Pierre Gagnaire

He has 12 restaurants around the world including two with three Michelin stars each in France. He’s humble and sweet-natured but sometimes, due to the language barrier I expect, can come across as a little defensive. He’s Pierre Gagnaire, the French chef who lends his name and expertise to Reflets at InterContinental Dubai Festival City. In town for the LitFest and a ladies lunch, FooDiva meets the hands-on chef who like Ferran Adria, recoils at the term molecular, and explains that his cuisine is all about emotion and sensitivity.

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Maya always had a good reputation for serving authentic Mexican cuisine as opposed to the Americanised Tex-Mex prevalent elsewhere in Dubai. Well it’s reopened following an eight month refurb and a slight rebrand to Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen. The 60-strong tequila library complete with sexy librarian (yes guys get down there pronto) catches my attention on opening night, and I return last week to review…the restaurant not the library . But whilst penning my thoughts, fellow foodie blogger Fork it over Dubai publishes her review and since I agree with her feedback – difficult given food is so subjective – why not share her review instead?

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Since I interviewed Atul Kochhar last year at Taste of Dubai when he also showed us how to make sea bass curry, I’ve been longing for his Indian restaurant, Rang Mahal to open at the newish JW Marriott Marquis Dubai – after all his London restaurant, Benares, does sport one Michelin star.

So seven weeks into opening, we find ourselves, with hostess guiding us, walking down a long corridor flanked with opulently decorated booths, passing a small bar without a soul in sight sadly on a weekend, before entering the restaurant. No surprise Rang Mahal translates to Palace of Colour with rich red, orange and ochre murals gaping down at us, whilst giant ornate columns dominate the vast high ceiling room but with rather oddly, grey utilitarian flooring. The restaurant lacks intimacy with a huge divide between the windowed kitchen and the dining tables, in particular ours, where we overlook a patch of green with baseball match in full swing. Not quite a Prime 68 view, but we’re only on the fourth floor.

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