The Dubai Mall is the retail version of the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin, admittedly way more glamorous. We feel like Princess Jasmine every time we head there to “ just run an errand” or “just watch a movie” but suddenly find ourselves strolling past the stylish storefronts of Fashion Avenue. But every time we make a trip to the mall, it’s a whole new world with dazzling places we never knew of. Like this Japanese restaurant and café called Ishiya that makes the prettiest smoothies in Dubai you’ve ever seen. Juice here is so gorgeous we’re inclined to believe a genie created them.
The food artists at Ishiya could give wish-granting magical beings a run for their money with the stunning juices they create. Smoothies here are nothing like the practical green drink you’re used to glugging after a yoga class. Watching designs being created on these juices with fruit syrup layered using squeeze tubes and then deftly swirled into patterns using a metal stick is #satisfying.
These are juice cleanses for the eyes and soul. Which makes it doubly hard to drink them, because that would involve destroying works of art. Even if you’ve immortalised them on Instagram with 400 pictures. But do demolish those goblets of gorgeous juices so that after your eyes, your tastebuds can experience joy too. Ishiya’s all about feeding the eyes and the palate.
Coming straight from Hokkaido, this cafe by the waterfall in The Dubai Mall is beloved Japanese confectionery brand Ishiya’s first restaurant in the Middle East and launched in December 2021. And like their world-famous Shiroi Koibito white chocolate sandwich cookies which are popular souvenirs, this café is a delicious experience that has people coming back for more.
Bite-sized moreish cookies and the elegant fruit cocktails are joined by a sakura latte so exquisite, it feels like it’s straight out of an anime show. An edible item so beautiful has to be imaginary, right? RIGHT?
Available as both as a hot and iced coffee, seeing the sakura latte being made can be likened to watching a Japanese ink-wash painting come to life in a cup.
The aesthetic overwhelm continues with the décor too – faux but pretty sakura blossoms wind over arches and burst out of corners of the café.
You can sip coffee from dainty porcelain geisha cups, brewed using state-of-the-art syphon coffee brewers that resemble fancy Victorian-era science lab equipment. Then there are the miniature wagyu steak sandwiches that are so cute you’d want to die.
But you’ll soldier on and live because staying alive is the only way you can make repeated visits to recent addition to Dubai’s creative cafes and relish each and every stunning item on its menu, starting with the prettiest smoothies in Dubai.