From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2011

Positioned in the ground floor mall of a Deira hotel, the restaurant has little to work with in terms of views (it overlooks souvenir shops) and inside the decor leaves a little to be desired. Admittedly it won’t win any design awards, but this yakiniku-style Japanese restaurant is cosy enough, and is certainly aided in this department by the presence of built-in grills on each table. Yes, that’s right, you cook your own meals. Though starters are served from the kitchen, options from the meat-heavy main course menu arrive raw and ready for you to cook yourself.

For anyone who enjoys an interactive dining experience, this will no doubt hold endless appeal, and you may even find yourself getting carried away and ordering more just for fun. But those who prefer to see the chef doing some of the work certainly won’t be impressed. The meat itself, particularly the steak, is tender and pleasantly marinated, and you can hardly go wrong with an order of plain mixed vegetables – which, despite having no accompanying sauce, manages to taste remarkably good. In all, Sumibiya is a good choice if you’re looking for an alternative healthier bite to eat in curry-happy Deira.