Namu has prime position on the 31st floor of W Dubai Al Habtoor City with picturesque views across Sheikh Zayed Road and the recently opened Dubai Canal.
Colour is used to great effect in the restaurant without being too garish. The striking pseudo-uniforms of the hostesses does take the concept right up to the edge of the realm of ‘trying-to-hard’ – but it hints at an edgier evening crowd.
Take a walk around the restaurant and you will find a variety of private seating areas with floor-to-ceiling windows, and some amazing split levels that allow diners to see down to the floor below.
Geometric panels are a sleek design element which helps to diminish the effect of the high ceilings, whilst tube lighting provides a nice contrast. The music choices were eclectic – this is definitely the type of restaurant you expect to be fun and happening after sunset.
Namu Brunch at W Dubai
The Brunch menu reads like a generous culinary adventure with intense Asian ingredients such as Gochujang, Miso, and Yuzu. Its also a sharing menu at Namu – a relaxed approach which allows the chefs to make brunch menu items fresh to order and items are served directly to the table. Diners are able to request multiples of dishes they enjoyed. What really had us excited was the Sushi, Galbi and Bibimbap!
The open live cooking stations are tastefully incorporated into the restaurant, and reflect the different cooking techniques used at Namu – grill, iron griddle, steamer, and raw bar. Diners are spoiled at the Namu Brunch with more than 20 freshly prepared and beautifully plated dishes. (The only regret is that it’s too much food to have seconds!)
We want to highlight our favourite dish, the Korean Bibimbap with rice and vegetables. It’s popularised as Korea’s national dish and the magic comes from gochujang, a spicy sauce made from red chillies and fermented soybeans.
Namu’s vegetarian version takes it a step further with a poached egg and crispy rice which provides silky and crunchy elements to the dish. The gochujang is added to the traditional claypot by the server, who hand mixes your Bibimbap for you (if you can’t handle your spice be sure to ask for less of the spicy gochujang sauce). So so very good – we dream of this dish!
We also enjoyed the rich Lobster Kyoza, the crunchy Garden Vegetables, and the intense and spicy Korean Broth which was prepared as a bouillabaisse. The sashimi was bright and fresh, the sushi was texturally interesting, and meats were grilled perfectly.
Flavours range from the intense and tangy, to the rich and spicy. If you are looking for unique flavour combinations then anything from the Impressions section of the menu is sure to excite your tastebuds…the Hokkaido scallop, the Gan-jang marinated tiger prawns, and Oysters are perfection.
Mains led to high expectations for dessert but nothing stood out too much from the dessert tasting platter, although there were interesting textures and techniques. The Chocolate Tart was beautifully presented but far too mini in proportions for our liking.
Special recognition goes to the mixologist for creating interesting mocktails including the sour and fruity Desperate Mocktail – not for the faint-hearted, the blueberry vinegar in this will make your hair stand on end!
The vertigo-inducing panoramic views of Dubai sets the place apart from similar restaurants, and gives another reason to come back for a night time view. Service was excellent, although there was a wait for dishes to come to the table.
Once the place gets busier we can imagine that the chefs will need to speed up with the pretty plating. However you are presented with Instagram-worthy dishes perfectly executed using high quality ingredients and flavourful sauces.
For reservations and more information call +971 4436 6688 | +971 4436 6666 or email namu.Dubai@whotels.com
Namu Restaurant & Lounge
Adress: W Dubai, Al Habtoor City, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
With the introduction of a daily business lunch menu (between 12.30pm-3.00pm) diners can now try Namu dishes at an excellent price: 2 course priced at AED 79; 3 course priced at AED 99; and 4 course at AED 129.
QatarEating was a guest of W Dubai.