Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, Dubai
In opening Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City - his sixth restaurant to date – Pierre Gagnaire attempts to bring his brand of experimental gastronomy to diners in the Middle East.
If Ferran Adrià is widely regarded as the Father of Molecular Gastronomy, then Pierre Gagnaire is the Mad Scientist.
His collaborations with Hervé This, a Collège de France researcher on molecular interactions have been well documented:
such is Gagnaire's staunch commitment to creating cuisine that stuns (everyone, including himself). In opening Reflets
par Pierre Gagnaire at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City - his sixth restaurant to date – Gagnaire attempts to bring
his brand of experimental gastronomy to diners in the Middle East. But perhaps, the restaurant's name reveals a clue to
Gagnaire's true intentions for his Dubai outpost. Mirrored corridors, mother-of-pearl walls, Murano glass chandeliers and
baroque furnishings evoke his first Parisian establishment at rue Balzac while elaborate arabesque motifs on wallpapers
and velvety rosewood Louis XIV chairs anchor Reflets in its Middle Eastern environs. This sets the stage for diners to
contemplate their dishes, and reflect on the explosion of senses they have just experienced.
The Chef
For his Dubai venture, Pierre Gagnaire has cherry-picked a team of trusted chefs and managers to carry on the Gagnaire
legacy. Right-hand man Olivier Biles has traveled the world with Gagnaire, bringing his experience from his years at
Gagnaire's Paris, London and Hong Kong outposts to Dubai. He is assisted by pastry chef Sébastien Vauxion, and award-winning
sommelier and restaurant manager Etienne Haro, whom Gagnaire personally hired to oversee Reflets from start-to-finish.
Signature Dishes
In keeping with Gagnaire's inimitable experimental style, the menu here constantly changes, so it is difficult to pin-point
signature dishes. Having said that, be prepared for "multi-sensory hits" or "disturbing minor details". When in doubt, "just
follow the music of the menu," says Gagnaire, which means if the descriptions of the dishes appeal to your emotions,
then go for it. Taking risks is part of Gagnaire's approach, and intrinsically key to the whole Gagnaire dining experience.