what-a-lot-we-got

I finally ate at Zuma (DIFC) last week. Thankfully it was a business dinner so I wasn’t paying, as I have heard it is quite expensive.

There are two sections to the restaurant, the upstairs lounge which is more relaxed with low tables and big cushiony chairs, and then the downstairs part which is more restauranty. We sat upstairs, which is supposedly the more popular choice as it’s more vibey. That may well be true but I have to say I’m not a fan of those low tables – the table always feels a little bit far away for me and the top generally ends up being in line with my knees – which usually means I end up having to bring the plate up to my face to eat.

Zuma is a predominantly Japanese-style restaurant from what I could tell, with the emphasis on small plates of food being shared by the table vs traditional starters and main courses. This is fine in theory but let me tell you grabbing a piece of marinated sea bass off a central platter with chopsticks and then getting it safely to your mouth without dropping marinade, or in fact the entire thing, on your lap is quite tricky, and resulted in me not trying some of the courses at all.

However I did enjoy the edamame, the sushi was amazing, as was the black cod, which is apparently a signature dish of the restaurant. I ate it with some trepidation and guilt as I wasn’t sure of it’s status (in terms of sustainability) but am happy to report it is not overfished according to the National Marine Fisheries service, so I can now happily say it was DELICIOUS.

Even though it was a monday night, and the day before Valentine’s Day, the place was packed. The DJ on the night was very good and played some amazing tunes – I could not stop watching his big blonde afro as he bopped to the music – it was very entertaining. The volume seemed to creep steadily upwards over the evening, by the end of our meal I felt like we were all shouting to be heard, and the cigarette smokiness had increased to unpleasant levels.

The meal was rounded-off with the biggest dessert platter I have ever laid eyes on (pictured). Wow!

Zuma also does a highly-acclaimed business lunch, which might be a more affordable option if you wanted to give it a try.

Enjoy.