Noren is one of Dubai’s newest Japanese restaurants opening this month

JLT is getting a new Japanese restaurant, and Noren is the name to know. Created by former Zuma Managing Director Ilir Caushi and Executive Chef Pawel Kazanowski, the restaurant will move from sushi and raw dishes to Japanese grill plates, with cocktails and sake served from a central island bar. Opening at the end of August, Noren marks the first independent restaurant from Caushi and Kazanowski, who spent more than 15 years helping shape Zuma’s success around the world. The name comes from the traditional Japanese fabric curtain found at the entrance of restaurants and shops. The idea here is simple: a Japanese restaurant that fits into everyday life, whether you’re dropping in for a quick drink, settling in for lunch or making an evening of it. The menu moves between raw dishes, sushi and the grill, with plates including thinly sliced chutoro with jalapeño dressing, usugiri tomato with Ibaraki soy sauce, grilled tuna steak with wafu sauce, wasabi salad, avocado and Japanese mizuna, plus red miso glazed bone marrow and king crab with Hokkaido lemon butter. At the centre of the restaurant is an island bar, serving signature cocktails alongside an extensive sake selection. Tapasake Dubai is reopening with a new restaurant, iconic infinity pool and Sky Lounge The space keeps things clean and contemporary, with timber, tile and tactile finishes bringing warmth to the room. An open kitchen, grill and sushi counter put the cooking front and centre, while the overall feel is relaxed and lively. JLT was chosen for its growing independent food scene and neighbourhood feel, with Noren aiming to become the kind of Japanese restaurant people can drop into regularly, whether there’s an occasion or not.