There are only four weeks left before Expo 2020 Dubai comes to a close, and if you still haven’t filled your boots at Jubilee Gastronomy, six Michelin-lauded chefs are waiting in the wings to serve up delicacies before the final curtain falls.
This March, the roster of international chefs will be headlined by five of the best local cooks in the city for a special 10-hands dinner at the Jubilee Gastronomy Chef’s Table as part of the premium dining series curated by award-winning cookbook author and publisher Flavel Monteiro.
Dubai resident Monteiro has once again flicked through his little black book of culinary talent and picked out the creme de la creme of the cooking world, to put together a one-off nine-course degustation menu for 30 discerning guests.
The dinners will take place at the custom-made site at Al Wasl Plaza, operations for which are overseen by Naim Maadad, founder and chief executive of Gates Hospitality.
The March line-up is the perfect finale for a tantalising six months of fine feasting, and here’s what awaits.
Seasonal European lunch with Daniel Boulud
Restaurant: Daniel, New York, two Michelin stars
Date: Saturday, March 5
Originally from Lyon, French chef Daniel Boulud touched down in New York in 1982 and has since taken his signature European dishes across the US, Canada, Singapore and the Bahamas. In Dubai, he helms Brasserie Boulud in Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk.
His Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Daniel in NYC, was the first in a culinary empire that has changed the face of French cuisine around the world.
Known for his contemporary take on the soulful French staples of his childhood, Boulud’s dishes have a strong focus on seasonality. “The season is always part of the equation when driving a menu,” he explains. “It has an influence on the different components and ingredients for each dish.”
Aside from cooking a four-course lunch in Dubai, the chef is looking forward to sampling the local cuisine. “The UAE’s dining scene is fantastic, with an amazing representation of European and American chefs,” he says.
Sustainable Austrian with Sebastian Frank
Restaurant: Horvath, Berlin, two Michelin stars
Date: Tuesday, March 8
Conscious diners can rest assured that no fin or tail has been left out of chef Sebastian Frank’s Expo degustation menu.
The head chef and owner of Berlin’s Michelin-starred Horvath is committed to traditional Austrian flavours, prepared in the most environmentally friendly way possible. “From our point of view, sustainable cuisine means using every part of the product or animal and understanding how to prepare it accordingly,” he says.
“We see the product and animal as a whole and use every part of it, not just the most desirable cuts. This holistic thinking is important to us.
“In addition, we want to go plastic-free in the kitchen and we’re working hard to make that happen.”
Art on a plate with Tristan Brandt
Restaurant: Opus V, Mannheim, two Michelin stars
Date: Tuesday, March 15
Celebrated for his modern French cuisine with Asian influences, chef Tristan Brandt is known for his creative cuisine and flamboyant presentation, so guests at Jubilee can expect nine rounds of art on a plate.
As well as being at the helm of several restaurants in recent years, Brandt has shared his expertise as a culinary consultant and entrepreneur in Germany. Most recently, he announced his partnership with Carillon Miami Wellness Resort to introduce a destination restaurant later this year.
From farm to fork with Xanty Elias
Restaurant: Finca Alfoliz, Huelva, one Michelin Green star
Date: Tuesday, March 22
Nestled amid 10,000 square metres of his family’s land in Spain and fringed by statuesque pine trees, lies the green dream of chef Xanty Elias: Finca Alfoliz.
The restaurant’s modern take on traditional cuisine includes emphasis on seasonal organic products served alongside choice cuts, expertly grilled and dished up with rice cooked in clay pots.
“Our menu is nature,” says Elias. “We only look for ways to understand simple products that have lived in the wild or in a sustainable world.
“We treat premium caviar from Granada with the same respect as the onions we grow in our own garden.”
Diners at Elias’s Expo dinner can expect the same sustainable ethos he lives by in Spain, and he arrives in the city with a serious mission. “I hope to show in Dubai that sustainability is not a fad, but a way of life,” he says.
“I want to show the world that it is possible to be sustainable and achieve perfect conscious gastronomy.”
Ocean-inspired dining with Sergio Bastard
Restaurant: La Casona del Judio, Santander, one Michelin star
Date: Tuesday, March 29
Spanish chef Sergio Bastard, who is famed for his innovative take on maritime-inspired ingredients, takes over the Jubilee Gastronomy kitchen for a fishy finale.
Guests can expect the original flavours from the chef’s popular tasting menus, bursting with the fruits of the Cantabrian Sea.
“Cantabrian cuisine is inspired by the sea, and Cantabrian butter and milk,” he explains. “The menu I'm going to make will be packed with flavour, textures and a lot of heart. I like to tell stories with each dish.”
10-hands dinner at Expo 2020 Dubai
As well as the international chefs touching down in Dubai, a handful of the city’s top chefs will join forces on Wednesday, March 16, for a dazzling six-course dinner fusing eastern and western plates.
The 10-hands dinner will feature five chefs from Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, including executive chef Russell Impiazzi; Brasserie Boulud chef de cuisine Nicolas LeMoyne; The Nine chef de cuisine Michael O’Shea; Taiko Dubai chef de cuisine Guido Wesselman; and the hotel’s executive pastry chef Romain Castet.
The dinner is an amalgamation of French, Asian and British flavours. “This culinary experience is one of the most brilliant collaborations that I could have put together,” said Monteiro. “It’s a true epicurean extravaganza in a single 10-hands dinner”.
