Stay by Yannick Alleno review: What to expect at Michelin-starred Dubai restaurant


Saeed Saeed
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Earlier this year, the Michelin Guide revealed its second crop of star-winning restaurants in Dubai.

A total of 11 venues received one star, three got two stars and 17 were listed under the Bib Gourmand category.

With the culinary and entertainment season well under way, The National continues its Star-grazing series and visits the latest Michelin-starred restaurants in Dubai to understand the ethos behind their celebrated menus.

Located at the One & The Palm resort, the two-Michelin-starred Stay by Yannick Alleno is our latest stop.

Inside Stay by Yannick Alleno

From left, chefs Yannick Alleno and Renaud Dutel. Photo: One&Only The Palm
From left, chefs Yannick Alleno and Renaud Dutel. Photo: One&Only The Palm

The French chef’s name is a calling card for culinary excellence.

Alleno has a trio of Michelin-starred restaurants under his belt, including a rare three stars for Alleno Paris.

Accessed from the hotel lobby, Stay by Yannick Alleno is a French restaurant described as offering an “epicurean experience of menus curated especially for you”.

Classic techniques meet contemporary ideas here, with a la carte offerings served alongside seasonal tasting menus.

Winning two Michelin stars is a triumph of teamwork, says executive chef Renaud Dutel.

“It is an incredibly emotional feeling because it is a testament to our organisation and how we focus on delivering every day to our guests,” he says.

“Dubai is a big city with a lot of restaurants, so to be highlighted as one of the top [ones] is incredible.”

Michelin inspectors praised Stay by Yannick Alleno for its “‘less is more’ approach”, writing: “Precise, sophisticated dishes are perfectly judged and packed with flavour; beautifully conceived and skilfully crafted with an intelligent and intriguing array of textures, flavours and temperatures”.

What's on the Michelin-starred menu?

Langoustines with vanilla. Photo: One&Only The Palm
Langoustines with vanilla. Photo: One&Only The Palm

While the Andalusian and Moorish-style architecture of One & The Palm exudes an old-world charm, Stay by Yannick Alleno is contemporary with a monochromatic colour palette of black, silver and touches of burgundy.

The dining hall is spacious and intimate with couples and small groups seated at table-clothed tables.

“This is perfect for date night,” my companion remarks, to which the impeccably dressed waiter replies: “No, this is a place for a wedding proposal.”

Perhaps he is right as everything from the black crystal chandeliers above to the set menus, named Emotions (Dh825) and Experience (Dh1,100), exude a sense of occasion.

We choose the latter, a more extensive six-course menu that Dutel says is the ideal option to appreciate the “technique and rigour” exemplifying Alleno’s approach in the kitchen.

We begin with a king crab topped with farmhouse cream, a wonderful starter highlighting the restaurant's skill for sourcing pedigree products and Alleno's masterful approach to sauces.

The cream is seasoned with a light touch of vinegar and the silky aromatic broth – a combination of sea grapes, herbs, Tasmanian pepper (spicy and fruity) and lemon caviar – form for a mesmerising taste of the ocean.

Key to the Portobello mushroom dish is the texture, Dutel says.

It is served with a zingy foam made from romaine lettuce and a hearty risotto made from rye bread and buckwheat.

“We cook the mushroom in the same process as an abalone, in order to release the same flavour, texture and colouration,” Dutel says.

“When we thought about this dish, we were also considering how to recycle our bread and by turning it into a risotto we wanted people to really feel all those textures in each bite.

“We want them to see that connection between mushroom, bread and the romaine flavours of the lettuce.”

When the langoustines with vanilla arrive, I appreciate how Stay by Yannick Alleno is essentially a restaurant serving sauces with sides of protein.

“The sauce is the bridge,” Dutel says. “It is the road that takes you on this journey from the sea to the earth and various other places. We don't joke with the sauce and it deserves a lot of our attention.”

To simply describe the liquid gold that comes with the fish as “vanilla”, is a disservice. It’s light, deeply fragrant and leaves a caramel afterglow on the palette.

The Australian Wagyu beef and mushroom mille-feuille. Photo: One&Only The Palm
The Australian Wagyu beef and mushroom mille-feuille. Photo: One&Only The Palm

The Australian Wagyu beef and mushroom mille-feuille is another masterclass.

Partly named after the famous French pastry, the savoury version uses a similar technique in which the premium meat is so finely sliced that it falls like sheets on the plate and immediately melts in your mouth.

Seasoned with smoked salt and served with parsley puree and a mushroom butter, it is rich and impactful.

The dessert of soft chocolate with seaweed jam ends the journey on a fluffy and tangy note, courtesy of the winning yuzu sorbet.

It ends the kind of exhilarating dining experience that almost makes you want to go ring shopping in order to return.

Stay by Yannick Alleno at Dubai’s One & The Palm is open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner from 7pm to 11pm; www.oneandonlyresorts.com

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

THE DETAILS

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Dir: Ron Howard

Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson

3/5

What's in the deal?

Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024

India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.

India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.

Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments

India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery

MATCH INFO

Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

Summer special
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What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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Updated: November 15, 2023, 10:24 AM`