Japanese in a Chic Avatar at Kyo Café and Lounge

Last night we said Yokoso to the newest Japanese resto-lounge in town. Kyo Café & Lounge brings a combination of chic ambience and an impressive Japanese cuisine to Palm Jumeirah. This is definitely one place to add on your ‘must try Japanese in Dubai’ list.

This offering from their sushi bar is an Oshizushi variant featuring double salmon on a base of Japanese rice sandwiching Philadelphia cheese with chives and avocado between.
The lightly pan seared salmon is absolutely tender and fresh. The cheese coupled with avocado and soft rice complements the salmon with a creamy kick. And the chives make the perfect seasoning.
Their sushi bar menu features a wide selection of sashimi, nigiri and more, so if you’re a sushi fan, you will definitely love this.

These Japanese soybeans haven’t earned a good rep for just nothing. Spiced with a sweet and sour Chipotle sauce, the Edamame at Kyo cafe make the best finger food. Nutritious and delicious, they not only highlight Japanese cuisine but also make you want to go back for more.
Try this!

Here’s to some more seafood goodness. This warm and comforting Buiyabesu soup features fish and seafood as its main ingredients. This flavorful broth is accented with kabocha squash, daikon, asparagus, ships, yuzu and shichimi togarashi rouille. Served with a wheat paste on the side, this soup makes a great attempt at capturing all of Japan in one bowl.

This is one prettilicious starter. The Gyuniku No Kunsei features tea beef that wraps around fresh enoki dake mushrooms, a piece of takuan pickled radish as well as a creamy avocado, and is flavored with the fragrant mizuna and shiso herbs. Plated to look like a pretty island, this dish tastes as good as it looks.

Although there are many, but honestly, if there was just one reason to go back to Kyo Cafe & Lounge, it would be this.
These steamed dessert Gyoza come with a filing of warm and melted 46% milk chocolate making them oh-so-chocolaty. The perfectly indulgence worthy end to a Japanese fusion meal, these Gyoza are garnished with nutty crumbles and served with a sour calamondin citrus dip.

Just look at all that chocolatey goodness in these Japanese dessert Gyoza!

Kyo Cafe and Lounge does really good mocktails too. Their berry drink features mixed berries and cranberry juice at the base topped with ginger ale and lots of ice. The cucumber cooler starts with muddled cucumber and yuzu lime and is garnished with Japanese togarashi spices on the rim for that sweet and spicy taste in every sip.

One of the sweetest hospitality gestures I liked at Kyo was the fact that they offered a bag holder to all their patrons. This was something I have never encountered before, and that’s why it deserves a special mention.