Next week, we will be introducing you to Pastry Chef 2026, Carmen Rueda Hernandez — tracing her journey through the different chapters of her culinary career.

But this week? Let’s call it a little warm-up.

Consider this your guide to Carmen’s favourite places to eat in the UAE. After all, what inspires a chef more than genuinely good food and a beautifully considered restaurant setting?

A small warning: read this on a full stomach. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if you suddenly find yourself placing an order… or getting up and heading there immediately.

Set right along the Jumeirah shoreline, 3Fils is a Japanese and Asian inspired restaurant where the seafood on your plate is about as fresh as it gets. Since opening in 2016, it has quietly grown into one of Dubai’s most talked-about dining spots — and yet it has somehow managed to keep its niche, low-key charm.

Another good sign? This wasn’t the first time we had heard its name. It had already come up during our Dubai Insiders podcast series, when both Ali Cha𧪺n and Wathek Allal mentioned it while sharing their favourite places to eat in the city. And here is a simple rule: when a restaurant is brought up unprompted like that (more than once) — you pay attention.

We are used to seeing steaks, seabass, salmon or even chicken take centre stage when it comes to a main course. But what if the most compelling dish on the table is built entirely around vegetables — with perhaps a little egg woven in, thoughtfully?

Avatara proves it is more than possible. This Michelin-starred restaurant doesn’t just serve plates; it creates a full tasting journey. Around 16–17 courses (yes, it sounds wild at first), moving through vegetables, grains, spices and textures in a way that never once feels repetitive or predictable.

If 3Fils is the place you book for a slightly dressier evening, Kinoya is where you go to properly unwind. Everything about it — the food, the atmosphere, even its location tucked away in the leafy calm of The Greens — gently nudges you to slow down.

Kinoya is a Japanese izakaya-style restaurant centred around the classics: rich ramen bowls, yakitori skewers, sushi and comforting small plates. It is reassuring in the best way — familiar flavours done properly, without unnecessary fuss.

The ambience is part of the charm. It feels a little like a Tokyo hideaway that somehow found its way to Dubai.

This is the kind of place you come to purely for the food. Proper, beloved Syrian dishes — with Levantine classics on the menu too — and, as a sweet bonus, perfectly layered Turkish baklava.

It is ideal for gathering family or friends around one table, because most of the dishes are simply too generous to tackle alone. That is the Arabic hospitality everyone talks about — generous portions and the kind of place where you never leave hungry.

And one more thing you will notice straight away: the butchery greets you the moment you walk in. The perfect place to pick up some ribs or steaks for the next day.

While Carmen is the founder and head chef of BRIX Journey, praising it hardly feels biased. Quite the opposite — it is a place every sweet tooth in Dubai already knows. What they create aren't simply desserts you try and forget, but experiences — immersive and rooted in history — built around ingredient combinations you would never expect to see together.

When I tried to get one “must-try” recommendation out of Carmen, it turned out to be a question without an answer — it is simply impossible. The menu only truly makes sense when experienced as a whole. Still, if you are curious about the most unexpected one — in the best possible way — here it is.