Affordability
“The market in Abu Dhabi is different from Dubai,” he notes. “People here care about their food quality and service, but they also demand good value for money.”
Druhan adds that, as a result, the menu has been designed with key price points in mind. “We’re doing costings now,” he says. “We’ll price the restaurant to the market and our clientele. We want a restaurant that anyone can come into — not exclusive fine dining. People think hotel restaurants are expensive. But we’ve sought feedback on our pricing and it’s been very positive.”
By way of example, he suggests that starters will range from around AED 45 to AED 105 [US $12-29], and mains will start at AED 85 [$23]. “Eating here will not just be for special occasions. I’m hoping to see regulars here for lunch and dinner three times a week.”
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The “affordable and accessible” menu will feature eight starters, eight mains and six desserts, as well as a nine-course tasting menu, matched with wine. “Specials will include oysters and smoked salmon” — a nod to the site’s seafood past, and the restaurant’s name, of course.
Talking of which — why Pearls by Michael Caines, I digress? “Well, it’s an amazing location,” says the eponymous chef. “And it looks and feels like an oyster shell. But there are lots of Pearl and Pearls restaurants out here. So Pearls by Michael Caines was the only way we could register it.”
Back to the food. “There will also be a desserts bar at the front at the front of the restaurant serving cocktails and champagne,” Caines reveals.
The menu will change four times a year. “Although seasons don’t really exist here, we do want some seasonality in the menu,” says Caines, who will visit Abu Dhabi with each change to communicate the updated selections to customers and receive their feedback.
“I’m obviously not going to be here cooking all the time,” he acknowledges — probably six times a year in total. “But in my absence, I need to ensure the quality and style of service I want.”
Druhan reveals that Caines has been looking at using web-enabled GoPro cameras so he can keep an eye on operations from afar. But the chef’s influence will be felt more directly in the form of his hand-picked team.
“We’ve taken one of his chefs from the UK, and two of our chefs from here have been to London to work with him on the menu and dishes,” says Druhan. There will also be some continuity and local knowledge provided by some of the former members of Scott’s team, who are joining Pearls by Michael Caines.
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