Best for: Imaginative sushi that fuses fine-dining with authentic flavours

We ate: The Yacht Club roll, Wagyu beef roll, Harbor roll and Sunrise roll

The sushi: If you’re bored of California rolls and have had enough tuna maki to send you to sleep the next time someone says sushi, then a visit to the Yacht Club is in order. Try the Wagyu roll and you will first consider the taste sensation which combines those hearty flavours of tender and fatty beef strips, grilled to rare, and the exotic undertones of yakiniku sauce, shrimp tempura and sesame seeds on the sushi rice. Then you’ll consider the textures which are crunchy and chewy. And if you think this maki is well executed, you’re in for the second taste sensation that is the Sunrise roll. This one marries crunchy tempura, with a creamy coconut sauce that’s spicy and sweet all at once, and finished off with a woody nod from the smoked salmon – a delightfully delicious twist.

The rest: The menu here has been designed by Sushi Samba celebrity chef, Koji Kagawa. No wonder then that it’s a culinary adventure for the taste buds, with the sushi section alone boasting eight varieties of mind blowing maki. And because good food is only made better by a good atmosphere, we take this moment to compliment Yacht Club’s plush, funky decor and bay-side setting. Also, staff are helpful, cool and very accommodating. This sushi option might be on the pricey side, but most sushi is, and we’re more than happy to pay good money for good food that is memorable to boot.

Price: Dhs350-500

Score out of 10: 8/10
Yacht Club, InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen (02 666 6888).