When the English new wave pop group The Vapors sang "I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so" in 1980, it's pretty certain that they weren't referring to a future influx of contemporary Japanese restaurants in a large Middle Eastern city. But when I sat down to dinner in Mirai - the latest in a glut of such eateries to open in Dubai - I just couldn't get the song out of my head. In fact, I've been to so many of these places in the last 12 months that sometimes I wonder when it'll be Tokyo's turn to become overrun with shawarma dens.
To be fair, the Japanese are only partially responsible for this phenomenon. They might have provided the inspiration for places like Mirai, but there's a very western drive behind these trendy new restaurants. The executive chef at Mirai is Scott Hallsworth, a jovial Australian who perfected his art at Nobu in London and Melbourne before climbing on board the good ship Mirai in January and sailing it steadily to this Souk Al Bahar location. It arrived in Dubai with far less fanfare than Nobu did, but the question is: could Hallsworth go head-to-head with his old employers in Dubai and win? And could he fend off the challenge of the likes of Zuma, Okku and Kitsune in the process?
The first mistake I made was to draw direct comparisons between Mirai and the others. A quick scan of the menu revealed that Mirai was lacking what all of the competition have, and all seem to thrive on: black cod miso. The sticky-sweet fish dish popularised by Nobu Matsuhisa has been aped, copied and tinkered with by seemingly every other contemporary Japanese restaurant in town, and has become a massive hit. But I couldn't find it anywhere on Mirai's menu. This told me one of two things: either Hallsworth and company have missed a trick, or they have so much confidence in their creations that they feel they don't need to follow the herd.
To find out, we started with a dish that should showcase the chef's talents more than any other: the unagi kabayaki with foie gras. While at Nobu, Hallsworth wrote a book called The Japanese Foie Gras Project, which featured 57 Japanese-influenced foie gras recipes. Still, he has refused to flood his menu with foie gras dishes, preferring to keep it balanced and subtly nuanced. The hot foie gras and eel appetiser, carefully stacked and stabbed with tiny wooden stakes, decomposed into hot squeals of liquid umami on the tongue and obliterated any hankerings we might have had for black cod.
The spicy bouillabaisse-style miso soup was far less intense than I'd expected, and despite its complement of soft prawn, squid and scallop, it was woefully lacking in character. The same could not be said about the chef's special maki rolls, however, which combined more smoky unagi eel with tuna, shredded crab and salmon skin in creamy chilli sauce-kissed parcels of deliciousness. I lied; we were still thinking about black cod. So we ordered Mirai's roasted turbot with warm soba dressing to make those thoughts go away once and for all. The fish was beautifully cooked and enhanced with mizuna and baby pea shoot leaves, not to mention an intriguing soba or buckwheat salsa with a warm vinaigrette dressing. The flavours grouped like a gang of yakuza with a death wish to chase the black cod cravings out of heads.
Then we indulged in the nasu dengaku, or grilled Japanese baby aubergine in sweet miso sauce, dotted with sesame seeds and accompanied by a scattering of hijiki seaweed - a billowing inferno of smoky-umami sweetness to rival the unagi kabayaki. The Vapors continued to rattle through my head as we waited for desserts, despite the fact that the DJ had cranked up his turntables and was banging out some house music. It was overly loud, but it did kind of fit Mirai's pared-down-yet-elegant warehouse feel. With its sleek leather banquettes, glowing tubular lanterns and raven's-claw black tables, this was certainly a place to rival its super-chic contemporaries, yet the friendliness of the staff saved it from feeling at all pretentious.
The chocolate fondant with genmaicha green tea ice cream was suitably homely and comforting, even if it did lack the required ooze. And the Japanese Sunset brought down the night with its tingly raspberry sorbet, pineapple confit, mango foam and nuggets of chocolate popping candy. There was to be no clear winner in the battle of Dubai's contemporary Japanese restaurants on this occasion. But with its individual flair and unique sense of style, Mirai might just stand out as the most distinctive. I really think so.
Mirai, Souk Al Bahar, Downtown Burj Dubai, 04 439 7333. Average cost of a meal for two: Dh500-550.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
The years Ramadan fell in May
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Results
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m; Winner: Dhafra, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Al Ajayib, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
4pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Ashtr, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Falcon Claws, Szczepan Mazur, Doug Watson
5pm: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Al Mufham SB, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Badar Al Hajri
5.30pm: Sharjah Marathon – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,700m; Winner: Asraa Min Al Talqa, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna