Refined and Dined at Intersect by Lexus
It's not often that I would be at all interested in dining at an obvious promotional vehicle of a car company (pun intended) but Intersect by Lexus is not your average pop up venue or show room but rather a uniquely executed and refined dining concept that just happens to have reference to the brand and alas a car in the basement.
First conceived in 2013 in Tokyo, Japan the Aoyama district which is an area known for pioneering design, fashion, art, music and technology – the second location for this interesting venue is DIFC in the Gate District which is also known for its art galleries and high end dining concepts. It would seem then that this is the perfect destination for this original concept which is supposed to be a gathering place for communicating and inspiring ideas.
First and foremost, Intersect is all about positioning itself as a leading creative space that demonstrates the company's commitment to design and innovation. This is where the interiors of the venue designed by Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall Inc work beautifully to embody this approach. As you enter there is striking symmetry to the layout and it is clear that a lot of thought and effort has gone into design of the restaurant which has been meticulously curated to be somewhere between the home and worksspace. No surface has been left untouched and this place is a bit of an Instagramer's dream come true.
The roof is made up of hundreds of white irregular shaped fins that create a beautiful undulating wave pattern, while Intersect's bespoke spindle grille is used on the walls offering a rich honeycomb pattern. Six floor to ceiling columns that house book shelves punctuate the space with design titles and a pop of colour. The dining area itself is set towards the back of the space and leads to the bar which features an incredible Japanese style glass mural of a cityscape made of of prominent buildings from around the world. An imposing set of stairs leads you down to the Garage, where an elaborate set of lights run down the centre of the room organically growing out of the wave ceiling and are a real feature from almost any angle.
The Garage also has some wonderful details from the glass floor containing all white car parts to a long mural of model cars adjacent to the wash rooms, which by the way in true Japanese style have impossibly technical toilet controls. For Lexus, extraordinary design is key to creating the right atmosphere, and conveys the essential message of the space. In many respects the inclusion of the car itself is not really warranted and it would have perhaps been clever to have not included one as there are more than enough hints subtle and not so subtle that reference the brand.
With so much attention to detail and care taken with the design elements, it was always going to be intriguing to see if the culinary exploits of the concept were going to be at the same level, thankfully they were! The condensed menu is broken into small plates and large plates in what has now become de rigueur for many a fine dining venue, in this instance it works well.
To kick things off, the starters were: Portuguese Octopus (90 AED) Homemade Tofu (45 AED) and the absolutely wonderful Scottish Scallops (85AED). Each providing an entirely different sensation with the Tofu in particular being a real surprise winner. The perfect crunch of the fried tofu went effortlessly with the soba noodles.
Moving through to the mains, the Chilean Seabass (160AED) was delicate and cooked perfectly, the buttery flesh just melting in the mouth. Is it as good as Nobu's or Zuma's Black Cod? Not quite but a gallant effort all the same. The stand out dish was the Beef Short Rib (150 AED) which when cooked for 36 hours did everything you want a rib to do. Again like the Seabass, was it the greatest of all time? Probably not but it was still absolutely outstanding. To round things out was the lovely and nicely portioned Chocolate Sacher and Hazelnut Cremeu (35 AED) which was very nice and not too sweet or filling.
I have to say, the service here was also of a very high standard, with everyone being friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. Again and again, it’s the level of service that either makes or breaks this type of venue. Overall, Intersect is an interesting concept and thankfully they back it up with some exceptionally good food and great attention to detail to deliver a refined and elegant dining experience.
All things considered, this unique and engaging space offers fine dining with a twist that is thoroughly enjoyable but not extraordinary. That said, Intersect still makes for an excellent business lunch venue or date night spot that is well worth it.