A category that celebrates those in the country’s kitchens with a unique talent. They display an unparalleled level of skill. These chefs embody a unique sense of style and a way with flavours, and have added something that is intrinsically their own to the food they create. The shortlist is…
WINNER
Grégoire Berger
Ossiano
One of the most creative and innovative chefs in the UAE, Grégoire Berger came back to Ossiano with a bang in 2022. A degustation menu inspired by memories of travel and childhood has wowed. Berger is a pioneer in UAE’s fine dining landscape and creates visually stunning food that delivers on flavour, technique and texture. Be led through a menu charting the chef’s respect for seasonality, terroir and sea foraging.
FINALIST
Gilles Bosquet
Rikas Group
Gilles Bosquet is the corporate chef for Rikas Group. He leads teams, creates menus and mentors talent across six separate dining outlets in Dubai. They include some of the most popular restaurants in the city; La Cantine du Faubourg, Ninive, Lana Lusa, Twiggy by La Cantine, Mimi Kakushi, Gohan and Madeleine & Marcel. The chef heads up a brigade of 150 people across the city. From menu creation, to supply management and market research, Bosquet is a multi-faceted culinary leader passionate about pushing the emirate forward. He joined the team in 2016 and hasn’t looked back since.
FINALIST
Giovanni Papi
Armani/Ristorante
Giovanni Papi, chef de cuisine at Armani/Ristorante Dubai started his F&B career early, working in hotels in the Costa Smeralda area of Sardinia in Italy.
He then moved to France to work on his craft professionally and spent years travelling and working across Europe.
Today, he helms the kitchen of Armani/Ristorante and creates fare that honours his roots and celebrates the local UAE culture, while promoting a sustainable cuisine.
His culinary philosophy can be found in each of his dishes, which feature ingredients sourced from Italy as well as local UAE farms to create fantastic plates.
FINALIST
Himanshu Saini
Trèsind Studio
Considered one of the most talented taste-makers in Indian cuisine today, Himanshu Saini is the group head chef at Trèsind Studio. He has worked with many of the most acclaimed names in Indian cuisine, starting his culinary career under the mentorship of chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent in Delhi. Since then Saini sought to change the perception of Indian cuisine and created Trèsind Studio, which pushes the boundaries of fine-dining and stands alone in Dubai for the kind of experience it offers. Saini is one of the brightest stars working in the UAE in 2022. This is undoubtedly just the start.
FINALIST
Saverio Sbaragli
Al Muntaha
Saverio Sbaragli is the head chef at Al Muntaha, bringing his expertise in French fine-dining cuisine with Italian influences to the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Throughout his career, Sbaragli has worked with renowned chefs including Gault&Millau legends Alain Ducasse, and Alain Passard at his l’Arpège restaurant.In his role at Al Muntaha, he brings top-level European culinary experience to the kitchen, with a precise style, incredible technique and superlative flavour profile.Since he joined, Sbaragli has taken Al Muntaha to the next level, earning it a remarkable three toques in 2022.