IMAGINE a full-fledged cocktail bar in a five-star hotel that serves—what!?!—no alcohol at all but well-mixed and inventive craft 0% alcohol cocktails that taste just as good as real cocktails and spirits. Or a Japanese restaurant that highlights only the healthiest selection of food.
These are the two newest attractions of Dusit Thani Dubai, a renowned five-star hotel
operated by Dusit International, which is one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies. Giving healthy dining and drinking a delicious, creative twist are two new venues that offer maximum taste with minimal guilt for health-conscious diners and mindful drinkers—MaKiRa, a Japanese rolls and bowls restaurant whose name is a combination of its two signature dishes, Maki and Ramen; and NoLo, the first non-alcoholic bar in Dubai whose name is a portmanteau of No (which means no alcohol) and Lo (which stands for multiple meanings, such as low worries, love for self, loyal to wellness).
Located on the ground floor of Dusit Thani Dubai and decorated with multi-colored Japanese umbrellas, Uchiwa fans, and colorful Furoshiki boxes, MaKiRa draws inspiration from Maki and Ramen and uses only the finest local and imported ingredients to whip up a wide range of wraps, flavorful broths and healthy bowls. This includes a thoughtfully curated selection of healthy salads, poke and chirashi (seasoned sushis, such as Tuna Poke (quinoa charred pineapple, edamame, snow peas, and red radish served with Bloody Mary dressing) and New Style Chirashi (sushi rice, salmon, tuna, octopus, hamachi, takuwan, hajikame and wasabi soy dressing).
Other signature items include Aburi Truffle Wagyu Roll, Torched Samon Uramaki Roll, Tan Tan Ramen, and Tom Yum Ramen.
The new bar, NoLo, looks and feels like a traditional cocktail bar—even better, as it is all of 240 square meters of cozy nooks with colorful velvet-swathed seats and the whole place is decked with modern art, quirky ornaments, and wrought-iron chandeliers draped with beautiful hanging greenery. It redefines cocktail culture by offering a hip and chic place for guests who like to socialize, bar style, without having to take alcohol. Here is where guests can try what tickles their fancy on the long list of alcohol-free classic and experimental concoctions exclusively created in partnership with Lyre’s, which is the world’s leading independent non-alcoholic spirits brand.
This list includes Lavender Bees Knees Royale, Immune Highball, Smoked Honeycomb Old
Fashioned, Spice Date Espresso Martini, and Thai Basil Smash, which guests like to enjoy with bar snacks such as Tandoori Chicken Bao, Salt, and Pepper Calamari, and Shrimps Avo Taco.
“At Dusit Thani Dubai, we don’t respond to trends. We prefer to create and lead them,”
says Prateek Kumar, senior vice president-operations, Dusit International, and general manager of Dusit Thani Dubai. “Fully embracing well-being as one of the four key pillars of Dusit Graciousness, and recognizing that an increasing number of consumers are prioritizing health and wellness, we are committed to delivering experiences that delight our guests on multiple levels while offering healthy benefits, too. By introducing Dubai’s first dry bar, NoLo, and the unique and creative Japanese rolls and bowls experience at MaKiRa, we are really taking healthy drinking and dining to whole new levels of taste, and we look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy these unique and memorable experiences with us.”