Food Sheikh

There are dinners and there are dinners.

@reifo.kee has re-created his chef’s table ‘opus amoris’ with Tero, a Kaiseki experience tucked away in a private room in @reifkushiyaki Dubai Hills.

On arrival, you are whisked through the kitchen, into an intimate waiting lounge, shelves filled with object’s d’Art and books that scream of Reif’s personality.

There are two sides to Chef Reif. He possesses a savvy commercial acumen, consulting for and launching scalable, profit-driven restaurants.

Yet, he also explores his passion for culinary arts, where his love for creative expression shines.

Kaiseki, considered the ultimate expression of culinary artistry, reflects the season and is full of symbolism and intent - a deeply personal extension of the chef.

Yet no menu is offered – you are completely in the hands of the chef and his team.

I was worried for the Serb – this was a long way from the safety of burgers.

Twelve seats surround a kitchen stage, marked simply by chopsticks and a side plate.

The ever-changing @terobyreif is available only when Reif is present.

12 dishes, paced across 90 minutes. The meal flows, finds a rhythm, yet every 7 minutes, a new dish arrives, a new beginning, full of possibility and new perspectives.

By the scallop course, The Serb was getting full, asking how many dishes were left. I hadn’t been counting dishes - all I knew was it was 4 minutes till the next one.

Reif served almost every dish himself, taking time to tell stories and engage with his guests.

He told us of his bespoke plateware collaboration with Japanese ceramic artist, @adachi_mari

He surprised us with fermented rice wine bought back from Copenhagen.

He regaled us with stories of his @crhopefoundation in Zanzibar.

He knew how many individual recipes were needed for all twelve dishes.

Deserts arrived, and the Serb luckily found her appetite again, and delicately devoured the Dulcey chocolate chilli.

We stepped out onto the street, with a box of handmade chocolates and a wax sealed menu, signed by the team.

It honestly felt like we had been away on holiday.

There are dinners, and then there are dinners. Less

Mythos needs no introduction – the original in JLT has become a legacy establishment, one of the true “neighbourhood” eateries that the sprawling communities of Dubai desperately need more of.

In a warren of City Walk corners and divider walls, you find Mythos Urban Grill, the second outpost of this home grown favourite.

The Serb studied in Greece, so talks often about her time there.

Not as often as I crowbar my ‘when I lived in Tokyo’ four day trip into conversations, though.

But this dinner wasn’t about me, and we weren’t in my favourite Izakaya in Shinjuku, which let me tell you … never mind.

Mythos Urban Eatery is charming. We sat outside, in a delightful courtyard with thick foliage and plenty of shade.

The evening temperature was perfect.

After the third time of The Serb correcting my pronunciation of Keftedakia I gave up and left the ordering to her.

We ordered far too much, but with no regret. The food was fresh, ingredient driven and everything we ate seemed to be a celebration of the land.

I sometimes think the food industry’s primary product is convenience, and we can lose sight of the ingredients and the notion of farming and agriculture.

Places like Mythos don’t try to ‘disappear’ food. There is an honesty and simplicity on their plates, and I somehow felt closer to the ingredients than usual.

The Keftedakia looked photoshopped and tasted as good as they looked.

The spring chicken was as soft as a sous vide, with a light, fragrant lemon gravy.

The most important part was the table lighting – turning each table into the perfect photobooth studio.

Instagram thanks you, Mythos.

The Cretan salad was generous and well balanced and The Serb made the calamari disappear pretty fast.

Overall, Mythos Urban Eatery continues the legacy of the JLT branch and restaurants like this play such an important role in the culinary fabric of the city.

City Walk has had its fair share of tenant turnover, so I hope Mythos is here to stay a while.

Although, you are welcome to open in my neighbourhood anytime and bring those table lamps with you. Less

There are dinners and there are dinners.

@reifo.kee has re-created his chef’s table ‘opus amoris’ with Tero, a Kaiseki experience tucked away in a private room in @reifkushiyaki Dubai Hills.

On arrival, you are whisked through the kitchen, into an intimate waiting lounge, shelves filled with object’s d’Art and books that scream of Reif’s personality.

There are two sides to Chef Reif. He possesses a savvy commercial acumen, consulting for and launching scalable, profit-driven restaurants.

Yet, he also explores his passion for culinary arts, where his love for creative expression shines.

Kaiseki, considered the ultimate expression of culinary artistry, reflects the season and is full of symbolism and intent - a deeply personal extension of the chef.

