This Dubai restaurant has been named the Middle East’s 'one to watch'

A steady rise from supper club extraordinaire to a cosy restaurant…

Dubai’s restaurant scene is a forever undulating being, with new restaurants coming onto the scene often. Some are like peacocks, strutting around with bold colours on show. Some, are more understated, slowly building up a legion of fans who are quick to tell their friends all about them.

One such restaurant is Kinoya, which you’ll find tucked away in Onyx Tower in The Greens. This Japanese izakaya restaurant is founded by ‘Ramen Queen’ Neha Mishra, and it has just been voted the Middle East’s ‘one to watch’ award of 2022, by Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants.

The accolade recognises a rising star restaurant within the region which 50 Best believes has the potential to break into the list in the years to come. Neha Mishra will be presented with her award on February 7, 2022.

Neha quietly accrued a small legion of ramen fans from years of intimate, sold-out supper clubs, where she served over 7,000 guests a six-course Japanese menu. Following this, Neha opened Kinoya, a ramen meets izakaya spot inside the Onyx tower in The Greens, and it’s become a hotspot for Dubai’s casual foodies.

A fuss-free dining space, Kinoya welcomes to you a relaxed and informal environment. There’s a dedicated ramen counter, a chefs table, two private dining rooms and a restaurant. The Kinoya experience focuses on two main concepts: Izakaya and Ramen. Izakaya is an ‘informal Japanese dining experience where people gather after work to enjoy snacks and beverages’. Ramen of course is a signature Japanese dish.

On the menu, you’ll find plenty of dishes that are perfect for sharing, including chicken, meat fish or vegetable Yakitori as well as Izakaya snacks such as sushi, tempura, kobachi and cute desserts. The must-try dish here though is, of course, the belly-warming ramen bowls that Chef Neha Mishra is lauded, citywide, for.

There are three permutations and a wonton soup: sho ramen (chicken broth with dashi; Dhs50 for a regular bowl, Dhs60 for a large), shoyu ramen (slow cooked chicken broth with shoyu tare; Dhs50 for a regular bowl, Dhs60 for a large) and the spicy miso ramen (chicken broth with a miso, chilli and garlic paste; Dhs50 for a regular bowl, Dhs60 for a large), and you can add extra toppings and ingredients as you like.

Find out what What’s On thought about our experience at Kinoya here.

Onyx Tower, The Greens, Tuesday to Sunday 12pm to 1am, closed Mondays. Tel: (0)45486776. kinoya.ae

Images: File