A modern twist to Pan-Asian cuisine

Overlooking Dubai’s marvelous skyline, Nonya welcomes guests for an unforgettable experience, serving up some of the best Southeast Asian delicacies

Dubai is known for its show-stopping style but the city is also no stranger to fancy eateries. Eat out in the emirate and you'll be faced with virtually every cuisine under the sun. In the mood to try out some authentic Pan-Asian cuisine? Nonya is the answer! Perched on the 44th floor of the five-star Taj Hotel Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Nonya unveils an experience influenced by a rich melting pot of mixed Asian cultural influences. Set to be the next social heartbeat of the lively JLT neighbourhood, the restaurant promises delectable delicacies, sure to tingle guests’ buds. (I can vouch for that!).

A modern Pan-Asian restaurant, Nonya draws strong influences from the Peranakan culture. For those unfamiliar with Peranakan cuisine, it finds its roots in Southeast Asia’s Peranakan community, which usually consists of people who have a mix of Chinese-Malay-Indonesian ancestry. As I was welcomed to the restaurant, its interior and furnishings impressed me the most. The sophisticated velvet chairs, warm ambient lighting, bright floral motifs all set out the mood for a perfect dinner. Nonya is one of the few places in Dubai that makes a nod to the Peranakan culture, setting the scene for the best Pan-Asian eatery. The restaurant’s simple and uncomplicated menu makes you pour over it for a while to get your head around new combinations and flavours.

With such sprawling seating arrangements, I definitely had a hard time choosing where to sit, but the window seats should be your top choices so you can gaze over the breathtaking views of JLT while serving up some fusion dishes. Each dish at Nonya is carefully curated by experienced chefs, with a prime focus on authenticity, sourced directly from Southeast Asia resulting in unique flavors that illustrate the Nonya experience captured in every dish. With sections for dim sum, sushi and robata, plus mains like Peking duck, rendang, and laksa, the menu is vast with delights dipping in and out of Japan, Malaysia, China, Thailand and Singapore. A major dish that appealed to me was the ‘nasi goreng kampong’. The dish featured a bowl of Indonesian chicken fried rice, spicy sambal chilli, crackers and pickled veggies.

While you think it’s over, the restaurant offers you more reasons to stay and being a Friday, Nonya surely knew how to turn their game up! The Pan-Asian restaurant gave a pleasant start to the weekend with their newly launched Friday Showtime Night Brunch, that happens every Friday from 7 pm to 10 pm. All the party goers! This one’s for you. The Asian-themed entertainment was followed by a thrilling DJ performance from DJ Romano and Rainer. The Asian Brunch also consists of three packages, unlimited beverages and four sharing-style courses priced at Dh329. Think you got a better idea? I beg to differ.