjoy the party,” Matsuhisa said.
Guests mingled over cocktails; canapes, including Nobu’s signature black cod with miso, spicy salmon miso tacos and tuna sashimi; and mini pavlova, mochi and chocolate spring rolls for dessert.
The restaurant will open to the public from Monday, but good luck getting a table this month.
For reservations, call 04 426 0760; www.atlantis.com/dubai/dining/nobu
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
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Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
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Always use only regulated platforms
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Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850 |
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There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
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More information
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Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
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Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
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Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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