Chef Steven Nguyen on the lavish culinary scene of Dubai, his East-meets-West philosophy, and the globetrotting ‘Madame Ling Ling’
When Atlantis The Royal opened to Beyoncé belting out her most awarded songs, the world stood still and watched. With all eyes on the ultra-luxury experiential resort, the opening took us on a tour of its interiors with infinite ceilings, bespoke art and interiors designed to dominate. The food and beverage options were also, as expected – awe-inspiring. The venue that stood out of this exclusive crowd was, and still is, Ling Ling.
At the helm of the hotspot is Steven Nguyen, the multi-talented Chef de Cuisine. With his global experience seeing him in kitchens from Canada to Hong Kong, when asked how Dubai diners differ from their international counterparts, Chef Steven says: “In Dubai, guests often have a desire for adventure and are open to sampling diverse flavours, influenced by the city’s multicultural environment and luxury dining scene. The appetite here tends to lean towards lavish and exotic flavours, with a preference for opulent presentations. The culinary landscape in Dubai caters to various international cuisines, reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of the city”.
The dining and ultra-lounge experience serves Asian cuisine that is meant to be shared along with an extensive bar menu that encourages guests to dine differently. “Inspired by izakaya, where food accompanies drinks (rather than the other way around), beverages are at the heart of the experience with an intriguing and evolving menu,” the chef explains. “Ling Ling’s culinary highlights fuse Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean influences without leaving aside the Cantonese origins of Hakkasan that are present in every course. The idea of the beverage offering at Ling Ling was to create a unique journey across Asia, similar to the culinary side, which brings out the delightful flavours of various parts of the continent. So, we created the persona of ‘Madame Ling Ling’, an adventurous and curious woman, who we would follow on her journey. Every drink is inspired by one of her stops. For instance, Chaweng is a beverage inspired by Thailand, featuring lime and Sriracha whereas Kozhikode marks Madame Ling Ling’s arrival in India, with pungent hints of chai spices and trails of pomegranate notes. We have created a food and beverage programme that puts Ling Ling centre stage as a leading world-class dining and entertainment concept.”
Located on the 23rd floor accessed via private elevators, Ling Ling houses an expansive marble-rich bar, two dining lounges, a spacious terrace, a 12-seater private dining area as well as a discreet ultra-lounge club nestled in the heart of the venue, designed to offer guests a perfect place to party post dinner.
With a menu that is influenced by multiple Asian cuisine, devising a menu to suit the different flavours, textures and ingredients was a group effort. As Chef Steven says, “It really comes down to the team and the talent we have found to execute the menu. It was important for us to find the right people who are representative of those cuisines, and our team comprises diverse backgrounds, including Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Indonesia. My brief stint in art and design school played a pivotal role in shaping my creative process. The key lesson I took from that experience is that, at times, you must throw every idea at the wall and see what sticks. Subsequently, we embark on a process of stripping away non-essential elements to distil the concept to its core. It’s crucial to commence with a broad approach before honing in on a finely tuned, focused idea. Listening to guests’ needs and desires is just one of the tools we employ to shape our ideas. My style is a mixture of East meets West, filtered through a modern contemporary take on traditional cuisine. I’ve taken my classic chef training and applied it to Pan-Asian cuisine. I always ask myself when creating a dish – how can we make this even better, all while respecting its roots”.
After a long day creating his culinary masterpieces for the lucky clients at Ling Ling, cooking dinner for himself is not a priority. “You should never feel nervous cooking for a chef as we’re the ones who appreciate it the most when someone cooks for us. We understand how much work goes into cooking. We may just annoy you and give you a few tips here and there, but that’s because we just want to help. And if anyone wants to invite me for dinner, I’m off on Mondays and Sundays!”
For bookings and reservations, visit linglingdubai.com
Images courtesy of Ling Ling
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s Interiors Spring 2024 Issue