Netsu x 11 Woodfire Four-Hands Dinner Dubai: 2026 Tasting Menu & Booking Guide
The heat hit my face before I even reached my stool at the counter, carried by a sudden column of orange flame roaring six feet into the extractors. Chef Ross Shonhan stood behind the glass throwing dried rice straw onto red-hot grates, while Chef Akmal Anuar adjusted cast-iron pans resting over smouldering Australian oak coals beside him.
For two consecutive evenings on 12 and 13 November 2026, these two heavyweights of open-flame cooking share one pass inside Netsu at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira. Securing one of the forty-four covers each night requires fast finger work and an upfront deposit, but tasting eight courses built entirely around differing wood-fire traditions makes this the defining culinary collaboration of the winter season.
At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
Dates | 12 and 13 November 2026 |
Seat price | AED 850 per guest |
Host venue | Netsu Mandarin Oriental Jumeira |
Co-headliner | 11 Woodfire Jumeirah 1 |
Service times | 6:30 PM and 9:15 PM |
Deposit | AED 300 per seat |
Two Flame Philosophies: Straw Fires Meet Hardwood Coals
Cooking over an open fire sounds singular, yet watching these two chefs prep side by side reveals two opposite thermodynamic philosophies. Chef Ross Shonhan relies on Japanese Warayaki, an ancient technique from Kochi prefecture where bundles of unthreshed rice straw burn furiously at nine hundred degrees Celsius for mere seconds. The goal is blistering heat that sears sashimi-grade seafood on the outside while leaving the interior chilled and raw, imparting an intense, clean smokiness.
By contrast, Chef Akmal Anuar brings the slow-burning precision of his Michelin-starred villa kitchen. Chef Akmal Anuar established the kitchen at 11 Woodfire inside a renovated Jumeirah villa to showcase cooking over open embers. His method balances dense woods like white oak and hickory that burn steadily at three hundred degrees Celsius, allowing sugars in marinades to caramelise gradually over long intervals. Combining flash-fire straw searing with prolonged ember roasting produces textural contrasts impossible to achieve with a single grill rig.
The Warayaki Heat Spike
Rice straw burns volatile organic oils that produce thick aromatic plumes and rapid heat spikes. Shonhan uses this violent thermal burst to flash-char fish skin without rendering the delicate subcutaneous fat beneath it.
The Hardwood Ember Hearth
Anuar uses seasoned ironwood and fruitwood coals glowing without open flame. This gentle radiant warmth breaks down connective tissue in game and glazes seafood without scorching delicate marinades.
Tasting Menu Architecture: Eight Collaborative Fire Courses
The eight-course tasting progression alternates between rapid-fire seafood and slow-glazed game, moving from crisp acidity to dense umami. Shonhan opens the night with yellowtail Kingfish touched by straw smoke for four seconds, paired with a tart tosazu jelly that cuts through the charred surface. Anuar follows immediately with tender cuttlefish tossed against red-hot iron grates with fermented black garlic oil.
Recent updates published on the 11 Woodfire Instagram account reveal custom wood blends prepared for this collaboration. The savoury crescendo arrives when Kagoshima A5 Wagyu striploin receives a double-fire treatment: Anuar smokes the beef over oak wood until it registers forty-eight degrees internal temperature, and Shonhan finishes it over flaming straw to blast the outer edges into crisp black crackling.
Course | Dish | Technique |
|---|---|---|
Appetiser | Yellowtail Kingfish with tosazu | Straw seared four seconds |
Starter | Charred cuttlefish with garlic | Cast-iron ember toss |
Seafood | Turbot on bone with kombu | Slow white-oak smoking |
Main | Kagoshima A5 Wagyu striploin | Oak smoke straw blast |
Pre-dessert | Hay-smoked sheep milk granita | Smouldering hay cold infusion |
Dessert | Ash-baked dark chocolate tart | Buried in charcoal embers |
I watched them test the A5 Wagyu course, and blasting oak-smoked beef over rice straw gave the crust a bacon-like crunch before dissolving into rich butter.
Menu Pricing, Beverage Pairings, and Bill Breakdown
Dining at this calibre carries a premium price point, but the menu is priced transparently without surprise surcharges at the end of the evening. The food-only tasting ticket costs AED 850 per guest, which includes the ten percent service charge, seven percent municipality fee, and five percent VAT mandated across Dubai restaurants. What you budget beyond that depends entirely on your beverage preference for the evening.
Sommeliers from both venues assembled a five-glass grape pairing for AED 450 per diner, pouring rare biodynamic European labels alongside aged junmai daiginjo sake. For non-drinkers, an in-house pairing priced at AED 220 features smoked oolong infusions, sparkling yuzu tonics, and fermented kombuchas engineered to cleanse the palate between rich wood-fired courses.
