Kima Izakaya

Kima Izakaya

Jumeirah Lake Towers

Japanese restaurant Closed 04 420 6555

Kima Izakaya is a casual Japanese restaurant in Jumeirah Lake Towers, built around a compact, lively izakaya-style experience. Reviews point to standout dishes such as salmon carpaccio and Kima karaage, plus warm service and a menu designed for informal sharing.

Reputation Score
4.8
★★★★★
492 ratings
5★
90%
4★
6%
3★
1%
2★
1%
1★
1%

Source: Google Maps

The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 6
01

Izakaya atmosphere

Japanese wall art, vinyl records and memorabilia give the compact room a lively, lived-in izakaya feel.

02

Salmon highlights

Salmon carpaccio and salmon aburi repeatedly stand out, with one reviewer ordering the aburi twice.

Let's go!

What to Eat at Kima Izakaya

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

Food 9

  1. Salmon carpaccio Net +8
    “Salmon carpaccio was also good and their yuzu sauce.”
  2. Salmon aburi Net +7
    “The Salmon Aburi and California Maki were definitely my favorites.”
  3. Kima karaage Net +5
    “The Kima-Karaage was immaculate.”
  4. Yellowtail jalapeno Net +3
    “100% recommend all the rolls and yellowtail jalapeno. Can't wait for the next time!”
  5. Beef tataki Net +2
    “For today, I had the salmon carpaccio, scallops, beef tataki, and spicy hamachi maki — all of which I truly enjoyed and would highly recommend.”
  6. Chilli edamame Net +2
    “We also ordered the Chilli Edamame which was delicious and packed with flavor”
  7. Kimchi Net +2
    “We kicked things off with the kimchi , Pot Stickers with just a kick of chili that woke up our taste buds instantly.”
  8. Miso soup Net +2
    “We had for appetizers - prawn gyoza and miso soup both 10/10! then we also had kima karaage 8/10, salmon carpaccio 10/10 and salmon aburi 10/10.”
  9. Spicy tuna Net +2
    “The beef tataki was seared just right, delicate and packed with flavour, while the spicy tuna and salmon avocado delivered that clean, punchy freshness you crave from good sashimi-style plates.”
Honorable mentions (31)
  1. Cauliflower kara-age Net +1
    “My top recommended dishes for their tastiness and value for money are: 1. Cauliflower kara-age (32 AED) 2. Spicy Tuna (49 AED) 3. Salmon Teriyaki Donburi (69 AED) 4. Yakisoba Chicken (62 AED)”
  2. Chicken donburi Net +1
    “Chicken Donburi 8/10 🔥”
  3. Crispy karaage Net +1
    “We couldn’t resist ordering everything that caught our eye: crispy karaage, smoky yakisoba, melt-in-your-mouth salmon teriyaki, and that perfect hand roll that stole the show.”
  4. Hokkaido scallops Net +1
    “Authentic Japanese restaurant. The food is impeccable, the Hokkaido Scallops was the highlight for me. We ordered the Chili Edamame, Beef Tataki, Salmon Carpaccio, Spicy Tuna Maki, Nigiri, Tenderloin Donburi (a little over cooked) & Temaki. All were excellent. Staff is friendly and attentive. Will definitely be going back!”
  5. Kima salad Net +1
    “The veggie gyoza arrived perfectly pan-seared, and the KIMA salad was fresh and beautifully balanced.”
  6. Massive prawn tempura Net +1
    “We would definitely comeback to try what we haven't ordered yet but our best reco was the salmon carpaccio, yellowtail jalapeno and make sure you get their massive prawn tempura 🍤”
  7. Mochi ice cream Net +1
    “The yakisoba was rich and satisfying, and we wrapped up with mochi ice cream, the perfect light finish.”
  8. Pot stickers Net +1
    “We kicked things off with the kimchi , Pot Stickers with just a kick of chili that woke up our taste buds instantly.”
  9. Prawn tempura Net +1
    “Prawn Tempura 6.5/10 with Sauce 7/10”
  10. Salmon avocado Net +1
    “The beef tataki was seared just right, delicate and packed with flavour, while the spicy tuna and salmon avocado delivered that clean, punchy freshness you crave from good sashimi-style plates.”
  11. Salmon teriyaki Net +1
    “We couldn’t resist ordering everything that caught our eye: crispy karaage, smoky yakisoba, melt-in-your-mouth salmon teriyaki, and that perfect hand roll that stole the show.”
  12. Salmon teriyaki donburi Net +1
    “My top recommended dishes for their tastiness and value for money are: 1. Cauliflower kara-age (32 AED) 2. Spicy Tuna (49 AED) 3. Salmon Teriyaki Donburi (69 AED) 4. Yakisoba Chicken (62 AED)”
  13. Scallops Net +1
    “For today, I had the salmon carpaccio, scallops, beef tataki, and spicy hamachi maki — all of which I truly enjoyed and would highly recommend.”
  14. Smoky yakisoba Net +1
    “We couldn’t resist ordering everything that caught our eye: crispy karaage, smoky yakisoba, melt-in-your-mouth salmon teriyaki, and that perfect hand roll that stole the show.”
  15. Spicy chicken maki Net +1
    “We also had the spicy chicken maki — but it wasn’t spicy at all, so would give it 8/10.”
  16. Spicy chix Net +1
    “The spicy chix was so good we had to order it twice 😆 The seating is casual, simple, cozy, and authentic.”
  17. Spicy tuna maki Net +1
    “Authentic Japanese restaurant. The food is impeccable, the Hokkaido Scallops was the highlight for me. We ordered the Chili Edamame, Beef Tataki, Salmon Carpaccio, Spicy Tuna Maki, Nigiri, Tenderloin Donburi (a little over cooked) & Temaki. All were excellent. Staff is friendly and attentive. Will definitely be going back!”
  18. Strawberry cheesecake mochi Net +1
    “Strawberry cheesecake Mochi 8/10 🔥”
  19. Temaki Net +1
    “Authentic Japanese restaurant. The food is impeccable, the Hokkaido Scallops was the highlight for me. We ordered the Chili Edamame, Beef Tataki, Salmon Carpaccio, Spicy Tuna Maki, Nigiri, Tenderloin Donburi (a little over cooked) & Temaki. All were excellent. Staff is friendly and attentive. Will definitely be going back!”
  20. Tempura Net +1
    “Went here for a casual birthday dinner with my friend. We ordered a few of their small plates but when it arrived on the table, these plates weren’t small at all - especially the tempura. Our table was so full and our mains weren’t served yet. The staff were very friendly and nice. The food was 10/10. Service was spot on and the atmosphere feels like you were actually dining in Japan.”
  21. Tenderloin Net +1
    “Our favourites were the kima karage and tenderloin”
  22. Tenderloin donburi Net +1
    “Authentic Japanese restaurant. The food is impeccable, the Hokkaido Scallops was the highlight for me. We ordered the Chili Edamame, Beef Tataki, Salmon Carpaccio, Spicy Tuna Maki, Nigiri, Tenderloin Donburi (a little over cooked) & Temaki. All were excellent. Staff is friendly and attentive. Will definitely be going back!”
  23. Veggie gyoza Net +1
    “The veggie gyoza arrived perfectly pan-seared, and the KIMA salad was fresh and beautifully balanced.”
  24. Veggie roll Net +1
    “The Veggie Roll was fresh and we loved the pickled ginger with it .”
  25. Wagyu donburi Net +1
    “Very homely and high quality delicious food!! Highly recommend the wagyu donburi, wagyu nigiri, & salmon carpaccio!!”
  26. Wagyu nigiri Net +1
    “Very homely and high quality delicious food!! Highly recommend the wagyu donburi, wagyu nigiri, & salmon carpaccio!!”
  27. Yakisoba chicken Net +1
    “My top recommended dishes for their tastiness and value for money are: 1. Cauliflower kara-age (32 AED) 2. Spicy Tuna (49 AED) 3. Salmon Teriyaki Donburi (69 AED) 4. Yakisoba Chicken (62 AED)”
  28. Yellow tail concoction Net +1
    “Love the taste. Especially the yellow tail concoction... But there must be something wrong with the air conditioning as they had to portable ones on and it was still hot in there.”
  29. Yuzu mochi Net +1
    “We ended the meal with their wonderfully refreshing mochi , the yuzu mochi is definitely worth trying .”
  30. Prawn gyoza Net 0

