Anchored along Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Jun’s embodies a cool composure with cultural sensibility. Chef Kelvin Cheung and his team move fluidly through the intimate dining room, where jade-green floors and rice-bowl-inspired pendant lamps shape an ambience that feels refined without tipping into formality. This is where third-culture cooking comes to life.
Chef Kelvin’s culinary narrative is personal. Born in Canada and raised in Chicago, he grew up in the kitchen and worked his way up through restaurants across North America and Europe, before gaining significant experience in India. His cooking draws on these lived experiences, layering global influences into dishes that are inventive and emotionally grounded. It is a vision that placed Jun’s among the region’s best, ranking No. 7 on the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
The journey
The thirteen-course tasting menu opens with Lobster pani puri, a clever reworking of Indian street food. The delicate shell shatters to reveal sweet lobster, a curry-laced Macanese sauce and a hit of tamarind. It’s a playful bite that more than lives up to its social media fame. Watermelon follows, showcasing seven-day-aged sea bream that’s tender and flavour-packed. We’re told to eat the fish first and follow with a sip of the watermelon and tomato dashi. Palestinian olive bubbles infused with a flash of wasabi lift this beautifully presented creation.
A sequence of three bites signals our culinary arrival in China, revisiting Chef Kelvin’s earliest memories. Flatbread kibbeh nayyeh, Sour cabbage snapper and an Otoro leaf wrap are served, with the latter standing out for its fatty depth. The Hot and sour wonton soup nods to Chef Kelvin’s time in India, doubling as a tribute to his wife’s favourite soup, Rassam. Here, the South Indian broth takes on a robust body with a curry-leaf kick, while Norwegian scallop and miniature prawn wontons drift beneath a chaat masala tuile.
Crabby mom is an adaptation of his mother’s Singaporean chilli crab, pairing gentle sweetness from the king crab with confit onions and brown-butter hazelnuts. On the side, a mantou bun accompanies the dish, warm and pillowy within. The sort of bread that invites quiet longing for seconds, or for a bag to take home, should the kitchen ever decide to sell it on its own.
The Fountain of youth, a collagen-rich soup of fish maw, crab and silky steamed egg custard, arrives as a nourishing, healing course. Nostalgia peaks with the Portuguese baked lobster rice, a dish that prompted an emotional response from my dining partner (my mother). Cashew purée, puffed rice, sweetness from apples and smoky lobster come together in something deeply comforting, conjuring memories of my great-grandmother’s home kitchen. That sense of warmth continues with Da Lang congee, theatrically revealed at the table with a golden pastry crust lifted to expose arroz caldo enriched with braised oxtail. A skewer of sambal wagyu tenderloin and a side of kimchi complete the dish.
Desserts are no less thoughtful. Loomi paleta offers a refreshing take on the region’s dried black lemon. I’ve always loved Garrett Popcorn, and the Chicago mix course immediately struck a chord. It arrives as a fun, polished composition with popcorn mousse, popcorn sponge, and burnt caramel ganache, paired with a striking four-cheese ice cream crowned with Kaluga caviar.
The Childhood treat is perhaps the most heartfelt course, with Chef Kelvin’s early years filtered through his heritage and expressed via the familiar maltiness of Horlicks. The warm malty cream is poured around a 70 per cent dark chocolate mousse scented with earthy pu-erh tea, sesame crumble and baked mochi filled with sea-salt caramel ganache. This dessert feels like a warm hug. Petit fours bring the dining experience to a close, featuring dinosaur-shaped gummy bears inspired by his son’s latest obsession, alongside mooncake, a reinterpretation of the iconic White Rabbit candy, a cookie, and a fortune cookie, all served with a cup of masala chai.
The beverage menu deserves equal attention, particularly the crafted Midnight brekkie, a clarified Peanut butter and jelly spirit with watermelon and strawberry, and the Nacho libre with guava and jalapeño notes.
Available at both lunch and dinner, with a vegetarian option, Jun’s tasting menu is a great way to experience the breadth of Chef Kelvin’s warmth and cooking.
Book now
AED560 per person. Visit junsdubai.com or contact +9714 457 6035.