< PreviousTrending caterermiddleeast.com September 2020 10 Having been preceded by the UAE’s first location at Abu Dhabi’s The Galleria Al Maryah Island in 2017, 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant has established a strong local fan base, but opening its first Dubai location in the middle of a global pandemic is not exactly ideal. 99 Sushi Dubai The Spanish brand adds to its UAE portfolio with this Address Downtown venue WHAT’S THE FUSS ABOUT... Quoting American professor Brene Brown, GM and company director Jaime Castaneda said: “’You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both.’ “We were due to have the grand opening for 99 Sushi Bar, Dubai in March. However, due to Covid-19 we have kept postponing the opening until the local authorities grant to re-open venues for good. Although this is assuming that nothing will ever be as before, and with a chance of a second wave to now also think about, our former comforts might not come back again. So it is time to be brave, it Trending 11 September 2020 caterermiddleeast.com 1 Michelin star for the brand’s agship outlet in Madrid. Executive chef David Arauz’s creative dishes are also on show at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi outlets. “It is time to be brave, it is time to invest in people” is time to invest in people, and time to give new opportunities to rebuild the hospitality sector once again.” The new outlet is located in the prestigious Address Downtown and seats up to 99 guests both indoors and on its terrace, which boasts panoramic views of Burj Khalifa. “The opportunity to open the next 99 Sushi Bar in front of the most iconic building in the world was not something we could let escape,” said Castaneda to Caterer Middle East just prior to the restaurant’s launch. “On top of that the previous venue was also a Japanese restaurant, therefore, the investment was the most cost-efficient amongst other options.” The Spaniard is confident that 99 Sushi will stand out from the crowd of Japanese restaurants in Dubai thanks to its focus on excellent service. “This is in contrast to Japan and most of the Japanese venues of Dubai where you often eat at Izakayas — informal bars that serve drinks and snacks. They’re very casual so the food is the main focus and service is mostly forgotten. 99 Sushi Bar offers something completely different.” The entranceA day in the life caterermiddleeast.com September 2020 12 8:30am: I wake up and take a shower. 8:45am: It’s time for a fresh cup of coffee together with breakfast. I will prepare either a simple bowl with cereal, or our favourite sourdough, poached eggs with grated tomato and garlic. 9:00am: This time of the morning, I love to spend time with my wife. As a chef, it’s sometimes hard that on weekends, I am away from my family. I am lucky to have a wife who understands. 9:15am: I get ready to head to work while listening to my favourite podcast from Mexico. This takes me back home in a way and gives me a positive vibe to embrace busy Friday operations here at Trader Vic’s. 9:45am: Upon arrival, I will start the re in our signature Trader Vic´s Chinese wood- red oven. The design of Trader Vic’s Chinese wood- red ovens can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. The ovens are encased in glass so that our guests can see this unique operation 10:00am: Hang the roast to cook for 3 hours on the wood re to get that amazing smoked aroma. 10:35am: I have a catch up with the restaurant manager to nalise details about the Friday brunch bookings, food allergies or any VIP details, as well as the reservations or groups for the night. 11:45am: Finalise the preparations and gather the culinary team for a pre-brunch brie ng. I brief the team about the brunch bookings, special requirements by the guests and delegate responsibilities. 1:00pm: I am back at the Trader Vic’s wood oven to check on the roast and portion it accordingly. 2:30pm: By this time, main course service is nished and I will check on my pastry team which is plating all the desserts. This is also the time during brunch when I like to go to the guests’ tables and check on their feedback. We have a lot of regular guests at our brunch, and as a chef it feels great seeing familiar faces every week. 4:00pm: We close the brunch service. I will have lunch with my culinary team and talk about operations, what can we improve or change for next week. We also discuss feedback from guests which they gather as well. 5:00pm: This is my ‘me time’ of the day. Time to grab an espresso, slow down a bit and catch up on social media and news from my family and friends all around the world. 5:15pm: Second brie ng about the dinner service, check the stocks and availabilities. We also prepare mis en place for Saturday brunch. 