Dean Fujiya Japanese Cafe and Restaurant

I love to go Dean Fujiya Supermarket near Lamcy Plaza. This minuscule supermarket has a surprisingly great selection of Japanese produce as well as kitchen tools (I fell in love with a classic super heavy, traditionally one sided cut Japanese chef knife, the back thick as someones ring finger) and other Japanese food related stuff. I bought there two authentic Japanese teas for work.

And a  couple of meters besides, they built a restaurant, which they promoted keenly.
So I thought, it cannot be so wrong to give it a try.

The looks are a bit rough. Super bright light, almost clumsy counter which seems not at all sensible, black unrelated furniture, plastic flowers on the table -there was no interior designer at work for this restaurant. The waiting stuff, two Filipinas offered me the menu- a folder with plastic wrapped pages. Seems that the guys didn't put a particular concept in place.

I've ordered agedashi dofu, a sushi selection and cold soba noodles with grated radish. I've also ordered a melon calpis to drink and additional I've informed the waitress that I don't like seafood/shellfish/octopus...

My calpis came after 3 minutes. Very sweet but refreshing (and yes, as I am shopping in their mart, I know, that it is laden with artificial flavors... but sometimes it happens that I don't care - I won't offer it myself, but I don't judge, as long as the offering person don't give me, we are offering only the best speech) it was delicious as refreshing.
The agedashi dofu came hot on the table. The silken tofu was pretty average, the whole dish was slightly undersalted and it wasn't crispy at all. Overall it was though successful, especially, if you haven't previously experienced a better execution.

The sushi took a bit longer. I still got cuttlefish sushi [annoying, why exactly do I state, that I don't like seafood, when I still get some]... but I have to say, the salmon, tuna and hamachi nigiri were excellent, no, it was superlative - I didn't ate better sushi at 5 star hotels - even not at Zuma or Nobu! The quality of the produce was amazing and the still slightly warm rice [it was ever so slightly warm] was to die for! The tamago was very big and very rough looking. The taste reminded me more on traditional scrambled eggs and not the superfine Japanese omelette. It tasted though very good. Overall all the pieces of the dish lacked uniformity and refinement but made it up with flavor and produce freshness.
And, it came with a bowl of two pieces of cooked salmon in a creamy [maybe sesame?] sauce. First of all I thought that this was odd. And then I tried the salmon - cold! But the next impression was mind boggling. The salmon was dense and very meaty - only a very little bit salmony [fishy sounds bad]. I never encountered this dish, but it was absolutely stunning. Horay!

I got then cold soba noodles- unfortunately crowned with two tempura shrimps and slices of fishcake [didn't I mention, that I don't like seafood???]. The sauce was again a bit on the underseasoned side. Overall I think, it could be better, if they presented the soba on a plate not a bowl and have a separate bowl for dipping instead of drowning the noodles in the sauce. The whole dish was ok, but didn't blew me away.

And that wraps it up. If you are going there, make sure, that it is in a group, where everyone, likes something. I was really annoyed, that I especially pointed out, that I don't eat shellfish/seafood, and still got it on the plate - the only thing they replaced was one prawn nigiri - but then forgot my preference, even in the same dish!

The atmosphere? You better like to prefer Filipino soapy songs and staff which is singing with it. The place looks quite clean, but you mustn't be in search for something fancy.

Overall I think, it missed its mark. It is almost there, to be a insiders' tip. The sushi is absolutely great and they have items, which are offbeat and interesting. I can even forgive them the lack of style, the kitschy music and singing waitresses. The only thing, which is not good is the service. Yes, the waitress are nice, but they didn't even reacted, when they've seen, that I put the cuddlefish nigiri and the shrimp tempura demonstrative beside. They didn't asked, if everything is alright. At one time, when I ate the cold soba, the more silent waitress pointed with her finger on my bowl and on the carafe and told me, that 'should' pour the sauce into the bowl [I already did].

Don't get me wrong. I don't look for highclass_blow_my_ass_service. I am realistic here. But I am looking for a kinda sensible service, which looks for feedback and respond to the customers actions.
I also look for service, which knows the menu and can explain their guests, which is the difference, if the guest seem not to fully get the menu.

I paid around AED 130 for the meal, which would have been very good value for money, if I could eat everything! But while I loved nigiris and the drink, and also liked most of the other stuff, I just felt, that there was something elementary missing.

Yay or meh: very mixed.

Restaurant comfort: 3 

Service: 3

Food and beverages: 7 (nigiri alone a 10!!! But the slightly undersalted other dishes brings it down)

Value for money: 8 (mixed bag again - I put 1 out of 5 nigiri down, the tempura shrimps, which seems to be the difference to the next dish which was AED 10 cheaper etc. - my rating is based on the fact, that you eat everything)

Overall: 4

Verdict: They have takeout and delivery - I am prone to order the next time a ton of sushi [by piece, I am not again so naive and ask them to replace something] and pick it up to nibble at home. This would make my home to Dubai's best sushi bar [well I don't have a bar, but you get the drift]!

They are not yet there. Not at all! They really have to up the ante, if they don't want to have an underperforming restaurant with an expensive real Japanese chef [or they might loose him to one hotel].

Elevation Burger Dubai, review

And here we are again... The next heart busting review....

Yes, another burger, yum!

Elevation Burger is the victim today. Located at Sheikh Zayed Road, besides of Crown Plaza it is not hart to find, but I've heard, that they've several other locations as well.

They say, that they're ingredient savvy ('ingredients matter') and that the meat is organic grass fed, free range. I love it when my food was happy, before it got the bullet...

One personal badge: they offer Coca Cola - free refill! Haha!

