Thomas Klein International (TKI), a leading restaurant consultant in Dubai, has been appointed to design and operate Shisu FM, an innovative café concept in the new Café Court in Wafi Mall.

“Similar to traditional sushi bars, you will be in touch directly with the sushi chef, who will prepare and serve you an ever-changing menu of Japanese and Asian specialties, all based on the freshest ingredients of the day,” said Adrian Becerril Garcia, head chef at TKI.

The day’s menu will be displayed on blackboard in the café, and will consist mostly of sushi, maki rolls, hand rolls, sashimi, Asiatic soups and noodles, as well as some curries.

“Basically we will only have a total of eight to ten dishes per day, which will vary on a daily basis, although some dishes will be offered regularly if our customers like anything in particular,” said Garcia.

“So if a customer asks for his favourite sushi roll and it’s not on the menu that day, but we have the ingredients, we will prepare it for him or her. It’s all about being as flexible as possible and using the freshest ingredients available in the market that day.”

Serving high-quality Japanese and Asian dishes on the go, with a strong emphasis on sushi, the café will offer diners a unique experience: FM stands for Fresh Market, which means the menu will change daily, dictated by the freshest ingredients available on the day.

Daniel During, principal and managing director of TKI, said: “The café is located within the new Wafi Café Court and it is set around a live cooking counter, with a very limited seating capacity. There are about 17 seats around the counter and additional seating in the café court itself.”

“The existing raw block work walls provided by the mall will serve as the background to the counter.

“We considered cladding the walls with bamboo to enhance the Japanese theme within the café, however as sustainability is at the core of our belief, we decided to keep the original block work in its natural state, and not creating waste by adding material in hiding their original raw beauty,” he added.

The counter front will be built up with metal studs to reduce waste, and clad with natural basalt tiles to match the colour of the block work wall. The counter tops will be finished in black granite. The bar stools will be made with light, unstained, sustainable wood, and will have a simple design along with back rests.

“The colour scheme has been limited to blacks and greys in order to serve as a neutral backdrop to the food being served. The simple black and red logo further enhances the concept,” added During.

The overall scope of work involved creating a concept that fit the landlord’s needs as well as the investor’s requirements.

“TKI offered a synergetic solution to our requirements,” said Richard Billington, MKM Group marketing & property director of Wafi Mall. “Additionally, their proven record within our properties left no doubt that they were the right partners for the site.”

Following the concept creation and development, TKI will be responsible for the design, branding, tendering, menu development, and the operation of Shisu FM once it opens in June 2013. – TradeArabia News Service