Fukurou House, DIFC

Fukurou means owl in Nihongo. In Japan owls symbolize good fortune, protection from hardships and suffering, and wisdom. I was, therefore, under the impression that I’d be dining in a restaurant that specializes in Japanese cuisine. My Japanese friend, Grace, would be the perfect companion for lunch, I decided.

Fukurou House Restaurant presents international, creative food and a style of service that is called “intuitive dining”.

So there’s no Japanese food but we weren’t disappointed and, as we would later discover, the new, amazing flavors definitely pleased our taste buds.

The things that immediately caught my attention when entering the restaurant were the white furniture and sparkling chandeliers. There are areas in the room that are highlighted with purple lights. A set of paintings adorn a wall.

Fukurou House Restaurant invites you to escape the mundane and indulge in their intimate ambiance of ornate walls and gold chandeliers. They feature new and creative art gallery/restaurant concept which includes:

• exhibition wall displaying new and original artwork (paintings, photographs, etc) every month
• boutique wall featuring local and global designers’ collections
• cozy stage for speakers and live talent/entertainment

Fukurou House Restaurant prides itself on its creatively playful and organically healthy dishes. The chef describes her cooking as “revised traditional” with creativity and no compromise on the best products.

Armen Kostanyan, managing partner of Fukurou House, is extremely passionate about his restaurant, which clearly showed when he spoke to us about his motivation behind this concept.

“We want people to feel the passionate energy we have for food, service and the arts. We want to promote this feeling and encourage the Dubai community to experience it with us. Our one-of-a-kind menu was inspired by the intuition of our chefs, we create what we love!”

The menu is moderate sized and priced, and offers a collection of healthy, flavorful, and creatively-presented food. Meticulously selected recipes from around the world are tweaked to modern tastes.

Armen arrived in Dubai from Armenia almost thirteen years ago and has always been passionate about food. He told us about his travels and how he loved learning about and experimenting with different flavors and textures of food. Armen personally goes to the market every morning to get the freshest ingredients and prefers to buy local produce. He and his partner opened Fukurou House in January 2015 (just two months ago!) and yet the response has been really good.

What’s very interesting for me is that each dish has fruits in it. “I want every dish to inspire all the senses, make it truly intuitive,” says Chef Hermine.

Caviar Trio. Eggplant, beetroot and apple caviar with homemade lavash. AED 29.

Chicken Carrot Pancake. Tender chicken breast with carrots, garlic, onion,  and coriander  rolled in a crunchy, spiced  pancake paired with a fresh  homemade yogurt of walnuts and lime juice. AED 32

Minced Beef Pancake. Home minced beef, rice, spices and coriander rolled in a crunchy slightly fried pancake, paired with a fresh  homemade yogurt of walnuts and lime juice. AED 32

Smoked Salmon Roll. Fresh dill smoked salmon with tangy bits of orange, red capsicum and avocado wrapped in crunchy iceberg lettuce. Comes with a delicate and light lemongrass, lime, and ginger sauce. AED 38

Pear Bleu Cheese Flatbread. Crispy, oven-roasted flatbread and mozzarella filled with juicy slices of pear, bleu cheese and vegetables. AED 42

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa. Succulent salmon fillet with a tangy vinegar salsa mix of fresh strawberries, onion and basil. Served with warm quinoa. AED 85

Non-alcoholic champagne to go with the salmon with strawberry salsa. AED 17 per glass and AED 80 per bottle.

Cinnamon Pear. Sweet and warm oven roasted pear baked ripe with lime, walnuts and cinnamon. Comes with a side of homemade yogurt. AED 35

The food tastes fresh, flavorful, and refreshingly light – not to mention an absolute delight to the eyes! Each bite conveys the love and passion with which the dish was made. I couldn’t choose one favorite even if I wanted to! From the appetizers to the main course and finally dessert, everything was carefully prepared and gorgeously presented.

I would definitely recommend Fukurou House to anyone who isn’t afraid to try new flavors and textures. It’s a great place to have healthy food with your family and friends, or to organize events.

Fukurou House

Ground Floor of Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC in Dubai, UAE
P.O BOX 506817
Phone: +971 4 552 1540
Email: [email protected]

Hours of operation

Saturday – Thursday – 9:00am – 9:00pm
Friday 2:00pm – 9:00pm

Parking

There are several paid public parking spaces outside the building. Other options include parking within the building – AED 10 per hour or valet (not sure how much).

Grace and I were guests of Fukurou House but all opinions are my own.