Perched within the serene St. Regis Gardens, Palm Jumeirah, HANU offers a contemporary take on Korean cuisine, led by chef Kyung Soo Moon. You might have seen this on your socials: chicken nuggets topped with caviar. Well, you’ll find them at HANU and the unlikely pairing works surprisingly well. The kimchi arancini with quail egg and chilli pickle is inspired by chef Kyung’s mother’s kimchi rice and is a hearty appetiser. For a refined take on Korean BBQ, the restaurant’s ‘Meat Me at the Grill’ experience is a must-try. Each table features a charcoal grill and should you choose this option, the team prepares four cuts of meat to your liking, right at your table. We tried the Wagyu rib-eye, Japanese A4 Wagyu striploin, oyster blade and the Korean shortrib galbi. This is complemented by fermented and pickled condiments (banchan), green leaves, salad and a truffle egg custard. Worth the wait is the sweet surprise at the end: diners leave with a taste of hodugwaja, which are bite-sized cookies filled with red bean paste and walnuts.
The interiors of HANU include nods to Korean culture
Harummanis mango curd with keffir lime, meringue and edible flowers
Chef Akmal Anuar’s latest venture at Wasl 51, Harummanis, is a personal, heartfelt tribute to his roots and the culinary heritage of Singapore’s Malay community. Named after the family’s 32-year-old nasi padang hawker stall in Singapore, and the fragrant Harumanis mango, this warmly lit space fuses nostalgia, storytelling and innovation in equal measure. “Our cuisine is indigenous,” says Akmal, proudly showing me wing beans, coconuts, fistfuls of ginger and buah keluak, a fruit native to Southeast Asia that falls to the ground when ripe, and is poisonous if not properly prepared. Don’t be put off by the latter, the result is a menu grounded in tradition, elevated with beautiful flavours. Start with kinilaw – seabass ceviche in a coconut-lime dressing with ginger and chilli – clean, vibrant and full of zing. The ayam masak putih, a coconut-based chicken stew, is grilled over charcoal for a smoky depth, served with charred corn. And the beef cheek rendang is a standout: deeply aromatic, fall-apart tender and made with over 20 ingredients simmered for six hours. For a healthful interlude, the jamu – traditional medicinal drinks made from roots, seeds and leaves – offer earthy, restorative notes. Dessert impresses, too: the Harumanis mango curd with kaffir lime, meringue and edible flowers is a bright, textural revelation while Sarang Semu – a bitter keluak chocolate mousse with honeycomb cake and honey ice cream – is rich, bold and beautifully balanced.
The fresh strawberry shortcake mochi with whipped cream and freeze-dried strawberry at Kasumigaseki is surprisingly delightful
Newly opened in April 2025 at Vida Emirates Hills, Kasumigaseki is setting out to share high-quality Japanese food with its diners. The spacious and stylish venue puts the kitchen centre stage – you can opt to sit at the high chairs along the kitchen counter for a chef’s table experience or sink back into the comfortable booths dotting the restaurant. With both à la carte options and two tasting menus, you’ll be spoiled for choice, and we went with the Toriwake sharing menu. The Kaisen salad was a welcome start, with salmon, shrimp and mussels dotting the fresh leaves, paired with chunks of fig. The freshness and quality of the seafood shone through, especially with the plate of sashimi that graced the table. We can’t resist fried chicken and Kasumigaseki’s karaage, made with chicken thighs, was juicy within and perfectly crispy on the outside – as it should be. All the dishes delighted, but perhaps none more so than the sweet finale: fresh strawberry shortcake mochi with whipped cream and freeze-dried strawberry. Let’s just say we wouldn’t have said no to seconds.
