Global brand restaurant ZUMA opens in Dubai

September 2008 8406

London’s award winning restaurant ZUMA opened its doors in Dubai last month at DIFC’s Gate Village, bringing the flavours of the Far East to the Middle East with its internationally acclaimed style of Japanese cuisine.

ZUMA, the brainchild of German chef Rainer Becker, offers a sophisticated cuisine philosophy inspired by the informal Japanese dining style called Izakaya. Becker developed the ZUMA concept of authentic, but not traditional Japanese cuisine.

“Although ZUMA has an established following in London, we see the Dubai restaurant as evolving, just like the city, adapting to changes in the business and social scene. We will continue to offer the quality food and beverages that have become synonymous with the ZUMA concept,” said Becker.

In 2002, Becker launched the first ZUMA restaurant in London’s Knightsbridge, and its success saw the launch of ZUMA in Hong Kong in 2007, followed by ZUMA Istanbul in February 2008.

Key to ZUMA’s appeal are its two open kitchens, the Sushi Counter with its dedicated sushi chefs and The Robata Grill inspired by the age-old cooking style of northern Japanese fishermen.

The menu is known for its signature dishes, including the tsubu-miso gake hinadori no obun yaki - baby chicken marinated in barley miso, oven roasted on cedar wood. Embracing the dining experience, guests are offered dishes that are brought to the table steadily and continuously through the meal, instead of offering the typical starter and main course menu structure.

The restaurant’s design focuses on space, occupying 11,000 sq ft over two floors, with the striking addition of a three-dimensional feature wall along the side of the lounge. A dramatic staircase joins the two levels, as well as a dedicated guest elevator screened in patterned glass.

ZUMA Dubai’s local shareholders include Gulu Waney and his business partner Premal Shah. Leading the opening team are Elmar Pichorner as operations director, Dorlit Buth as general manager and Colin Clague as executive chef. The restaurant is located in Building 06 at the podium level of the Gate Village in DIFC.