8:30pm: The restaurant gets really busy at this time of the evening. Even though I feel a bit tired by then, the music and atmosphere in the restaurant gives me that new bolt of energy — it’s like I am suddenly in a beach party on some tropical island and I love it. 10:30pm: I check my emails, place orders for the next few days or have a one-on- one catch up with some members of my culinary team. I joined Trader Vic’s JBR recently and I like spending time with my team and learn more about them – personally and professionally. It’s been a tough year for everyone considering we are all far away from our families, and my goal is to be there for my team at this time more than ever. I will take a look around the restaurant and check on our guests’ satisfaction then head home. Rene Alejandro Manzanilla Vela, head chef at Trader Vic’s, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah talks us through a typical brunch day at the Polynesian restaurant Bustling brunch 13 September 2020 caterermiddleeast.com INSIDE THE INGREDIENT Roberto’s group executive chef Francesco Guarracino tells us about Sorrento lemons DID YOU KNOW? Lemons have a long history of being revered in Italy. Some families along the Amal Coast have been growing Femminello-type lemons for six generations. For centuries, Sorrento lemons have been the primary variety used for making limoncello. 60% of all cultivated Sorrento lemons are reserved for making the sweet Italian liqueur. What are Sorrento lemons? The Sorrento lemon, also known as limone di Sorrento or ovale di Sorrento, is an Italian variety of citrus lemon. Sorrento lemons are a medium to large variety with an oval shape, each end tapering to a point. The stem end may have a more prominent neck, and the opposite end will always display the typical, protruding mammilla. The highly fragrant rind is thick and somewhat bumpy, with visible oil glands. Flavour: The translucent yellow pulp is aromatic, very juicy, and has very few to no seeds. Sorrento lemons have a somewhat tart, acidic avor, but without any bitterness. Harvest: Sorrento lemons are available year-round with a peak season in the spring through late fall months. The fragrant lemons are cultivars of the oldest and most important lemon group in Italy: the Femminello-types. There are many named varieties, depending on the region in which they are grown. True Italian Sorrento lemons are grown within a protected region of origin on the Sorrento Peninsula and island of Capri in southern Italy, and are labeled with a sticker indicating such. How are they used in Italian cuisine? The large, Sorrento lemons are used for their zest, rind and juice. They are also halved, salted and preserved for later use. The fragrant lemons are used to make jams, preserves and custards. The rind and pith are used to make candied lemon peel, or used to infuse vinegars and oils. Halved or quartered Sorrento lemons can be roasted. Recipes: The aromatic zest will add a tangy citrus avor to anything from baked goods to savory dishes. In Italy, it is often added as a nishing touch to risotto or pasta dishes. The juice can be used for marinades, beverages, sorbets, and other desserts. Store Sorrento lemons at room temperature for up to a week and refrigerate for longer shelf life. Nutritional value: Sorrento lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of folate. The vitamin C in lemons provides antioxidant bene ts.caterermiddleeast.com September 2020 14 CAREERS UAE-born burger joint Pickl is continuing its rapid expansion with three appointments to key managerial roles. Having grown from its original outlet which opened in Dubai’s JLT in 2019 to now operating ve locations across the emirate, Pickl has brought in a new head of operations, head of culinary, and head of brand to help continue that growth. New head of operations Reece Baker, who has previously led the team at Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s now closed Mahiki nightclub and managed the opening of Industrial Avenue, will oversee the day-to-day activity of the team. “We’re forward thinking, we’re looking into the future,” said Baker. “We’re looking at where we’re going to be in the next few years and it’s vital right now we get everything structured so the next few years are every smooth.” Baker has been joined by Aaron Jones who has taken up the role of head of culinary. The UK-born chef has previously worked as senior sous chef at two Michelin-starred Saint Pierre in Singapore and he’ll look to perfect and streamline Pickl’s current menu while adding creations of his own. Speaking about his plans for the future, Jones said: “We use only fresh products, the best that we can buy. We’ll never compromise on that. “It’s the rst time I’ve worked with a concept like this but I’m really up for the challenge. We’re starting to expand and we’re hiring top experts in their eld