Hoseki – Michelin Starred Sushi in Dubai?

Hoseki is a one Michelin starred restaurant located in the Bulgari hotel in Dubai. It serves omakase style and you have to choose whether you want the Hisui (AED1,750 = about U$475) or the more premium Ruri (AED2,250 = about U$612). We chose the later though I am not too sure what the difference was between what we had and what others had. Yes, its expensive, but in the end you are getting an authentic omakase meal in the desert, in a beautiful setting. We were seated at the sushi bar with only 4 others, with the skyline of Dubai in the background.

The meal:

There was a lot of presentation of ingredients from Japan by the chefs:

Overall, service was good as expected. The meal was authentic. Everyone on the staff was Japanese. The meal followed the basic Japanese format for omakase. The food was good. Here is the million $ question (or in this case $600 question): “Was it worth it”? I think you are partly paying for the novelty of eating this level of sushi in the desert in an incredible setting, in an incredibly expensive hotel. It would not be my first choice if I only had a couple of days in Dubai simply because I would want to try local food first, and some of the other fantastic restaurants in the city. However, if you had more time, and were done with trying local food, and other less expensive choices, and you want to experience high level sushi in the desert, you wouldn’t go wrong to choose Hoseki. For me, its a one time experience.