Yet no menu is offered – you are completely in the hands of the chef and his team.

I was worried for the Serb – this was a long way from the safety of burgers.

Twelve seats surround a kitchen stage, marked simply by chopsticks and a side plate.

The ever-changing @terobyreif is available only when Reif is present.

12 dishes, paced across 90 minutes. The meal flows, finds a rhythm, yet every 7 minutes, a new dish arrives, a new beginning, full of possibility and new perspectives.

By the scallop course, The Serb was getting full, asking how many dishes were left. I hadn’t been counting dishes - all I knew was it was 4 minutes till the next one.

Reif served almost every dish himself, taking time to tell stories and engage with his guests.

He told us of his bespoke plateware collaboration with Japanese ceramic artist, @adachi_mari

He surprised us with fermented rice wine bought back from Copenhagen.

He regaled us with stories of his @crhopefoundation in Zanzibar.

He knew how many individual recipes were needed for all twelve dishes.

Deserts arrived, and the Serb luckily found her appetite again, and delicately devoured the Dulcey chocolate chilli.

We stepped out onto the street, with a box of handmade chocolates and a wax sealed menu, signed by the team.

It honestly felt like we had been away on holiday.

There are dinners, and then there are dinners. Less

Mythos needs no introduction – the original in JLT has become a legacy establishment, one of the true “neighbourhood” eateries that the sprawling communities of Dubai desperately need more of.

In a warren of City Walk corners and divider walls, you find Mythos Urban Grill, the second outpost of this home grown favourite.

The Serb studied in Greece, so talks often about her time there.

Not as often as I crowbar my ‘when I lived in Tokyo’ four day trip into conversations, though.

But this dinner wasn’t about me, and we weren’t in my favourite Izakaya in Shinjuku, which let me tell you … never mind.

Mythos Urban Eatery is charming. We sat outside, in a delightful courtyard with thick foliage and plenty of shade.

The evening temperature was perfect.

After the third time of The Serb correcting my pronunciation of Keftedakia I gave up and left the ordering to her.

We ordered far too much, but with no regret. The food was fresh, ingredient driven and everything we ate seemed to be a celebration of the land.

I sometimes think the food industry’s primary product is convenience, and we can lose sight of the ingredients and the notion of farming and agriculture.

Places like Mythos don’t try to ‘disappear’ food. There is an honesty and simplicity on their plates, and I somehow felt closer to the ingredients than usual.

The Keftedakia looked photoshopped and tasted as good as they looked.

The spring chicken was as soft as a sous vide, with a light, fragrant lemon gravy.

The most important part was the table lighting – turning each table into the perfect photobooth studio.

Instagram thanks you, Mythos.

The Cretan salad was generous and well balanced and The Serb made the calamari disappear pretty fast.

Overall, Mythos Urban Eatery continues the legacy of the JLT branch and restaurants like this play such an important role in the culinary fabric of the city.

City Walk has had its fair share of tenant turnover, so I hope Mythos is here to stay a while.

Although, you are welcome to open in my neighbourhood anytime and bring those table lamps with you. Less

There are dinners and there are dinners.

@reifo.kee has re-created his chef’s table ‘opus amoris’ with Tero, a Kaiseki experience tucked away in a private room in @reifkushiyaki Dubai Hills.

On arrival, you are whisked through the kitchen, into an intimate waiting lounge, shelves filled with object’s d’Art and books that scream of Reif’s personality.

There are two sides to Chef Reif. He possesses a savvy commercial acumen, consulting for and launching scalable, profit-driven restaurants.

Yet, he also explores his passion for culinary arts, where his love for creative expression shines.

Kaiseki, considered the ultimate expression of culinary artistry, reflects the season and is full of symbolism and intent - a deeply personal extension of the chef.

Yet no menu is offered – you are completely in the hands of the chef and his team.

I was worried for the Serb – this was a long way from the safety of burgers.

Twelve seats surround a kitchen stage, marked simply by chopsticks and a side plate.

The ever-changing @terobyreif is available only when Reif is present.

12 dishes, paced across 90 minutes. The meal flows, finds a rhythm, yet every 7 minutes, a new dish arrives, a new beginning, full of possibility and new perspectives.

By the scallop course, The Serb was getting full, asking how many dishes were left. I hadn’t been counting dishes - all I knew was it was 4 minutes till the next one.

