Dubai, UAE – This January, HANU at St. Regis Gardens will host a two-night collaboration with Mari, the Michelin-starred New York restaurant known for its modern interpretation of Korean hand rolls. The event, taking place on 21 and 22 January, marks the first time Chef Sungchul Shim—the founder of Mari and a participant in the Netflix series Culinary Class Wars—will bring his culinary concept to the Middle East.
Working alongside HANU’s Executive Chef Kyung Soo Moon, Chef Shim will present a 15-course set menu that combines his classical training with Korean heritage. The experience is designed to showcase the evolution of Korean cuisine through a blend of technical precision and traditional flavours, held in an intimate setting on Palm Jumeirah.
The collaboration features a menu that explores the balance between Mari’s signature hand rolls and HANU’s contemporary Korean style. Guests will be served a sequence of dishes that emphasise craftsmanship and seasonal ingredients. The journey begins with intricate starters like Jeju Island Monaka, egg custard and beef tartare, leading into a specialised selection of hand rolls. These curated rolls feature premium ingredients including salmon, mackerel and the highly-regarded Hanwoo galbi.
Chef Kyung Soo-moon notes that the event is intended as a creative exchange between the culinary styles of New York and Seoul, adapted for the Dubai audience. He said: “Chef Sungchul’s work with Mari represents a new chapter in how Korean cuisine is expressed globally,” says Chef Kyung Soo Moon, Executive Chef at HANU. “This collaboration is about respect for tradition, precision in execution, and creating something meaningful together, a conversation between New York and Seoul, interpreted here in Dubai.”
