Chef Gregoire Berger kicks off his 2023 season of world-class culinary collaborations this February with the three Michelin star, Maaemo, helmed and owned by one of the world’s most celebrated chefs, Esben Holmboe Bang. The collaboration is part of the Dubai World Cuisine movement – a new chef-driven movement launched by Gulfood that aims to provide a platform for UAE-based chefs to collaboratively shape the cultural identity of Dubai, and further establish the city as a global culinary capital.
As one of the world’s most northerly Michelin-starred restaurants and an experience many believe to be truly once in a lifetime, Maaemo was awarded its third Michelin star in 2016, making Chef Esben one of the youngest chefs and the first in Norway to front a restaurant holding Michelin’s highest accolade.
Taking place for one night only, on Thursday 23rd February, the first in the 2023 series of Ossiano’s world-class collaborations will see the two leading culinary talents unite to serve an unforgettable 10-wave menu priced at AED1,500 per person. Titled “North” the duo’s tasting menu will feature the best produce from the ocean and land, focusing on natural flavors and seasonal, raw ingredients from a fusion of the best French and Norwegian producers in the world.
The immersive journey, focusing on a story specially crafted by the creative duo and interpreted through the culinary lens of each chef, will feature oceanic-inspired dishes from Chef Berger, including plankton and a marinated scallop pearl. Whilst Chef Esben’s interpretations (and globally celebrated signatures) include a gently cooked king crab shoulder paired with a chilled broth of smoked reindeer heart, caviar Maeemo selection with hazelnut and buckwheat and lightly steamed Skrei with salted butter, seaweed marmalade and sauce of roasted chicken and marigold.
Described as an exceptional dining experience where time seems to stand still, the name Maaemo derives from ancient Norse, meaning “Mother Earth”, with a menu based almost entirely on biodynamic, organic or wild ingredients sourced from the surrounding region. Some of the seafood, such as the wild salmon cooked in salted butter, comes from the pristine waters of Norway’s northern coast, but most of the produce is grown or foraged in the area immediately around Oslo, focusing on organic and sustainable practices. A meal in Maaemo will transport guests on a breathtaking culinary tour of Norway that sees them travel from the temperate climates of the southerly Hvaler islands, to the cold pristine waters of Norway’s West Coast, and on to the expansive inland wilderness of Roros as the tastes of Norway are brought to life on a plate.
As one of the most admired chefs in the world, Danish chef and restaurateur Esben Holmboe Bang opened Maaemo in December 2010 with a unique vision to unite ingredients from all over the nation. Today, much of chef Esben’s inspiration comes from nature with a focus on bringing out the natural flavours and quality of the raw ingredients he works with. In 2012 – just 14 months after opening – Maaemo was awarded two Michelin stars, becoming the first and only restaurant in the Nordics to be listed in the guide. In 2016, Maaemo was awarded a third Michelin star, making Esben one of the youngest chefs and the first in Norway to front a restaurant holding Michelin’s highest accolade.
Offering a progressive fine dining cuisine, the one-Michelin starred Ossiano pays homage to the riches of the ocean and coastal land. Guided by Chef Berger’s memories of travel and his childhood in Brittany, each dish embodies the chef’s lifelong respect for seasonality, terroir, and sea foraging, with all ingredients sustainably sourced from the oceans or within 50km of a coastline. At 36 years old, Chef Berger has already made waves on the global culinary stage with his cutting-edge, unconventional dishes refined with traditional French technique that has become his signature. The youngest and only chef in the country to be featured in the top 100 in the Best Chef Awards for five consecutive years, Ossiano was also ranked 4th and highest new entry in the 2023 Middle East and Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants, as well as one Michelin star in 2022 and three toques in the UAE’s debut Gault&Millau guide, as well as Best Restaurant and Best Chef in the UAE.
Chef Gregoire Berger X Chef Esben Holmboe Bang will take place on Thursday 23rd February from 7:00pm-9:00pm, following an exciting day of demonstrations and masterclasses at Top Table, in the 28th edition of Gulfood, the largest annual food and beverage sourcing event in the world. The menu is priced at AED 1,500 per person. Seating is extremely limited, and early reservations are highly recommended. To find out more or to make a reservation, log onto www.atlantis.com/dubai/restaurants/ossiano or call +971 4 426 0772.
