Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen has now opened in Dubai. ITP Images
Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen has now opened in Dubai. ITP Images
Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen has now opened in Dubai. ITP Images
Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen has now opened in Dubai. ITP Images

Gordon Ramsay: ‘Every top chef in the world wants to have a restaurant in Dubai’


Rupert Hawksley
  • English
  • Arabic

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

"There's nothing more off-putting than a chef on a diet," says Gordon Ramsay, a chef who, as far as I can tell, is on a diet. He must be. At 51, he looks fantastic. There is scarcely an ounce of fat on him and you could slice through an overcooked steak with one of those cheekbones.

But he assures me that this is simply down to “a healthy lifestyle” and that it really isn’t necessary to swap burgers for beetroot all of the time. “I love cooking and I love eating,” he says. “It just has to be done in moderation.” Hmm, it sounds a bit like a diet to me, but this being Gordon Ramsay, I decide not to argue.

'I don't want my taste buds to get bored' 

Anyway, how to eat healthily without compromising on flavour – that is the conundrum he has tried to solve in his latest cookbook, Ultimate Fit Food: Mouth-Watering Recipes to Fuel You for Life, which was published earlier this year.

It is filled with recipes – courgette and fennel carpaccio; panzanella with poached chicken; shaved asparagus and hazelnut salad – which challenge the idea that "healthy" has to mean "dull". "I don't want my taste buds to get bored by eating the same things over and over again," he writes in the introduction to Ultimate Fit Food. "And I don't ever want to feel deprived."

Ramsay puts it in slightly more bald terms to me. “I’m not putting you on a lentil diet for 18 months,” he says. “This is about balance. It’s about [using different] cooking techniques, whether that’s steaming, slow-cooking, braising or poaching. And it’s about scrutinising the level of dairy you’re cooking with. It’s not about scaring yourself into going on a diet, which is bloody unpleasant.”

The chef believes that the recipes in his latest cookbook are “restaurant quality” and has backed up that claim by permanently including a selection of them on the menu at Bread Street Kitchen & Bar Dubai, the restaurant he opened at Atlantis, The Palm, in 2015, and which is headed up by chef de cuisine Cesar Bartolini.

So alongside the beef burger, lamb chops and fish and chips, you will now also find a watermelon and cucumber salad, roasted bass with curried mussels and spicy tuna tartare with avocado and wonton crisps – these Fit Food dishes are highlighted on the Dubai restaurant’s menu by a little running man.

'Dubai is like a mini Vegas'

Serving these sorts of dishes is a risk. Do people want such healthy food when treating themselves? "I never want to replace the pleasure of eating out," the chef explains. But he also knows that he must continue to innovate if he wants to keep up with the rapid pace of change taking place within the UAE's restaurant scene. "It's very cosmopolitan. The young chefs at the cutting-edge of cooking are all coming to Dubai to set up shop," he says. "Dubai is like a mini Vegas, every top chef in the world wants to have a restaurant here."

Bread Street Kitchen & Bar Dubai offers healthy options alongside its decadent beef burgers and lamb chops. Courtesy Bread Street Kitchen
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar Dubai offers healthy options alongside its decadent beef burgers and lamb chops. Courtesy Bread Street Kitchen

Nevertheless, this is not the food for which Ramsay is best-known. It is all a far cry from the indulgent, fine-dining dishes that defined Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, the chef’s first restaurant (he now has 38 worldwide), which has held three Michelin stars since 2001. What prompted this change of direction?

“It started about 10 years ago when I hit 40,” says Ramsay, who has four children with his wife Tana. “All of a sudden, your life is consumed, you’re saying ‘yes’ to everybody, and there’s no time for yourself. That’s when I started putting weight on, getting cranky and feeling lethargic.”

He began running and competing in triathlons. The healthier food – the fuel he needed to perform – soon followed. “This book gives people an insight into how I have conducted my life over the past three or four years, in order to maintain that level of fitness,” Ramsay explains. “It’s advice from a chef based on what I cook and eat at home, using the ingredients stocked in my fridge.

“My little secret is to make sure I can still cook a sumptuous, rich dish with lots of calories but only take a mouthful, as opposed to eating the whole dish. That’s how I get the best of both worlds.”

'Everyone should have goals in life'

The chef's diet is not the only thing that has changed. That notorious temper of his seems to have mellowed, too. He can still turn it on for the cameras, of course – and there are few more entertaining things to watch on television than a good, old-fashioned Ramsay rollicking on his long-­running series, The F Word and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares – but this is no longer how he conducts himself in real life.

“Kitchens are run differently now than they were in the 1990s,” he says. “It’s much less aggressive, which is a sign of the times. I wouldn’t say fear is the essence of perfection.”

_____________

Read more

Gordon Ramsay is on his way back to Dubai: this time he's on a quest to bring us healthy food

Gordon Ramsay on the possibility of opening a restaurant in Abu Dhabi

Hakkasan Dubai to reopen at Atlantis the Palm on October 23

_____________

Never one to stick entirely to the script, though, Ramsay can’t help adding: “If you want to become something, if you want that knowledge, there’s a price to pay for that. It’s just like sport – if you don’t like the manager [or the head chef] then [expletive] off and play for another team.”

At last, a bit of that famous Ramsay spice. When you hear him speak like this, it’s clear that he retains an insatiable desire to continue improving and growing, even now when he has, surely, achieved more than even he thought possible. His latest obsession is becoming the first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars in France (Le Pressoir d’Argent Gordon Ramsay in Bordeaux currently holds two).

