Chef's Menu is the new Dubai Food Festival experience to know about
Some of the city’s top chefs will be cooking up special menus for foodies across town…
Dubai Food Festival is back from April 26 to May 12, and this year there’s a new addition: Chef’s Menu. Taking place from May 1 to 12, it promises fine dining menus across some of the city’s top restaurants.
But as well as showcasing some star dishes, the Chef’s Menu experience will also put the culinary talents behind the restaurants centre stage. During the meal, expect each of the chefs to present courses, share inspiration and insight behind the dishes, and immerse you in their culinary world.
There’s a total of 24 restaurants and chefs taking part, from all corners of the city, presenting cuisines that range from Mediterranean to Peruvian, Cantonese, Indian and Italian.
Here’s some of our top picks…
Chef Himanshu Saini at Trèsind Studio
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Price: Dhs895
Timing: 6pm to 8.30pm and 9pm to 11.30pm
Looking to dine at one of Dubai’s only two Michelin Star restaurants? Then book in for chef Himanshu Sani’s culinary show-stopper, Tresind Studio. Located at St Regis Gardens, the menu theme is Rising India, and celebrates 75 years of Indian independence through a multi-course menu that traverses regions from the Thar Desert to the Himalayan Mountains, all presented with Tresind’s dazzling theatrics. There’s two seatings that take two and a half hours each.
Chef Kelvin Cheung at Jun’s
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Price: Dhs370
Timing: 5pm to 12am
What’s On Chef of the Year Kelvin Cheung is known and loved for his globally influenced fare that’s inspired by his travels, life and heritage across India, North America and China. For Dubai Food Festival, expect to enjoy modern American and and Asian flavours fused together with Middle Eastern influences, presented with comedic and personal tales from the chef and founder of Jun’s.
Chef Luca Crostelli at Cala Vista
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Price: Dhs300
Timing: 12.30pm to 12am
A sun-drenched ode to the Southern Italian coastline, Cala Vista is one of the prettiest new alfresco eateries in the city. The man behind the menu, Luca Crostelli, comes from a family of culinary stars, and presents a three-course menu of hearty Italian flavours backdropped by the Burj Al Arab.
Chef Mario Martinez at Leña
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Price: Dhs340
Timing: 7pm to 11pm
While the man behind the concept of sleek steakhouse Leña is top chef Dani Garcia, when he’s not in residence in Dubai, it’s chef Mario Martinez that helms the kitchen. For Chef’s Menu, he curates a sharing menu that features a variety of charcoal-cooked meat, seafood and vegetarian options, which are inspired by the innovative vision of Andalusian chef Dani García.
Chef Neha Mishra at Kinoya
Price: Dhs250
Timing: 12pm to 1am
From Ramen queen turned multi-restaurant empire owner, comes What’s On Restaurant of the Year, Kinoya. During the Chef’s Menu series, you can dine here at the hands of celebrated chef Neha Mishra, where a specially-curated menu of their inventive Japanese flavours is priced at Dhs250. You’ll get to dine on specials that aren’t typically available on the regular menu offering options like donabe, onsen tamago, dashi and omurice.
Chef Paul Gajewski at The Guild
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Price: Dhs400
Timing: 6pm to 12am
The Guild’s five-course Chef’s Menu experience is a selection of the restaurant’s highlights, expertly curated by executive chef Paul Gajewski. Priced at Dhs400 per person, it’s a flight through modern European flavours inspired by elegant brasserie fare, featuring dishes like king crab cocktail and grilled Australian crayfish.
Chef Roberto de Vivo at Sucre
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Price: Dhs345
Timing: 6pm to 2am
This Mediterranean-inspired fire dining concept is all about punchy flavours and stunning interiors, and that’s exactly what you can expect from head chef Roberto de Vivo’s Chef’s Menu offering. Expect a showcase of dishes such as Sicilian red prawn carpaccio followed by options such as Angus ribeye, with sides and desserts like Sucre’s famed dulce de leche fondant.
Chef Steve Nguyen at Ling Ling
Price: Dhs395 for five courses
Timing: 6pm to 9.30pm
The culinary creator behind lively, late-night dinner spot Ling Ling, chef Steve Nguyen is a master of Instagrammable Asian fusion fare. For Chef’s Menu, he presents a five-course menu of signatures that includes dishes like crispy bee pollen chicken with black pepper honey glaze, and lamb shank rendang, with lemongrass, chili, coconut, eggplant and carrot.
Dubai Food Festival presents Chef’s Menu, May 1 to 12. See the full list of participating restaurants here
