The interiors of Imperium at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai; it is known for its classical French fare and has items like oysters on its Friday brunch.
Do you rely on importing ingredients or are there local products used on the menu?
DH: We source fresh seafood, poultry, truffles, vegetables and fruits all year round from France but we also source fantastic ingredients from other countries in Europe, Australia and the UAE. We get products delivered from France twice a week and we love to work with seasonal products as much as possible, like running a white and green asparagus promotion in May and June.
We strive to be as sustainable as we can be without compromising the authenticity of our dishes, so we do source fresh local fish every morning to our hotel. We work according to the French philosophy to use the freshest ingredients possible, which are then often locally sourced.
FS: Most of our products are imported from France and we try to work with the same products as in Paris and the same suppliers, if possible. With our existence in Dubai for a couple of years, we have come across few good products, for example Omani prawns, dates, camel milk etcetera which we love to work with.
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IA: A lot of chefs like to focus on locally sourced produce or everything organic, but given our position in the world and the climate, this is impossible for us. We source ingredients from all over the world with a focus on artisan suppliers across Europe.
The supply stream can be difficult at times, but we have a manager purely dedicated to this as the quality of ingredients is so important to the food that we serve at La Serre. What we do source from this region is fruits and vegetables, and more locally, from Abu Dhabi Organic Farm, which has excellent produce.
NF: The use of local ingredients is within Jumeirah’s best practice and interest. Any creation on a menu is always sourced from local producers. The expectation of customers is to have a mango from India — we may not be able to achieve this but we can adapt to what is around us and create the best dishes using the local suppliers.
SC: The supply chain is a little unreliable. We do import directly from Rungis market, ensuring we can offer a consistent menu. We also bring products that are not available locally, ensuring we deliver a quality offering to our guests. The food we serve is simple and speaks for itself, not over-worked; we need fresh naturally grown products to allow us to do this.
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