Show Notes
Welcome to episode three of a four-part Unpacked series on Dubai travel, this time focused on Dubai food: how a city long known for celebrity chefs and global concepts has grown a homegrown food scene with a flavor all its own.
Guest host Nicola Chilton first sits down with Kathy Johnston, Chief Chocolate Officer of Mirzam, the Dubai-born, bean-to-bar chocolate company celebrating its 10th birthday. Johnston explains how Mirzam ties its recipes to the region’s spice-trade history, from a maps and monsters collection inspired by the tall tales traders told on Dubai Creek to a mango bar built around the monsoon trade with India and an Emirati range featuring halwa and aseeda. She also talks about sourcing more ingredients locally as farming grows in the UAE, and shares her own picks for where to eat in Dubai.
In the second half, Nicola talks with Mohammad Orfali, the chef behind Orfali Bros Bistro, which opened in 2021 and holds a Michelin star. Orfali, who grew up in Aleppo, Syria, and moved to Dubai in 2006, walks through the pandemic-era opening, how a too-fancy burger became a local favorite, why he calls his cooking “Dubai cuisine,” and how locally grown produce is changing the way chefs cook, a useful listen for anyone planning a food and travel trip to the city.
One more episode is still to come, on Dubai’s culture and creative community, and every episode is filmed in the same Dubai studio, so you can watch as well as listen on YouTube.
THIS WEEK'S GUESTS
Kathy Johnston is Chief Chocolate Officer of Mirzam, a bean-to-bar chocolate maker founded in 2016, with a factory, café, and boutique in Al Quoz, Dubai.
Mohammad Orfali is the chef and co-owner of Orfali Bros, Three Bros, and Manao. Born in Aleppo, Syria, and based in Dubai since 2006, he opened Orfali Bros Bistro in 2021 with his two brothers. It holds a Michelin star and ranks No. 1 on the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list, according to World’s 50 Best.
PLAN YOUR OWN DUBAI TRIP
Start with these Afar resources on Dubai food and what to do: a guide to the city’s evolving food scene and how to spend four days in Dubai, according to locals.
Where to eat, what to try, and Dubai food worth seeking out from this episode:
Mirzam Chocolate Makers — Kathy Johnston’s factory, café, and boutique in Al Quoz. Try the date and fennel bar, a thin dark chocolate shell filled with locally grown dates and fennel seeds, or the best-selling Emirati range, with bars inspired by traditional desserts.
Halwa — a hot, spiced Emirati dessert traditionally made in enormous copper bowls, which Johnston calls “a hot mochi jelly with all of the spices and nuts in the kitchen that you could find.”
Orfali Bros Bistro — Mohammad Orfali’s Michelin-starred neighborhood bistro, open since 2021 and built on what he calls “freedom of cooking.”
Middle Child — Johnston’s pick for cozy, produce-driven food from a chef who grew up in Lebanon.
Khadak — Johnston’s pick for South Indian food from two chefs who work with local farms and chefs.
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Welcome to Dubai Food 00:05:00 Mangoes, Monsoons, and Honey 00:08:00 Insider Picks and Emirati Sweets 00:14:30 Orfali Bros Opens Its Doors 00:21:00 Freedom of Cooking 00:25:30 Fresh Produce and What’s Next
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