Michelin-starred chefs and top restaurants are coming to Expo 2020 Dubai

“Whether you’re curious about the latest dining trends or looking to indulge in what’s tantalising the taste buds of food fanatics around the world, Expo 2020 is a dining destination in its own right, featuring some of the world’s most celebrated chefs as well as up-and-coming homegrown concepts seeking to make their mark on the international food scene. Many of the 191 participating countries will also be serving authentic dishes and drinks at their pavilions.”

Whether you’re curious about the latest dining trends or looking to indulge in what’s tantalising the taste buds of food fanatics around the world, Expo 2020 is a dining destination in its own right, featuring some of the world’s most celebrated chefs as well as up-and-coming homegrown concepts seeking to make their mark on the international food scene.

- Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Visitor Experience Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai

Star-studded chefs in the kitchen

Restaurant concepts unique to Expo will make their debut at the fair, two of which are American ‘Gypsy Chef’ David Myers’ Adrift Burger Bar and Armenian-American chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s The National Bar & Dining Rooms. While Myers’ eatery is focused on bringing the best of classic American fast food, Zakarian is bringing the bistro experience from breakfast to dinner.

Even health-conscious diners can look forward to Matthew Kenney’s plant-based restaurant concept, interpreting your American, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern favourites with plant alternatives. Experience the delights of Thai street food at Long Chim, a restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef David Thompson.

Moving further south of Asia, Indian cuisine at Expo 2020 is graced by renowned chef Rohit Ghai, whose restaurant Kutir (meaning ‘a small cottage’ in Sanskrit) will take visitors on a journey to the forests and jungles of the Indian countryside.

There is also African-Japanese fusion cuisine to be had, thanks to Mory Sacko and his French techniques to whip up the signature combination he is known for.

International delights from sourdough bread to Korean barbeque

Another first for the Expo food scene is the Burrata Bar by the famed Italian restaurant Scarpetta, which takes its name from the phrase ‘fare la scarpetta’, Italian for savouring a meal to the last bite. Besides this cheesy spread, bread aficionados will revel in the doughnuts and gluten-free and sourdough breads from London-based bakery Bread Ahead.

If you’re in the mood for some Korean barbeque or Japanese robatayaki, then both are up for a bite in the form of a fusion concept at the world fair. Mediterranean offerings will be covered by Beirut’s neighbourhood restaurant, Baron, and a Taste of Gulf food concept that ties together Arabian Gulf cuisines.

Food from across the expansive African continent will be housed in the Alkebulan (African) Dining Hall, a bespoke concept curated by former opera singer-turned-restaurateur Alexander Smalls.

Talabat’s cloud kitchen with robots and local favourites

A state-of-the-art cloud kitchen means delivery robots and robot servers. These kitchens will do all the cooking for their vendors just as Talabat, Expo’s official food delivery platform, plans to dispatch a fleet of riders from its own.

Those who would prefer not to venture out of their comfort zone can find these UAE-based eateries on site:

Dedicated restaurants or cafes stationed within country pavilions are also a great start for tending to your international cravings.

- The writer is an intern with Gulf News.