It might be known around the world as a shoppers' paradise, but Dubai also enjoys a stellar reputation for fine dining, with an enormous selection of restaurants serving food that's beyond compare. And when it comes to "location, location, location", few get it as startlingly right as Ossiano in Atlantis The Palm, Dubai.
An enormous dining space, its stunning backdrop is the aquarium that Atlantis is famous for. Unlike some establishments with mesmerising views, Ossiano gets the food right, too. The venue's French-trained chef de cuisine, Grégoire Berger, was named the world's 10th best chef at The Best Chef Awards in Poland last month. This is one of the biggest competitions of its kind, judged by a panel of journalists, photographers, masterchefs and bloggers, where 300 international chefs competed for top honours.
To even be nominated for such an award tells us a great deal about Berger, who has been running Ossiano since February 2015. He shares that top 10 space with a number of two- and three-starred Michelin chefs (the legendary guide is yet to reach the UAE, but never say never). To be in such great company, a chef must display extreme individuality, culinary talent and flair – attributes Berger has won multiple awards for in the past. And, get this, he's only 31 years old.
November is a busy time for Berger and his team at Ossiano, as they join in celebrating Culinary Month at Atlantis. As part of this, the chef is teaming up with two-starred Michelin chef Stéphane Buron to host two gourmet experiences called Four Hands, on November 23 and 24. Before he gets even more insanely busy, then, we caught up with the maestro in Dubai to put a few questions to him and get some insight into what makes the man tick.
Congratulations on winning your recent award – how big a deal is this to you?
It’s been an absolute highlight of my career. Personally, I put 100 per cent into everything I do, and professionally, I am always seeking to challenge myself, to constantly achieve my goals and consistently raise the bar. Therefore, to be recognised for an accolade of this level was most gratifying, to know that my hard work has not gone unnoticed. To be positioned among so many talented chefs whom I really admire, is a dream come true.
Why do you believe you were placed so highly?
The only thing that I can say for sure is that I’m fighting every day to be better. This is something that runs through all aspects of my life, from my work to my home and family.
Apart from being an “underwater” restaurant, what makes Ossiano stand out?
The team continuously works to stay at the front of consumer and culinary trends, to help us lead the way for fine dining in the region. This includes everything from sourcing new products, creating new techniques and providing new experiences for our guests. I tend to try and find the most reliable suppliers, and work with Classic Fine Foods to import them into Dubai. We source our truffles from Gaillard in France, the olive oil comes from Xavier Alazard in Les Baux, Provençe, and we get the most amazing asparagus from Sylvain Erhardt, which harvests just 30 tonnes every year in France.
So could you say Ossiano is an “ethical” restaurant?
Sustainability is at the forefront of everything that we do. We are very careful about traceability, and only use sustainable varieties of local and international species. We work with local fisherman and small suppliers in various locations, who know and love the sea. For example, our sea bass is caught off a small town in France, and some of our fish is supplied by France Ikejime – a company that uses the more humane Japanese ikejime method of processing fish. The company prides itself on using small boats and knowing the fisherman who catch their fish. And I also always endeavour to use every part of a food item, meaning if it’s not eaten, then it’s turned into stock or an amuse-bouche.
Isn’t there more to it than food, though? What about standards of service?
I think my relationship with our front-of-house manager, Badr, can also be regarded as a huge differentiator for Ossiano. He is my right hand and responsible for delivering our vision as soon as the food leaves my kitchen. We also never let a day go by without running through the guest feedback from the previous evening. Business and making money is, of course, essential, but customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of our success.
What are the hallmarks of a great chef?
To be inspirational. I would not be where I am today without the influence of many great chefs before me. To my mentors, I have a lot to be thankful for and I try to take this gift I was given and use it with my team. I constantly try to instil passion, creativity and drive.
What do you make of the dining-out scene in Dubai?
It’s still young and in the process of finding its personality. The diversity is fantastic and the culinary scene will soon mature into something well-rounded and confident.
What is your signature dish?
My prized floating island. This is essentially a take on my absolute favourite French dish: the Galette de Sarrasin [Breton-style savoury crêpes].
Any advice you can give to aspiring chefs?
Cook your salmon in oil at 48 degrees; it will have the perfect texture! I am joking, of course. Really, though, I would say it is to be positive, choose a great restaurant to learn in and don't be afraid to work hard. I'd also say to travel as much as you can, constantly seek new ideas and inspiration and always ask. Asking questions is the best way to accumulate useful information and to continuously progress.
What’s the biggest no-no?
I really don’t like music in the kitchen. Cooking requires focus, and music is disturbing in my eyes. Being late is also a big no-no – timing is a big part of the consistency and rigour. However, my main thing is I have no time for laziness.
What sort of food do you prepare for yourself at home?
Like many chefs, I don't cook that often when I get home, and, luckily, my wife is an amazing chef. She's from Morocco, and her signature dish is a delicious Moroccan couscous. If I do cook, it will be a raclette and a good lemon cake. If I am in a hurry, I make pasta with pesto.
Are other people nervous when they cook for you?
Yes. I’m extremely sharp and picky regarding the details of the dish. I just can’t help being unforgiving with food mistakes as I’m a perfectionist at heart.
____________________
Read more:
Three leading chefs talk about starting young in the kitchen
Flavours and fragrances: L'Occitane-inspired menu at Atelier M
Restaurant openings: your guide to what's new on the UAE's dining scene
____________________
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
%3Cp%3E%0DIf%20Catherine%20Richards%20debuts%20for%20Wales%20in%20the%20Six%20Nations%2C%20she%20will%20be%20the%20latest%20to%20have%20made%20it%20from%20the%20UAE%20to%20the%20top%20tier%20of%20the%20international%20game%20in%20the%20oval%20ball%20codes.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeren%20Gough-Walters%20(Wales%20rugby%20league)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Dubai%2C%20raised%20in%20Sharjah%2C%20and%20once%20an%20immigration%20officer%20at%20the%20British%20Embassy%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20she%20debuted%20for%20Wales%20in%20rugby%20league%20in%202021.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%20sevens)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWith%20an%20Emirati%20father%20and%20English%20mother%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20at%20school%20in%20Dubai%2C%20and%20went%20on%20to%20represent%20England%20on%20the%20sevens%20circuit.%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFiona%20Reidy%20(Ireland)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMade%20her%20Test%20rugby%20bow%20for%20Ireland%20against%20England%20in%202015%2C%20having%20played%20for%20four%20years%20in%20the%20capital%20with%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20previously.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More coverage from the Future Forum
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
RACECARD%20
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3E9pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Dirt)%202%2C000m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E10pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Al%20Ain%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E10.30pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C800m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E11pm%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E11.30pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E12am%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
