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SPECIAL REPORT: Happy days are back in UAE’s dining scene
SPECIAL REPORT:
Happy days are back in UAE’s dining scene
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Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been experiencing a fresh wave of new restaurant openings in the past three months. Food Trip Magazine talked to stakeholders and filed this report.
By Jojo Dass
In what observers say was an unprecedented number of restaurant openings happening in a month’s time, at least nine dining venues launched in October while another nine opened in November. This, as seven new menus were rolled out also in October by existing restaurants; five in November. Renewed activities in the UAE’s food and beverage (F&B) sector have visibly increased with the announced openings and offers. These, stakeholders say, are indications that, indeed, happy days are back in the country’s dining scene.
Factors
Several factors are being seen to have contributed to this, among them the six-month Expo 2020 Dubai global event from October 2022 to March 2023, which F&B experts say has brought confidence back among restaurateurs following the 2020 pandemic. “The rebound happened close to the middle of Expo 2020,” said Peggy Li, an independent F&B marketing specialist helping international brands sell and grow in China via e-commerce and digital marketing. “The UAE government has been very progressive. It has shown a very positive (approach).” Philotimos, which serves authentic Greek cuisine, is noted to be among offshoots of Expo 2020 Dubai during which it had a venue named The
Little Greek. “The Greek restaurant concept was born (out of the) success of having ‘The Little Greek’ at Expo 2020,” said Spero Panagakis and Alexander Stumpf, owners of BB Social Dining. “The menu and concept were so successful during Expo 2020 that the natural progression was too open an outlet.” Huna, known for curating experiences through design and recognizing storytellers in the culinary landscape, opened its first and largest venue late last month, located in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall, with BB Social Dining among recognizable names of restaurants and retail outlets.
‘Bounced back’ Aleix Garcia, managing partner at Infini Concepts, said Dubai “bounced back at a fast pace after the pandemic.” “Tourists looked for the best places to dine at, whether they’ve seen it on an influencer’s account or word of mouth, and luckily we’re very aggressive with our marketing, so word got out about our concepts.” Infini Concepts operates Tabu and Hayal in St Regis Hotel, Downtown Dubai. Tabu, engaged in “theatrical gastronomy,” opened in May this year; Hayal, which is a mix of Turkish cuisine and entertainment, opened in October. Garcia said Dubai is “absolutely heaving at the moment and that’s mainly due to new openings, busy season and the weather becoming a lot more bearable. “When it comes to restaurants in Dubai, competition is fierce. So, it’s important to think outside the box to ensure you’re standing out from the crowd. I think lots of restaurants are putting more effort into entertainment.”
So far this month, three more new dining venues have made announcements about their launch. Hikina Restaurant has re-opened its doors and will once again showcase delicious Pan-Asian fare, including traditional dishes from the Far East. The Saffron Boutique, a Pan-Indian restaurant opened on Dec. 20, 2022 at the Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel. The Goofy Cow Burger, voted as one of the world’s best burgers in 2022, has opened its second Dubai outlet just two months after launching in the city. Li said the Dubai debut of the prestigious Michelin Guide, which lists the city’s top restaurants, also was a big boost to the dining scene. “This also added confidence on the future of the F&B in the UAE” said Li. “It added much bigger prospects for the culinary industry.” At least 69 restaurants were in the Michelin Guide, with a total of 13 stars and one Green Star awarded. According to reports, Al Muntaha, 11 Woodfire, Armani/Ristorante,
Hakkasan, Hoseki, Ossiano, Tasca by Jose Avillez, Torno Subito and Tresind Studio have been awarded one star each. A one-star award indicates high-quality cooking. Two venues -- Il Ristorante - Niko Romito and Stay by Yannick Alleno – were awarded two stars, which means these venues have excellent cooking. It was the first-ever Michelin Guide edition in the UAE, which was followed by another listing for Abu Dhabi. Adding to this is the first edition of MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants held earlier this year in Abu Dhabi during which Zuma, a contemporary Japanese restaurant in Dubai taking second spot.