“Everyone should have goals in life, whether they’re a chef or not,” he says. “Waking up with ambition is a healthy ­position to be in, and long may it continue.

“[But] I don’t work 16 hours a day the way I used to, because I don’t want to any more,” he continues. “I conduct and develop and I’m still as excited by that now as I ever was.”

Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Fit Food (Hodder & Stoughton) is out now. For reservations at Bread Street Kitchen & Bar Dubai, call 04 426 1110 or email restaurantreservations@atlantisthepalm.com

Cook a dish from the new Bread Street Kitchen Dubai menu at home

Roasted stone bass with curried mussels and charred cauliflower

Ingredients: 1kg Stone bass fillet, cleaned and portioned 250g fresh mussels, cleaned 1/2kg red onion, small diced 1/2kg local tomato, small diced 200g baby onions, whole 50g garlic chopped 50g ginger chopped 5g mustard seeds, 5g fenugreek seed 100ml coconut oil salt, according to taste 3g Kashmiri powder 3g turmeric powder 6 curry leaves chopped 50g Tamarind paste (diluted in 300ml hot water) 500ml fish stock 1 head of cauliflower, roasted

Method

In big pot, heat the oil until it reaches 160°C, then add the mustard and fenugreek seeds and cook for about two minutes.

Put in the garlic and ginger, and cook for seven minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add baby onions and cook for a further five minutes. The onions will look translucent and loose.

Mix in chopped red onion, salt and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Kashmiri and turmeric powders and cook for five minutes.

Put in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Then pour in the diluted tamarind stock using a strainer to avoid the seeds. Also add fish stock and curry leaves, and cook for 25 minutes on low heat.

In a hot pan with a little oil, sear the fish starting from the skin, until golden brown. Flip it over and finish cooking.

While cooking the fish, add the mussels and roasted cauliflower to the sauce. Cover the pot with a lid until the mussels open and serve straight away.

Company%C2%A0profile
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Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.

  • It’s So Easy
  • Mr Brownstone
  • Chinese Democracy
  • Welcome to the Jungle
  • Double Talkin’ Jive
  • Better
  • Estranged
  • Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
  • Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
  • Rocket Queen
  • You Could Be Mine
  • Shadow of Your Love
  • Attitude (Misfits cover)
  • Civil War
  • Coma
  • Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
  • Sweet Child O’ Mine
  • Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
  • Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
  • November Rain
  • Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
  • Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
  • Nightrain

Encore:

  • Patience
  • Don’t Cry
  • The Seeker (The Who cover)
  • Paradise City
The Pope's itinerary

Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport


Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial


Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport

Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
%3Cp%3ESix%20of%20the%20eight%20fast%20bowlers%20used%20in%20the%20ILT20%20match%20between%20Desert%20Vipers%20and%20MI%20Emirates%20were%20left-handed.%20So%2075%20per%20cent%20of%20those%20involved.%0D%3Cbr%3EAnd%20that%20despite%20the%20fact%2010-12%20per%20cent%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20population%20is%20said%20to%20be%20left-handed.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20an%20extension%20of%20a%20trend%20which%20has%20seen%20left-arm%20pacers%20become%20highly%20valued%20%E2%80%93%20and%20over-represented%2C%20relative%20to%20other%20formats%20%E2%80%93%20in%20T20%20cricket.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20all%20to%20do%20with%20the%20fact%20most%20batters%20are%20naturally%20attuned%20to%20the%20angles%20created%20by%20right-arm%20bowlers%2C%20given%20that%20is%20generally%20what%20they%20grow%20up%20facing%20more%20of.%0D%3Cbr%3EIn%20their%20book%2C%20%3Cem%3EHitting%20Against%20the%20Spin%3C%2Fem%3E%2C%20cricket%20data%20analysts%20Nathan%20Leamon%20and%20Ben%20Jones%20suggest%20the%20advantage%20for%20a%20left-arm%20pace%20bowler%20in%20T20%20is%20amplified%20because%20of%20the%20obligation%20on%20the%20batter%20to%20attack.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThe%20more%20attacking%20the%20batsman%2C%20the%20more%20reliant%20they%20are%20on%20anticipation%2C%E2%80%9D%20they%20write.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThis%20effectively%20increases%20the%20time%20pressure%20on%20the%20batsman%2C%20so%20increases%20the%20reliance%20on%20anticipation%2C%20and%20therefore%20increases%20the%20left-arm%20bowler%E2%80%99s%20advantage.%E2%80%9D%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
HEADLINE HERE
  • I would recommend writing out the text in the body 
  • And then copy into this box
  • It can be as long as you link
  • But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
  • Or try to keep the word count down
  • Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into 
  • That's about it
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0DJemma%20Eley%2C%20Maria%20Michailidou%2C%20Molly%20Fuller%2C%20Chloe%20Andrews%20(of%20Dubai%20College)%2C%20Eliza%20Petricola%2C%20Holly%20Guerin%2C%20Yasmin%20Craig%2C%20Caitlin%20Gowdy%20(Dubai%20English%20Speaking%20College)%2C%20Claire%20Janssen%2C%20Cristiana%20Morall%20(Jumeirah%20English%20Speaking%20School)%2C%20Tessa%20Mies%20(Jebel%20Ali%20School)%2C%20Mila%20Morgan%20(Cranleigh%20Abu%20Dhabi).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FA CUP FINAL

Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')

Watford 0

Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press

The biog

Name: Fareed Lafta

Age: 40

From: Baghdad, Iraq

Mission: Promote world peace

Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi

Role models: His parents 

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Teams

India (playing XI): Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami

South Africa (squad): Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second

UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.