No. 15 of the World’s 50 Best in Middle East – but not sure it’s deserved: Restaurant Myazu (16. November 2022)
The Myazu is No. 15 of the World’s 50 Best Middle East 2022. Looking at the food I have tried in the region so far, I somehow get that. On the other hand, I absolutely do not get it. But, let’s go step by step. Very differently to most places I’ve been to in Riyadh, the Myazu was actually packed. So, booking a table in advance is a must. Upon arrival, the process is flawless and people bring you to your table. We ended up at the very back in an apparently new area.
The waiter was super friendly, jovial, and fun. But he was also a sales guy. I get that, that’s his job. But come on! I mean, when you start with “if your company is paying tonight, we have a few nice dishes you should try tonight” feels wrong on so many levels.
In any case, we picked a few dishes we wanted to give a try and started with the “spicy chicken & prawn gyoza (spicy chicken, prawn, roasted chilli ponzu)” (89.00 SAR). I quite liked it since it was not as doughy as it so often is. In terms of filling, though, it didn’t feel like it tasted very special.
The “crispy short rib (artichokes purée, umami glacé)” (205.00 SAR) was definitely on the more expensive side of things, but it was also quite tasty. The meat quality was good, and the flavours worked well together, but paying almost CHF 50.00 for this plate just seems quite off.
The “short rib bao (short ribs, bao bun, black cream sauce, pickled onion, fried sweet potato)” (74.00 SAR) were nice. The meat had a bit of a chewier consistency compared to the sliders, but it went well in combination.
As simple as they look, my absolute favourite was the “wagyu beef sliders (creamy spicy sauce, truffle, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle)” (159.00 SAR). I mean, yes, it’s beef sliders. Usually not something which blows your mind, I do admit. However, when you take a bite, it feels like you eat a piece of heaven. They are so tasty, so delicious, I was surprised (and in this very moment sad that it was four of us, so I was just able to have one of them).
The “wagyu carpaccio (thinly sliced seared wagyu beef fillet, micro leaves, truffle shavings & ginger dressing)” (128.00 SAR) was good and luckily one of the dishes which was not entirely swimming in sauce. In any case, though, the wagyu carpaccio was nice.
The “marinated yellowtail sashimi (bell pepper salsa & shiso ponzu dressing)” (89.00 SAR) would probably have been amazing if it wasn’t for the dressing. Sure, the flavour combination worked, and it wasn’t bad, but you couldn’t taste anything of the tuna, which feels a bit wrong if you’re specifically going for the tuna flavour.
The “crispy duck & watermelon salad (cashew nuts, Asian herbs & sweet soy dressing)” (155.00 SAR) was actually an interesting combination I don’t think I have tried before. The duck meat was good, the sauce, in this case, worked well, and the light and slightly sweet flavour of the watermelon balanced it off quite well.
The “Alaskan crab salad (baby gem lettuce, avocado, crème fraîche & ponzu jelly)” (158.00 SAR) was, uhm, a salad. Not sure what was supposed to make this a special dish.
Then it was time for rolls to finish off the dinner. The “lobster katsu maki (katsu lobster, avocado, asparagus, jalapeño yuzu mayo)” (110.00 SAR) was quite nice, but you couldn’t really taste the lobster, unfortunately.
The “spider (crispy soft shell crab, shiso leaves, avocado, tobiko & chilli mayo)” (125.00 SAR) sounded delicious, and it was good.
And last but not least, the “Chan San (gulf prawn tempura, red pepper, avocado, sweet soy & spicy mayo)” (138.00 SAR) were quite nice as well.
Despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is a dry state, the Myazu has a drinks’ mixer. However, it’s non-alcoholic drinks, but the guy who is responsible for this is quite excited about his job, which is nice to see. To be fair, though, it’s quite a show and feels like it’s a bit of an oversale when you come with a lot of stuff to the table to just mix two juices.
Before you leave, you get a some friandises, in this case it was “matcha truffles with leaf gold”. And they were nice, chocolatey.
So, to sum it up, the food at Myazu is good. But, in my personal opinion, it’s not outstanding. They have relatively innovative dishes, but it feels like they try too hard and mix too many things together. Everything is a bit overwhelming in terms of sauce and number of ingredients. Sometimes, less is more.
When it comes to the place itself, though, they excelled. The exit is a long corridor which looks quite lovely with the light show effects.
So, to sum it up, the Myazu is a good place to eat, but, personally, it doesn’t belong on a “Top 50” list. Even if it’s the Middle East as a comparison.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Myazu
Musad Bin Jalawi, As Sulimaniyah
12244 Riyadh (KSA)
Tel.: +966 92 00 096 86
E-Mail: enquiries@myazu.com
Homepage: http://www.myazu.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
