DUBAI: 10 new restaurants set to open in 2019 alongside 4 collaborations with international chefs of Michelin star acclaim– it’s a year of rapid change and transformation for JA Resorts & Hotels, one of Dubai’s longest-serving homegrown hospitality brands.
JA Resorts & Hotels cites their food and beverage vision as ‘creating community-focused restaurants providing one-of-a-kind experiences that energise everyone, with an enthusiastic welcome, exceptional service, awesome food, killer tunes and an unforgettable time, resulting in profitable restaurants’.
New Vice President of Food & Beverage at JA Resorts & Hotels, Rob Cunningham said; ‘Our fundamental belief is that the Food & Beverage outlets of any hotel are what provide the character and energy of the property. These restaurants can define the personality of the hotel, if they are attractive and exciting to the local community. We are on a journey to creating unique and memorable F&B outlets for our consumers.’
JA Resorts & Hotels have announced today they will be expanding their Food & Beverage portfolio to 41 outlets, adding 10 new restaurants and bars by the end of 2020. 7 of these outlets are in JA The Resort and this is a critical part of repositioning JA The Resort and establishing it as Dubai’s Largest Experience Resort, with over 1 million square metres of activities available and 3 unique hotels to choose from.
When the new JA Lake View opens at JA The Resort in September; the team will launch the brand new ‘81’ restaurant serving breakfast and dinner with live cooking stations, named after the inaugural year of JA Resorts & Hotels first property. They will also open ‘Republik’ – a new contemporary gastropub inspired by the Sydney and Melbourne dining scene, and finally a rooftop mixology lounge with a live DJ and panoramic views of the golf course, aptly named ‘Bibé’, after the Latin word for drink. Another highly anticipated venue at JA Lake View Hotel is Kinara by Vikas Khanna, a vibrant Indian restaurant by Michelin Star acclaimed Chef Vikas Khanna – the globally renowned Indian chef. Host of several seasons of MasterChef India and Australia, Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen and one of GQ’s top sexiest people, Kinara by Vikas Khanna is set to add some culinary flair to the property.
The JA Beach Hotel which is currently undergoing extensive renovation will have a new Italian restaurant, a new Middle Eastern restaurant and a new pub. When everything is complete, JA The Resort in totality will offer a culinary journey of 23 restaurants and bars.
The second part of JA Resorts & Hotels new strategy is to partner with headline chefs – 3 internationally acclaimed chefs, who between them have earned and maintained 6 Michelin stars. A collaboration with Da Dong, who is China’s most renowned chef has already taken place in JA Manafaru. Da Dong founded Da Dong Roast Duck in Beijing more than 30 years ago and it has since expanded to nine locations around Beijing. Two of his Shanghai restaurants have Michelin stars. Da Dong is admired for his innovation of modern Chinese cuisine and spent several weeks in JA Manafaru exploring the potential of `Maldivian flavours and ingredients to combine with his distinctive Chinese cooking styles and techniques. The result is a menu combining both local ingredients and his signature dishes – a uniquely memorable dining experience.
JA Resorts & Hotels will also launch a collaboration with Chef Greg Malouf to launch two Middle Eastern inspired restaurants in both JA Beach Hotel at JA The Resort and in JA Oasis Beach Tower, the Jumeirah Beach Residence deluxe hotel apartments. Lebanese-Australian Greg Malouf is widely considered to be the master of modern Middle Eastern food. Formerly of Melbourne’s MoMo, the recipient of two Chefs Hat awards, and Petersham Nurseries Café, of one Michelin star, he is the co-author of seven internationally acclaimed cookbooks. His most recent cookbook ‘Suqar’ is currently nominated for the James Beard award. Greg’s restaurant style will be approachable and simply food-focused with gorgeous interiors and personal service.
It was also recently announced that a new sports bar in JA Ocean View Hotel called Offside will replace Girders Garden. The team at JA Ocean View Hotel will also open will be a brand-new pizzeria concept called Motorino. Motorino is a fast-paced brick-oven style pizzeria with locations in New York City, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore with authentic New York – Naples style Pizza. As a fully licensed venue with indoor and outdoor sections, JA Resorts & Hotels are confident that Motorino is going to inject a real buzz into the JBR property.
All 10 food and beverage concepts are scheduled to happen by the end of this year. JA Resorts & Hotels are confident these new concepts will elevate the brand positioning and help them be recognised as a true player in the competitive Dubai F&B scene. News Desk
