Celeb-chef Greg Malouf to open Dubai restaurant

Australian celeb-chef Greg Malouf has relocated to the UAE and is planning to open his first, as yet unnamed, restaurant in Dubai.

Speaking to Caterer Middle East, he said: “Unfortunately there’s no name at the moment. It’s quite a large restaurant situated in The Currency House building, and overlooks the Burj Khalifa.”

He said the licensed restaurant will have a large outdoor seating area, which will also serve sheesha.

The restaurant is scheduled to open in September 2014, and Malouf reveals it will be a contemporary Middle Eastern concept, one he claims he has not yet seen in Dubai.

He said: “My background is Lebanese. I’m a chef but also an author so I do books on contemporary Middle Eastern food, so that’s what the restaurant is based on ... from my childhood and my travels.”

Malouf comes to the region from Petersham Nurseries Café in Richmond, UK, which won a Michelin star after one year under his reins. Previously he worked at MoMo restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.

He said: “I came from a Michelin restaurant based in London and was asked to have a look at this project. I decided I always wanted to cook in the Middle East given all its challenges. I then decided to relocate here.”

Malouf concluded: “This is a better opportunity in terms of its diversity and that the locals are willing to try lots of different food cultures and styles.”