Wine Dine and Play: Junsui

Action Grills, Japanese Hibachi, and Buffet

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dined in November 2009

By Sean Overpeck (CFE)

Burj Al Arab translated to “tower of the Arabs,” the 3rd tallest hotel in the world, located near the Marina District of Dubai. Completed in 1999 and built onto an artificial island at a cost of 1 billion dollars, it has 56 floors with 3 being below ground. Composed of 202 luxury rooms, 5 swimming pools, a helipad, private beach, and 8 restaurants and bars. The structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship, with 39% of its total height made up of non occupiable space. It is the world's most luxurious hotel, 24-carat gold leaf interior, with the terrace, it is the jewel in Dubai's crown, and the tower is visible from almost everywhere in the city. It is the icon of Dubai. Junsui is one of the eight restaurants in the hotel, and was my lunch destination while on a hotel tour. This was the far east Asian food experience of luxury that I saw…

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Main review:

The rich flavors of Far East Asia will delight your senses at Junsui, which translates to the word "Pure" in Japanese. Bathed in 1895 style Austrian Swarovski crystals, the dining room and cocktail lounge offers an opulent setting for your culinary journey. They have 8 live cooking stations bringing their Asian flavored masterpieces come to life before your eyes. They have a team of 25 chefs preparing mouth-watering creations from a diverse selection finely imported and local ingredients. Drawing on influences from Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Korean dishes, Junsui’s kitchen makes an interactive dining experience.

There are ten restaurants and bars in the Burj Hotel including the critically acclaimed Nathan Outlaw Al Mahara serving world seafood, the Scape Restaurant serving Californian fusion cuisine and an eclectic mix of signature cocktails, The Gold on 27 which hosts an internationally-acclaimed DJ Darko De Jan and a cocktail menu, three Arabic cuisine restaurants:Al Iwan, Sahn Eddar, and Bab Al Yam restaurant with an addition of local and organic additions. The Al Muntaha explores imaginative French Cuisine, eclectic mixology at the Skyview Bar, and finally a combination flight of all of these restaurants at the Culinary Flight restaurant at Burj Al Arab.

Located on the mezzanine floor Junsui brings the world of the orient with action stations and chef tables to you.

Menu:

Sushi Bar
Seafood on Ice
Asian Salad Bar
Teppanyaki station
Tempura station
Hot Dishes
Thai and Indonesian Grill Stations
Chinese stations with Live Cooking
Peking Duck Station
Dim-Sum station
Chinese Wok Station
Desserts

The sushi bar is made up of sashimi, maki rolls, California rolls, Gunkan, Tako, and Unagi. The Asian salad mixture selection includes a Thai seafood salad, kimchee, Japanese potato salad, and a honeydew prawn salad. The Japanese and Korean live action stations include a variety of vegetarian and seafood tempura and a Teppanyaki station with beef, chicken, calamari, mussels, and prawns.

Teppanyaki (鉄板焼き) a.k.a hibachi is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word is derived from teppan, which means iron plate, and yaki, for grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. In Japan, it refers to dishes prepared using an iron plate, with seared steak, shrimp, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), yakisoba (sōsu fried buckwheat), and monjayaki (Kantō fry batter) are a few of many cooking styles.

The Thai and Indonesian action stations include satay of chicken, lamb, and beef plus some hot dishes of Kambing Masak Kicap, Seafood Tom Yam Soup, Nasi Goreng, and Mee Goreng Aceh. The Chinese Dim-Sum station includes a selection of Har Gao, Siew Mai, and Vegetable Dumpling with XO Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Soya Sauce, Black Vinegar, and Chili Oil.

Junsui was part of an all-inclusive tour package of the hotel along with the Burj Khalifa Tower tour. I jumped around from action station to sushi with the teppanyaki and dim-sum bar being among my favorite samplings. The sushi bar was not that exciting, and I left that their rolls could have been more creative or better garnished.

Dessert:

The selection of desserts numbered above twenty and the presentation gets high marks, so make sure you do save room for the offerings of the day.

Other Noteworthy Japanese and Asian Favorites:

Zuma in Dubai, UAE

Rock 'n Raw at the Hard Rock Casino, Tampa, Florida

Tetsuya’s in Sydney, Australia

Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs, Orlando

5A5 Steak Lounge in San Francisco, California

Ambrosia in Key West, Florida

Blue Fugu Japanese Steakhouse in St. Pete Beach, Florida

Final notes and observations:

What is a restaurant review? Is one better than the other? How is the rating system broken down? Most reviews you read online are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsibly, and respectfully written, upholding the truth and accurately conveying the experience. My job is to put you at the table next to me, and to try and be objective to the best of my ability. Being impeccable with my word, never taking anything that happens at the restaurant personally, being honest in the review, never make assumptions, and to always write to the best of my knowledge is the goal. My ratings are notated by the level of stars I award (from 0 to 5). The star rating is based on the calculation and point accumulation of six separate factors with nearly seventy questions broken down by my individual experience such as wine and other beverage selection, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, plus a bonus section called the wow factor. To see more details on how I do my ratings read this article:

What Is A Restaurant Review, And Am I Any Different?

