Heston Blumenthal to open first Dubai restaurant next year
▶ The British chef will introduce his famous ‘meat orange’ and laboratory style to the Palm Jumeirah, writes Nyree McFarlane
The world-famous and uniquely experimental chef Heston Blumenthal plans to open a restaurant on the crescent of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah next year.
The restaurant will be a branch of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which has locations in Melbourne and London. This will be its third.
The British chef, whose restaurants have gained many Michelin stars, will open his first restaurant in the region at the under-construction The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, which is next to the current Atlantis, The Palm. He will work alongside his chefdirector, Ashley Palmer-Watts, who is executive chef of the Dinner by Heston brand.
The restaurant offers contemporary experiments on European food traditions from as early as the 1300s, with a menu that dates the origins of each dish. The cerebral chef developed an interest in the history of food back in the 1990s, particularly medieval cuisine, after reading a manuscript known as The
Vivendier, which details French recipes from the 15th century.
And while he’s renowned for looking back at what we all ate many hundreds of years ago, he’s also known for bringing chemistry and scientific knowledge into the kitchen: think smoke, dry ice and more. In 2013, he was awarded with an honorary doctor of science degree by the University of London in recognition of his work in pioneering a science-lab style of molecular gastronomy.
The London branch of Dinner features roast marrowbone (c1720), spiced squab pigeon (c1780) and goats’ milk cheesecake (c1390). But the restaurant’s most famous dish has to be the laconically named meat fruit (c1500): a chicken liver parfait dish that looks creepily like an unpeeled mandarin when first presented to diners.
Dubai’s Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will include a dedicated and separate bar, two outside terraces and a private dining room.
“I am truly excited about opening in this incredible location”, Blumenthal said of the plans. “It is not often that an opportunity in such a perfect space comes along. The backdrop is outstanding and the views of the Dubai skyline over the Gulf are quite unique.”