Dubai’s vibrant and ever-evolving food scene has earned high praise from Notorious Foodie, the globally renowned Instachef whose ASMR cooking videos have captivated millions. In his first-ever interview, the self-taught home cook told Arabian Business that Dubai’s culinary diversity places it “amongst the best in the world.”
“When I moved here in the 90s, Sheikh Zayed Road only had two lanes on each side, and the tallest building was the Hard Rock Café,” he recalled. The UK-based home cook spent his childhood growing up in the UAE and is from an Indian household, where he says most of his cooking inspiration stemmed from. But he believes Dubai’s food scene is unmatched around the globe.
“The change since when I lived here has been insane, and with that comes a massive evolution of the food scene. It’s incredible,” he told Arabian Business.
The self-taught home cook highlighted the city’s ability to cater to every taste. “Dubai is so vibrant – you get everything here,” he said. “I was at Jara in The Lana Hotel last week, which is the first Basque cuisine restaurant in Dubai. To see such niche cuisine represented here is amazing.”
He also pointed to the city’s unique ability to combine old and new. “You’ve got all the old-school spots like Ostadi and Khory Kebab, and then my new favourite, Hashmi BBQ in Barsha, which is just insane,” he added.
For Notorious Foodie, Dubai’s culinary appeal lies in its diversity. “You’ve got fine dining, mid-level restaurants, and casual dining – and they’re all thriving,” he said.
The chef who has amassed more than 20 million followers across his social media platforms and has never revealed his name, shared his must-visiting dining spots with Arabian Business:
- Hashmi BBQ (Barsha)
- Rascals
- Moonrise
- 11 Woodfire
- Kinoya
- Pickl
- Salt
While Dubai’s fine dining scene is still maturing, Notorious Foodie sees rapid growth. “The fine dining space is developing quickly, with chefs like Soleman [Moonrise] and Akmal [11 Woodfire] leading the charge,” he said. “At the same time, the mid-level and casual dining options are exploding, which makes the food scene here incredibly exciting.”
The home cook, whose identity remains a mystery despite his immense online fame, hinted at making Dubai a permanent base for his culinary ventures. He revealed to Arabian Business that he is exploring opportunities to create an F&B concept in the city.
“There’s something on the cards,” he said. “There is space and room in the Dubai market to create something special that is very slick and streamlined.”
For Notorious Foodie, Dubai is more than just a culinary hotspot – it’s home. “Dubai’s home for me at the end of the day. So, to have a concept related to Notorious Foodie in Dubai, to put my flag down, would be incredible,” he said.
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