Over all from this experience, and using my rating system linked above, I give Junsui a 1 out of 5 stars, meaning that they are an average dining experience comparable to most restaurants.

Review basics:

5 stars	An Extraordinary Experience	94 - 100 % (105% w/ full bonuses)
4 Stars	An Outstanding Experience	87 - 93%
3 Stars	Exceeded All My Expectations	80 - 86%
2 Stars	Above the Average Experience	72 - 79%
1 Star	An Average Dining Experience	66 - 71%
No Star Rating	The Restaurant is Basic, Poor, or Appalling	65% or below

Overall Star Rating:	1 of 5 Stars: An Average Dining Experience
Wine List:	Click here to view the restaurants wine list
Corkage fee’s:	The Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
Restaurant style:	Conservative
Reservations:	Required Walk-Ins: Accepted, but not guaranteed
Dress code:	Business casual or Conservative attire
Child policy:	The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. If not then Hire a Babysitter!
Cuisine style:	Contemporary, Modern, Lounge, Seafood, American, Organic, Asian-fusion, Japanese, Gluten Free, & Vegetarian
Experiences:	Place for foodies, Trendy, Lounge, Business parties, Good for special occasions, Scenic views, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood gem.
Payments:	Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
Parking:	Hotel Parking and Valet
Wifi	The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
Noise level:	Medium
Smoking:	Nonsmoking restaurant
Patio:	No

Breakfast
AED 355 per person

Lunch
AED 495 per person

Dinner
AED 550 per person
Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion.

Food Prices

(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)

$£€¥ - Under 50.00

$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00

$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00

$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00

$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00

**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant or wine connoisseur’s**

My food bill:	Currency:	Price chart:
د.إ 495.00	AED Arab Emerite Dirham	د.إ
$135.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$$$
$181.00	Australian Dollar (AUS)	$$$
£105.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£££
$181.00	Canadian Dollar (CAN)	$$$
¥924.00	Chinese Yuan (CNY)	¥¥¥¥¥
€121.00	European Union (EUR)	€€€

Currency rates as of June 2017

Other Dubai restaurant reviews on Wine, Dine, and Play:

Zuma Hip Asian-Fusion A Top 100 on Wine, Dine, and Play	Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire Posh French + A Culinary Experimentalism A Top 100 on Wine, Dine, and Play	At.mosphere High Rise Fine Global Dining A Top 100 on Wine, Dine, and Play
Asail AlSham Sweets “Mastic” Ice-cream	Frevo Restaurant Brazilian Churrascaria	Café Arabesque Contemporary Middle Eastern Eatery
Enigma Restaurant Eclectic Turkish Cuisine	Roberto’s Ristorante Walk Into The Piemonte	Pachanga Restaurant South American Cuisine w/Spanish Infusion
Wheeler’s of ST. James by Marco Pierre White Traditional English Dishes	Table 9 Modern Spanish and Global Dining	Safar Restaurant International Cuisine at the DXB
Tirquaz Bistro and Garden Lounge International Buffet Al Fresco	Sushi Sleek Japanese Eatery in the Grand Hyatt	Al Tawasol Yemeni Cuisine w/Mandi
Rostang, The French Brasserie Atlantis At The Palm (Now Bread Street Kitchen and Bar)	BiCE Restaurant, Dubai Marina Innovative Italian Dishes	Wellington’s Lounge English Cuisine
Napoletana Pizzeria Pizza Restaurant	Qwaider AlNabulsi Sweets Kunāfah and Restaurant	La Petite Maison French-Old Genoese Restaurant
Plantation Restaurant and Lounge Now Renamed the AOC French Brasserie

Junsui:

Ground mezzanine floor

Burj Al Arab

Jumeirah Beach Road, Umm Suqeim

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Contact Information:

Restaurant website:	Junsui
Maître d or host:	+971 4 301 7600
Online reservations
Serving hours: United Arab Emirates Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC Offset + 4:00)	Breakfast Mon-Sun 7:00 am - 10:30 am Lunch: Mon-Sun 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm Dinner: Mon-Sun 6:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Email or webpage contact:	Contact Junsui
Social Media & Accolades:	Facebook link Burj Al Arab
	Twitter @Jumeirah
	YouTube
	Blog
	Instagram

****

The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list based on who is writing about them, and it changes on a regular basis. My list of best reviewed restaurants here on Wine, Dine, and Play is based on a rating number at 4 to 5 stars. From the 300 + published reviews as of summer 2017, less than 15% hold that prestigious ranking, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. I have dined at restaurants on five continents from cafés, chains, and fine dining to include some of best rated world Michelin locations. Here is my list, and it includes some mom and pops + holes in the wall.

