Umi Kei

Umi Kei, a recent arrival to Dubai’s Japanese dining scene. The concept is Izakaya-inspired. Atmosphere is warm and elegant with both counter seating and tables. Given the restaurant’s high-end positioning, one would reasonably expect fresh wasabi to be standard. To my surprise, they served horseradish labeled as wasabi, and when I requested fresh wasabi, I was told it would incur an extra charge (AED 40), an unheard-of practice. The tuna tartar was tasteless, so was the chicken tatsuta which was also on the dry side. The bread used for the Wagyu beef sando was thin and soggy, while the garnish of chives and microherbs felt unnecessary. Even the sushi which was relatively better, the Nigiri was oversized and the temperature of the rice was cold. The service was completely inattentive. Although the restaurant was almost empty, we had to wait and call for a waiter for everything. Some items were forgotten and whenever you needed something there was no one around. It’s rare to encounter a restaurant that fails to deliver on nearly every front, from cuisine to service. Umi Kei, unfortunately, was one such experience. They had charged 10% as service charge and yet they asked if I would like to leave a tip!