Nourish by Spinneys

Co-host Devina Divecha catches up with Chef Akmal Anuar, who became well known for his work with 3Fils, and is now behind the menu of one-Michelin-star Woodfire and, the award-winning Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori. Chef Akmal shares how his training in Italian cuisine inspired his latest restaurant, Funkcoolio, and going back to his Malay roots through a new restaurant in Singapore.

We’re on a short summer break and will be back with new episodes in September.

In the meantime, here’s one you may have missed: co-host Devina Divecha is on location with Chef Carmen Rueda Hernandez, executive chef at Brix, a dessert restaurant by 3Fils. This turned into an exciting tasting session as Chef Carmen shares her journey around the world before reaching Dubai, her love for all-things chocolate, and introduces us to their new menu, themed around the countries on the Silk Route.

We’re on a short summer break and will be back with new episodes in September.

In the meantime, here’s one of our popular episodes from Season 1: co-host Tiffany Eslick sits down with Stasha Toncev, founder of urban Balkan bistro, 21 Grams. Stasha shares how she went from growing up in Serbia cooking lavish meals for her friends to uncovering her purpose and becoming the centre of discovery of Balkan food in Dubai. Since opening in 2018, 21 Grams has won several awards and recognitions including a listing in Gault & Millau, 50Best Discovery, Financial Times’ How to Spend It, and Time Out’s Best Breakfast in 2023.

Hosts Tiffany Eslick and Devina Divecha reminisce about their favourite moments from the second season of Nourish by Spinneys. They also chat about recurring themes, their favourite bloopers and catch-up on the third edition of the Dubai Michelin Guide. We’ll be back with new episodes in September.

Co-host Devina Divecha speaks to Chef Hadrien Villedieu, who heads Chez Wam at St. Regis Dubai The Palm. Chef Hadrian used to be known as the Junk Food Man, and Chez Wam carries some inspiration from that time, with Fried Camembert and a Cheeseburger on the menu. He talks about his love-hate relationship with food, his journey from Paris to Morocco to Dubai and what inspired him to open Chez Wam.

Co-host Tiffany Eslick sits down with Omar Shihab, Chief Sustainability Officer at Boca. In addition to numerous sustainability initiatives from how they source their ingredients to running on 100% renewable energy, Boca is now investing in a halophyte farm in the UAE, in partnership with Emirates Nature WWF and the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).

Omar shares more about the work being done at the Umm Al Quwain reserve, and his advice to companies starting their sustainability journey.

Boca has been a pioneer for sustainability in Dubai, and is a Gold Winner at the Gulf Sustainabilty Awards, a recipient of the Gault & Millau Sustainable Kitchen award since 2022, and a Michelin Green Star last year.

Link:

• Spinneys Sustainability Commitment Report 2024

Co-host Tiffany Eslick sits down with Asia’s Best Female Chef, Pichaya Soontornyanakij or Chef Pam, who heads Potong. Chef Pam was in Dubai as part of a collaboration with Chef Gregoire Berger at Ossiano. They talk about her journey and the community initiatives she’s running, the collab menu and get all the juicy details behind the epic duck at Potong.

You can also listen to our episode with Chef Gregoire Berger from earlier this year in your podcast player and on our website.

Co-host Devina Divecha sits down with Chef James Knight-Paccheco, aka Chef JKP. Chef JKP has worked for industry stalwarts like Raymond Blanc and Gordon Ramsey; he’s now a culinary consultant and a fellow podcast host. They talk about his pivot from studying music to becoming a chef, why he launched his podcast during COVID, and how he hopes to nurture the next generation of chefs.

Co-host Devina Divecha sits down with Chef Aphisith Phongsavanh, aka Chef AJ, the man behind The Legendary Naga, a culinary union between Laos, Persia, GCC and the Levant. The supper club and soon-to-be dining experience, is a reflection of his own rich story. Chef AJ is also a music producer, an illustrator, and a poet, and shares how the dish Gaeng Massamun led him to explore how Thai cuisine entwined with local ingredients as it traveled around the world.

Links:

• Chef Faisal Naser on Nourish by Spinneys

We’re continuing our two part miniseries, The Artist and The Scientist. This week, co-host Tiffany Eslick speaks to Chef Tom Allen, head chef at the one-Michelin-star Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at Atlantis The Royal.

While incredibly creative, the menu at Dinner is backed by a rigorous scientific process where everything is so precise – from the way ingredients are sourced, how logistics are managed and how it’s all plated. Chef Tom also shares how he’s not much of a planner, and prefers to connect with good people and live in the moment.

You can also catch the first part of the miniseries with Ossiano’s Chef Gregoire Berger in your podcast app right before this one.