The United Arab Emirates was “way ahead on the curve in opening up,” said Chef Avinash Mohan, who headed Emaar’s hospitality and catering operations at the recentlyconcluded Expo 2020 Dubai and is now running his own dining venue – the Cochin Harbour Restaurant. Being ahead, he said, this has “pushed the demand in terms of people coming here.” And that, he said, contributed to the rebound of the food and beverage industry. “Indeed,” Chef Avinash said, “there has been an immense increase in people dining out post-pandemic, and Dubai being one of the most organized cities globally to control the effects of the same, the rebound to normalcy has been really faster.” “This has significantly helped people overcome the pandemic scar and lead to swift normalcy.Peple have started to dine out with full strength .At the same time this success especially at EXPO2020 has brought guests globally to come to Dubai which has helped grown tourism immensely.” Dubai, being the melting pot of the world, will always have a demand for global cuisine, said Martin Venter, Chief Operating Officer at Kitch-In. “With its expatriate population and a large transient community always looking for home comforts, it’s a natural evolution of the food and beverage landscape to have new and wonderfully unique concepts launched throughout the city. “The F&B sector can only improve since the lockdown. The crippling effects on many operators were catastrophic. I choose to be more pragmatic about it and see it as a natural evolution. The strong operators with solid fundamentals (good food, reasonable pricing, and a value proposition) will survive,” he added. With around 16 million tourists drawn to the lights and sights of Dubai annually, tourism is an excellent source of revenue and provides much-needed footfall throughout all venues in Dubai, said Venter.
So, where is the UAE’s dining scene headed? The New York Times recently reported that Dubai’s food and beverage sector is on full throttle with its 13,000 dining venues. NYT noted an upswing in the Gulf’s tourism activities, buoyed further by the just-concluded FIFA World Cup Qatar, which drew millions to the peninsular Arab country. The spill over, coupled with the UAE’s robust economy, which, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is seen to grow by more than 6% this year, is anticipated to fuel more growth in the country’s hospitality and restaurant industries. This, in turn, could result to a more vibrant dining scene taking it to the next level, experts say. “The industry pulse is all positive and eager to gain the ground of growth,” said Li, while also noting new hotel openings like the new Royal Atlantis, which she said, will house six new high profile restaurants. Li said F&B and the hospitality sectors have nowhere to go but
expand. “Indeed. Many DXB (Dubai) brands are opening in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” she said. Rosy economic projections, coupled with increased hotel activities, said Li, “help boost confidence to set up shop in DXB and on to the Gulf Cooperating Countries (GCC).” Staying the course, the UAE’s F&B appears headed for more of the good times, she said.
(Photo credits: Tabu Restaurant. Philotimos. Hikina Restaurant. Cocotte Dubai)
Working culinary wonders in the kitchen
Photo courtesy of Desert Wok Restaurant 13
Ricardo Bojador
Award-winning Filipino executive chef
When he was in college pursuing a career in law, Ricardo Bojador, then a working student, washed dishes at a five-star hotel in Ermita, Manila to support himself. “I began my first job in the kitchen as a dishwasher in one of the fivestar hotels, followed by work in fastfood restaurants,” Bojador said. Today, Bojador, 43, still works at a restaurant – not anymore as a dishwasher, but as an awardwinning executive chef at a classy Japanese dining venue in Dubai Mall. Chef Ric runs kitchen operations at Kata, which has just recently opened in the Dubai Mall located across from the Dubai Fountain. The award-winning chef created a set menu for AED 5,000 front-row, dinner seats for the Burj Khalifa New Year’s Eve fireworks display and laser show. The restaurant, which attracts European and Arab visitors, is also very close to the stunning Burj Khalifa tower, the world’s tallest man-made structure at 828 metres. “It warms my heart to lead a homegrown restaurant. It’s a bit challenging because the restaurant is new and we are still introducing it to the market. But we are prepared for the challenges,” said Chef Ricardo, who hails from Bicol in the Philippines. Bojador said it has been a “colourful and rewarding” career in the culinary world for him.
