It should come as a surprise of absolutely no one that I genuinely enjoy the majority of the restaurants in the Rikas portfolio. For the record, it is an outstanding series of venues. The management team know what they are doing and do it well, thus I’m always ready to try their next outlet. In the category of Asian/Asian inspired/Asian adjacent restaurants — and I mean this in the largest encompassing definition — it’s no secret that the Dubai F&B market is nearly overwhelmed for this style of cuisine. For Rikas’s latest launch (which opened in November 2023),in early January, I finally had the opportunity to visit Xu mostly because I wanted to avoid the Mall of the Emirates for the entirety of the festive season. Close to Eugene Eugene on the second floor of the Kempinski, guests can find their way to this sexy love child of Mimi Kakushi and Gohan. My favorite fun fact? The location was formerly the hotel’s tennis courts (!!!) — what a great use of space!
Once inside the restaurant, …
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