It should come as no surprise to regular readers that I love Japanese food.

I think I’ve been to most of the Japanese restaurants in the city and each of course has its own style and hook. That said, there are many good ones - some less so, regardless, few poses the sheer gravitas of authenticity that you’ll find at Fujiya.

The moment you walk in the door, you’re met with this bustling Japanese eatery that would be perfectly suited to being in a Tokyo backstreet, so much so, its almost as if you are in Japan given the majority of the guests are Japanese. Clearly this is not a mistake, nor is it dumb luck - it is however a sure sign that the former sumo wrestler turned Dubai based Japanese chef Aiko Hayakawa knows exactly what he’s doing in the kitchen and that his culinary efforts are well appreciated by his traveling countrymen.

Upon viewing the menu, this praise comes as no surprise.

It’s a tour de force of authentic Japanese cooking and features so many traditional dishes and fan favorites it’s almost impossible to decide what to order. From Sushi to Izikaya, onto Yakitori, Ramen and even traditional Shabu Shabu it’s all here.

As we decide, it’s obvious that this is one buzzing locale and it’s not hard to think for just a moment that you’ve actually left Dubai for the land of the rising sun. Looking around and there’s plenty of smiling faces, jovial conversation and laughter, just they way it should be. If this were close to a metro station you may even find the odd sleeping salaryman parked somewhere on the steps or in an alcove.

On to the food and in short, everything that landed on the table was as close to anything that we tried while in Tokyo or Kyoto, suffice to say that we were immediately impressed and already excitedly planning our next visit. The yakitori was simply superb but I will say that as good as the ramen was I still love Daikan’s the best.

The term hidden gem is bandied about far too much but in this case it’s more than justified and it wouldn’t being going out on a limb to say that this is the best Japanese food in Dubai. We just wish it was a little closer to home. Fujiya’s perhaps not unaware of this thinking and the opening of their second outlet in Downtown at the Murooj Hotel complex is a little closer.

I can’t wait to visit and try the unlimited Shabu-shabu Buffet or perhaps the Yakiniku Buffet with it’s fives type of grilled wagyu. Anyway, I digress. Being close to the airport may be disadvantageous for Dubai residents who are based on the other side of town - and who may like to enjoy an ice cold Asahi or ten but clearly this is a shrewd move by the management as it perfectly positions this humble eatery as the absolute go to destination for transiting and homesick Japanese visitors.

Bottom Line:

With a simple set up that consists of a basic dining room, straightforward and polite service, and a fantastic atmosphere that is underpinned by outstanding dishes expertly crafted for both taste and visual pleasure - Fujiya is an amazing destination for truly authentic Japanese food. When one considers it is fully licensed it’s easy to say that this is one place that represents sensational value for money and should be on everyone’s Must Go list.

It’s exactly the way Izakaya should be.