Eight-course collaborative tasting menu ticket priced at AED 850 per guest
Curated five-pour alcoholic beverage pairing priced at AED 450 per guest
House-fermented non-alcoholic tea and botanical pairing priced at AED 220 per guest
Unlimited still or sparkling Italian mineral water priced at AED 40 per bottle
Post-dinner Japanese roasted green tea or espresso billed at AED 35 per cup
Step-by-Step Booking Guide and Table Selection Strategy
Because seating is capped at eighty-eight total covers across two nights, tickets disappear within minutes of release. Netsu uses an online reservation engine that requires immediate payment of a booking deposit to confirm each party. The restaurant runs two sittings nightly: an early service at 6:30 PM suited to those who want a relaxed pace, and a late service at 9:15 PM where the open kitchen volume and ambient energy peak.
Recent behind the scenes clips on the Netsu Instagram page highlight joint recipe testing sessions. When reserving your seats, your seating position dramatically impacts what you experience. The counter puts you directly in front of the straw flames, while dining room tables offer quieter conversation.
Navigate to the official SevenRooms booking engine for Netsu forty-five days prior to 12 November 2026
Select the Netsu x 11 Woodfire Collaborative Dinner from the designated special experiences tab
Choose your preferred seating slot between the 6:30 PM early round or the 9:15 PM second seating
Input guest numbers and complete the non-refundable AED 300 per person confirmation deposit
Submit dietary preferences through the confirmation note field at least seventy-two hours prior to dinner
I recommend booking two counter seats at the early 6:30 PM service because the chefs have maximum time to talk you through each cut of meat.
Pedigree and Accolades: Ross Shonhan and Akmal Anuar
Understanding why this pop-up commands such city-wide attention requires looking at the pedigree of the two operators running the pass. Chef Ross Shonhan built his global profile across top London Japanese kitchens like Zuma and Nobu before launching Bone Daddies and eventually partnering with luxury resort operators in the Gulf. Official restaurant inspectors from the Michelin Guide Dubai awarded 11 Woodfire a star for its focused fire craftsmanship.
Netsu sits on the ground floor of Mandarin Oriental Jumeira along Jumeirah Beach Road. Chef Akmal Anuar is widely recognised for putting Singaporean street precision and ember cooking onto the regional dining map with venues like 3Fils and Goldfish. Bringing Shonhan Japanese theatricality together with Anuar subtle smoke control creates a dynamic you cannot experience at either venue on an ordinary weeknight.
Chef Ross Shonhan and Global Japanese Dining
Shonhan has spent decades mastering Japanese fire techniques, importing bespoke straw ovens and knives directly from artisans in Sakai to ensure Netsu matches Tokyo benchmark standards.
Chef Akmal Anuar and Independent Ember Mastery
Anuar champions unpretentious cooking driven by primal flame, relying on hand-selected wood chunks and daily market catch rather than excessive sauces or modern molecular trickery.
Venue Location, Valet Parking, and Arrival Etiquette
Official city tourism listings on Visit Dubai describe the theatrical Warayaki counter as one of the city signature dining features. Arriving at the venue is seamless via Jumeirah Beach Road, with Mandarin Oriental offering complimentary valet parking directly at the main resort entrance. Hand your keys to the attendant, walk past the lobby water features, and proceed down to the ground level restaurant promenade.
The dress code is smart casual, meaning tailored trousers, collared shirts, and stylish closed footwear for men, while elegant dresses or tailored separates work perfectly for women. Guests are encouraged to arrive fifteen minutes ahead of their scheduled slot to enjoy a smoked yuzu aperitif at the bar, as all tables for each service are seated simultaneously to synchronise fire times on the grill.
FAQ
Can dietary restrictions or allergies be accommodated on this menu?
Because the eight courses are prepared collaboratively using shared wood grills and smoking chambers, the chefs cannot accommodate strict vegetarian, vegan, or severe seafood allergies. Guests with mild gluten or dairy intolerances can be assisted if noted at least seventy-two hours in advance.
What is the cancellation and refund policy for the four-hands seats?
The AED 300 deposit per person is strictly non-refundable once booked through SevenRooms. However, you can transfer your reservation to another person or reschedule to regular dining credit if you notify the restaurant five full days before 12 November 2026.
Is there a minimum age requirement for the collaborative dinner?
Netsu enforces a policy welcoming children aged twelve and older for this specific dinner event. The close proximity to open straw flames reaching nine hundred degrees and the two-and-a-half-hour tasting format make the dining counter unsuitable for younger kids.
Can I order à la carte dishes from the regular Netsu menu during the event?
The regular à la carte menu is completely suspended throughout the main dining room during both evenings of the collaboration. All kitchen stations, prep lines, and grills are dedicated entirely to serving the collaborative eight-course set menu to ensure synchronized table timing.
Useful Links
11 Woodfire — Explore villa menu and concepts
11 Woodfire Instagram — Browse wood-fire cooking updates
Netsu Instagram — Check chef pop-up announcements
Michelin Guide Dubai — Read official inspector review notes
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira — View official Netsu dining details
Visit Dubai — Review visitor information and location
Pair It With
— Angel Tyagi, Creator of Angel In Dubai
Prices, timings and availability may change — always check directly with the venue before visiting. Not sponsored.
Story lead: Time Out Dubai. Reporting can be updated or withdrawn after publication — always check the original before relying on anything here.
Rates and figures are indicative and were correct as of 25 October 2026; they change often, so verify with the provider before acting. This is general information, not financial advice.
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