The brainchild of award-winning chef Kelvin Cheung, progressive new Asian restaurant concept Jun’s is set to open its doors later this month in Downtown Dubai. Welcoming guests to a sleek, contemporary venue with a rough edge, Jun’s offers a warm environment that invites visitors to embrace the cozy atmosphere and connect over food.
Opening in collaboration with Kings Group Ventures, the UAE-based group managing and advising businesses around the globe, Jun’s is located on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard and offers an elevated dining experience that is refined yet convivial at the same time, with a spacious outdoor patio area and stunning views of the Burj Khalifa.
Marking Cheung’s UAE debut, Jun’s is a modern fine dining experience that evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, where the food is simple in presentation but massive in flavor. With community at its heart, Jun’s was created with the intention to celebrate coming together, a place where guests can gather to commemorate the big wins in life as well as the everyday joys.
Capturing the nostalgic flavors of North American and Asian cuisines, Jun’s menu draws inspiration from Cheung’s Chinese heritage, his North American upbringing, and French training, coupled with the freshest ingredients from local farms.
“I’ve pushed my own culinary boundaries while creating a modern, approachable experience inspired by my time in Hong Kong, India, and Canada. At Jun’s, you can expect regular menu changes that highlight seasonal ingredients to ensure our frequent guests have something new to experience while enjoying their tried and tested favorites,” explained chef Kelvin Cheung.
The carefully crafted menu at Jun’s sublimely illustrates Cheung’s signature culinary style, featuring a variety of Asian and North American dishes interpreted in a unique way. Jun’s offering is driven by memories and evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, with each dish carrying sentimental value and a personal story behind it – a love-letter to his upbringing if you will – promising to take diners on an immersive culinary journey through chef Cheung’s life and experiences.
Born in Canada, raised in Chicago, and based in Dubai, Cheung is a Chinese-Canadian third-generation chef who grew up in the kitchen and spent the better part of his childhood training for his life of traveling the world and cooking in kitchens in unfamiliar places. Highly regarded and hugely popular, chef Cheung worked his way up through the ranks to the position of Executive Chef in multiple restaurants across both Canada and America, after which he began his public, well-known chef life in India where he led the conceptualization and launch of multiple much-loved restaurants.
“We are thrilled to partner with the phenomenal Kelvin Cheung to bring this unique new concept to life, which will be a perfect addition to Dubai’s culinary scene,” said Neha Anand, Director of Kings Group Ventures. “We are confident that Jun’s will be an instant hit with the city’s discerning diners, thanks to the restaurant’s unique combination of intimate, community spirit and elevated yet unassuming culinary offering.”
At Jun’s, guests can expect unexpected combinations of familiar flavors, presented in a progressive format. With an extensive selection of gluten free, vegan and pescetarian options, Jun’s caters to everyone. The menu comprises carefully crafted dishes, such as Lamb Neck with Sechuan Chili and Mantou; Gluten Free Tempura Zataar and Sweet Potato Chaat; Baby Carrots with Smoked Labneh, Walnuts and Furikake Bagel; Jjampong Khichidi with Butter Garlic Prawn Tadka and Kimchi; as well as Tartar with Agua de Chili, Robata Avocado and Gluten Free Nori Tempura, which is available in a vegan version with watermelon; and more.
The dessert selection is equally distinctive, featuring popular favorites with a unique twist, such as the Boba Crème Brulee – which pays homage to Cheung’s very first venture, a bubble tea shop he opened in Chicago – and Matcha Sponge with Pistachio Mousse and Miso Crumble.
Named with the intention of embracing the spirit of a steed – which is what Jun translates to in Mandarin Chinese – the restaurant is modern, clean, and bold, with distinctive design elements that draw inspiration from steed stables. The interiors feature a sand color palette with natural materials and various textures used throughout, including timber, marble, and white bricks, tying together the overall design and creating a chic, and welcoming ambiance.
For those looking for a more intimate setting, Jun’s offers an elevated seating area with timber-styled floor and ceiling, with full views of the entire restaurant. A series of intricate suspended installations, made of a unique mesh material, cast shadows over the restaurant’s walls, adding an extra layer of dimension to the interiors.
The bar has been designed with natural cliff facia and a stunning marble top, while the columns are adorned with pebbledash, a sustainable material that reconnects the design to the environment. Jun’s bar offering has been curated by the award-winning mixology team behind Tesouro, the bar currently ranked as the #4 best bar in Asia by World’s 50 Best.
Chef Kelvin Cheung firmly believes in preserving nature’s bounty for future generations and is committed to sustainable seafood and seasonal products.
