Hattem Mattar has come a long way since he opened Mattar Farm Kitchen in his Al Barsha villa in 2018. The pitmaster, who is of Canadian, Egyptian and Emirati heritage, was appointed the culinary ambassador to the UAE embassy in Washington last summer. He also founded Mattar.ae, Dubai’s first artisanal smokehouse, and is also the first GCC chef to be part of the Soneva Stars programme, as part of which he will head to Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in the Maldives for four days over Eid Al Fitr.
In between these appointments, Mattar conceptualised Fiya in February, a venue that specialises in his beloved live-fire cuisine. The National went along to test the heat.
Where to sit and what to expect
Sprawled across the luxurious Keturah Reserve in Meydan, Dubai, Fiya beckons one on a primeval level — even Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed seems to be a fan.
Instinctively, you are drawn to the elemental interiors — 1,000-year-old olive trees and the open flames that can be seen dancing about through pockets of the open kitchen. The crackling and skittering of the flames as they lap up the wood they are fed with suffuses the air with a robust and reminiscent scent — familiar over eons of our history, and the origin of society, civilisation and storytelling.
Mattar describes Fiya as an “open community concept” that wants to avoid being pigeonholed as a barbecue restaurant alone and, as such, highlights all aspects of live-fire cuisine. It has four fire-cooking arenas, as well as an open grill. Transparency was important in creating a visual connection between the chefs, food and diners, says Mattar, who romantically describes the restaurant as “a place to welcome everybody so after dining everyone leaves feeling looked after. We are not just a restaurant; we are purveyors of emotion.”
So far, so warm.
The menu
Having settled comfortably on a low couch perfect for engrossing conversation, my dining companion and I begin our meal accompanied by the golden brushstrokes of the setting sun.
To get our appetites stoked, we are offered fresh sourdough with scrumptious miso butter. Next, we opt for a local favourite, and one of only two vegetarians dishes we will try — the charcoal fire grilled little gem caesar (Dh80) is lightly charred gem lettuces splashed with spicy rocoto pepper sauce, made all the better with crispy textural farofa.
Next, it’s on to the Fiya double smash picanha burger (Dh125), so named because it’s “smashed” on the plancha grill until it gets dutifully crisp on the outside. It is one of my two favourite dishes of the night.
Based on Mattar’s recommendation, we try Hattem’s smoked pastrami brisket with house mustard drizzle feteer (Dh70). The crispy Egyptian pastry is enhanced by the addition of the smoked salty goodness of pastrami along with cheese and grilled peppers. My only complaint — based on gluttony and praise — is the desire for more pastrami and less veg in the feteer.
Charcoal-roasted Greek free-range chicken thighs (Dh90) follow; perhaps it’s the fact the chickens are fed olives or that the dish is served with heirloom carrots, broccolini and pistachio ajo verde, but I find myself unable to stop eating it, making it a surprising second favourite. Mac & Cheese (Dh45) as a side feels incongruous with the chicken; however, the dish is an easy victory by itself.
For dessert, we try both available options — charred golden pineapple and Argentinian dulce de leche pancakes (Dh60 each).
The former is a light dessert with Caribbean flavours featuring lemon curd, ginger honey biscuits and charred pineapple topped with meringue and lime zest. The latter is indulgent and eggy, the crepes nestling the saccharine dulce de leche that are brueleed to order. Extremely satisfying, these parcels pair perfectly with coffee or bitter tea.
Standout dish
The smashed burger, the brilliance of which lies in taking the Brazilian staple, picanha — a tender cut of meat that comes with a fat cap — and mincing it to form a patty. In this case at least, fat equals flavour and moisture. All this deliciousness comes ensconced in a brioche bun with accoutrements of vintage cheddar cheese and a “secret sauce”.
Another feather in chef Mattar's cap is a communal concept he hopes becomes a Ramadan tradition. Available for pre-order is a whole lamb, which is cooked for 24 hours underground and served family-style on a bed of rice, to be eaten by hand.
A chat with the chef
Chef Mattar has called the UAE home since 1998 and says he’s “been behind a grill for over two decades”. As such, he says wood is his favourite ingredient to cook with. “The hours I spend with this element means I know it intimately well. It’s an unforgiving part of the process. You make a mistake with that and you can’t cover it up with sauce. Wood is the energy, quite literally.”
Specialising in live fire cuisine is also important to him because “it harks back to when man starting excelling as a species, as well as being a nouveau approach to the restaurant experience. The kitchen should never be a secretive space, especially when you have the ability to make it a spectacle. The barbecue is the only global cuisine that resonates with all nationalities.”
Price point and contact information
The menu is varied with starters, vegetarian, pescatarian and meat options ranging from Dh45 to Dh450 for the Australian black Angus tomahawk.
Fiya is located within the Al Keturah Reserve in Nad Al Sheba, and is open from 5pm to 10.30pm from Tuesdays to Fridays, from 2pm to 10:30pm on Saturdays and from noon to 10:30pm on Sundays; it is closed on Mondays. For reservations and more information, visit fiyadxb.ae.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
