Chefs and owners pose for picture on the stage during a ceremony revealing the 2022 collection of the Michelin Guide Dubai, the first-ever edition within the United Arab Emirates, on June 21, 2022.
Giuseppe Cacace | Afp | Getty Images
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — While the economic outlook for much of the world is predicted to be rocky over 2023, within the Gulf there is a buoyant mood.
That is partly after the lucrative soccer frenzy in Qatar, but additionally since the region’s tourism sector has never had it so good.
This is particularly true for the United Arab Emirates, with the country’s economy growing by greater than 6% this 12 months, in response to the International Monetary Fund.
For the UAE hospitality sector there’s lots on the table — literally, if the rising variety of posh recent effective dining restaurants is anything to go by. Licensed eateries within the country have to be a part of a hotel — with a number of exceptions within the finance district of DIFC — so this is an important business tie-in.
And as ever on this a part of the world, the competition to be essentially the most extravagant and lauded is already high — as illustrated by the competitive spirit on display within the UAE’s inaugural Michelin Guide Dubai awards a number of months back.
The capital Abu Dhabi saw three of its restaurants recognized with one star — Talea by Antonio Guida, for its “Cucina di Famiglia” or family style Italian cuisine; Hakkasan, a restaurant celebrating traditional Cantonese flavors; and ultra-trendy Japanese restaurant 99 Sushi Bar — notable for creations corresponding to whole king crab leg au gratin, with wasabi, tobiko and yuzu mayonnaise.
Down the road in Dubai — Abu Dhabi’s boisterous neighbor and unofficial rival — a powerful eleven restaurants were served Michelin stars, including upmarket Italian eatery Armani Ristorante positioned at the bottom of town’s most famous landmark, the soaring Burj Khalifa.
Chef Giovanni Papi confirmed to CNBC that accolades this 12 months from the likes of Michelin have been pulling in well-to-do foodies, each locals and tourists alike. “Since our latest recognitions and awards, we have now seen a rise in gourmet guests,” he said.
The kitchen at Armani Ristorante is currently showcasing an ambitious truffle-themed degustation menu starting at 949 dirhams ($258) a head — or 1,559 dirhams with wine pairing. It includes intricate dishes corresponding to Bottoni Ripieni, composed of button-shaped ravioli crammed with braised lamb and artichoke, Castelmagno cheese fondue, and lamb ragout.
While there are officially no three-star Michelin restaurants yet within the UAE, November did see three Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire swing by his restaurant Pierre’s TT on the InterContinental Dubai. The French maestro is a daily visitor to Dubai and has been one in all the more serious global chefs setting the gastronomic agenda within the emirate.
For a number of nights only, well-heeled guests sampled creations corresponding to pan-fried squid with black garlic, Paris mushrooms and rocket.
Gagnaire commented on the event: “The food scene here is fast developing … this visit put me in awe to see the remarkable achievements that the country has achieved in developing the food craft so exquisitely and there could be no more inspiring location than Dubai for a restaurant.”
Michelin chiefs agree, saying that the UAE is now on par with the massive global gourmet destinations corresponding to Paris, Latest York, Singapore, and London.
“The choice criteria for all Michelin Guide restaurants are similar to per our global standard review process, where anonymous inspectors review all cuisines and evaluate only the standard of the dishes,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, told CNBC.
“We’d say the restaurants within the Michelin Guide selection within the UAE are equal to the massive cities.”
Local cuisine?
Nonetheless, for some local gastronomists there may be a fly within the consommé — the undeniable fact that although this 12 months’s Michelin selection encompassed cuisines from across the European and Asian continents, no UAE restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine was awarded a star.
Talking to CNBC, Samantha Wood, founding father of popular impartial restaurant review website FooDiva.net commented: “The UAE’s heavy reliance on imported produce, despite a growing alternative of local ingredients is a detriment — which ties into the high price tag attached to restaurants here. Nonetheless, what’s more disappointing, is that some restaurants that do maximize our local bounty are usually not recognized within the Michelin guide.”
Wood added: “Of the 11 one and two star restaurants within the Dubai guide, only two are independent, chef-led concepts — despite the large pool of talent here. It’s these restaurants who Michelin must be recognizing at the very best level, reasonably than specializing in imported celeb chef concepts available anywhere on this planet.”
Best value awards
There was recognition for Middle Eastern cooking among the many Michelin Bib Gourmand awardees — a category for restaurants that provide a three-course gourmet experience priced at a mean of 250 dirhams. Winners include home-style Levantine restaurant Bait Maryam, and Al Khayma, featuring rustic Emirati cooking.
Interestingly, restaurants with the Bib Gourmand distinction have carved out a successful area of interest for themselves. Removed from being sub-Michelin venues, they’re being enjoyed as Instagrammable spaces for a special dining experience — perhaps without the austerity of the Michelin star tag.
A pleasant example is Fi’lia on the seventieth floor of the glamourous recent SLS Dubai hotel. This trendy eatery offers “fresh ingredients from the firewood oven and grill, handmade breads and pasta” with a distinctly upmarket twist. Think gnocci and caviar with rosemary butter, and 1kg salt crusted branzino.
The management at Fi’lia appear greater than completely satisfied with their foodie rating.
“Our objective was never to aim towards a Michelin star, and we’re quite realistic about it,” Claudio Cardoso, culinary director at SLS Dubai Hotel, told CNBC.
“Having a Bib Gourmand then again really reflects on what was all the time the aim of Fi’lia, reasonably priced dishes with good quality ingredients. It’s all about good food that folks can relate to … like our moms used to make.”
And with this culinary boost for the UAE’s travel sector, leaders have announced plans to supercharge the tourism sector and increase its contribution to the national GDP from the present 177 billion UAE dirhams to a whopping 450 billion dirhams by 2031.
In response to Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, minister of the economy, the strategy plans to draw investments value 100 billion dirhams and convey 40 million hotel guests to the region.
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