From the team behind Takahisa, Taiga is a premium teppanyaki experience that lets the ingredients do the talking
Dubai’s doesn’t have many teppanyaki restaurants. It’s a thought that enters my head as we arrive at Taiga, newly opened on Bluewaters.
It comes from the team behind the much-lauded Takahisa, a Japanese fine dining concept located in Banyan Tree Dubai. For the group’s second restaurant on Bluewaters, they’ve created Taiga as an elevated imagining of a teppanyaki restaurant, with the same quality and focus guests can find at Takahisa.
But, what can it do to stand out?
The space
The restaurant is modern and minimalistic, intentionally dimly lit so it’s instantly atmospheric. On the right side, a 19-seater teppanyaki counter runs down almost the entire length of the restaurant, while on the left a handful of tables offer more traditional seating, with a private dining room also available for up to eight guests who want to be closed off from it all. Wine fridges filled with one-of-a-kind labels fill the wall behind the restaurant tables, further adding to the high-end feel.
The best seats in the house are undoubtedly at the counter, where the scents, sights and sounds of each dish come to life, and it’s cleverly illuminated with spotlights to ensure every guest feels like they’re playing a starring role in their own culinary theatre.
The service
Polished but not overbearing, our multi-course omakase menu is served with a well-paced rhythm. There’s plenty of interesting anecdotes about the ingredients and their sourcing along the way – from the fish flown in from a specific supplier at Japan’s Toyosu fish market six times per week, to the ozaki beef, produced by a private breeder who only sells 300 cows per year.
The food and drinks
The omakase is a true showcase of what Taiga does best – built around the best produce in season in Japan. The entire experience is built around the traditional Japanese philosophy of “Itadakimasu” – an expression of gratitude to nature and the producers that take care of it. As such, the ingredients are what really shine through each course.
We begin with a homemade sweet potato soup and are somewhat surprised when the thick and creamy cut arrives cold. But don’t let that put you off – it’s refreshing and delicious, and the sweet potato sourced from Chiba is packed with flavour.
Our appetisers begin with a seasonal sashimi selection, with the delicately cut piece of tuna belly dissolving almost as soon as it hits the tongue. Then comes a foie gras sauce with truffle, which veers on the side of being a bit too rich, although the punchy onion sauce helps balance the powerful flavours.
The preparation of the Ise Ebi – Japanese spiny lobster with special sauce, sees the teppanyaki counter come alive with fire, a theatrical flambé delighting all guests sat along the counter. It’s meaty and salty in the right way, with half of the lobster preserved for a later course.
A taiga salad of crunchy leaves is a simple but welcome palate cleanser between some of the richer courses, and prepares us nicely for the standout dish: the Ozaki beef steak, a perfectly cooked piece of medium-rare sirloin that’s so buttery it practically melts away with each bite.
Guests move from the teppanyaki counter to a table for dessert – a smart move if only to get a few steps in before devouring another two courses. A grape sorbet is created by hand and served with dry ice for added theatre, and we scoop our final mouthfuls of a strawberry ice dessert while sipping a genmaicha tea, its toasty, nutty notes a gentle full stop to the evening.
What’s on the bill?
The omakase menu is priced at Dhs2,500 per person, so it’s certainly pricey – but this is a restaurant designed for foodies and those celebrating a special occasion. Because of the premium, rare ingredients, a meal for two from the à la carte menu will set you back around Dhs1,300 to Dhs1,500.
What’s On verdict
For an interactive, theatrical fine dining experience that’s as much about gourmet ingredients as it is about interesting storytelling, Taiga strikes the perfect balance. There are a couple of moments where richness tips into indulgence, but they’re far outweighed by the precision of the cooking, the quality of the produce and the sense of occasion at the counter.For a special occasion – and to sample some of the finest beef in the city, this is one to book.
Where: Taiga, The Wharf Bluewaters Island
When: 12pm to 12am daily
Contact: Tel: (0)58 183 0000, @taiga.japaneserestaurant
Images: Provided
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