so we’re really getting a good team together.” Having worked with Deliveroo in the UK and Dubai, new head of brand David Dougall was very familiar with Pickl before joining his new team and he’s been tasked with leading strategic and innovative brand positioning. “This is a home-grown brand and we’re super proud of that,” he said. “We never want to forget that and we want other people in the country to be proud of that. Whether it’s regional or international expansion, we want people to know that Pickl is a DXB brand. “The biggest challenge for a marketer is how do you you maintain your brand values as you grow. There’s got to be consistencies, whether you are sitting at Pickl JLT or Al Safa or internationally, there needs to be the same visual cues. But I think we can remain independent and make sure we don’t lose our values and ensure our personality is coming through in everything we do.” Pickl currently has plans to expand to three more locations by the end of 2020. Trio of new appointments at Pickl The Dubai-born burger joint has introduced new management positions as it looks to expand Pickl has made three new hires15 September 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Learning as we go This year has arguably been one of the most unsettling and unstable times that the hospitality, F&B and tourism industries the modern world has ever seen. In Dubai, where we rely heavily on international imports, exports, and customers, as well as the increasing expatriate community, we have been forced to relook at our organisational structures and more importantly, our entire approach. I believe that rst and foremost, our mindsets are the key to adapting to and accelerating in this market. The more capable we are of accepting how the world has changed, and the hospitality industry in particular, the more able we are to cope in unchartered territories and be able to create successful and pro table outlets. The Covid-19 crisis and subsequent closings of each business has forced us to review our processes and the ways of working. We have had to look at our companies in a way that we haven’t looked at them before, which has pushed us to revisit our all of our contractual agreements, supply chains, vendor programmes and ensure they are realistic and reasonable. Restaurants must remain astute and strategic, saving costs wherever possible, nding new revenue streams for existing venues and always taking health regulations into consideration. Food security is incredibly important to the region, in such arid desert conditions we must look towards new innovations that create different methods for the growth of produce, and with the investments in farming technology made by the government we are able to enjoy high-quality produce and ingredients from the region within all food outlets here. We live in a globalised market and there will always be certain ingredients that we need to import, but the quality of locally-sourced ingredients has signi cantly improved in recent years and is now either the same or better than international imports. This means we have the ability to create our own ecosystem of supply and demand. To support this, a mental shift is required from all restaurant owners and the chefs that guide them. We must become more knowledgeable about what we can do within the region and more aware of the work that still needs to be done. It’s a process, but one that is moving in the right direction. While interpersonal skills are an essential attribute of the hospitality workforce, issues of high turnover and inability to retain talent has plagued our industry since its inception. The casual hours and transferable expertise mean that staff have a multitude of opportunities and often come and go. I believe that the crisis may have changed this for good. If we learn from this, we can strengthen the relationship between employee and employer and create more of a family approach. Now, when looking for jobs, people want to work for the companies that truly care for their staff. They need to know that their company will be transparent, honest and take care of them in a crisis. Having open conversations builds trust and reliability, and they are the some of the most motivating emotions we have access to. “Our mindsets are the key to adapting to and accelerating in this market” By Hassan Ballout, chief growth of cer of Seven Management BIG TALKFive minutes with... Anand Radia caterermiddleeast.com September 2020 16 Anand Radia Having imported Pizza Express to the UAE with great success, Anand Radia is now seeing a post-Covid upturn with homegrown concept Nara Pan Asian FIVE MINUTES WITH...Five minutes with... Anand Radia 17 September 2020 caterermiddleeast.com How was Nara Pan Asian doing before the Covid-19 lockdown? Nara was doing ne. Dubai has a lot of competition, we