Reif served almost every dish himself, taking time to tell stories and engage with his guests.

He told us of his bespoke plateware collaboration with Japanese ceramic artist, @adachi_mari

He surprised us with fermented rice wine bought back from Copenhagen.

He regaled us with stories of his @crhopefoundation in Zanzibar.

He knew how many individual recipes were needed for all twelve dishes.

Deserts arrived, and the Serb luckily found her appetite again, and delicately devoured the Dulcey chocolate chilli.

We stepped out onto the street, with a box of handmade chocolates and a wax sealed menu, signed by the team.

It honestly felt like we had been away on holiday.

There are dinners, and then there are dinners. Less

Mythos needs no introduction – the original in JLT has become a legacy establishment, one of the true “neighbourhood” eateries that the sprawling communities of Dubai desperately need more of.

In a warren of City Walk corners and divider walls, you find Mythos Urban Grill, the second outpost of this home grown favourite.

The Serb studied in Greece, so talks often about her time there.

Not as often as I crowbar my ‘when I lived in Tokyo’ four day trip into conversations, though.

But this dinner wasn’t about me, and we weren’t in my favourite Izakaya in Shinjuku, which let me tell you … never mind.

Mythos Urban Eatery is charming. We sat outside, in a delightful courtyard with thick foliage and plenty of shade.

The evening temperature was perfect.

After the third time of The Serb correcting my pronunciation of Keftedakia I gave up and left the ordering to her.

We ordered far too much, but with no regret. The food was fresh, ingredient driven and everything we ate seemed to be a celebration of the land.

I sometimes think the food industry’s primary product is convenience, and we can lose sight of the ingredients and the notion of farming and agriculture.

Places like Mythos don’t try to ‘disappear’ food. There is an honesty and simplicity on their plates, and I somehow felt closer to the ingredients than usual.

The Keftedakia looked photoshopped and tasted as good as they looked.

The spring chicken was as soft as a sous vide, with a light, fragrant lemon gravy.

The most important part was the table lighting – turning each table into the perfect photobooth studio.

Instagram thanks you, Mythos.

The Cretan salad was generous and well balanced and The Serb made the calamari disappear pretty fast.

Overall, Mythos Urban Eatery continues the legacy of the JLT branch and restaurants like this play such an important role in the culinary fabric of the city.

City Walk has had its fair share of tenant turnover, so I hope Mythos is here to stay a while.

Although, you are welcome to open in my neighbourhood anytime and bring those table lamps with you. Less

Not a review because they had been open for 24 hours only. Just some random thoughts.

Sagetsu restaurant at the newly opened One & Only at One Zabeel. Modern Japanese cuisine by 2 star chef Tetsuya Wakuda.

Chef Tetsuya came to the table to say hi. I impressed the Serb by not mentioning that I visited Tokyo last year, something I’ve forced into almost every conversation since returning. I desperately wanted to, though. I might message him.

The Serb and I briefly looked at the 1,800 dhs tasting menu and decided we preferred al a carte.

I ordered the Patagonia Toothfish and made our server listen to my story of why it’s more commonly known as Chilean seabass. He politely listened but seemed to make less trips to our table afterwards.

I splashed out and also ordered the Aburi wagyu beef with sushi rice. A single bite for 180 dhs. I told the Serb it was super spicy, so she wouldn’t order one. It wasn’t spicy – it was delicious.

The chopsticks they bring have been soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and then chilled. It’s a Japanese tradition, apparently. Mysteriously, that’s all our server knew. If anyone can add to this, leave a comment.

The ingredients were clearly superior – subtle miso marinade saturated my toothfish. (also known as a Chilean Seabass, by the way). The Serb ordered yaki shabu wagyu - thinly sliced beef with a delicate cocotte egg in a secret house sauce.

The hostess presented a rose to The Serb. I tried to imply I had arranged it, by giving a knowing nod of thanks to the hostess, but I don’t think the Serb bought it.

Congrats on the opening, Sagetsu and best of luck in the future.

I’m off to send Chef Tetsuya a photo of my Japanese knife I bought in Kappabashi, when I lived in Tokyo for four days. Less

Not a review because they had been open for 24 hours only. Just some random thoughts.

Sagetsu restaurant at the newly opened One & Only at One Zabeel. Modern Japanese cuisine by 2 star chef Tetsuya Wakuda.

