A TASTE OF DUBAI
From kebab shops and organic farms to meat boutiques and a new food hall, there are countless ways to eat out in Dubai
WORDS: SAMIA QAI Y UM
ROOTS & SHOOT S EMI R AT ES BIO FARM
Arriving at Emirates Bio Farm feels a little like stumbling upon an oasis. Set in a hushed landscape of shifting sand dunes, close to the Abu Dhabi border, its 62 acres are used to grow over 70 varieties of certified- organic produce, including kale, cucumbers, tomatoes and turnips. Besides supplying retailers and consumers
with fruit and vegetables, the farm hosts events such as sunset yoga, dining pop-ups with renowned chefs, educational talks and tractor tours. As I walk towards the onsite restaurant The Farmer’s Table, I spot a group of children enthralled by some cud-chewing goats. The restaurant sits within one of many greenhouses, offering front-row views of the farmers at work. There’s no fixed menu — the farm-to-table food is created from whatever has been picked that day. Right now, they’re serving a brunch of scrambled eggs (the resident hens lay over 8,000 eggs a day), freshly baked rye bread, baba ghanoush made with the farm’s own aubergines and carrot cake topped with beetroot jam (one of the kitchen’s bestsellers). All of the dishes are meat-free, and the star of the show today is bottle gourd bass. A popular ingredient in curries across the Indian subcontinent, this firm-fleshed gourd is cut into ‘fillets’ and pan-fried so it has a similar look and texture to seared sea bass (complete with crispy skin), before being lightly seasoned with fresh herbs. “We’re here to make vegan and vegetarian
food fun. You’re eating locally, we’re getting creative with what we have,” says Yazen Al
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Kodmani, the operations manager. “But it’s our zero-waste mentality that really drives our creativity. Aiming to use all parts of a vegetable, we produce an earthy carrot-top pesto that works well as a pasta sauce. Broccoli leaves are stuffed with rice to create dolmas. We use beetroot leaves in salads because they’re rich in folate. Why throw them away?” ‘Ugly’ vegetables also have a role to play.
“Some are misshapen or too small and not suitable for the market, so they become jams, sauces and pickles,” adds Yazen. I pick up a jar of seven-spice chilli pickle to take home, only to add a bottle of eggplant jam as I’m about to leave. Like the menu, the pantry selection changes frequently, so it’s important to seize the day — and the jar of jam.
emiratesbiofarm.com
HAUTE COUTURE CUTS THE DRY-AGED BOU T IQU E
In Wafi City mall is a shop that bills itself as ‘the world’s only dry-aged meat boutique’. As I look around, well-heeled shoppers step inside to peek at rib-eye, tomahawk and T-bone steaks sourced from Japan, Australia and the US. The centrepiece is a triple-glazed display case, eight metres wide, its contents dramatically lit. My eye is drawn to a piece of Wagyu short loin coated in edible gold. How very Dubai, I think. Yet, after meeting owner Mirco Beutler, I’m convinced it’s not a case of style over substance. Originally from Germany, the self-styled
‘Dry-Ager Guy’ has over 12 years’ experience in the food industry, supplying dry-aged meats to upscale steakhouses and restaurants — and, now, consumers. The Dry Age Boutique isn’t
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/FOOD-TRAVEL
just a butcher’s shop, it’s a destination — one that offers an education in the art and science of dry-ageing meat. The cuts, Mirco tells me, are either hung or kept on racks at roughly 1.5C. With each aged from 28 to over 100 days, they become tastier and more tender with time. Balance is key — too little time means not enough moisture is lost, too much time can mean there’s not much meat left. While beef is best suited to the process, goose, duck, lamb, Bresse chicken and rack of veal are also on offer. And they don’t come cheap: 695g of the Black Angus porterhouse will set you back AED 368.35 (£74). In Mirco’s experience, however, these
are prices steak enthusiasts are willing to pay, with the pandemic only working in his favour. “I understood that restaurants and steakhouses were closed, but the demand of the people — the connoisseurs — was still the same. They wanted steakhouse quality at home; they wanted to enjoy their meats.” He shows me the adjacent tasting room, where shoppers can sample a selection of cuts (grilled to order by the in-house chef) before buying. Because the mall has no alcohol licence, Mirco also occasionally teams up with a nearby wine bar for wine and steak pairings. Next — if all goes to plan — will be venues
in New York and London. “I’m envisioning a speakeasy-type set-up,” Mirco explains. For now, though, he continues to experiment with dry-ageing different proteins, including yellowfin tuna, and to serve his loyal customers here in Dubai. Mirco is confident it’s a recipe for success: “Nobody else has ever sold meat like it’s designer jewellery,” he says.
thedryageboutique.com
IMAGES: JACK WILKINSON; THE DRY AGE BOUTIQUE; THE FARMER’S MARKET
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