Anyway, I had to wait a bit for the food - 8 min after my order the burger arrived, though there might was some confusion as the server asked me of my other order - but my salad arrived only 2 minutes after the reconfirmation.

The order:

Elevation burger - custom toppings (red pepper relish, ketchup, mustard, roasted onion, lettuce)

Elevation salad - ranch dressing.

The staff is super friendly, mostly Asian (Filipino I guess)- the only down is, that they give number tents to wait and then call out the number (even though they directly find you without that you have to wave) - maybe they should learn from Shake Shack!

The burger

It was rather small. I guess the diameter is smaller than a McD hamburger... But two patties make sure, that you still get your carnivore fix. The meat was crumbly, toasted and well roasted. Nobody asked me for the doneness of the burger, but if it is always like that, there is no need for it!

My only complains: the bread roll was cold and untoasted and rather uninspiring. Think supermarket burger rolls. Not convincing. 

The taste though is. The bread obviously is overthrown of glorious meat and condiment taste. Almost very good.

The salad

I got a round transparent plastic box with romaine lettuce with a ring of mandarin segments and pecan nuts on top. They gave two small plastic bowls of ranch dressing.

The dressing tasted, as it was commercial off the shelf ranch. The mandarins, again uninspiring. While I always use to have a can of those in my cupboard in case of forbidden cravings, I don't think, that they should be on any restaurant menu (did you know, that they apply acid to corrode the skin?).

Still the salad tasted nice due to the nuts and fruitiness- just not really convincing). 

I wanted to leave, but seen house made fries on another table... Here we are again... cheese burger, this time and the fries. 

The fries, were almost matchstick thin, looked crispier as they were quite greasy - unfortunately they also underseasoned the fries. Not so good. As I asked for extra salt, they tasted better, but still too greasy (please check in the Internet how to make very crispy fries - Heston Blumenthal and other culinary masterminds share a trick or two openly). The cheese burger was as expected - good meat and toppings, bad roll...

Did I mention the free refill coke?

Lets get to the rating:

Yay or meh: more yay

Restaurant comfort: 7 (soda fountains besides of slightly smelly toilets are taking one point off)

Service: 7

Food and beverages: 7.5 (burger alone a 7.5- also plus for free refill)

Value for money: 6.5

Overall: 7

 Would I come back? Definitely!

Verdict: elevation burger has a lot of potential though disappoints in some areas. For the concept, I would not expect ingredients like industrial produced dressings, rolls. The signature burger is also surprisingly small! and lets not talk about the fries (for all who complain about the fries at Shake Shack: they are definitely better than most fries i had lately in the other joints). But the meat quality elevates it directly underneath Shake Shack and Johnnie Rockets!

And: did I mentioned the free refill?

Your expectations will change, if you cook sous vide

Yeah, I know... My praise of sous vide cooking already gets boring... But trust me (again) it is really really great!

If you are cooking sous vide duck breasts, the fat of the skin is perfectly prepared to render. You never had crispier, yet juicy and medium rare duck in your life!

Speaking of medium rare: I have to admit- I wasn't a big fan of anything below medium. I experienced the taste a bit... oily - it just tasted odd. And the texture is usually kind of unpleasant chewy. This is because, medium rare (or rare) in traditional cooking means really partly uncooked (and yes, you could put the stuff into the oven on a low heat, which decreases stage problem, but it is still there).

This applies for everything you eat medium rare or rare: duck breast, beef, game, lamb - I realize it specially if it comes to beef tenderloin!

However if you sous vide it to the same temperature, it won't have this oily and chewy character. As you really cook the meat (to the perfect temperature) throughout.

Unfortunately this means, that you will be much more picky, if you are eating out.

A couple of days ago I had a Wagyu strip loin, and while the taste was great, it was (in my world now) far too dry, almost overcooked. I could do it better. And (this is another advantage of sous vide): guaranteed and consistent!

Johnny Rockets review

I visited Johnny Rockets several times, but I guess that I didn't really reviewed my visits.

So here we are...

I had a meal at the Jjumeirah branch...quite hidden in a small shopping mall with a Choitram.

I tried a rather standard burger, sweet potato fries and a peanut shake.

Service was ok. Like often the stuff was almost entirely Filipino. It was very slow in the restaurant and they rather entertained themselves in their mother tongue as taking care of their guest (which was me).

To the food.

The server asked me, how I would like the burger- I opted for medium well (he asked me actually, if I would like to have the burger well done). The burger arrived after quite some time. It was overcooked but overall great! The patty was thin, well roasted and crumbly... Extremely tasteful, the bread W's good and the toppings adequate. 9 points out of ten in the burger department.

The sweet potato fries were a different subject. Long orangey fries, served with ranch dressing. Unfortunately they were quite tasteless and the ranch only added confusion. A 3.5 at most.

The peanut shake? Not from this world. Very sweet, though everything fitted. Amazing (the only drawback is the guilt, which you feel, when you have one... you can just imagine that one shake has a quadrillion calories). Definitely 10 out of 10 (with a plus).

Now the real negatives: you pay everything separate without meal bundle. Three items for around AED 90? Outrageous. I feel that JR out prices themselves. I have the feeling, that I even pay less, if I go to Shake Shack, which has a better overall quality (burgers fare pretty much the same). And Shake Shack has a much better, conte,portray feel - mad lets face it, the 60's theme is no more really fresh (at least it doesn't attract me)

Meh or Yay? Definitely yay!

Restaurant comfort / design: 6.5

Service: a meager 6

Food & beverage: 8 (only due to the disappointing sweet potato fries)

Value for money: 4 

Overall: 7.5

Verdict: if you stick with burgers and shakes, Johnny Rockets has a convincing quality. Unfortunately they are also very expensive and the atmosphere and service doesn't justify the high prices.