Despite this being our first visit to Umai restaurant at The Oberoi, Dubai, we are warmly welcomed like old friends. This Asian restaurant, tucked away to the side of the lobby has certainly set a positive first impression.
As my companion and I sit at a four-seat table beside a window, I realise the restaurant is by no means crowded. A few customers share wine on a bench running along the open kitchen in the centre of the room, while small pockets of diners are dotted on tables throughout the mood-lit room. I put it down to the fact that The Oberoi is still new and in a relatively difficult-to-find location at the back of Business Bay – once word spreads about this establishment, I’m sure it won’t be a dining secret for long.
We start the evening with some Chinese tea, the arrival of which makes it worth ordering: a lady in traditional clothing swings the pot around in a dance routine of sorts, which is spectacular to watch but also ensures the tea is fully infused. Dishes here are designed to share, so we ease into proceedings with chicken dim sum and duck pancakes. The dim sum are nice and soft outside, and juicy and flavoursome inside, while the duck, which was assembled into rice flower pancakes with sweet plum sauce for us by our attentive waiter, was cooked to perfection.
Feeling warmed up, we continue our Asian culinary journey with a plate of spiced tuna sushi, a Wagyu beef hot pot, udon soup and tempura soft shell crab. Eight pieces of sushi arrive on a platter fresh from the open kitchen; the melt-in-your-mouth tuna nicely offset by the crunch of cucumber and the spice of wasabi.
The Wagyu beef demands its own mini sizzling wok, and is tender with just the right amount of sauce – the only problem was the serving size, which meant it went far too quickly. The udon soup is exactly as expected, with the noodles soft and doughy and the clear broth full of flavour – be sure to add some of the dried chilli for an extra kick. The key to good tempura is using the ideal amount of batter; luckily the small soft shell crabs are perfect, crisp on the outside and nice and light inside.
We could easily keep ordering – the teppanyaki experience on the table next-door made us slightly envious – but were firmly told by the staff to save some space for dessert. With such a glorious meal so far, who were we to refuse?
We finish the night with mango and shisho cheesecake, served with a black sesame crunch and a tube of passion fruit syrup, which we use to ‘draw’ our judgement of the dish (apparently smiley faces are the most common works of edible art). Another dessert of mocchi (ice-cream encased in a sticky rice shell) with lychee, espresso and vanilla flavours combine for a unique taste experience.
With quality dishes served in an informal yet sophisticated setting, dining at Umai will not leave you feeling disappointed. I, for one, will be returning for the teppanyaki experience.
THE IMPORTANT BIT
Where: Lobby Level, The Oberoi Dubai, Business Bay
When: Open from 6.30pm to 11.30pm Monday to Friday (closed on Saturday)
www.oberoihotels.com
