Never far from US TV screens, and a regular guest on the ever-popular Ellen DeGeneres Show, chef Wolfgang Puck as debuted CUT, his first eatery in the Middle East.
Described as a contemporary interpretation of the traditional American steak restaurant, the celebrity chef and author will oversee the restaurant's opening period, before returning to care for his plethora of stateside establishments.
CUT typifies the types of dishes Puck is known for, with 100% Kobe beef-centric dishes, a vast range of seafood entrées – and even a comprehensive set of options for vegetarians and vegans.
Puck has a whole team just for new openings, and has brought Executive Chef David McIntyre to Dubai to take the helm at CUT at The Address Downtown.
“I really think Dubai is the centre of the Middle East,” Puck told DOTW News. “If you open in the UK then you want to open in London first before anywhere else – in France you go to Paris,” he added.
“Even Abu Dhabi might have more money but this is really the most visible place in the region, with buildings creativity and everything,” added the chef.
The Address Downtown sits adjacent to Dubai's spectacular fountains
Puck has vowed that his fine dining experience will not be 'stuffy' but, in his own words 'classy, yet fun'.
“We didn’t want to have a restaurant that’s too quiet like some of these French chefs would do, where you have very long table cloths and big high chairs. I like to play Pink Floyd or Jay Z – modern music and rock and roll,” he explained.
But Chef Puck is clearly aiming for a balance in the ambience, explaining that volume can also be overpowering:
“I think there has to be a balance. If I come to eat with six people and the music is so loud and you can only hear the beat, it’s so annoying to me. But if I hear good music – like the Pink Floyd – then you can turn it up,” he said
Puck also spoke to DOTW News about his plan to follow up with another Middle East edition CUT, as well as a Chinese restaurant, in Bahrain’s Four Seasons hotel. The chef is also in talks with Dubai Airports to introduce one of his “fast casual” dining joints to the emirate – namely a Wolfgang Puck Pizza Bar.
Later plans will include eateries in Abu Dhabi and Istanbul: "Over the next two years we'll focus on Dubai and spread out from there, just like Emirates - they started here and now they go everywhere," he quipped.
