Michelin

With the region’s ongoing development in mind, Caterer posed a new question this year, focusing on Dubai in particular, by asking chefs whether they think Dubai is ready for a Michelin Guide. Optimism won out, with 61.4% agreeing that Dubai is one of the most exciting cities in the world, while 38.6% said they Dubai has a long way to go in its culinary development in order to be ready.

One chef said that as “people already enjoying visiting Dubai they would love to see Michelin in the city” while another confidently stated that “Dubai is getting a bigger and better name day-by-day in the culinary world”, suggesting that it is ready for Michelin.

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Okku’s Tanyag concurred, commenting: “Dubai is ready as so many Michelin-starred chefs have opened restaurants in Dubai. Michelin will be good for the market to drive in customers, but also raise the bar for everybody else around town.”

While most respondents said Dubai is ready for Michelin, several disagreed; one chef cited the lack of a “foodie culture” as problematic, as well as Dubai’s lack of its own cuisine identity.

The supply stream was also given by several chefs as an area holding Dubai back, with one respondent stating that even though there are plenty of good places to eat, “the lack of seasonal produce available with suppliers (who don’t keep stock and have to pre-order days in advance for import) makes it hard for chefs to be on top of the game with what’s on the menu”.

One chef made the point that even without a Michelin Guide, Dubai is achieving highly and determined to prove itself in the culinary world. The same chef added that because “Dubai keeps pushing for nothing but the best”, companies based in the city are picky about “recruiting the finest candidates from overseas”, which has resulted in Dubai being filled with multi-skilledtalented professionals who are “hungry and eager for recognition both locally and internationally”.

This tenacity to continually elevate Dubai’s offering is perhaps why 79.1% of respondents predicted a Michelin Guide will be published in Dubai within the next five years.