Jun’s

Dubai Has Strict Rules Against Drinking Alcohol, but an Amazing Cocktail Scene

"Kelvin Cheung is an award-winning Canadian chef and launched his restaurant, Jun’s, in downtown Dubai in 2019. After opening two successful cocktail bars in India, he knew that Dubai was the best next step. "All the big players [in food and cocktails] are here now,” he tells me as he presents a new and colorful drink. “There is a dense multicultural diaspora in Dubai and things that get started here go international. If you want things to happen, they will happen here.” Cheung’s unique cocktail menu reflects his multicultural past, the child of Asian immigrants growing up in Toronto, living in India, and traveling the world. Both the food and cocktail menus are very personal and flavor forward. He even has a drink called PB&J, an homage to his time as a latch-key kid in the '90s. He gestures to downtown Dubai, sparkling lights in palm trees line the spotless streets and luxury cars are parked along the curb. Everything here is glitz and glamour, distinctiveness, and exceptionality. Cheung attributes the rise in distinctive and delectable cocktails to the ease and accessibility of fresh and exclusive ingredients. “We can get anything imported,” he says. “Literally anything we want. And it’s not crazy expensive. The rate of consumption is so high that we can have premium products at a good price.”" - Travel + Leisure Editors