    Mixed feedback

    “We had for appetizers - prawn gyoza and miso soup both 10/10! then we also had kima karaage 8/10, salmon carpaccio 10/10 and salmon aburi 10/10.”
  31. Spicy hamachi maki Net 0

    Mixed feedback

    “For today, I had the salmon carpaccio, scallops, beef tataki, and spicy hamachi maki — all of which I truly enjoyed and would highly recommend.”
What to Avoid (4)

Food 4

  1. Duck gyoza Net −1
    “The dishes were delicious and packed with umami. The only one that felt slightly lacking was the duck gyoza, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience.”
  2. Takoyaki Net −1
    “Takoyaki, Octopus was overcooked, it was very chewy!”
  3. Temaki negitoro Net −1
    “On the other hand, the Temaki Negitoro felt like it was missing something while the ingredients were fresh it lacked the depth of flavor I was expecting The Spicy Hamachi Maki was another disappointment mainly due to its size.”
  4. Wafu vegetables donburi Net −1
    “For mains we had the Yakisoba and Wafu Vegetables Donburi .. I enjoyed the Yakisoba noodles a lot but the Donburi didn't work for me .”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 5
1

Reserve ahead. Book before visiting, especially at busy times: the restaurant is small and reviewers often found it full.

2

Plan for heat. Ask about current cooling conditions before a summer visit, as one reviewer reported there was no AC.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Podium Level - Cluster R
Al Thanyah Fifth - Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
04 420 6555
MonClosed
Tue12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Wed12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Thu12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Fri12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sat12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sun12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Get directions

Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Summer heat

Several reviews report that the small restaurant becomes uncomfortably warm, with one guest saying it had no AC.

Tight seating

Limited tables and cramped seating can feel crowded during busy periods, while some guests found the chairs uncomfortable.

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Kima Izakaya is a compact Japanese informal-dining spot in Jumeirah Lake Towers, centred on small plates, sushi-style dishes and hot izakaya favourites. The clearest reasons to visit are salmon carpaccio, salmon aburi and Kima karaage; reviewers repeatedly singled them out, with one table ordering the salmon aburi twice and another calling the karaage a favourite. The setting is casual and characterful rather than polished.

Japanese wall art, vinyl records and scattered memorabilia create a lived-in atmosphere, while the counter sits close to the kitchen. Service is a major strength: diners describe the team as warm, attentive and helpful with recommendations, even when the restaurant is busy. There are practical trade-offs.

Seating is limited and can feel cramped, portions can run small, and the room has been described as hot in summer. Some guests also found the music or staff chatter loud. Outdoor tables are available, though summer conditions may not make them appealing.

Reserve ahead, particularly during busy periods. For a first order, salmon carpaccio, salmon aburi or Kima karaage are the safest review-backed starting points; ask about daily specials and the lunch tasting menu if you visit earlier in the day.

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