Tatami Japanese restaurant is the latest hotspot for sushi in Kuwait. This restaurant is located in the heart of Kuwait at Shaymaa Tower on Omar Bin Khattab Street in Sharq. Opened recently, Tatami has already become the talk of the town. Reservations are recommended in the evening.

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A friend was in town and we wanted to go somewhere really “neat” for lunch, not just some chain restaurant that Kuwait is famous for (thank you Alshaya). As we had heard good things about Tatami Kuwait, we decided this would be the ideal place to go for lunch.

Designed by the renowned architect Jassim Alshehab, the architecture of Tatami Kuwait follows the Japanese art of Tatami. Though the entrance was pretty non-descript like a typical traditional Japanese restaurant, the interior was anything but dull. The contemporary décor was a beautiful mix of industrial and trendy chic. The auburn colored walls and seats of this restaurant gave me a feeling of comfort. The side-seating area and the sleek sushi bar were highlighted with copper pipes.

Upon arrival, the host showed us to our table without much delay. We were handed the menu a couple of minutes later. A good selection of lounge/jazz music was playing overhead. The menu offered a number of appetizers, maki rolls, sushi and sashimi apart from the standard soups, salads, noodles and rice options. This Japanese restaurant is ideal for those who are on the lookout for sushi in Kuwait in a hip and trendy atmosphere.

After much deliberation, we decided to go all out and ordered Salmon Carpaccio, Ebi Gyoza, Yasai Tempura, Unagi Sushi, Samurai Roll, Spider Roll, Chicken Katsu and Yariniku Yasi Itame. The Salmon Carpaccio made of thinly sliced pieces of salmon was served with ponzu sauce. Though this dish was nice, next time I would just order more salmon sashimi. The Ebi Gyoza, steamed and pan-seared handmade shrimp dumplings, were delicious and fresh.

The Yasai Tempura was made of an assortment of tempura-battered vegetables. The sweet potato in this dish was my personal favorite. The Salmon and Tuna Sashimi were served next. While the Salmon was lip smacking and full of flavor, the Tuna was somewhat fishy and quite disappointing. Next up was the Unagi Sushi. Though the portion served was small, the taste was big, but it lacked any wow factor.

Once we were done with the sushi and sashimi we were ready for our rolls. The Samurai Roll consisted of a fried roll of salmon, shrimp tempura and avocado served with a Japanese curry sauce. The Spider Roll was made with soft shell crab and avocado. Both rolls were cut into eight, thin and in some cases very slim pieces. Moreover, these rolls were average tasting at best, a big disappointment to say the least.

The Chicken Katsu consisted of Panko-breaded chicken breast served over steamed rice. I enjoyed this dish very much. The Yariniku Yasi Itame served last consisted of thin slices of grilled tenderloin served with stir-fried vegetables. The beef didn’t have much taste and it really felt as if the meat wasn’t marinated in the sauce long enough.

Service throughout lunch was friendly and very attentive. The atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed. Overall the food was not as impressive as we had hoped for, but the stunning interior design of the restaurant made us overlook the lows in the food.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch at Tatami Kuwait, but it was due more to being with friends, the great atmosphere, and above average service and less to do with the quality of the food.
This is one place we will probably visit again, primarily for its upscale, trendy ambiance. Tatami Kuwait is perfect for those coming with a group of friends or with that special someone. Overall, our rating for Tatami Kuwait is Between Bombastic and Not.

What I liked: The impressive interior

What I didn’t like: Some of the dishes were average and below average tasting

Rating: Between Bombastic and Not

Address and Telephone Number:
Tatami Japanese Restaurant
Omar Bin Khattab Street
Shaymaa Tower, Sharq
Kuwait City
Tel: +965 22251266

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