When it comes to gourmet food, you can find all manner of creations in Dubai – from camel stir fry to truffle ice cream.
Yet there is one thing missing – a Michelin star. That may be about to change, if recent rumours are to be believed.
The prestigious 126-year-old French ratings guide recently expanded to Singapore, another expatriate-dominated hotspot. Last April, the international director of Michelin Guides, Michael Ellis, told the Global Restaurant Investment Forum in Dubai that his company is well on its way to rolling out its rating system in the UAE.
When we asked about progress towards this, the Michelin Group said it never comments on development strategy. But with a slew of restaurants in Dubai fronted by Michelin-starred chefs – at least 20 – and new fine-dining concepts launching almost daily, Dubai would seem an obvious market.
“There has been some talk in the air about Dubai getting a Michelin-star guide,” says Heinz Beck, a five-star Michelin chef with two restaurants in Dubai: Social, in the Waldorf Astoria, and Taste of Italy in Jumeirah’s Galleria Mall.
“I think it would be a good idea because Dubai has some fantastic restaurants. Having an international food guide like Michelin on the scene would be very significant for Dubai.”
In Europe, three of Beck's restaurants have Michelin-star status. One of them, La Pergola in Rome, has the maximum three stars. In 2013, he named Dubai's Japanese restaurant Zuma as one of the five best places to eat in the world. Would it be worthy of a star?
“If I knew the secret to getting a Michelin star, then all my restaurants would have three stars,” says Beck. “Zuma has nice food – I like to go there. But it does about 400 covers, I believe – I don’t know if that’s too many for Michelin.”
Dubai food blogger Courtney Brandt believes Beck’s restaurant Social deserves a star.
She also suggests French restaurant Stay, by three-Michelin-star chef Yannick Alleno, at the One&Only The Palm, and Asian-inspired Dragonfly in City Walk, by two-Michelin star chef Tim Raue. But the American foodie, whose blog is called A to Za’atar, believes most Dubai restaurants would struggle to meet the requirements for star status.
“There are Instagrammable dining moments in Dubai, but sometimes ... there is so much focus on presentation that the quality is lost,” she says.
Despite their stuffy reputation, Michelin inspectors only judge the quality of the food – factors such as decor and service are irrelevant.
“They’re not concerned about the place or the decorations,” says Michelin-star chef Maria Jose San Roman, who is hosting a dinner on January 26 at Morah in the JW Marriot Marquis hotel, Dubai.
“They’re concerned only with the quality of the product, the way it’s cooked and the way it comes to the table.
“Even if you make a pizza, it could be a Michelin-star pizza if it’s done to perfection.”
Roman advises restaurants in Dubai to “search their roots”.
“Even simple things can become important,” she says. “A sardine can be as good as caviar, or a potato can be as good as truffle.”
Food critics around the world were shocked last year when two street-food-style hawker stalls in Singapore were awarded Michelin stars.
Silvena Rowe, a chef at three Dubai restaurants (Omnia, Omnia Gourmet and Omnia Glow) – and formerly a TV and newspaper food critic in the United Kingdom – was once invited by Michelin to become an inspector.
"The salary was very ordinary, but they give you a Mercedes car," she says. "At the time I had a regular food column in The Guardian newspaper, which I didn't want to give up."
The Bulgarian-Turkish chef, whose restaurants serve Emirati dishes with a healthy twist, thinks Michelin inspectors would be on the lookout for something “very Arabic, alluring and different” in Dubai.
“They’re not going to come here for Peruvian or Japanese, they’d come here for something authentically local,” she says.
artslife@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Company%20Profile
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
