Authentic Japanese Lunch in Miyako

A few months ago, I received a private message from a male blog reader. He was asking for an advice on where to take the love of his life on a date. He specifically wants a nice but affordable restaurant; I bet a restaurant that can impress his date but wouldn't leave a hole in his pocket.

I gave a few recommendations, mainly casual dining spots in the mall. Little did I know, there is one restaurant in a 5-star hotel that perfectly meets his specifications!

I came across Miyako - an authentic Japanese restaurant in Hyatt Regency Dubai - last weekend. If only I knew about it before he asked, it could have been my top recommendation. 

Here's why.  

Location

Located in the ground floor of the iconic Hyatt Regency Dubai, Miyako is a gem that is bound to give an exquisite dining experience. It is the first ever restaurant to serve genuine Japanese cuisine in Dubai. 

It has been around for 27 years, would you believe? At first glance, I didn't. Miyako doesn't look tired and worn out! All because it has been refurbished recently. It is now exuding a modern, fresh and moody ambiance.  

Hyatt Regency Dubai

Dubai's first authentic Japanese restaurant

contemporary and zen atmosphere at Miyako

Miyako is compact Japanese restaurant divided into three different dining experiences. There is the main dining area with a sushi bar and a full open kitchen. Behind is a private Tatami room, and tucked in a corner is a live Teppanyaki room. 

An equally classy bar offering a wide variety of Sake and Shochu is connected to the restaurant.  

sushi bar

full open kitchen

cozy bar at Miyako

Lunch at Miyako

We were at Miyako for weekend lunch. The restaurant was already half full when we arrived past noon. Most diners were Japanese nationals, and it gave me an impression that Miyako is indeed a gem. In other words, it is legit! :) 

Ed and I were warmly ushered to our table. When a staff presented the lunch menu, we were pleasantly surprised not just with the food choices but with the prices! Appetizers are as low as 25 AED. Sushi Rolls price ranges from 20 AED to 75 AED. And there is a selection of tray sets - a complete meal of rice and main dish, miso soup, pickles, salad, sliced fresh fruits - starting at 65 AED.

The beverage menu is of wide variety as well. Miyako serves wine, cocktails, mocktails, Japanese beer, shochu and sake.

lovely venue for weekend lunch

Our authentic Japanese lunch began with a serving of complimentary egg curd. It is has same texture as custard, but it is savory not sweet! 

egg curd: complimentary starter in Miyako

Salad and Sushi 

Right after finishing the complimentary starter, our order of Kaiso Salad and Spicy Tuna Roll came. Kaiso Salad is a seaweed salad served with ginger dressing. It has an appetizing blend of flavors; the seaweed is fresh and crisp, and amazingly goes well with the light and tangy dressing! 

The Spicy Tuna Roll is impeccable. It has fresh tuna and cucumber with spicy wasabi sauce. Every bite starts off with a subtle flavor and delicate texture, but ends with an extra oomph coming from the creamy spicy sauce in the center.  

Kaiso Salad

Spicy Tuna Roll

Tray Sets at Miyako

Did I mention that Miyako has a license to serve pork? We were so glad to find a (P) sign under the tray set menu! We don't stumble on Japanese restaurants serving pork often; hence, Ed ordered a pork dish without a second thought. For variation, I opted to have a beef dish which was highly recommended by the staff.

Ed had Katsu Curry Rice Teishoku tray set. It is a full lunch set composed of a huge serving of pork cutlet in Japanese curry and rice, salad, soup and fruits. If we have known that it's going to be that substantial, we could have skipped the sushi roll and kaiso salad!

The highlight of the lunch tray is none other than the Katsu Curry. The pork cutlet has a delightful crunchy texture and a tasty flavor, especially when combined with the rich and mildly spicy sauce.

Katsu Curry tray set

Just like Ed's lunch tray, mine was also brimming with goodness! I had the Gyuniko Steak Teishoku. The beef tenderloin was so tender; it almost melted in my mouth! I was not surprised why it is one of Miyako's best-selling dishes. The simple-looking beef dish is succulent and packed on flavor.    

Gyuniko Steak Teishoku tray set

Dessert

I badly miss matcha, so although our server recommended Miyako's specialty fried ice cream for dessert, it was definitely the green tea ice cream for me. A bowl of three lovely scoops topped with watermelon cubes was brought to our table. Of course, I loved it! It is smooth, creamy and a good remedy for my matcha cravings!  

Matcha Ice Cream

Service

The service we experienced at Miyako was as good as the authentic Japanese food we had! The staff were warm and friendly; making the 5-star hotel ambiance less intimidating. The food were promptly-served and well-prepared, I know as I could see the chefs working on our meal in their lively open kitchen!

Overall

Miyako is a restaurant I would proudly recommend the next time somebody asks me for a date venue. The prices for lunch are absolutely reasonable for a hotel restaurant. Dinner prices are slightly higher as per the staff, but I still think you'll get what you paid for.

Location Map:

Miyako
Hyatt Regency Dubai
Phone: 04 209 6914
Website: dubai.regency.hyatt.com


We were invited to dine at Miyako. Opinions in this blog post are my own.