Mitsu-ya.

Unexpected omakase.

The name Mitsu-Ya is composed of the first name of the Japanese chef, Mitsu Arai, and the word ‘Ya’ which means ‘house’ in Japanese. The title is intended to explain that you are eating in the chef’s house and he is using his personal method of cutting and presenting sashimi and serving sushi with his special techniques and preparations at the bar.

Although the opportunity doesn’t present itself often enough, I absolutely love omakase. Finding an authentic version in the UAE is difficult, with Hoseki currently one of the only legitimate (if not very expensive) offers in the city. Thus, when an invite came through for Mitsuya, I eagerly agreed.

Located deep inside the Ritz-Carlton DIFC, this third-party space doesn’t look like much from the outside. We immediately make comparisons against the chic sophistication of Hoseki, which, by the end of the meal, feels a bit wrong. While Mitsu-Ya is the same concept of dining, the execution of the restaurants is entirely different (and that’s fin…