Walking into Smoki Moto, your eye is immediately drawn to the butcher’s counter on the right, brimming with beautifully marbled cuts, while on the left, the restaurant offers butter and kelp dry-aged meats. A few steps ahead, the dining area opens into a darker, moodier space filled with Seoul-style art, the warm flicker of smokeless, charcoal-based tabletop grills, and music that keeps you swaying in your seat, all set against panoramic views of the Palm Jumeirah and Marina skyline.

We arrived on a Friday evening to a quiet bustle, the dining room full yet comfortably spaced, and were shown to our table with a charcoal grill at its centre, where a dedicated table chef would guide our meal, explaining the Korean way of enjoying each cut, including in-house ageing techniques that give each piece its unique texture and depth of flavour, and pacing the courses for a fully immersive experience.

Culinary highlights

After perusing the venue and with the help of our lovely server, we ordered a selection of dishes. The Wagyu Neobiani arrived as a soft, smoky patty lifted by pine nuts and onion jang, while the honey butter potato jeon delivered crisp potato strands warmed by honey, chives and truffle salsa. The Korean fried chicken follows, featuring tender thigh pieces and chewy rice cake, all wrapped in a glossy Yangnyeom coating.

For mains, the Wagyu Soboro Sotbap brought together broth-cooked rice, minced wagyu and fresh chilli in a pot that felt immediately comforting. The Signature Butcher’s Box quickly became our table favourite. The chef prepared each cut on the charcoal grill at our table to our preferred level of doneness, from wagyu tteok galbi made with A5 Japanese and Australian wagyu to classic dry-aged wagyu ribeye, marinated short rib, and grain-fed tenderloin. Don’t miss the certified Hanwoo beef, one of South Korea’s most prized native breeds, which is a highlight on the menu.

The set was even better with the banchan, from sharp kimchi to fresh salads and zucchini. The garlic tallow fries and kimchi fries are must-orders.

The Coco Mango Bingsu combined coconut milk with mango compote and soft mango rice cake, while the Red Bean Crème Brûlée paired gently sweet red bean custard with nutty roasted soybean ice cream, a perfect end to the meal.

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Visit smokimotodubai.com.