TimeOut Dubai Kids – June 2019

Food

36 June 2019 Time Out UAE Kids

WHEN THE MOOD calls for

Japanese cuisine, diners in the

city tend to seek either plentiful

all-you-can-eat offers or one-off

experiences where they can

savour the best of the region.

One of the few venues in

Dubai where you can do both

has to be modern Japanese

restaurant Tanuki.

Located in a rather spacious

spot among The Dubai Mall’s

Ground Floor eats, the restaurant

attracts tonnes of attention.

While some passers-by observe

as the chefs cook up dishes

behind the glass, and by the

open sushi counter, tinier ones

cautiously approach the robot

greeting them by the door.

Yes, a fully interactive, human-

size robot welcomes guests to

Tanuki – and it’s one of the most

into-the-future concepts we’ve

ever seen while eating out.

The setup is simple, yet

sophisticated and exceptionally

clean with perfectly feng shui-ed

interiors. There are two entrances

to the restaurant, and one of the

glass exteriors features three

screens flashing with anime.

We are very hungry, and Tanuki

is the right choice for peckish

diners because service is swift –

and we mean swift.

First up is the miso soup,

which is balanced and light on

the stomach, just how it should

be. Next, the spicy maguro tuna

roll comes in like Miley Cyrus’

wrecking ball – fiery and delicious

in all its fresh glory.

A basket of shrimp and chicken

shumai is a good cool-off after

its flames-inducing predecessor.

Let’s take a minute here to

appreciate these piping hot works

of wonton, filled with shiitake

mushrooms and topped with

Tanuki

O Open noon-1am. Unlicensed. The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai (04 580 8228). “The shumai

is perfection”

WHAT IS IT...

Slick new Japanese

at The Dubai Mall

WHY GO...

For the top-notch

sushi, kid-friendly

deals and robot that

greets you

RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH

tobiko – absolute perfection.

We also try the sashimi

platter filled with chunky cuts

of yellowtail, salmon, tuna

and smoked eel, and it’s just

what you’d expect from a true

Japanese eatery like Tanuki.

With Saturday kids’ sushi

classes and bentos, and Mondays

where you get unlimited maki

rolls for Dhs25 a plate, this is one

family-friendly venue that’s sure

worthy of our growling tummies.

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