itadaku

itadaku

Jumeirah

Authentic Japanese restaurant Open now 04 223 6122

Itadaku is an ingredient-driven, family-run Japanese restaurant in Jumeirah, with a small, calm dining room and an open kitchen. Reviews point to carefully prepared dishes such as wagyu skewers, nigiri and seasonal Japanese specialties, alongside warm, knowledgeable service.

Reputation Score
4.8
★★★★★
1,149 ratings
5★
92%
4★
3%
3★
1%
2★
0%
1★
3%

Source: Google Maps

The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 6
01

Tokyo feel

Japanese staff, calm interiors and detailed hospitality give many diners the feeling of eating in Japan.

02

Fresh sourcing

Reviewers praise seafood and other ingredients sourced from Japan, including fish described as exceptionally fresh.

Let's go!

What to Eat at itadaku

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of itadaku, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 3

  1. Hokkaido soft milk serve Net +3
    “Must try the Hokkaido soft serve”
  2. Nasu dengaku Net +3
    “- **Nasu Dengaku (8.5/10):** Eggplant with sweet yuzu miso was the second best dish, with a delightful blend of flavors and made how it’s supposed to be done.”
  3. Gyoza Net +2
    “I loved sweet potato tempura, deep fried tofu, gyoza, wagyu rice and their sashimis are melting in the mouth!”
Honorable mentions (48)
  1. Agedashi tofu Net +1
    “a truly deliciously authentic experience of Japanese food! The agedashi tofu, made from scratch by the chef was beyond anything I have ever tasted before. I have tasted agedashi tofu (my favorite) from many restaurants, this was in a league of its own and by far the BEST I have every had in my life.”
  2. Burger don Net +1
    “I would strongly recommend: Shrimps tempura Nigiri’s Miso eggplant Gyoza Burger Don Hokkaido soft milk serve”
  3. Chicken thigh skewers Net +1
    “Moving on to the robata, the chicken thigh skewers were juicy and cooked to perfection, but the star of the show for me was the chicken wings with spicy yuzu sauce.”
  4. Chicken wings with spicy yuzu sauce Net +1
    “Moving on to the robata, the chicken thigh skewers were juicy and cooked to perfection, but the star of the show for me was the chicken wings with spicy yuzu sauce. The balance of flavors was spot on—the kick, the tang, and the satisfaction. You could only hear an “mmmmmm” sound coming out of me. I couldn't get enough of them!”
  5. Corn tempura Net +1
    “The corn tempura was an absolute delight, crisp yet tender, while the grilled corn was truly perfection—possibly the best corn I've ever had.”
  6. Cream caramel Net +1
    “For dessert, the Hokkaido ice cream and cream caramel were exceptionally good.”
  7. Deep fried tofu Net +1
    “I loved sweet potato tempura, deep fried tofu, gyoza, wagyu rice and their sashimis are melting in the mouth!”
  8. Edamame Net +1
    “The simple dish of Edamame flavored with yuzu marinate that tasted so good!”
  9. Fish (shake yuan yaki) Net +1
    “My favorite was the fish (Shake Yuan Yaki), it was beautiful - very soft almost creamy texture and the flavor was incredible.”
  10. Goma dofu agedashi Net +1
    “Goma Dofu Agedashi: soft packed with flavors served on a shallow layer of a well-balanced and complex Japanese broth”
  11. Grilled corn Net +1
    “The corn tempura was an absolute delight, crisp yet tender, while the grilled corn was truly perfection—possibly the best corn I've ever had.”
  12. Grilled eel with rice Net +1
    “We enjoyed sushi, sashimi, mac & cheese, yakitori, tempura, wagyu, and grilled eel with rice — each one cooked to perfection.”
  13. Grilled yakitori platter Net +1
    “The **Grilled Yakitori platter ** was expertly seasoned and juicy, with a variety of flavours to enhance the experience.”
  14. Hokkaido ice cream Net +1
    “For dessert, the Hokkaido ice cream and cream caramel were exceptionally good.”
  15. Hokkaido milk & hojicha mix ice cream Net +1
    “Both of the desserts were yummy, my favourite was the Hokkaido milk & Hojicha mix ice cream. Loved it so much that I didn’t want to drink water after that in fear of losing the taste lingering in my mouth, haha!”
  16. Homemade yuzu squash Net +1
    “- **Homemade Yuzu Squash (8/10):** This fizzy lemonade made with Japanese yuzu citrus and agave syrup was very refreshing and well-executed. A good choice for this time of the year.”
  17. Hommaguro chutoro nigiri Net +1
    “- **Hommaguro Chutoro Nigiri (7/10)**”
  18. Hommaguro otoro nigiri Net +1
