Nikkei dishes have <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/food/how-peruvian-cuisine-has-taken-the-uae-by-storm-1.615083" target="_blank">come into their own</a> in the UAE. While Coya and Nobu have been serving it for years, there are a multitude of restaurants where you can sample the cuisine – that now extends well beyond <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/food/2024/05/13/la-mar-atlantis-the-royal-peruvian-restaurant-dubai/" target="_blank">ceviche</a> and soy sauce – from Amelia, Clay, Kayto and Tapasake in Dubai to <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/food/2024/12/17/new-restaurants-abu-dhabi/" target="_blank">SushiSamba</a>, which recently opened an outpost in Abu Dhabi. The Apparel Group’s first licensed restaurant, Ren is the latest eatery that fuses Peruvian and <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/food/2024/10/20/dragonfly-japanese-restaurant-dubai-review/" target="_blank">Japanese dishes</a> with flair. Located along Sheikh Zayed Road, the two-level restaurant not only has a dining space on the ground floor but, in an unexpectedly fun twist, also offers a karaoke room on the first floor. Were I able to gather enough would-be crooners, the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2024/03/15/japan-karaoke-inventor-shigeichi-negishi/" target="_blank">karaoke</a> room would be my first choice to plonk in. Priced at Dh1,500 for a party of 15 – fully redeemable on food and drink – it’s a cool and cosy spot, with mood lighting, comfy couches and an eclectic playlist to sing along to. On the quiet Tuesday evening that my dining partner and I visit, though, we opt for booth seating in the main dining room. These are ideal for date night, and are covered on three sides with wooden slats topped with frosted glass panels for <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/home-garden/2024/06/21/ramhan-island-abu-dhabi-villas/" target="_blank">maximum privacy</a>. The 46-seater restaurant itself channels an intimate vibe thanks to the lashings of mahogany and dark wood. A 20-seat terrace – with a massive water installation – is also on site, but was closed due to construction on the evening we went. An open kitchen, sprawling bar and private dining room reachable via a grand central staircase make up the rest of the space, which is punctuated with foot-tapping but not ear-splitting lounge music. When it comes to most Asian cuisines, I tend to favour appetisers over mains, for both taste and variety. In addition to our choices of Wagyu korokke (Dh44), truffle-mushroom gyoza (Dh59) and tacos (Dh39 for three), our server, Jasmine, recommends the miso eggplant fries (Dh49) – which turns out to be the best option among this course. With a crunchy skin and tender filling, the “fries” are at once chunky, creamy and utterly moreish, and pair well with the zesty miso-yuzu mayo. While table etiquette dictates we use cutlery to split the finger-length pieces into manageable bites, I admittedly use my fingers to secure the last piece and crunch into as speedily as I would a packet of crisps or cinema popcorn. The other standout dish among the appetiser is also one suited to vegetarians – the trio of tacos. The freshly fried shell and veggies aside, it’s the mayo-lime dressing that makes this citrusy parcel a table hit. The sauce also accompanies the octopus and spicy chicken iterations of this dish. The beef croquettes and gyoza leave something to be desired, though. While the cassava filling renders the former deliciously creamy, the meat is scant to the point of intangibility and the dunking sauce is overly salty (although a squeeze of chilli-topped lime will rectify this). The gyoza, too, are nothing to write home about. Fortunately, the mains more than make up for each starter’s shortcomings. “Shred and mix,” advises Jasmine upon placing the seafood bomba hotplate in front of me. It takes me a few minutes to integrate the fish, prawns and squid with the black Spanish bomba rice – and even fewer still to inhale the dish while it’s still piping hot. By the time I look up, my partner is nearly done with his yakisoba rice noodles. I manage a bite and am pleased that, despite the subtle-bordering-on-dry look of the dish, it requires no additional sauce or seasoning. This is down to the noodles being coated in a spice-sauce blend, explains Jasmine, and complemented by the crunch of farm fresh veggies. Crunchy squid-ink-infused rice and sweet-smelling and generously portioned seafood aside, the bomba dish is elevated by the addition of coriander sauce. It may be a contentious ingredient for some but, for me, it’s proof that the herb can take a dish from palatable to superlative. I’d refrain from ordering the gyoza on my next visit, though. When I read truffle, I expect to taste truffle and this iteration – while perfectly edible – had not even a whiff of the stuff. A three-course meal at Ren can cost between Dh112 and Dh357. On the high end of the price spectrum lie tuna tataki with miso leche de tigre (Dh124); grilled blue fin tuna in huancaina sauce (Dh189); and the tres leches milk cake (Dh44) for dessert. The three most reasonable dishes across starter, main and dessert are edamame with Maldon salt and olive oil (Dh24); egg fried rice with mixed veggies (Dh49) and a number of desserts – from cherry blossom ice cream to coconut sorbet with caramelised pineapple – for Dh39 a pop. Costa Rican chef Luis Eduardo Mora Vargas has worked at restaurants such as Barra Lima, Brazil’s Imakay and Pure Breeze Farm in Costa Rica, over his 10-year career. The menu at Ren is a testament to his passion for seafood, fresh ingredients and balanced flavours. Here are Mora’s top recommendations. For vegans and vegetarians, the chef suggests nama yasai, or crisp seasonal vegetables with Peruvian aji Amarillo sauce; and the<b> </b>miso eggplant fries respectively. Seafood lovers, he says, “must try can get the sea bass ceviche<i> </i>cured in tangy lacto-fermented tiger’s milk with a fiery hit of rocoto chilli and the satisfying crunch of cancha corn”, while meat lovers will enjoy beef cheeks with Japanese curry<i> </i>served atop silky mashed potatoes. “Tres leches is my dessert of choice, as it’s a heartfelt homage to my mother, and reimagined here with a subtle sweetness that lets the flavours of cinnamon and vanilla shine. With its blend of three milks, it’s a comforting treat that feels like home,” says the chef. Ren is open from noon to midnight, and is located on the ground and first levels of Grand Plaza Movenpick Media City hotel. For reservations, call 050 670 4922. <i>This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant</i>