Salvaje, meaning wild in Spanish, is tucked inside Address Residences Dubai Opera with Burj Khalifa towering above it. Since opening in January 2024, it has turned heads in a dining scene where competition in both the Japanese and Latin American spheres are fierce.
Led by executive chef Koyi Tanabe, the aim is for this restaurant to carve its name as the go-to venue for innovative fusion cuisine, blending bold Latin American flavours with the tradition and elegance of Japanese gastronomic techniques.
Intrigued and hungry, it’s with this backdrop that my dining partner and I pay Salvaje a long overdue visit.
Where to sit and what to expect
Situated in one of Dubai’s most famed locations, Salvaje has a lot going for it.
On arrival, we’re met by a room designed to impress. It’s enormous, for a start, with both indoor and outdoor seating offering Burj Khalifa views.
The room is softly lit with gold details and lush greenery creating a sophisticated jungle theme, with a large central bar and various seating options from plush sofas to high-backed chairs.
My dining partner and I gravitate towards the corner of the main indoor area, which looks out onto the terrace and offers a prime position to survey the wider restaurant.
The menu
The menu is one of the most eclectic I’ve seen in Dubai, and the two house cuisines complement each other wonderfully.
There are oysters, a raw bar, ceviche offerings, sharing plates, gyozas, tacos, a wide selection of salads, wok dishes, steaks and seafood dishes ranging from sea bream to carabinero prawns.
We go for a selection of small plates to start, beginning with hamachi and truffle (Dh125), which features beautifully sliced yellowtail served with ponzu sauce, sesame oil and black truffle. It’s light and packed with flavour, making it an ideal opening to our dinner.
Next, it’s the wagyu beef gyozas (Dh95), which offer a slightly heavier feel. Served with ponzu-avocado sauce and fresh black truffle, they balance the meat's hearty flavour and texture with a more delicate dressing.
Tuna tacos (Dh95) are our last small plate and they’re probably the most authentically Latin-American dish of our chosen starters. The tuna tartare is served with chipotle sauce and avocado cream within the taco exterior and the taste is fantastic. Just a word of warning: if you’re a messy eater (like me), these tacos are packed to the brim, so the risk of sauce landing onto your shirt is real.
For our main course, we share the Salvaje ribs (Dh315) with kamameshi (Dh245) and butter corn served in coriander butter (Dh65).
The ribs are slow-cooked and served with smoked purple potato puree and torikara sauce. Their texture is what makes them memorable, as the meat is so soft and tender. It’s a delicious main and very sociable as a sharing plate.
The kamameshi – a wok-cooked Japanese mushroom rice pot with black truffle, wagyu carpaccio and rocoto sauce – serves to elevate the beef and makes it a main course that features a rich tapestry of flavours, alongside the butter corn.
For dessert, we try the yuzu caramel flan (Dh85) and the matcha coulant (Dh85).
The flan is served with yuzu foam and caramelised pecans. It’s rich and creamy and certainly on the heavier side, so I’d recommend making sure you’ve got room left to try it.
The matcha, meanwhile, taps into a trending flavour and offers a lava cake with lucuma ice cream. This is a must-order in my book; it’s exquisite. While the flan was nice, my dining partner and I almost fall out over who has the last of the matcha.
Standout dish
This is a tough one because the matcha coulant was truly wonderful, but, for me, it’s the kamameshi. Beef and mushroom blend so well together and the intricacy of the rice with the wagyu carpaccio mixed in offers an unusual yet elegant touch. The truffle flavour is powerful enough to elevate, but subtle enough not to overpower. All in all, it’s this dish I’d be most looking forward to having again on a return visit.
Save or splurge
A three-course meal at Salvaje can cost between Dh345 and Dh1,475. On the high end of the price spectrum lie the tuna yukke (Dh285), the A5 wagyu steak (Dh895) and the Salvaje platter (Dh295).
The three most reasonable dishes are the edamame (Dh65), the chicken teriyaki (Dh205) and the caramelised pears (Dh75).
A chat with the chef
The main man at Salvaje is chef Tanabe, who has spent the last two decades in kitchens.
Salvaje’s fusion concept comes in perfect homage to his roots, given that he describes himself as half-Latin, half-Japanese.
“My journey started early, cooking with my grandmother, where I learnt discipline, patience and respect for ingredients,” he says, noting that these are values that still guide him today.
“My style is ingredient-driven and intentionally simple at its core. I focus on bringing out the full potential of each element while respecting its natural character, never overcomplicating, just refining. For me, it’s about understanding the ingredient, working with it rather than against it, and creating dishes where balance, precision, and clarity allow it to truly speak.”
Daikon, or Japanese white radish, is his favourite ingredient to cook with, thanks to its versatility and ability to transform depending on how it's prepared.
“Raw, it’s crisp and refreshing, cooked or roasted, it becomes sweeter and more delicate; and when glazed or reduced, it develops depth and richness,” he says.
“On my menu, I use daikon in different ways to highlight those qualities. I incorporate it into jus and meat reductions for added aroma and flavour, grate it with ginger to bring freshness and brightness to dishes, and serve it freshly cut when I want to add a clean, crisp texture.”
For vegans, he recommends the veggie crispy rice with avocado cream, black truffle, and tonburi. His tip for vegetarians, meanwhile, is the Tsukemono salad.
Chef Koyi’s go-to starter is the Wagyu beef gyoza, while his healthy choice is the cod misoyaki.
For seafood lovers, it’s the yuzu crab grilled over robata and finished with fermented chilli and a yuzu egg yolk sauce that gets the nod. Meat connoisseurs are advised to go for the Salvaje ribs served with Peruvian purple potatoes.
Zen chocolate stones are Chef Koyi’s top recommendation for those who have room for dessert.
Contact information
Salvaje is in Opera District, Address Residences, Downtown Dubai. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm to 2am. You can book on 04 570 3653 or visit www.salvajedubai.com
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant.
