We caught up with the celebrity chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author during last week’s opening of Jamie’s Italian at The Dubai Mall.
First launched in the UK back in 2008, the globally renowned restaurant offers regional Italian cuisine and is popular for its fresh pasta dishes, phenomenal pizza and indulgent desserts. Here, Jamie tells us about his inspirations and why The Dubai Mall is the ideal location for his new Dubai restaurant.
What can diners expect when dining at Jamie’s Italian inside The Dubai Mall?
At its heart, Jamie’s Italian is a place to enjoy elegant Italian flavours, share food and make memories with your loved ones. We source incredible produce from my favourite Italian and local suppliers, and the restaurant itself feels really special and celebratory. It’s got gorgeous lighting, comfy seating, and a brilliant open kitchen with an iconic pizza oven, as well as our first-ever pasta theatre at the front. That’s something I’m really proud of–seeing the food being made by our wonderful chefs will always be magical to me. I hope our guests love it as much as I do.
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What are the signature dishes at Jamie’s Italian and which should customers make sure they order?
Where to start? It’s such an epic menu. Our antipasti planks have been something we’ve been known for at Jamie’s Italian since day one. We raise them up on tomato tins so everyone can reach the goods, and they set the scene with bites from different regions of Italy. I also love our Ravioli Fritti, they’re like crispy Italian nachos–cheese-stuffed ravioli, fried until golden, with a tomato dipping sauce. Our gorgeous pasta theatre specials aside, the Prawn Linguine is a total joy, loaded with flavours of the sea. And I absolutely love our hearty beef lasagne. You’re onto a winner with any of the pizzas—we spent years perfecting our light and crispy Neapolitan base, and all the toppings are amazing. When it comes to dessert, perhaps start with the tiramisu, the brownie, or the Amalfi lemon cheesecake, but honestly, I love them all.
What attracted you to open a restaurant in Dubai, and why Dubai Mall?
We already have a Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria in Dubai and the Middle East is a real growth area for us right now. When the site came up at the world-famous Dubai Mall it just seemed like the perfect place for us to open a new restaurant—what an iconic location!
Can you please describe your creative process when it comes to creating new dishes? Where do you find inspiration?
I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively across Italy throughout my career, so when it comes to Jamie’s Italian, those experiences are what I draw on. I’ve had the pleasure of trying some brilliant flavour combinations, learned some wonderful techniques, and been inspired by incredible local chefs and home cooks. And of course, my mentor and friend Gennaro Contaldo is usually on hand to lend an opinion or an extra ingredient or two!
Was there one person who impacted your decision to become a chef, and who are your culinary inspirations?
I grew up in the kitchen of my parent’s pub, cooking alongside my dad. He’s my first and biggest inspiration. And early in my career, I was fortunate enough to work for some food legends, Rose Gray, Ruth Rogers, and Antonio Carluccio. At Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant I met my best mate and mentor Gennaro. I’ve been lucky enough to cook and travel around Italy with Gennaro on several occasions. On our last trip, we got to learn from some incredible nonnas who also had a big impact on me. The most powerful thing I took away from these wonderful women was learning to un-cook and focus on love and care – by that I mean to simplify and not worry too much about technique, the imperfect can be just perfect.
What else can we expect from Jamie Oliver in 2022?
I’ve got several more exciting restaurant openings in the pipeline this year across the Middle East, Asia, and South America, so watch this space for those. Plus my latest cookbook, ONE: Simple One-Pan Wonders is the ultimate cookbook to make everyday cooking easier. It’s due out later this year so keep an eye out for that!
