The Downtown Boulevard is a tough street for restaurants.  It’s never become the Champs Elysée it was destined to be and now acts more like a clogged artery for the downtown traffic than a commercial conduit for culinary establishments. After crawling through the boulevard, we pulled into the small valet parking bay, which looked like […] The post Jun’s Restaurant appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

Matcha Club – A padel club and movement community hangout in Al Quoz.  There is so much to unpack here; I don’t know where to begin.  Twenty years ago, Al Quoz felt like the final frontier.  A trip to Al Quoz was something you would crowbar into a conversation on Friday mornings at Lime Tree […] The post Follow Me To The Matcha Club appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

What does the metaverse mean for restaurants? Change and criticism often walk hand in hand.  In ancient Greece, Socrates worried that if people learned how to write, it would “create forgetfulness in the learners’ soul, because they will not use their memories.” In the 1740s there was a moral panic over the dangerous effects of […] The post The F&B Metaverse appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

Hotels have been chasing independent restaurants for years, having found themselves being outpaced and outperformed by the more innovative and aggressive independent restaurant operators. In a new 5-part series, we explore what hotels could be doing to bridge that gap.  Part One – Think Independently To ‘think independently’ seems obvious, but there is a lot packed […] The post Outlets vs Restaurants appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

There’s no denying the hospitality industry is still reeling from the aftermath of COVID-19, with many Dubai-based businesses still finding their feet with reworked business models and adaptive changes. Add to that the UAE’s transitioning to a four and a half day working week along with other labour law changes, this poses challenges for food […] The post TREAT, TRAIN, COMPENSATE, REMAIN appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

Brunch has always fallen on a Friday here in the GCC. Up until 1999, the UAE had a six day working week and Friday was the only day off. In 1999, Thursday joined Friday and the two-day weekend was born. Friday became much more aligned with the traditional Sunday many expats were used to. Seeing the success of […] The post What’s next for the Friday Brunch?! appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

Kinoya (not to be confused with Kinokuniya) has a unique story.  It was born from the success of a domestic supper club.  A supper club so popular, it operated with a mythical exclusiveness, where reservations were made months out and last-minute cancellations filled within seconds.  Strangers were willing to cross international borders for a seat […] The post Kinoya Ramen and Izakaya appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

Mohammed Orfali (who goes by just Orfali) is a chef known for his TV shows and magnificent beard. His home city is Aleppo, and if you want to talk about culinary history, Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Orfali has two brothers, although I am convinced I’ve been introduced […] The post Orfali & Bros Bistro appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

Why Delivery Will Never Replace Dining Out When COVID-19 struck in 2020, it posed restaurants across the world with two choices: adapt or perish. As the global pandemic sent seismic shockwaves throughout the hospitality industry, businesses had to think quickly, and reimagining their business models was the first step. The no-brainer response was for restaurants […] The post A Love Letter to Restaurants appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more

It has taken its toll. It was inevitable. It’s fast approaching summer 2021, and the pandemic still rages on.  Some countries are on their 5th wave already. Different varieties are being discovered all the time, from exotic places like Brazil and South Africa.  We could easily be talking about coffee, but we’re not. I feel […] The post Are Covid Food Trends Creating Food Moods? appeared first on Food Sheikh ..read more