The Food Byte: Fusion Sushi at Moshi, Dubai

I'm not a fan of seafood. I used to happily consume fish and prawns as a kid but not anymore. Overtime, my preferences have...well, evolved and I tend to shy away from any form of seafood. I do like hammour and salmon; the best salmon I've had is back in London. Everyone I know gravitates towards particular seafood dishes and sushi tends to be (almost) everyone's favorite.

I have not had sushi to date and doubt I will in the future. Unless I lose a bet. Then it's a completely different story. Nonetheless, sometime ago I received an invite to feast at Moshi. I discovered the restaurant serves, as they state momos and sushi. I had no intentions of visiting the restaurant, for obvious reasons. The month before, a friend had mentioned Moshi to me but I barely registered what she said. Nonetheless, about 4 days later while checking my emails I spotted the invite appended with a document that highlighted the story of Moshi.

While reading it, I quickly discovered to my surprise that this isn't your traditional sushi serving restaurant.

I'm beyond glad I read the story because that's what prompted me to head down to Moshi. The restaurant serves sushi without the fish! Isn't that grand? It emulates the traditional Japanese sushi concept with a creative flair. It's a place I totally fell in love with and have to date, frequented it multiple times.

The restaurant has decent seating arrangements and hosts a pleasant atmosphere. On the menu is fusion sushi- think sushi without any of the traditional seafood but with unique inclusions of local elements. This can get confusing but once you read the menu, you are enticed to order everything.

I've never been to a place that serves 'fusion sushi' so I was quite excited to try the Summer Menu. I started with a tall glass of cooling Strawberry Mojito while waiting for the sushi to arrive.

The first on the table was Sriracha Edamame. I love spicy food and this particular dish made my nose water but hey- spicy edamame is the best!

Next up, the glorious plates of fusion sushi. Featured here (from left to right) are the Hot Dog Maki, Zaatar & Labneh Maki and Volcano Rolls. Let me just start by stating the fact that I LOVED the Zaatar & Labneh Maki- Arabic cuisine is one of my favorites and both, zaatar (hello, zaatar manakish) and labneh (hello, flat bread spread) is something I have on a regular basis. What's Arabic cuisine without it, anyway?

The Zaatar & Labneh Maki is a combination of labneh, cucumber and olives wrapped in rice and coated with zaatar. To state that they are delectable would be an understatement.

The Volcano Rolls feature delicious prawns atop a layer of avocado and rice (yes, I did try it). The Hot Dog sushi will delight hot dog lovers, it isn't my favorite, though.

Being a person who prefers chicken over any other meat, I was on pins and needles to try the chicken based sushi. Let's start with the Chicken Chips Oman and Broccoli & Asparagus rolls.

If you are a UAE kid, you will instantly recall Oman Chips as the staple junk food. No, it wasn't quite Lays at that time. It was more of Oman Chips and Pofaki whilst placing yourself in front of the TV to watch re-runs of Tom & Jerry.

Moshi leveraged that and created a chicken sushi roll wrapped in rice and a generous coating of crumbled Oman Chips. I appreciate this creative flair- who would've thought about this?

The Broccoli & Asparagus Rolls is equally appetizing. If you aren't a fan of vegetables (like my brother), you might want to incorporate it bit by bit into your diet and the Broccoli & Asparagus rolls isn't a bad idea.

Heard of the Sushi Burger? Now you have! The burger served with Chicken Katsu will tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting for more.

I love dumplings so much that a visit to any Chinese restaurant in the city feels inadequate without this meal. I'm so glad Moshi also serves dumplings and the fried Chicken Dumplings were cooked to perfection. The meat was quite tender and infused with a rich flavor.

I saved the best for the last. Who doesn't appreciate cheese-flavored puffs that are laced with chilli? Let me rephrase that- who doesn't like Cheetos? The Flamin' Cheetos are my go-to weekend junk food especially when I'm catching up on my TV shows (How To Get Away With Murder, anyone?).

And Moshi should be awarded for this delightful concoction known as the Flamin' Chicken Cheetos rolls. They taste incredibly delicious, have a distinct zest and are my favorite from the entire menu.

While you can't devour all the rolls per plate as an individual, at least 5 of the Flamin' Chicken Cheetos made their way into my system. I managed to secure a takeaway and the rest were consumed by me the next day. That's how much I love them.

You will feel awfully full after eating a few sushi rolls/dumplings but there's always room for dessert, right? Prior to indulging myself in the Lotus Milkshake, let me say that Moshi is the first place I've had Lotus anything.

I've heard way too many stories about the famed Lotus cookie and how chefs have cleverly incorporated it into everyday desserts. A frothy mixture of all things good, the Lotus Milkshake is something you can't miss. Layers of lotus crumbs in creamy milk will easily make this a favorite among both, kids and adults.

I left the restaurant with a smile on my face having had a good meal. After all, I could easily announce that I now eat sushi, albeit differently. Moshi is a place I intend to hit regularly and this time around I can't wait to try their Nutella based desserts.

If you ask me to pick my favorites off the menu, it would definitely be the Flamin' Chicken Cheetos, the chicken dumplings and the Lotus Milkshake. Can I add Zaatar & Labneh to the list as well? I can't wait to be back here.

A plate of sushi will cost you anywhere between AED 19 - AED 45 depending on what you select. The service is on par, no disappointments there. Moshi- Momo & Sushi is located in Barsha and Oud Mehta, Dubai (use Google Maps to help with directions).