Renowned Japanese chef Natsuko Shoji will soon join forces with Gregoire Berger.
It’s time to mark your calendars for the second in a series of world-class culinary collaborations taking place at Ossiano, this time bringing together Gregoire Berger and Japanese chef Natsuko Shoji, the 2022 recipient of the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Scheduled for two nights only – 5 and 6 August – the dining event will see the two culinary talents unite to serve an unforgettable ten-course menu. Priced AED 1,250 per person and titled ‘The Genesis’, the duo’s collaborative efforts will bring forth their respective culinary approaches, paying homage to seasonality and world-class produce, culminating in a series of exceptional dishes representative of works of art.
Diners are invited to embark upon an immersive journey each evening, focusing on a story specially crafted by the creative duo. Every chapter of the story is interpreted through the culinary lens of each chef, with surprises at every turn. From Berger, you can expect his much-loved black truffle croque monsieur and a colourful eel, nori and orange tartlet. Shoji’s interpretations will include a uni tart, ayu taco with fruit salsa, and a decadent caviar mille feuille that expertly translates pastry techniques into a savoury dish.
A darling of both the fashion and culinary cognoscenti, Shoji is known for her showstopping pastry dishes that draw inspiration from haute couture. After spending her formative years training under Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilège (ranked No.39 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021), she opened her first cake laboratory in Tokyo at the age of 24 – this was back in 2014. Today, the 32-year-old is regarded as one of Asia’s most accomplished chefs and a trailblazer for women in the industry. For the last five years, she has operated one of Tokyo’s hottest restaurants, alongside a thriving luxury cake business. In 2019, Shoji relocated her single-table Shibuya eatery and pastry shop, été, to a new home, expanding into an exclusive six-seater that serves an intricate ten-course menu of savoury courses and her signature desserts.
Gregoire Berger comments, “For the next in our series of culinary collaborations, I wanted to pay homage to women in the industry and a country that I hold dear to my heart, Japan. After meeting Natsuko earlier this year and being blown away by her talent and global accolades, I wanted to introduce diners in Dubai to someone I personally feel is one of the most talented female chefs anywhere on the planet. In 2016, I flew to Japan to embark on a culinary journey that has ultimately marked, inspired and influenced who I am as a chef today.” Adding to the conversation, Natsuko Shoji says, “It is such an outstanding opportunity and honour to work with Chef Gregoire. As a Japanese chef, I’ve learnt a lot about the finest seafood, but his deep understanding of the sea environment and seafood inspires me a lot.”
Offering progressive fine-dining cuisine, the Michelin-starred Ossiano pays homage to the riches of the ocean and coastal land. Guided by Berger’s memories of travel and his childhood in Brittany, each dish embodies the chef’s lifelong respect for seasonality, terroir, and sea foraging, with all ingredients sustainably sourced from the oceans or within 50km of a coastline. At only 34, Berger has already made waves on the global culinary stage with his cutting-edge, unconventional dishes refined with traditional French technique that has become his signature. The youngest and only chef in the country to be featured in the top 100 in the Best Chef Awards for five consecutive years, Berger has set himself apart in Dubai’s dining scene with his visionary approach to pairing ingredients and application of beauty and art to food.
Located in Atlantis, The Palm and seating just 50 guests per evening, Ossiano is regarded as one of the country’s most unique dining destinations. Taking diners a world away from the moment of arrival, guests descend into the subterranean dining room, submerging themselves to the bottom of one of the world’s largest aquariums. With the unique dining environment as its muse, Ossiano transports guests both visually and sensorially to the depths of the ocean. Following August’s partnership with Natsuko Shoji, Ossiano will continue to host collaborations between Gregoire Berger and some of the biggest names in the culinary world until December – watch this space.
GO: Call 04 426 2626 for reservations or more information.
