Japonisme, Wabi Sabi, Ikagai, they all sound like exotic Japanese culinary delicacies. They’re not, but they are books about the various philosophies that encompass the Japanese way of life.

Ikigai (ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that combines the terms iki, meaning “alive” or “life,” and gai, meaning “benefit” or “worth.” When combined, these terms mean that which gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose. A good way of thinking about it is the word Ikigai is similar to the French term “raison d’etre” or “reason for being.”

Dubai’s chef extraordinaire Reif Othman has probably already well and truly established what his purpose is, he has also just established the Ikigai Resto & Bar with the First Group over at the Millennium Place Marina Hotel, where he invites guests to find their own sense of Ikagai and delight in some pretty exceptional Japanese soul food dished up by head chef Minho Ted Shin.

With a bright red neon sign inviting you to Find Your Purpose, it’s a pretty cool spot that’s dark and moody. For the most part it’s a venue bathed in black but the lighting does a lovely job of bringing out the warm wooden tones of the various seating arrangements to create a series of focal points that brings the guests to the fore. The space also features a wonderful rectangular bar that is heavily stocked with a variety of high end Sake options. Looking around the main dining area you’ll see some wall art that adds some colour to contrast with the darkened surrounds. In all, it’s an atmospheric venue with minimal pretentiousness that oozes an understated, low-fi vibe that is stylish and hip and the downbeat play list compliments the feeling nicely.

Ikigai promises Japanese soul food with a twist and the one page menu cleverly delivers by allowing you to dip in and out of high end dining to more casual items in a sharing format. Starting with snacks and moving on to raw and cold items it all sounds appealing and for a licensed restaurant is priced sensibly. We reflexively opt for the salted edamame while we assess further. There’s a series of Chef Selections on the menu, most of them more expensive than the standard items but offer what we suspect is an elevated dish.

For our cold selections we went for 3pcs (AED 45 & 58) of Salmon and Tuna Sashimi and it arrives looking amazing and it ate exactly as one would hope - full of freshness with the delicate textures of each type of fish coming through with a lovely palette feel. We gave the softshell crab Maki a go (78 AED). It comes with a separate wasabi dip and while it was pleasant it didn’t resonate with us as being a stand out. From there, we made a series of rapid fire choices that included raw items such as the interesting lightly seared Salmon with jalapeño soy (69 AED) and the breathtaking Hamachi (82 AED) which is served with an incredible citrus white ponzu and delicate slices of winter melon and tiny cumquat discs. This was possibly the star plate of the evening. To be fair, the seared salmon was great and the added crunch of the puffed black rice bringing some welcome textural intrigue to this adventurous dish but it ultimately fell a little flat when compared to the hamachi.

Moving on to some of the Chef’s Selections we soon found Teddy’s Fried Chicken (54 AED) (TFC) that comes with a chili sweet glaze on the table along with the superb aged Wagyu Kushiyaki (84 AED). The yakitori had a perfect cook on it and while arguably not as tender as say an A5 variety may be - it was succulent and tender and deeply satisfying with it’s chili miso soy glaze. On the other hand the TFC, while cooked perfectly with its breaded crunchy exterior and beautifully soft chicken interior came across with a pretty heavy spicy manchurian flavor that seemed a little off base.

As the evening progresses, the space slowly but assuredly fills up and a lovely vibe ensues with pockets of conversations breaking out everywhere. There’s a warmness to it all that may well be underpinned by the sake but who’s to be sure. Throughout our courses the staff are super friendly and the service personable and reasonable with no overt upselling.

Possibly saving the best ‘till last we order the grilled Black Cod with their signature IKIGAI miso mix, another Chef’s Selection (175 AED). A lot has been said and written about black cod in Japanese restaurants, so how does the chef - who’s previous interpretations of this very dish essentially made him famous treat it this time around? Perfectly.

This incarnation is a really interesting rendition and while smaller than we anticipated is a work of art. Presented with a side of smokey miso broth barley and some deeply glazed oyster mushrooms, the combinations take the dish in a whole new direction. The puffed barley is exceptional and a real highlight of the evening and combines beautifully with the cod which is cooked to perfection. It’s subtle, light and delicate in every way making it an absolute pleasure to eat. It’s soulful and satisfying just the way we imagine it was intended.

Finishing off we go for the warm mango cake with a coconut ice cream. It’s light and fluffy and by no means heavy serving as the perfect way to bookend a wonderful meal.

Bottom Line:

Ikigai is a stylish venue that bridges the gap between upscale and semi casual dining that would be a great choice for getting together with friends or colleagues for after work drinks and some soulful snacks or even a date night, where the well crafted dishes come into their own. The nicely conceived menu plays to the strength of the venue by allowing the guest to go small - or go large depending on the situation of the moment and it’s a not a visit that will break bank unless you want to go rockstar.

It’s the perfect spot to sit back and take a break and possibly even contemplate your purpose in life over a sake.