UAE theme restaurant: Manga Sushi

[Enuff Stuff]

Emirati Serves Up a Taste of Japan

Lily B. Libo-on
2 August 2009

DUBAI - A young Emirati has turned his passion for Japanese characters, Manga, into a quality, affordable casual dining experience in Dubai. An experiment that provides food lovers of Dubai the true taste of Japan.



Sultan Qassim Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of the Sultan Group Investment LLC and owner of Manga Sushi, has been a self-confessed Manga fan from the time he was eight years old. “I am a great fan of Manga. My mom and dad used to tell me I was just wasting money buying Manga videos and comic collections, which run into 5,000 by now. But, when I started putting my passion of the Japanese characters into something real, my Dad said that I was not wasting money after all.”

Sultan Qassim Sultan: I won’t sacrifice high quality for profit.The 25-year old worked a whole year to conceive, design and detail every tiny aspect of Manga Sushi Restaurant until its launch in November last year. And his passion for his favourite childhood comic characters is reflected all around Manga Sushi Restaurant, on the second floor of Jumeirah Beach Plaza. The walls are bedecked with 500 of his 5,000-piece Manga collection, including comics and print cartoons sometimes called Komikku in Japan in the late 20th century. The Japanese characters painted on the walls, bonsai decorations on the table, and a Japanese feel all over ― you could very well have walked into a restaurant in Japan.

Then there is more. Seven smiling servers, dressed in costumes reminiscent of high school girl Haruhi Suzumiya in Manga, bring in your favourite sushi and tempuras. These ladies, together with the chef, put up a special dance performance for diners at 3pm, 7pm, 9pm and 11pm. And if you happen to be celebrating your birthday at the restaurant, they even sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in Japanese.

“The ambience is excellent; very cosy and clean,” says Manga Sushi regular Ziggie Williams, an Australian who works as a manager at Emirates Hospital. She is among the many others who keep going back to Manga Sushi for more.

This, of course, is just the kind of response that Sultan had hoped when he put in Dh2.5 million, to provide a high quality but affordable casual dining option to Dubai residents.

“Not everybody can afford to go to the big hotels, where most sushi restaurants normally operate. I believe that people should get sushi at affordable prices without sacrificing quality. Most important to me is quality service and product even at the cost of profit. I won’t sacrifice high quality for profit.”

Sultan insists on impeccable quality as he believes that it’s not just his name that is at stake, but his family’s as well. “The number one factor for Manga Sushi’s success is my passion for the project. I paid attention to every simple detail of the design, the food, the people serving in this restaurant.”

He spent two months in Japan and 40 days in California, US, to research on sushi and other Japanese delicacies before the launch of Manga Sushi. “Japan has the authentic Japanese sushi, but not all Arabs like the raw Japanese food. I did a great deal of research in California, where many sushi restaurants are already westernised; that helped me merge the two approaches to sushi and come up with something unique in Manga Sushi, a fusion restaurant.”

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[IkemenTommy]

Throw in some Pikachu and Hello Kitty and you'll have a real authentic Japanese cuisine. Those Ahmeds should seriously consider having a street vendor sushi outside in the hot sun too while they are at it.

[Takechanpoo]

Hey Enuff Stuff,
I heard that Japanese and the other mongoloid ethnics are discriminated fairly well in Arab countries. Explain about it as one Arab dude.

[hundefar]

Originally Posted by Enuff Stuff

He spent two months in Japan and 40 days in California, US, to research on sushi and other Japanese delicacies before the launch of Manga Sushi. “Japan has the authentic Japanese sushi, but not all Arabs like the raw Japanese food. I did a great deal of research in California, where many sushi restaurants are already westernised; that helped me merge the two approaches to sushi and come up with something unique in Manga Sushi, a fusion restaurant.”

"Can I have some extra hummus on the kebab gunkanmaki, please?"

[Doctor Stop]

"Can I have couscous nigiri instead of rice ones?"