    “- **Hommaguro Otoro Nigiri (8/10):** Very good quality, but the pricing at AED 148 is steep compared to similar quality Otoro elsewhere in Dubai, usually priced between AED 85-95.”
  19. Kampachi nigiri Net +1
    “- **Kampachi Nigiri (7/10)**”
  20. Kampachi sashimi Net +1
    “Kampachi Sashimi: beautiful cuts of Amberjack imported from Japan, so fresh and extremely tasty this is my best cut of Sashimi”
  21. Kiri-kombu ponzu salad Net +1
    “My meal started with the Kiri-Kombu Ponzu Salad, a refreshing dish made with seaweed and sesame, elevated by the ponzu sauce. It was a great palate cleanser to set the stage for the rest of the meal.”
  22. Kushiyaki satsumaimo Net +1
    “- **Kushiyaki Satsumaimo (9/10):** This skewer of Japanese sweet potato with spicy yuzu sauce was the best dish of the night. The texture was amazing and the mix of flavors was spot on.”
  23. Kushiyaki shiitake Net +1
    “- **Kushiyaki Shiitake (7.5/10):** Skewered shiitake mushroom with dashi broth had a very good texture and taste.”
  24. Mac & cheese Net +1
    “We enjoyed sushi, sashimi, mac & cheese, yakitori, tempura, wagyu, and grilled eel with rice — each one cooked to perfection.”
  25. Miso eggplant Net +1
    “I would strongly recommend: Shrimps tempura Nigiri’s Miso eggplant Gyoza Burger Don Hokkaido soft milk serve”
  26. Nameko no akadashi Net +1
    “- **Nameko No Akadashi (7/10):** Soybean miso soup with nameko mushrooms was good.”
  27. Omakase nigiri goshu Net +1
    “The Omakase Nigiri Goshu, which included a selection of salmon, eel, sea bream, amberjack, and striped jack, was another highlight. Each piece was incredibly fresh and perfectly seasoned, making it a truly fantastic nigiri experience.”
  28. Prawn tempura Net +1
    “The veal gyoza, swordfish skewers, skipjack negiri, and prawn tempura were all to die for.”
  29. Pudding Net +1
    “The pudding was simple yet very well executed, I was a little surprised to find that its texture from the outside was that of a typical pudding but in the centre it was creamy - very cool.”
  30. Samon nigiri Net +1
    “- **Samon Nigiri (7.5/10)**”
  31. Shima-aji sujime nigiri Net +1
    “- **Shima-Aji Sujime Nigiri (6.5/10)**”
  32. Shrimp and okra Net +1
    “Shrimp and okra from cold appetizers surprisingly tasted so good”
  33. Shrimps tempura Net +1
    “I would strongly recommend: Shrimps tempura Nigiri’s Miso eggplant Gyoza Burger Don Hokkaido soft milk serve”
  34. Skipjack negiri Net +1
    “The veal gyoza, swordfish skewers, skipjack negiri, and prawn tempura were all to die for.”
  35. Sweet potato tempura Net +1
    “I loved sweet potato tempura, deep fried tofu, gyoza, wagyu rice and their sashimis are melting in the mouth!”
  36. Swordfish skewers Net +1
    “The veal gyoza, swordfish skewers, skipjack negiri, and prawn tempura were all to die for.”
  37. Tai nigiri Net +1
    “- **Tai Nigiri (6.5/10)**”
  38. Tofu steak salad Net +1
    “Tofu steak salad: what a combination this is the best tofu plate i ever tasted packed with flavors freshness and texture topped by an absolutely rich sauce.”
  39. Veal gyoza Net +1
    “The veal gyoza, swordfish skewers, skipjack negiri, and prawn tempura were all to die for.”
  40. Wagyu beef skewers Net +1
    “The restaurant truly delivers authentic Japanese cuisine expertly crafted wagyu beef skewers that melted in the mouth like butter, reflecting consistent praise from reviewers . This was my first time trying wagyu, and it exceeded all expectations: tender, flavorful, and utterly unforgettable.”
  41. Wagyu rice Net +1
    “I loved sweet potato tempura, deep fried tofu, gyoza, wagyu rice and their sashimis are melting in the mouth!”
  42. Wagyu steak Net +1
    “The wagyu steak just melts in the mouth like butter”
  43. Wagyu wasabi skewers Net +1
    “My favorite dishes were the wagyu wasabi skewers, the nigiri, and the eggplant.”
  44. Yaki gyoza Net +1
    “Yaki Gyoza: a festival of happiness resistance from the shell and the softness of the filling creates a great contrast of textures”
  45. Yaki omusubi Net +1
    “Yaki Omusubi: simple grilled rice ball, that works as a great side dish but also has the complexity of a main. A Crunchy outer layer that holds a softer layer.”
  46. Young seaweed in dashi soup Net +1
    “I had the young seaweed in dashi soup….it wad an amazing dish, so rare to come across even within Japan.”
  47. Yuzu hakusai zuke Net +1
    “I loved the eggplant appetizer “nasu dengaku” and the cold appetizer salad “yuzu hakusai zuke””
  48. Purin Net 0

