Dubai is a melting pot of different cultures and tastes – what advantages and challenges does this offer you and your team?
I love the diversity and all the unique dining opportunities we have here. I always tell my team to get out and explore what Dubai has to offer. There's so much inspiration for our menu that’s available to us on our doorstep. Also, we can all learn from one another. It’s always going to be challenging to work in a city that’s got such a huge number of restaurants, but I think as long as you’re sure of what you’re offering and confident in your service and food, you’ll stand out from the crowd.
How has the dining scene changed since you started out?
As Dubai is a lively tourism hub, before lockdown we were learning to accommodate so many new guests from all over the world, who were only here on holiday. Before global travel restrictions the majority of our guests were not frequent visitors, but tourists who wanted to see La Mer or The Pointe. Since we’ve had fewer tourists, we’ve started to notice more frequenting resident guests, who live locally, to both our branches.
What are the key ingredients to a successful restaurant?
Diversity in the menu. We like to try and accommodate different palates by providing not only meat, but unique vegetarian, vegan and fish dishes. I also think that service is key to any restaurant, and we like to try and serve our menu interestingly and memorably.
What star dish should everyone be able to make?
Steak. It’s not a dish, but it certainly involves a lot of technique and doesn’t taste good if done wrong. When working with any steak from tenderloin to a T-bone, it’s crucial to ensure that you prepare it correctly before cooking and that it’s not over done as this can ruin taste and texture.