The UAE mastered space flight with its mission to Mars earlier this year, but Japanese restaurant Mimi Kakushi has gone one step beyond and perfected time travel.
And that’s because stepping into the swish restaurant is like stepping into 1920s Osaka.
Pirajean Lees studio combed through archives from one of Japan’s most enchanted periods to create a decor that matches its meticulous chic.
In the twenties, Japan let itself be seduced by futurist movements, singing the praises of Art Deco as it upended the past, intent on its delectable mission: to blur the lines between life and art.
The restaurant captures the spirit of this period in both its design, and its name: Mimi Kakushi being a subversive hairstyle that turned ancestral standards on their head, redefining the features of women’s faces.
‘Covering the ears’, the English translation of the restaurant’s name, takes the shape of an iconic asymmetrical silhouette, and perfectly embodies the liberation of the minds and spirits.
Of course, the cuisine follows suit and then some with its sushi chefs presenting a panoply of iconic Japanese dishes.
The Michelin-starred French chef Gilles Bosquet spent extended stays in Japan mastering the seemingly endless subtleties of its cuisine, like the perfect timing for steam-cooked edamame, sprinkled with Maldon sea salt.
The sushi takes centre stage with a striking selection: otoro (a tuna belly delicacy), ikura (salmon eggs), sea urchins, fresh water eels and Hokkaido scallops, to name a few.
Then there are sashimi, tempura and gyoza, as well as makis that give free range to the chef’s creativity.
Be reassured, the extensive menu caters to all moods, and also offers Kushi Angus beef with shiso mayonnaise, green asparagus with lemon and sesame wafu vinaigrette, Angus filet grilled with sesame and sweet garlic soya, miso-marinated black cod with oven-baked citrus fruit, as well as Kagoshima Wagyu beef.
Book your place for a voyage through time, now.
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah, mimikakushi.ae (04 3794811).
