Even though both countries are situated on the same continent, the least you can say is that there are quite some differences between Japan and Dubai. As such, you might not immediately expect to find some of the most authentic Japanese food in the desert state. Think again… When you walk through the doors of restaurant Hōseki in the Bulgari Resort Dubai, you seem to be transported instantly to the land of the rising sun. Once you start tasting the delectable and authentic Japanese food that is being served to only nine diners per service, you understand undoubtedly where the restaurant got its name from. Hōseki means gemstone in Japanese language. And that is what it is, a true gem of Japanese cuisine.

Location & Interior

Hōseki is located at the fourth floor of the luxury Bulgari Resort Dubai. Bulgari is an Italian luxury brand that became famous for their exclusive jewelry, watches and other accessories. The brand is also active in the hospitality industry and has several properties which are all situated in the most, prime luxury neighborhoods or the most prestigious areas of resort destinations. In Dubai, the Bulgari hotel can be found on a seahorse-shaped island in Jumeirah Bay, surrounded by ocean views and home to the first Bulgari Yacht Club & Marina. In this hotel, renowned Italian chef Niko Romito is running his restaurant Il Ristorante-Niko Romito that has been awarded with two Michelin stars. Hōseki opened its doors in the same hotel in 2018.

You enter the restaurant via a typical Japanese reception area as can be found in traditional Japanese houses and which is called tokonoma. Immediately you notice the exquisitely modern and minimal interiors completed with polished furnishing, dark wood touches and characterized by a warm color palette. The interior design is very minimalistic and can best be described as a sleek, clean and monochrome interior. Friendly hostesses dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos will lead you from the tokonoma to the main area of the restaurant where you will discover that there are only nine seats around an open counter behind which the chef is doing his magic. Behind the chef there are large windows that enable stunning views over the Arabian Gulf and the beautiful skyline of the bustling city of Dubai. Views, how mesmerizing they are, that you will immediately ignore once Sugiyama starts to serve his culinary artworks.

In case you want to enjoy the delectable food of chef Masahiro with a larger party, you can opt for the private dining room where a beautiful table seats up to twelve guests in a separate room. Of course, there you will need to miss the kitchen activity, but obviously the amazing taste of the food will make up for that, also there.

The Chef & the team

The main attraction of the restaurant is the mouth-watering food of Japanese chef Masahiro Sugiyama. Sugiyama was born and raised in Tsukiji, a district in Tokyo which probably will ring a bell for foodies as it was the location of the eponymous Tsukiji Fish Market. It should not surprise that the whole area around the fish market was packed with sushi restaurants. The family of Sugiyama has been active in this industry for one hundred and sixty years and he is the sixth-generation sushi chef. His father is still today the owner of famous sushi restaurant “Janome Zushi Honten” which was established in 1865. Even though this family tradition, Masahiro did not immediately consider following into the footsteps of his father when he was a kid. He saw how hard the work was in a restaurant and considered a different future for himself.

One moment, when he was still a student but worked in a restaurant to earn some extra money, he had the opportunity to create a dish for a customer and to serve it to him personally. The smile of the customer when he saw the food cooked by Sugiyama, had a huge impact on the young chef. He found his calling in making people happy with food that he created. So, he changed his mind and decided to go work in sushi restaurants anyway. This brought him to a branch of Sushi Kanesaka where he would do an apprenticeship. When in 2017 Bulgari opened a hotel in Dubai, Sugiyama was discovered by them and they gave him the opportunity to open his own restaurant in the hotel, giving him full authority over the concept of the restaurant he would create. He accepted the offer, moved to Dubai and created Hōseki. As Hōseki is only serving nine guests at the counter and in some cases up to twelve additional guests in the private dining room, the team at Hōseki is rather small. The entire staff is originating from Japan.

Gastronomy

Expect to experience a memorable gastronomic indulgence with the finest ingredients directly imported from Japan. Inspired by Japanese traditions, Sugiyama san is presenting a two hours Omakase experience. Omakase is a Japanese word that means “I leave it to you” and that perfectly describes what you should do when you visit Hōseki : leave it in the hands of Masahiro and you will not be disappointed. The chef, who will impress you with his incredible knife skills, serves five to seven appetizers, followed by sushi, miso soup, a Japanese omelet and a Bulgari chocolate. The appetizers might consist of succulent products such as fatty tuna cheek, monkfish liver that tastes as foie gras, or squid. Taking into consideration that the chef is in personal contact with each of the nine guests constantly during the dinner experience, he adapts the food of every guest based on their personal liking or preference. Not only the food is authentic Japanese. Also vegetables, spices and tableware are all made in the home country of the sympathetic chef. The restaurant has been awarded on Michelin star.

Some of the dishes we tried :

As you can expect from this kind of high end Japanese restaurant, all ingredients are sourced in Japan and flown in freshly several times per week by plane. As Sugiyama is not able to visit the fish market, after evening service he is having calls with his suppliers in Japan, to make sure that they keep delivering only the best and freshest products to him.

Service & Wine

The service in Hōseki is exactly as you would expect in a restaurant of this level in Japan. The staff which is dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos is executing a service which is flawless, ultra-polite and that focuses on each of the nine guests continuously in a discrete way. Food is being personally served by chef Masahiro Sugiyama to each guest sitting at the counter. In the restaurant there is a very elegant, refined and classy atmosphere which perfectly fits the unique environment in the lavish Bulgari Resort Dubai. If you don’t look out of the windows at the back of the restaurant, you will be convinced that you travelled to Japan instead of to Dubai.

Why go?

If you want to experience one of the most authentic Japanese restaurants outside of Japan, Hōseki is your go to destination. Due to the very limited number of seats available, you will enjoy one of the most exclusive restaurant experiences that can be found in Dubai. Together with only eight other guests, you taste the most refined, fresh and succulent Japanese products presented and served by the chef at their very best. After the dinner, don’t forget to visit The Bulgari Bar which is considered to be one of the best cocktail bars in the world. Mixologist and bar director Dario Schiavoni is creating unique and delectable cocktails with the alcohol of your preference in a gorgeous setting inside Il Ristorante-Niko Romito.