Chef Tetsuya came to the table to say hi. I impressed the Serb by not mentioning that I visited Tokyo last year, something I’ve forced into almost every conversation since returning. I desperately wanted to, though. I might message him.

The Serb and I briefly looked at the 1,800 dhs tasting menu and decided we preferred al a carte.

I ordered the Patagonia Toothfish and made our server listen to my story of why it’s more commonly known as Chilean seabass. He politely listened but seemed to make less trips to our table afterwards.

I splashed out and also ordered the Aburi wagyu beef with sushi rice. A single bite for 180 dhs. I told the Serb it was super spicy, so she wouldn’t order one. It wasn’t spicy – it was delicious.

The chopsticks they bring have been soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and then chilled. It’s a Japanese tradition, apparently. Mysteriously, that’s all our server knew. If anyone can add to this, leave a comment.

The ingredients were clearly superior – subtle miso marinade saturated my toothfish. (also known as a Chilean Seabass, by the way). The Serb ordered yaki shabu wagyu - thinly sliced beef with a delicate cocotte egg in a secret house sauce.

The hostess presented a rose to The Serb. I tried to imply I had arranged it, by giving a knowing nod of thanks to the hostess, but I don’t think the Serb bought it.

Congrats on the opening, Sagetsu and best of luck in the future.

I’m off to send Chef Tetsuya a photo of my Japanese knife I bought in Kappabashi, when I lived in Tokyo for four days. Less

“Eat later, when hungry”

I was having dinner at SŌWADŌ Izakaya in Shibuya, and opted for the Omakase menu, only because I didn’t know how to order a la carte - much easier to leave it up to the chef. 

Often with these omakase menus, it starts lightest dish to the heaviest, with a signature rice dish as the final item. This is to ensure that the diner can decide how hungry he or she is at the end of the meal and eat accordingly. 

It’s a low cost way for the restaurant to ensure the diner never leaves hungry and dissatisfied, which in itself is quite special and a really nice touch. 

My dining partners and I were stuffed and couldn’t eat another thing, so barely touched the rice. The chef cleared our plates and removed the rice, without a word.

However, upon leaving, he handed us a doggy bag with the rice, informing us to “eat later, when hungry.”

Only when I got back to my room later on, and opened the bag did I realise what he had done.

As there were three of us dining that evening, he had made three onigiri rice balls, individually packed, so we could have it as a snack later if we got hungry.

How wonderful. Simple, but wonderful. 

There is a Japanese philosophy called ‘Omotenashi’ which means to “wholeheartedly look after guests”.

Tokyo’s ‘omotenashi’ is distinct, and deeply rooted in anticipation and respect, defining an incredible service philosophy that is almost impossible to replicate.

#tokyo #omotenashi #customerexperience #onigiri #eatlater #shibuya #izakaya Less

Not a review because they had been open for 24 hours only. Just some random thoughts.

Sagetsu restaurant at the newly opened One & Only at One Zabeel. Modern Japanese cuisine by 2 star chef Tetsuya Wakuda.

Chef Tetsuya came to the table to say hi. I impressed the Serb by not mentioning that I visited Tokyo last year, something I’ve forced into almost every conversation since returning. I desperately wanted to, though. I might message him.

The Serb and I briefly looked at the 1,800 dhs tasting menu and decided we preferred al a carte.

I ordered the Patagonia Toothfish and made our server listen to my story of why it’s more commonly known as Chilean seabass. He politely listened but seemed to make less trips to our table afterwards.

I splashed out and also ordered the Aburi wagyu beef with sushi rice. A single bite for 180 dhs. I told the Serb it was super spicy, so she wouldn’t order one. It wasn’t spicy – it was delicious.

The chopsticks they bring have been soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and then chilled. It’s a Japanese tradition, apparently. Mysteriously, that’s all our server knew. If anyone can add to this, leave a comment.

The ingredients were clearly superior – subtle miso marinade saturated my toothfish. (also known as a Chilean Seabass, by the way). The Serb ordered yaki shabu wagyu - thinly sliced beef with a delicate cocotte egg in a secret house sauce.

The hostess presented a rose to The Serb. I tried to imply I had arranged it, by giving a knowing nod of thanks to the hostess, but I don’t think the Serb bought it.

Congrats on the opening, Sagetsu and best of luck in the future.

I’m off to send Chef Tetsuya a photo of my Japanese knife I bought in Kappabashi, when I lived in Tokyo for four days. Less