    Mixed feedback

    “We also tried the Purin, a Japanese-style caramel custard. While it was enjoyable, it didn’t quite stand out in the way the other dishes did, but it was still a nice sweet touch to close the meal.”

Drinks 3

  1. Authentic matcha Net +1
    “They also have one of the best authentic Matcha I have ever tasted.”
  2. Plum juice Net +1
    “The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented especially the skewers and the plum juice was also a surprising highlight super refreshing and unique, definitely a must!!”
  3. Sencha green tea Net +1
    “Visited today, everything that was put on the table was heavenly. To top it off, 10/10 customer service! Loved every dish, ingredients are like no place else absolutely fresh and light. Ended it with dessert and sencha green tea! Couldn’t get any better.”
What to Avoid (3)

Food 3

  1. Sea urchin Net −1
    “The sea urchin had a taste that reminded me of manure—hopefully it was horse dung sea urchin.”
  2. "Kurohanagyu" wagyu suteki Net −1
    “- **"Kurohanagyu" Wagyu Suteki (6.5/10):** This 200g Japanese wagyu beef steak was also a bit too stiff for wagyu and medium done.”
  3. Kushiyaki kuroge wagyu Net −1
    “- **Kushiyaki Kuroge Wagyu (6.5/10):** Skewered Japanese wagyu beef with wasabi. The beef had a bit of a crunch and was slightly stiff for a wagyu skewer, even though it was cooked medium.”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 6
1

Book ahead. Reserve before visiting: several reviews say the small restaurant fills up and walk-ins may struggle to find a table.

2

Check seasons. Ask what is currently available if you want a particular dish; the menu changes with seasonal offerings.

Plan the visit

Practical details

32c Al Wasl Rd
Jumeirah - Jumeirah 1, Dubai
04 223 6122
MonClosed
Tue12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Wed12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Thu12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Fri12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Sat12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Sun12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Get directions

Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Small space

The restaurant has a compact layout; one tasting-menu diner found the room cramped.

High pricing

Some diners consider the pricing steep, especially the AED 148 otoro nigiri compared with similar Dubai offerings.

Customer-reported prices

These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.

around AED 1,300

tasting menu

“We tried the tasting menu and paid around AED 1,300 for two people”
Google review · April 2026

AED 148

Hommaguro Otoro Nigiri

“- **Hommaguro Otoro Nigiri (8/10):** Very good quality, but the pricing at AED 148 is steep compared to similar quality Otoro elsewhere in Dubai, usually priced between AED 85-95”
Google review · May 2024

AED 5

slice of cucumber

“The service was generally good, but I was disappointed when I asked for a slice of cucumber for my child and was told I would need to pay an extra AED 5 for it”
Google review · April 2026
DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Itadaku is a small, family-run Japanese restaurant in Jumeirah that attracts diners looking for a distinctly Japanese experience rather than familiar fusion staples. You can order nigiri and sashimi, robatayaki skewers, wagyu, gyoza and seasonal dishes; the wagyu wasabi skewers, eggplant with yuzu miso and Hokkaido milk soft serve are especially well represented in the reviews. The setting is calm and intimate, with an open kitchen and sushi bar.

Counter seats are worth requesting if you enjoy watching the cooking, while the compact room can feel cramped at busy times. Staff are often described as Japanese, warm and helpful with menu guidance, and several diners appreciated their advice on dishes and dietary requirements. Book ahead rather than relying on a walk-in.

Dinner may provide a fuller selection than weekday lunch, which one reviewer described as a set menu with relatively small portions. The menu changes seasonally, so check availability before setting your heart on a particular plate. Pricing is not uniformly modest: a tasting menu was reported at around AED 1,300 for two, and one diner considered the AED 148 otoro nigiri expensive.

Most feedback is very positive, but recent reviews also flag inconsistent steak and uni quality, so ask about freshness when ordering those items.

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