Restaurant review: Average food and poor service leave a sour taste at Dubai’s Katana

Katana (named after a type of Samurai sword) in LA is said to be popular with celebrities – but we're not sure that reputation will equate to quite as much buzz in the UAE.

The interiors at Katana emit a cool vibe with its contemporary and trendy decor. Courtesy Katana

Katana, the chic Japanese restaurant within The Address Downtown Burj Dubai hotel, didn’t get off to a great start – its official opening was on December 30, the night before the hotel burst into flames.

After being open for less than 24 hours, it closed, quietly reopening a few weeks later at a location between Souk Al Bahar and The Dubai Mall to much less fanfare.

The restaurant’s only other location is on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, and the Dubai venue comes from the same people who brought another LA haunt, BOA Steakhouse, to Abu Dhabi.

Katana (named after a type of Samurai sword) in LA is said to be popular with celebrities – but I’m not sure that reputation will equate to quite as much buzz here.

The lakeside restaurant was quiet during our weekday lunch – with only two other diners during our visit.

Square wooden tables are surrounded by oversized, grey fabric chairs. The dark-grey floor is illuminated by giant, hanging floral- inspired lights. It is contemporary and trendy – a place that makes you cooler simply by walking through the doors. It is earthy, with a mix of wood and stone, brown and grey. There’s a sushi bar at the back of the restaurant, complete with Japanese graffiti that litters the back wall.

Our waitress tried to take our order seconds after seating us – we hadn’t even opened the menu yet. We asked for some time, but she disappeared and stayed away far too long. When she returned, she lacked confidence and couldn’t answer any of our questions. We quickly realised she didn’t speak enough English to communicate effectively, which would have been OK if she spoke Arabic. My dining partner (who speaks Arabic, French, Italian and Spanish) and I struggled with the language barrier throughout the meal. Each time we try to order food or a drink refill – or even to get the bill – we also have to make a significant effort to track our waitress down. This was frustrating, to say the least.

Service aside, most of the food we ordered was good – but not great. As expected, there is a lot of sushi on offer. There is also a robata grill and a smattering of meats, seafood and veggies cooked over binchotan – traditional Japanese charcoal sourced from the seaside village of Wakayama.

The best bite was the yellowtail sashimi. Light, delicate, fragrant and covered in chillies, this is a refreshing, well-­executed dish.

The jidori chicken (free-range) from the robata grill comes as tender chunks of juicy meat enveloped in a crispy skin that provides great texture and flavour. It is served with three sauces: soy mustard, ponzu and ginger sauce. Stick with the soy mustard for this dish – it is a perfect match.

The lobster tempura is more like upscale pub grub. It is good in the way chicken wings are good – something you enjoy while watching sports – but it lacks complexity, sophistication and the wow ­factor.

A skewer of three chicken meatballs was flavourless and forgettable. The black-cod skewer was much better – with slightly crispy skin that gave a sweet flavour to the flaky fish. It was succulent, dipped in the tart ponzu sauce.

The desserts were also a mixed bag. We liked the apple banana harumaki – crispy fritters served with smooth vanilla ice cream. The extra-crispy pastry shells, dusted in sugar and cinnamon, hold plump portions of soft, warm, diced mango, apple and banana. They come with a melted chocolate sauce, but don’t need it – it is too rich for these fritters, which are good enough to stand on their own.

The adzuki bean brownie, served with sweet caramel ice cream, is a rich, deep chocolate brownie with walnuts and creamy icing. As the name suggests, it is made with adzuki beans (what red-bean paste is made with). It’s more salty than sweet and I did not love it – but that combo will appeal to some.

Katana is a trendy space that includes front-row seats to the Burj Khalifa. It’s a prime location and should attract a big enough crowd to keep it vibrant and lively. I’m just not sure the food matches the chic, upscale vibe it is going for – and I am certain the service does not. Both could, and should, be improved.

• Our meal for two at Katana Robata and Sushi Bar cost Dh457. Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and conducted incognito