Kinugawa reopens at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab on November 5
The Japanese restaurant returns with a bigger beachfront, a sushi counter, a robata grill and a Dh175 weekday business lunch.
Kinugawa, the Japanese restaurant at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, reopens on Thursday, November 5, with a reworked concept and a larger beachfront setting facing Burj Al Arab. Jumeirah announced the return in its newsroom this month, describing a restaurant now built for long afternoons and evenings by the sea rather than dinner alone.
The food stays Japanese with French touches. The kitchen is organised around a sushi counter and a robata grill, and the menu is made for sharing. Dishes Jumeirah names include a suzuki (sea bass) stracciatella, salmon taruto, lamb chops with shiso and a crab and mango roll. The drinks list takes its cue from the 19th-century Japanese painter Hiroshige, with each drink inspired by one of his prints, and alcohol-free choices sit alongside them.
Evenings get a soundtrack. A resident DJ plays in the restaurant from Monday to Thursday, and from Friday to Sunday the sets start by the pool before moving inside. Every day at sunset the team holds what it calls the Kanpai Sunset Ritual, a short shared toast as the sun goes down behind the sea. Hotel guests also get an adults-only beachfront pool with a view of Burj Al Arab.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the group's newest Dubai resort, opened on its own island off Jumeirah Beach next to Burj Al Arab, with a superyacht marina and around a dozen restaurants. Kinugawa has been one of its signature names since the opening, and this month the resort is also bringing back other venues for the winter season. Kinugawa itself first opened in Paris and has a following for its mix of Japanese technique and French produce.
The practical details: Kinugawa will be open every day from noon to midnight. On weekdays, Monday to Friday from noon to 4pm, there is a business lunch at Dh175 a person. Jumeirah has not published prices for the dinner menu. Bookings are taken online through the restaurant's reservation page on Jumeirah's website (it uses SevenRooms) or by calling Jumeirah's reservations line on 800 323 232. Walk-ins depend on space, so book ahead for sunset tables, especially at weekends.