Can you tell us the concept behind Maiden Shanghai?
The concept of Maiden Shanghai is to bring authentic Chinese food to Dubai in a new and contemporary setting. Having travelled and cooked all over the world, I wanted to bring all of the flavours and techniques I had learned into a menu that appeals to a wide variety of palettes. Our menu features a selection of traditional Chinese dishes in a modern sharing concept that brings together four types of Chinese cuisine — from Canton, Sichuan, Shanghai and Beijing.
What attracted you to this particular project?
Chinese cuisine is popular the world over but I don’t think there is anything quite like Maiden Shanghai in Dubai so I was initially attracted by the prospect of doing something different. When I saw the décor and the size of the project, I was really excited.
What are your thoughts on Dubai’s food scene?
I have been working so hard on developing Maiden Shanghai’s menu that I haven’t been to nearly enough restaurants in Dubai as I would have liked to yet! Having said that, I have visited a few and I think the city’s dining scene is unstoppable right now. In addition to existing brands, we’re also starting to see the emergence of new, homegrown concepts and that is really exciting.
Were local tastes considered when creating the menu?
Absolutely, we incorporated local taste preferences into the menu. This region’s palette really enjoys rich, bold flavours so I took that into account when I was developing the menu. I have also tried to incorporate local produce where possible.
What's the restaurant’s most impressive dish?
The most impressive dish, which is also my speciality, is Bing’s Peking duck. I take a lot of pride in preparing it and since Maiden Shanghai has opened, we have received a lot of positive feedback about it.
Congratulation!