How popular is French Cuisine in this region?
Olivier Biles, head chef, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Dubai Festival City: From upscale French brasserie-style establishments to fine dining restaurants like Reflets, I believe people like the French style of cooking because they know that they are paying for a quality, well-prepared dish.
Thomas Rebler, director of culinary, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, on La Farine: With the days of French fine dining dominance long gone, there are still quite a few French restaurants around, but nowadays there are more casual and approachable ones, more brasseries and bistros.
What are the most popular French dishes?
Farah George Farah, general manager, Fournil de Pierre: The first thing that a local consumer would think about when talking about French dishes is a Quiche Lorraine or a Gratin, a pot stew or hearty salad.
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Olivier Catora Chef de Cuisine, La Mer, Ritz-Carlton Doha: Soup, bisque, bouillabaise and several dessert like millefeuille are all popular choices among our guests.
TR: French bakery products, hands down. The French oysters are very much appreciated. Some of our best sellers are the classics, Steak Frites, Croque Monsieur and Salade Nicoise.
OB: I guess we are well-known for our love of cheese, foie gras, snails and frog’s legs — the last two always intrigue the more curious people!
Is French cuisine here as authentic as it gets?
FGF: There is always a need to adapt to suit the local taste and culture by either replacing some unavailable ingredients with similar ones or cutting out ingredients that could be considered prohibited.
Siegfried Neurhaus, managing director, Pascal Tepper French Bakery: The famous butter croissant was adapted to suit the local audience as chefs created a zataar croissant. The authenticity of the butter croissant is still there but has been adapted to suit the needs of the local market.
OB: In the last six years, Dubai has become a real international gastronomic destination, I would even say competing with the likes of New York, London and Hong Kong. Guests here have acquired a real knowledge of the ever more competitive dining scene and they have huge expectations, so maintaining high standards and authenticity has never been more important.
TR: I think the restaurants that are true to authenticity are successful in the long run. The “fit the market palate” approach does not work in Dubai, as the market is very transient and you have a lot of travellers from all over the world.
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