Sushi Art: Where Food Is Art

Everybody loves sushi… but should you compromise on taste? If no is your answer, head to Sushi Art at Dubai Hills Mall and find out why I ask so.

Driven by Japanese contemporary dishes, the newly opened Sushi Art in Dubai Hills Mall is not your regular go-to Japanese dine-in. Casually seated inside the hall on the first floor, the restaurant has a cozy seating that feels like a standalone place whilst being surrounded by other joints.

Another feature that caught my attention was the detailing of the interiors. A cherry tree in the front and soft lighting with wood interiors gives a very ‘zen’ feel while you sit and eat. The colour scheme of the restaurant matches the cutlery and the thoughtful menu cards — very chic.

On arrival, we were greeted by the gracious staff and our host Rose. Once seated in a comfortable corner, we were brought the limited-edition menu customized by renowed French chef Paul Pairet as well as the standard menu of sushi rolls and sashimis and nigiris.

What interested us was the signature roll by the chef called Beijing Roll from the limited-edition menu. What differentiates the standard menu from the limited edition is that all food is cooked in the latter, while the former has a raw selection of specialises rolls and dishes.

We started with Rose’s selection of Six-Star Shrimp Salad with rocket leaves, avocado, baby spinach, carrots, onion and coriander sprinkled with a generous amount of homemade sauce and shredded walnuts. The portion can be shared generously between two people. Taste-wise very fresh and juicy.

Next on the list was spicy beef drizzled with sesame seeds with a side of seasoned veggies including diced mushroom, cabbage, onions, carrots, in homemade sauce. This was definitely the winner, although the spice levels were a bit dim for our taste. Rose told us that the menu was created for the international patrons and can be tweaked to the choice of the patron. So be sure to order this dish, while also asking to amp up the spice should you want it hotter.

As we were already on this, we ordered the Beijing roll. Created by Chef Pairet, this was definitely on our list from the time we laid our eyes on it. The roll is his tribute to China and its most famous ingredient — Peking duck. On the inside of the roll you will find cooked Peking duck, cucumber, peanut butter, peanut sauce, chives and sesame, which is then topped with cucumber and peanuts and sauce. This dish, I would say, is an acquired taste. It took me two rolls to understand the texture and the fusion of this roll. Thankfully, there are 6 big for you so by the end of it, I was happy to try this out.

Because sushi rolls are an intrinsic part of Japanese cuisine, we tried the Rainbow roll on a whim and were pleasantly surprised by the texture and the size, not to mention the taste. Even though it was a burst of many ingredients, each could be felt and tasted in silos. My recommendation to try it out. Also you need to save some space for these 6 rolls because they are huge in their own rights.

We finished the feel-good meal with mango and matcha mochis. The versatile dessert was just the right amount of sticky and stretchy. Minimal but maximised our evening at Sushi Art.

If you are at Dubai Hills Mall, do not forget to plan a meal at this contemporary Japanese concept restaurant and get a chance to try something new.