“Looking back,” he said, “the highlight of my career has been the people I have had the opportunity to work, learn, and grow with.” Bojador said Kata offers Japanese cuisine “with a twist.” “In our profession, the pressure is always there. We always ensure that we have considered all aspects – texture, temperature, presentation and so on – before we serve the dish,” said Bojador, who went to college at University of the East – Recto as a working student and had wanted to pursue a career in law. He however quit school to work full time and provide financial support to his parents and siblings. Bojador’s New Year’s Eve creation has been described as a “creative and bold menu.” His set menu took diners on a culinary journey of note. Chef Ricardo arrived in Dubai 16 years ago, where he worked at another Japanese restaurant. Persistent hardwork and training took him to Jumeirah Group Hotels, which runs high-end dining venues; he worked as demi chef for five years. In 2013, Bojador joined the trendy Katsuya by Starck as a senior sous chef. He would later on become head chef and then executive chef. He got on board to be part of Kata’s opening team in midNovember.
Former dentist is Fatafeat’s new Star Chef
Warner Bros. Discovery’s largest Arabic food network, Fatafeat, announced Khalil Churiteh as the winner of its regionwide cooking competition talent show, Star Chef 2022. Chef Khalil won the title after completing a four-week challenge ranging from cooking specific recipes to one-on-one cook-offs at the Fatafeat studio. The competition was judged by celebrity chefs Mohammad Orfali and Tarek Ibrahim. “I’m grateful for this once-in-alifetime opportunity to have been able to showcase my skills and compete with talented chefs
from all over the region. I would also like to thank Fatafeat and chefs Mohammad Orfali and Tarek Ibrahim for their advice and guidance throughout the show,” said Chef Khalil. A former dentist who left his career to pursue his passion for cooking, Chef Khalil is expected to be seen more on Fatafeat in the coming year. Fatafeat was launched in 2006 as the first Arabic channel in the Middle East specialized in culinary arts. It is part of Warner Bros. Discovery and a subsidiary of Takhayal Entertainment. Broadcasting its programs to millions of households in 21 Arabic-speaking countries across the Middle East and North Africa, Fatafeat offers the best in innovative and creative ideas in cooking delicious dishes from a talented team of local and international chefs to inspire and entertain the whole family.
It’s full circle for the multi-awarded Olivier Ramos
Aformer executive chef, who has gone full circle in the exciting world of gastronomy, is Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection’s new Food and Beverage director. “I am thrilled to join the dynamic team at Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection. With extensive experience in the F&B industry, I hope to introduce an array of diverse offerings on the menu including a flavourful mix of European, Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine with fresh focus in service delivery,” Olivier Ramos said. “I look forward to elevating the guest expectations in the overall Food and Beverage aspect.” Olivier has with him three decades of extensive experience in the hospitality industry and has a strong background after working in several international hotel chains in France, Bermuda, USA, UK, Spain, Maldives, North Europe and UAE. He has excelled in various roles including hotel manager, F&B director, corporate F&B director, and executive chef. Prior to joining Habtoor Grand Resort, Olivier has closely worked with well-reputed hospitality brands and renowned chains. He was appointed F&B director at Dukes The Palm Dubai and Barcelo Group – Spain/Northern Europe to name a few. Working in a multicultural environment aided him with the knowledge to set priorities, make good decisions and thrive in his workplace. Olivier has bagged multiple culinary awards such as a Gold Medal for ‘Best Product UAE Meat Pork Recipe’ at a USA cook-off, Gold Medal for ‘Best Product US Meat E&J’ at a Caribbean competition in San Francisco, Gold Medal at the Young Culinary Creativity of Mediterranean, Silver Medal for a Caribbean competition in USA. A phenomenal leader with an entrepreneurial mindset, Olivier believes in building a strong team culture and is proficient in handling any potential obstacles in his path. He is highly guest-oriented and acquires an in-depth knowledge in strategic planning, management principles, resource allocation, creating scalable and sustaining recipes and menus, and quality assurance. His ability to lead by example inspires his team and sets the scene for the best possible outcome.
