Thai Meets Dubai Chef’s Tasting Journey at Michelin-starred MANĀO

MANĀO begins with two chefs whose paths should never have crossed—and yet feel inevitable. Chef Abhiraj Khatwani and Chef Mohamad Orfali come from very different culinary worlds, but share a rare instinct for flavour, memory, and reinvention. Their collaboration is about a shared belief that the most compelling food comes from lived experience. Together, they channel Abhiraj’s deeply personal connection to Thailand and Mohamad’s boundary-free creativity into something that feels intimate, expressive and unmistakably Dubai.

MANĀO is neither formal nor casual, but deliberately personal, warm, energetic, and grounded in emotion. The kitchen is open and alive, reinforcing the idea that food here is a dialogue. MANĀO doesn’t aim to recreate Thailand; it reimagines its spirit through the lens of two chefs and one city.

The Chef’s Tasting Menu opens with small, immediate expressions of flavour, designed to be eaten in a single bite, setting the menu’s rhythm: bold seasoning, layered textures and a sense of spontaneity. As the experience progresses, the focus shifts toward shared plates, echoing the communal nature of Thai dining.

Throughout the menu, techniques like fermentation, roasting, and smoking are used with restraint and respect, creating depth without heaviness. Balance is paramount—heat softened by sweetness and richness cut with acidity. Rice appears again and again in evolving forms, quietly anchoring the experience and reinforcing its cultural heartbeat. 

This tasting menu is not a statement of luxury or restraint—it’s a reflection of how the chefs cook, eat, and remember.

This experience does not include beverages.