Dinner at Mott 32 Dubai is like a warm caress. Everything feels good for the soul: the dim-lit atmosphere, the mood, the menu, the pours. Brought to the vertiginous heights of the 73rd floor of Address Beach Resort JBR by Sunset Hospitality Group (whose portfolio includes Ammos, Sushisamba and Drift Beach Club), Mott 32 Dubai threw open its doors in spring this year, named after New York’s first Chinese convenience store that opened on 32 Mott Street in 1891. It imbues Chinese culture and a culinary philosophy shaped from generation to generation, with the Dubai outlet joining the ever-expanding Mott 32 portfolio that now stretches from Hong Kong to Vancouver to Las Vegas.
It has already bagged one toque in the Gault & Millau UAE 2023 Guide and received recognition in The Michelin Guide Dubai 2023. Not bad work for just nine months of operation!
The interiors – by Joyce Wang Studio – are sumptuous yet unassuming: New York industrial style with Hong Kong opulence. A gold and marble blend across walls, doors and floors, oversized lanterns, slatted partitions separating what is secretly a vast space, and alcoves filled with books and Chinese porcelain artefacts. The mirrored Art Deco bar is the best place to people watch – hop up on one of the beautiful bar stools (which swivel for easy ascent) and order yourself a Forbidden Rose cocktail with vanilla-infused Pisco, or a Hanami with Bourbon, yuzu and Umeshu.
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The tables by the bar have low-key lounge vibes, whilst for dining, there are seemingly endless sections flowing from one to another – the Opal Room is the ace up its sleeve for private dining par excellence with predictably epic panoramas.
In the kitchen, Exec Chef Frankie Yang Tao takes a modern approach to Chinese cuisine on his menu, big bold flavours punctuated by high-precision presentation. Using Cantonese, Beijing, and Szechuan cooking techniques the team whips dim sum, duck and black cod into all-new contemporary incarnations of classics. The famed Mott 32 Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck is worth the wait, taking 48 hours to prepare (note: you need to order two days in advance) and nimbly carved tableside for some culinary theatrics. Other hits are the smoked black cod, crispy triple-cooked Wagyu beef short rib and the Kung Pao lobster.
The vegan menu is spectacular too: sautéed asparagus with water chestnuts and ginkgo nut; braised tofu with morels and broccoli; Shiitake mushrooms and string bean tempura; crispy ‘chicken’ with Szechuan red peppercorns. But the standout is the smoked Peking ‘duck’ bean curd roll filled with carrot, Shiitake mushroom and wood ear fungus. It’s so rich in flavour and really showcases the prowess of plants. Desserts segue between pineapple white chocolate pavlova and sesame chocolate tart with lime and sea salt, but the sweet-tooth show-stopper is the Xiao Long Bao, where Oolong Tea-infused ice cream meets a fusion of almond and chocolate.
While Mott 32 Dubai might give off intimate New York brasserie vibes, its core is a beautiful meeting of Chinese-Arabic cultures. The interiors borrow inspiration from Arabic courtyard houses, while the menu takes you on a tour of old-to-new Hong Kong cuisine. We all know that good food tastes even better with a dollop of cool vibes and a sky-high setting for extra flavour, something Mott 32 Dubai has plenty of.