A day in the life of Taha Elouazzani
Taking risks in life is intended for those with brave hearts. A heart that never stops loving and fantasizing about the best experience of a lifetime: for someone ambitious and passionate, the risk is simply a challenge that can be turned into enjoyment.
Taha Elouazzani, a young Moroccan man who was raised and born in Morocco, believes that one should live today and take risks because great things will happen. He grew up in Essaouira, Morocco, and was born in Casablanca.
Taha discovered more about himself when he started his adolescent years and entered high school. He even had the chance to find out that music and sports were his true loves. Despite being a sportsman, he did well in school, and his abilities led him to college, where he met new people who shared his interests.
His love of music inspired him to form a group during his college years and begin singing Rap, and he chose to study applied arts as his major. This initiative allowed him to share his art by organizing events.
Taha received his bachelor’s degree in applied arts and went to Marrakech to study audiovisual and law, which he did not complete but learned a lot from. After some time. He chose to study hotel management because he believes he is good at it. In 2016, he received his hotel management diploma.
This fantastic man then went to Brazil for a vacation, which changed opened his mind and made him love life.
Taha worked at a call center in Casablanca, where he moderated video content and photos. Although it was far from what he studied about, it was a start toward earning good money. His first job was actually all about jumping on boats to get leftover fish and sell it to make money so he could record his music. His hospitality career began when he returned to Essaouira, where he started as a waiter, a receptionist, and finally a bartender, where he discovered himself through art. “I was always creating parties, working on festivals until I found a good job as a bartender with a Spanish guy who is legendary in the hospitality realm,” he says.
Dubai life
In 2021, Taha was offered a job in northern Morocco as part of a large project with a caviar company to open a bar at a beach resort for the summer season, which led him to Dubai. He got his first job in Dubai as bar supervisor at Americano Souk Madinat Jumeirah. At the time, he was learning about people and how the system works.
“I am social and open to everything, which helped me adapt quickly and make friends. As a short-term resident of Dubai, I am delighted with what I have accomplished. Several people around me have supported and appreciated my work, which I am always looking forward to,” Taha said.
There is also a time that he decided to make a concept called Breaking Bars that shows his art of mixology and creating events. It started on September 11, 2021 and it was his first ever episode, the moments are great that compliments the tasty cocktails that his offers.
“After this event, my contact list started to get bigger and people started noticing me, I moved out from this venue to another one but with the same company, this time it’s a beach club 10 times busier and more hard work, but I always enjoy it,” he said.
Taha’s second episode was on November 22, 2022 at Weslodge Salon Marriott Hotel. This time, it was different with a theme of 90’s fashion which was a big success to his concept.
He has been in Dubai for a year, and according to him, Dubai is a well-organized city, and you can tell that all of its residents and visitors are on the same string level. For him, life after work consists primarily of going out to do bartending, hosting events, and meeting new people.
He enjoys his current job because he is ambitious and passionate about everything. He wants challenges, which he believes is one of the reasons he chose hospitality where every day is a new day.
“I like serving people and making them happy. I like my team; that makes the day smooth with all the joy and professional skills,” Taha said.
“The most satisfying thing about my job is the good reviews I get from my guests and how we can draw a smile on their faces.”
Finally, his ultimate goal is to own his bar restaurant where he can share his experiences and transform them into works of art.
The most satisfying thing about my job is the good reviews I get and how we can draw a smile on people’s faces.”