Wine, Dine, and Play’s Favorites

Brick and Mortar Rustic New American Fare Saint Petersburg, Florida USA	Tetsuya’s Eclectic French-Asian Tasting Menu Sydney, Australia	The Test Kitchen Modern Eclectic African Cuisine Woodstock, South Africa
Aubergine Innovative East Meets West Menu Cape Town, South Africa	Qui Restaurant Modern Upscale Global Plates (Now Called Kuneho by Paul Qui) Austin, Texas, USA	Restaurant Le Gabriel Classic French Gastronomique Bordeaux, France
Vue de Monde Elegant Fine Australian Dining Melbourne, Australia	Constantia Uitsig La Colombe Chic Country-Style Vineyard Restaurant Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa	Zuma Hip Asian-Fusion Dubai, UAE
Grill 225 Ornate Top 10 American Chophouse Charleston, South Carolina, USA	La TABLE de Joël Robuchon Haute French Cuisine Paris, France	Alinea American-Global Molecular Menu Chicago, Illinois, USA
Quay Quintessential Modern Australian Cuisine Sydney, Australia	Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Impeccably Acclaimed French Cuisine Dublin, Ireland	The French Laundry French-American Fine Dining Yountville, Napa, California, USA
At.mosphere High Rise Fine Global Dining, Highest Restaurant In The World Dubai, UAE	The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français Contemporary, African-Inspired Tasting Journey Franschhoek, South Africa	Commanders Palace Upscale Creole Fare New Orlean’s, Louisiana, USA
Attica Inventive Eclectic Tasting Menus Ripponlea, Melbourne, Australia	Leopard Hills Lodge Safari + Upscale African Cuisine Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa	Rioja Creative Mediterranean Cuisine Denver, Colorado, USA
Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen Vibrant Pan-Indian Cuisine Slough, United Kingdom	Cook'n' With Gas Bistro High-End New Zealand Fare & Bistro Christchurch, New Zealand	Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire Posh French + A Culinary Experimentalism Festival City, Dubai, UAE
McCrady’s Inspired Farm-to-Table Dining Charleston, South Carolina, USA

So many great wines in this world, here are a few boutiques, cult wines, and favorites:

Meerlust Wine Estate Rubicon A 1756 Estate Famed Rubicon Blend Stellenbosch, South Africa	Hoopes Vineyard Big, Bold, Cult Cabernets Oakville, California, USA
Jonata Winery Screaming Eagles Sister Santa Barbara, California, USA	Yarra Yering Agincourt, Waterloo, Salamanca Yarra Valley, Australia
Penner Ash Wine Cellars Boutique Producers of Pinot Noir Willamette, Oregon	La Motte Old Huguenot Style Shiraz & Cabernets Franschhoek, South Africa
Château Lanessan A Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Bordeaux, France	Bergström Wines World Class Oregon Pinot Noir Willamette, Oregon
Biltmore Estate Winery 20+ Blue Ridge Handcrafted Wines Asheville, North Carolina, USA	Domaine Bertagna 13th Century Cistercian -1er Cru Les Cras Vougeot, Burgundy, France
Ghost Block Vineyards Exceptional Cult Sauvignon Blanc & Cabernets Yountville, California	Eagles Nest Winery Not Kehlsteinhaus, Exceptional Shiraz Constantia, South Africa

Reviewed by:

Sean Overpeck (CFE)

Executive Chef

Father, Husband, Wine Drinker

Restaurant nut, History and

Star Trek lover

winedineandplayblog@gmail.com

Picture below was taken at the

Junsui Restaurant

About Sean:

I am based out of Florida working in food service for over twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta, Georgia prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down my experiences from a few restaurants, wines I tasted, and unique locations such as Petra. Since that time, I have written over 300 articles, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide restaurants. I have articles on exotic world locations such as Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & a Grand Food Dictionary; ethnic country cuisines such as Afghan, and Peruvian; tasting tours of world cities like Charleston, Cape Town, and Dubai; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, with much more to see and write.

Who is John Galt?

“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,

But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)