all know that, so it’s not easy to do business especially in F&B where the market is huge and we’re all chasing after the same small population. So the months leading up to corona were okay; December was quiet, January and February wasn’t anything fantastic, then coronavirus hit us. What was the impact of Covid-19? It was quite a shock to us, realising we were going to be shutting down. That to me was almost the death knell for this business. We closed the business, lost some staff — we had some key people decide they would be better off going home, the manager and head chef for example — but I decided we would continue with the deliveries. All of a sudden without the manager there, I had to get involved. I developed the delivery platforms that we have, made sure everything was done perfectly with the food shots, and developed some very good relationships with Zomato, Deliveroo, The Entertainer. It was quite demoralising sitting in here with the lights switched off just doing delivery, but at least we kept the Nara name out there. I also got my hands dirty in the kitchen as well. I ended up standing in the kitchen and packing the bags on a Friday night. That got me very much involved in how we’re sending the food out and we got better and better with that. I believe we increased the delivery business from April to May by about 30-40%. The ght was there as far as I was concerned to make this work. For my staff it was their livelihood as well, so we made a decision to ght through it and for me it was a wake-up call. Where would you have liked to seen more help? There’s been a lot of negativity about what the aggregators are taking, but as a business to have access to people that have the full logistics to get my food out, I’m open to these contacts. I was happy to say yes I’m making very little but my regular customers have the option to order my food. I felt the focus should revenue in July. Things are looking very positive as far as I’m concerned at the moment. August has taken off in the way we left July. Brunches we don’t have to stress too much, weekdays we have to work on, but I can’t expect my customers to come here seven days a week. But there are certain things we are doing. Such as? What does the future hold? We launched Love Chinese as guests were telling me that their local Chinese in the UK was amazing food so we brought in the takeaway dishes that everyone loves back home. We launched a vegan menu also, so we’re trying to keep everybody happy. Being a vegetarian myself, it’s not dif cult to make sure the vegetarians are looked after. Now we’ve started the Japanese sandos, and begun some sliders, and we have some other ideas to keep changing the menu. Now, being quite positive, I got taken to see a great location in the Marina and straightaway a proper English pub concept came to mind. I grew up in the UK and after I turned 18 my life was spent in pubs, but I’ve been here 23 years and I miss the great English pub food. We are getting close to hopefully doing that and the idea is to bring in a Michelin star chef to consult on the food. We’re approaching two to three great English pub chefs and we are exploring the idea. To me if the food can be taken care of then we’re already 10 steps ahead. have been on the landlords. If there’s a small point I was upset with it was when as a business we were told to close down, which made sense, but one area the government should have supported us is if you shut my business, they should have told the landlords to shut theirs. Not all landlords are forgiving, not all landlords are amenable to giving you three months free and these are the ghts we are having. I think a lot of people are still suffering so let’s hope the landlords do see sense. What has business been like since lockdown ended? Come the end of Ramadan our wonderful guests were ringing up asking ‘are you doing your brunches again?’ Our brunches were obviously quite well known prior to that — it’s the value brunch, it’s the good service, it’s the good food — so reluctantly I had to start them again. We started the brunches the rst week after Ramadan and we were about 70-80% full. The demand of the customer base was there. All of a sudden we attracted a lot of the young ex-pat community; we had a horde of teachers coming here and enjoying the brunches. I think from there it was a snowball effect, the weekends are getting better and better, the bookings are great. As a matter of fact, business is better than we’ve ever experienced. June was good, but compared to last year we grew 50% in Nara Pan AsianZero-proof cocktails caterermiddleeast.com September 2020 18 GETTINGZero-proof cocktails 19 September 2020 caterermiddleeast.com LOW Bars are investigating new ways to introduce income post-Covid-19. Could low- and no-alcohol drinks be the answer?Next >