Chef Kyung Soo Moon champions Hoengseong Hanwoo, Korea’s most prized beef.
South Korean culture is taking over the globe, from KPop Demon Hunters to Oscar-winning films. It’s surprising that Korean cuisine rarely takes centre stage in the upper echelon of Dubai’s dining scene, which makes Hanu a welcome addition to St. Regis Gardens. Led by South Korean Chef Kyung Soo Moon, the homegrown restaurant places provenance at its core, championing Hoengseong Hanwoo, Korea’s most prized beef, through an immersive omakase that showcases culinary craft and premium produce in a room that honours tradition with a deft modern touch.
Hanu’s design revolves around warm textures and thoughtful symbolism. Rich dark walnut wood anchors the space, antique furniture lines the walls, and laser-etched Korean patterns ripple across the wooden beams that traverse the dining room ceiling. Overhead, upturned kimchi pots become playful light fittings, while three Korean pine trees punctuate the space between the intimate chef’s counter and the main dining room. In Korea, pine signifies integrity and endurance, and here the evergreens give the room a grounded calm. The palette is earth and ember, softened by ceramics, and enhanced by a soundtrack of transient percussion.
Hanu has been appointed the official ambassador of Hoengseong Hanwoo, and is currently the only restaurant in Dubai to serve this premium beef. A recently-launched omakase, priced at AED 620 per person, is the clearest expression of that status. We begin with a procession of small bites that tune the palate rather than overwhelm it. Yuksu, a clear beef broth, is gently restorative, offering depth and comfort that primes the stomach rather than fills. Hobakseon brings paper-thin zucchini in a carpaccio arrangement, light and seasonal. Yukhoe, the classic tartare, arrives glossy and clean, a quiet showcase for Hanwoo’s depth. Saeu jang, red prawns seasoned with jang, gives a textural counterpoint before Mushroom bulgogi slides in with smoke, earth, and a whisper of sweetness.
The centrepiece, aptly titled “Meat Me at the Grill,” is where the ritual sharpens. Hoengseong Hanwoo 1++ cuts (signalling outstanding marbling and texture) is sourced from the highlands of Gangwon Province, where cool climates, pure water and crisp mountain air shape a uniquely refined flavour. Striploin, tenderloin and ribeye arrive in precise order, all presented for tabletop grilling alongside yangnyeom galbi. The latter, short ribs marinated in soy, brings a lacquered richness that flatters the char.
The marbling melts cleanly, coaxing out the beef’s natural character while bathing each bite in a gentle richness that never overwhelms. You’ll taste a deep, savoury umami with a subtle sweetness and a long, elegant finish. The tenderness is remarkable, yet there is still structure to the meat, so every slice feels precise rather than heavy. Expect pure silk from the striploin, lean finesse from the tenderloin, and a harmonious interplay of fat and flavour from the ribeye.
Grills are bespoke, made in Korea, and integrated neatly into each table with a discrete exhaust. Charcoal changes happen swiftly and cleanly, so clothes do not carry the evening home. A silky, savoury Egg Custard lands with the meats, and there are stews with rice for ballast. An array of salts, condiments and kimchee, climbing in heat, encourages interactivity.
Outside of the omakase, the à la carte menu is equally confident. There is a crowd-pleasing flourish in the viral caviar-crowned chicken nuggets that have overwhelmed social media. Yet, it’s the Crispy Bulgogi, thinly sliced and marinated in soy, sesame, garlic, onion, and pureed Asian pear, that offers a caramelised edge that remains yielding at the centre and is perhaps the restaurant’s best dish.
Many ideas trace back to Chef Moon’s memories. From the Kimchi Arancini topped with a quail egg, capturing the comfort of his mother’s kimchi rice, to the picture-perfect walnut-shaped cookies that are sweet and nostalgic, served in a HANU-branded paper bag.
Staff, dressed in traditional tunics, know their script and deliver it with poise, explaining cut grades and managing choracoal grills without fuss. The team are polite and proficient, taking ownership of the barbecue at the table, which keeps cooking consistent and lets conversation flow.
Hanu arrives with serious intent and the confidence to back it up. Chef Kyung Soo Moon and his team place Hoengseong Hanwoo at the centre of the culinary offering, then build a menu that respects tradition while allowing for a few well-judged diversions. The omakase delivers value in context, given the rarity and grade of the beef, the theatre of the grill and the sterling service.
As a homegrown brand from Sunset Hospitality Group, the operator behind FACT Award-winning Mott 32, Signor Sassi, and SUSHISAMBA, Hanu slots neatly into the St. Regis Gardens line-up while adding something genuinely distinct.
Come for the omakase if you want a guided tour of Hanwoo beef at its best, or sit down with fried chicken, kimbap and a plate of bulgogi and let the atmospheric room work its charm.
GO: Visit https://hanu-restaurant.com for more information.