Chef David Myers eyes Dubai for his restaurant empire

They call him the Gypsy Chef, with his ever-expanding culinary empire transporting David Myers from Los Angeles to Tokyo during the day, while evenings place him in Dubai where he shuttles between his three restaurant brands.

The Michelin-starred chef has returned to these shores for the Taste of Dubai weekend, where he will be busy demonstrating his gastronomic artistry, which is often limited to his restaurant kitchens and his television appearances.

Having gained popularity over the years with appearances on shows such as Iron Chef America, Top Chef, Master Chef US and Hell’s Kitchen, Gulf News tabloid! managed to peg down Myers to talk about his appearance at ToD, his plans to expand on his restaurant empire after bring Bleu Blanc, Basta! And Poppy to Dubai, along with his idea of a perfect meal.

We will be focusing on highlighting dishes and the styles of food we serve at our from our restaurants, Bleu Blanc and Basta! at Taste of Dubai this year. From the Bleu Blanc menu I will be showcasing the celery root salad and from the Basta! menu, the chopped salad and spaghetti carbonara.

To be honest, all of them, I am always happy to be around inspiring chefs, especially those that have restaurants globally.

The UAE food scene is incredibly cosmopolitan and vibrant. It is world class on every level and this is what I love about it.

Well, I have many favourites here but I would have to say the local Arabic cuisine is my go to in the UAE.

My friends always take me out for shawarma, which I am now incredibly fond of.

I love the feeling it gives of taking ingredients given to us from our earth’s bounties and doing the least amount to them to just let them shine naturally.

Actually this was an idea for a TV show we were working on and it just stuck.

A. I have made plenty, that’s for sure but what is important is some of our greatest dishes are ones that are born out of failure.

I have always looked up to and admired my very first chef, Charlie Trotter. He embodied what an incredible leader was and I learnt a lot. All of my chefs have had a major influence in my life.

To me it would be just unhealthy food, and highly processed food that concerns me. Life is short and we need to fuel our bodies with what is best for our health.

It was an incredible honour to have achieved something that we had always looked up to. It is a highly recognised award that makes you realise you need to work harder than ever and keep pushing to raise your game.

I think that would be a wise decision. There are too many great restaurants here to ignore and I think it fits the Michelin model.

I always love to read and there are so many great books out there to choose from. I buy them all.

It became a very important part of my life to stay healthy so I hired a trainer and have been focused on eating healthy 90 per cent of the time and exercising 5-6 days a week. No excuses.

Yes, that is the goal. To be in the UAE right now just makes sense, I love the region and how it is continually growing.

I would invite those closest to me and would have to make it more than three. It would start with sushi from Shin in Tokyo, and finish with me simply grilling some steaks like we do at Bleu Blanc. I love this type of cooking so much.

Taste of Dubai runs from March 7 to 9. Tickets, start from Dh95. VIP tickets begin at Dh285. Children under 12 enter free. Taste of Dubai takes place from 4pm to 12am on March 7, 12pm-12am on March 8, and 12pm-11m on March 9. Chef David Myers will be at ToD on all three days.