Umi Kei: An Authentic Izakaya at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab

Umi means ocean, and Umi Kei sits fittingly at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, with a vibrant seaside backdrop. It is an authentic Japanese izakaya: intimate but lively, true to tradition and elegant in its presentation.

This season brings new reasons to return. There is a newly appointed head chef, an official Kobe beef licence, a sake tasting built around the art of rice polishing, and the return of the Late-Night Ramen Club.

The space is minimalist and calm. Warm wood panelling and low, soft lighting give the room a muted harmony, with jade leather seating adding colour. At its centre is a traditional sushi bar with a display of the day’s fish, and an open kitchen and robata grill keep the cooking in view.

Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Koichiro Kawakami, who brings more than 25 years of experience across four continents, including a decade with Nobu Hospitality. The menu moves from raw to warm to cooked, through sushi, sashimi, robata and rolls, with seafood sourced from Tokyo’s Toyosu market and beyond. A heritage section preserves time-honoured recipes from the Nishimura family. For those who’d rather not choose, an intimate omakase is shaped in real time around the day’s best ingredients flown in from Japan.

Umi Kei holds an official Kobe beef licence, making it one of a select few restaurants in the UAE authorised to serve the real thing, sourced through an approved Japanese distributor. The Sake Discovery Experience is a guided tasting that shows how rice polishing shapes aroma, flavour and texture. It moves from Keigetsu’s floral Sake Nature Junmai Daiginjo through Bride of the Fox and the crisp Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty”, ending with Rihaku “Dreamy Clouds”, a creamy Nigori.

As the evening goes on, the Late-Night Ramen Club brings an energetic after-dark side to the izakaya. The broths are made entirely with natural ingredients and guided by a zero-waste philosophy. Bowls include Chicken, Clam and Lemon, Wagyu Beef, and a Chilled Spicy Ramen.