This is reflective of how Myers wants guests to feel in the spaces that he’s conceived: “I want them to feel relaxed here. They’re going to have an epic experience but they’re not coming in and having any preconceived thoughts about having to act or look a certain way. It’s not about that. Look at me. I am Bleu Blanc with my white T-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes.”
Myers’ third concept, Poppy — a speakeasy–style bar/lounge will feature soulful music played on vinyl into the early hours, and drinks curated and created by mixologist Sam Ross.
In a restaurant scene that many insiders say is saturated, Myers is aiming to fill an untapped niche: “Dubai has a thriving restaurant scene already and I think that with Bleu Blanc and Basta we’re really positioned nicely into the market for something new. I think that our style is a bit different. I haven’t seen anybody focus entirely on the live fire and ember-oriented cooking. We’re trying to bring our own style.”
When it comes to sourcing ingredients, the chef, who is used to having markets on his doorstep both at home in LA and in Asia, admits that there has to be a different approach in this region: “Of course we would love to have a farmer’s market right outside our door with amazing product coming through but we don’t and it’s ok. We’ve got Europe which is just a stone’s throw away. It’s the same [distance] as flying between LA and New York. So I don’t believe that getting great product is an issue here.
“We are going to focus mostly on European product because we are European restaurants so with our Italian and French concepts it makes sense to be able to utilise that. We’ve already reached out. We have an incredible chef, Gilles Perrin, on property here who’s made connections. He’s been in Dubai for nine years and he’s dealing with the vendors and getting product in, so I’m really confident about the product that we’re using.”
Speaking to Caterer about the operational structure of the venues, Myers explains: “We have a mandate. We’re operating them as if they were independent restaurants that happen to be a part of this hotel. So we have a GM, executive chef, sommelier, sous chefs, mixologists, the whole range, for each of the projects. Still, we’re very proud to be a part of the hotel. The F&B team here are all from restaurant backgrounds so they’re all switched on and dialed in to the market.”
Looking forward to the venues’ November openings which coincide with Dubai’s high season, the chef says: “I hope that the guests are as happy and excited about them as we are. There’s nobody more excited to be out there and talk to our guests than our team. They are pumped, they are ready to go. We get joy out of making people happy. We get joy out of creating great memories.”
When asked about what inspires him Myers says: “I’m a gypsy chef. For me it’s about travel, inspiration from that travel, and applying that to my restaurants, concepts and ideas.”
In true gypsy fashion, the chef already has his next destination (or destinations) in mind: “Europe. To make the complete circle, Europe is on the list. London, Berlin and Zurich are three destinations that I definitely want to get in on. At some point maybe Paris because I’m very fond of it and Barcelona could also be one. But I’d say London, Berlin and Zurich are hot on the list.”
Myers, who is one of the most laid-back and charismatic people you’re likely to meet, is realising his vision: “I wanted to travel the world and I wanted to run my own companies. That was always the plan.”
You could say that, although he swapped grey suits for more comfortable attire, he did end up doing international business.
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