The Big F&B Interview: Silvena Rowe

Silvena Rowe sets out to launch her first Ottoman-inspired concept in Dubai and explains how girl power means it will definitely succeed:

When renowned UK chef Silvena Rowe’s people approached me with an interview opportunity in the run-up to the launch of her first Middle-East venture, I jumped at the chance.

For a start, she’s a female chef — a rare find in this industry; secondly, I find her commitment astounding when I hear she’s relocating her entire family to the UAE to be on the ground at her new restaurant. And thirdly, her big hair is quite honestly fascinating.

Rowe herself claims “it scares most people off”, I want to find out if her bark is actually louder than her bite.

I caught up with Rowe quite early on in the process, while she was in town considering deals between a number of operators, at which point, she felt “a little torn” to say the least.

“I’m looking for the sort of partner that can extend my vision and make it grow,” says Rowe. “What I’ve found with all the operators I’ve discussed my plans with is the great potential they can see in the project and I’m overwhelmed by how forthcoming they’ve been with ideas and suggestions to drive it. This is what is making the whole journey so exciting.”

But she’s adamant she’s not just “another celebrity chef that sticks their name on a restaurant and that’s it,” and her decision to relocate has been sparked by her desire for the outlet to succeed.

She’s no stranger to the challenges of starting a restaurant from scratch following her stint as chef-patron at the infamous Quince at The Mayfair Hotel in London for three years. “The reason Quince was so successful was because I was there,” explains Rowe.

“Believe me, being in The Mayfair, it was hard. It is popular, it is always in the public eye, we have celebrities there constantly. It’s not easy to create something that stands alone but at the same time is an integral part of the hotel.”

But her decision to break ties with Quince — albeit on friendly terms — and start over in a city whose F&B industry is in its infancy is not one that has come easily.

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The Dubai dream

“While at Quince I was approached several times to launch a similar concept in Dubai. Dubai for me was the last place on my mind. I found it crass, over the top, bling, arrogant — everything I didn’t like.

At the same time, I knew I would have to get involved in the concept so would have to be there. I refuse to be a named chef — personally it is about presence and enthusiasm.

“On top of this I knew it was time for me to move on from Quince. While I loved it and loved my team, for me, just to have the one concept — it wasn’t enough. I want to share my food, I believe in food generosity and feeding lots of people and needed more of a challenge,” says Rowe.

And so she gave Dubai a chance: “The moment we entered Dubai by car I was amazed, I couldn’t believe it. It’s an incredibly vibrant city — I loved it; the buzz, the feel, the culture. I then had a number of meetings and started feeling very positive about Dubai,” she says.

What particularly caught her attention is the focus from operators on investing in new concepts for the city, she says, both in terms of hotels and standalones.

“The operators I am dealing with have worked on some really diverse concepts. People had told me Dubai is the sort of place which has so much money, it is not interested in new concepts, it just sees things in the west, wants to uproot and implant them here and pays serious money for these things.

But for me it’s been really surprising to see people say ‘we like what you do, we’re prepared to partner you and grow it’,” she adds.

So what exactly is the golden idea that investors are desperate to throw their cash at? “The style is Ottoman or mezzaria” reveals Rowe.

Introducing Ottoman

Having been born to a Bulgarian mother and a Turkish father, Rowe’s influences are largely Ottoman inspired. However, her dishes are also inspired by other cultures.

“When I moved to the west, I experienced places like Zuma and Nobu. I love what they do. They use traditional foods and modernise them — put a different spin on them. I knew I could do the same, but with an Ottoman twist.

Zuma does shrimps with white miso, I can do the same with spices and flavours of the Middle East. They do a honey and sake glazed lamb chop, I can do the same with Ottoman spices, crusted and grilled. Basically I combine my heritage with what people enjoy today.”

But while the region, inevitably, is full of Middle Eastern restaurants, Rowe is certain she has something different to add to the mix.

She says that until now there has been significant emphasis here on creating great concepts for French, Japanese, Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisine, but very little focus on a strong Middle East concept — presented as high-end, but accessible to the masses. She sees her restaurant looking like the Wagamama concept.

It seems a little ambitious to me at this point; ‘high-end, yet reasonably priced, different Middle-East food.’ But Rowe’s confidence in her quest has me somewhat convinced the idea will do well. She’s obviously studied the market very carefully and knows exactly who to target and how. One of those sectors — though not limited to — is the health-conscious customer.

“The Middle East has huge rates of diabetes — and when you think back to its cultural staple foods like baklava, it’s no wonder. Baklava is delicious, but let’s face it, it is like eating sponge saturated in butter, it is just no good for you. I do the same, but a healthier alternative. I do a cake, with no butter, no fat, no dairy.

“My food is going to be marketed as a healthy option. My bastilla and pastry are steamed for example. I don’t use oil — I heavily rely on spice and herb blends — I have about 10 different zaatars, such as black truffle zaatar for the most elevated of dishes, grapefruit zaatar, blood orange zaatar. For the salad dressing, I use very little olive oil. It’s mainly based on homemade molasses — mulberry; cherry; date; pomegranate, instead of balsamic vinegars.”

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Bold ambition

And she is not stopping there. She promises that the ingredients incorporated in her menu will be based on seasonal ingredients available locally.

“I’m not going to be putting monkfish and sole on the menu. I’m not interested. I want to do everything that is available locally. I want to really clamp down on the carbon footprint — I don’t want to import,” she says.

She’s not fussy as to whether she opens in a hotel or a mall — both would work equally well she believes. What she does believe is important for any new opening is finding a partner “who will do it justice”, and who believes in the brand. In a hotel her concept might be presented as fine-dining but would still be “democratically priced,” she insists. In a mall-based environment it would be more casual.

“The sector I’m targeting is ‘smart-casual’,” says Rowe. “The global dining sector is moving towards this.”

From the cultural challenges, to staffing challenges, she’s aware life would have been a lot easier sticking to what she knew at Quince. But who wants easy? Her one area of focus is staff. While she plans to bring a few over from London, 90% of them will be sourced locally.

I’m curious to find out what she makes of the staff retention problems in this industry.

From staff to family

“The problem is the lack of empowerment. I was very close with my team in Quince and they became like my family. I want the same with my team here. I intend to make them believe this is the best place to work, by making them feel appreciated — that’s something money can’t buy.”

She makes reference to Okku where it is visible to her the staff “feel valued”.

“They are looked after, they are happy — my waiter was like a human fireball with eyes at the back of his head. It is like Nobu in London, everybody wants to be a waiter there because they are treated well. The tips are amazing because the service is phenomenal,” she says.

If there is one thing that I can take away from my meeting with this fascinating chef it is her wholehearted attitude to succeed.

Being one of a very limited pool of women in this industry, she knows she’s got a bit of a fight on her hands but promises to throw every ounce of energy into proving it can be done.

A Man's World?

“The chef world is a male dominated one; if you want to succeed you have to operate like a man. I have every intention of really showing women they could run a restaurant. I’m keen on encouraging local female potential but ones that are really passionate, people that see themselves here in this industry.”

Her new launch has sparked expansion ideas already. Rowe is insistent she doesn't want just the one outlet and is keen on the idea of opening further outlets in the region.

“I foresee at least six in Dubai alone, not to mention other places in the world. I want to create the brand that prompts the US come to us and say ‘we want it in New York or Chicago.’

“It’s about thinking big. In this industry you have to be like a man to run a kitchen. Operate like a man yet be a lady,” she concludes.