‘Dinosaur tartare’ and holograms: Dubai AI chef sparks awe and ire

AFP/APP

Dubai: A Dubai restaurant has opened claiming to host the world’s “first AI chef,” marking the latest extravagant leap into futuristic technology in a city eager to stay ahead of global trends.

The Emirati metropolis, now recognised for its booming culinary scene with thousands of eateries ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants to modest street-food joints, has added another novelty to its dining landscape.

At Woohoo, the menu is designed not by a human but by an AI programme—chef Aiman—trained on thousands of recipes and decades of culinary and molecular gastronomy research.

According to the restaurant, chef Aiman can optimise menus and balance flavours. Yet the actual cooking and plating remain the responsibility of human chefs—for now.

“AI is going to create better dishes than humans, maybe in the future,” said Turkish co-founder Ahmet Oytun Cakir.

While the menu offers mainly international fusion dishes, some AI-generated creations stand out—most notably a “dinosaur tartare” developed using DNA mapping to recreate what extinct reptiles might have tasted like. Priced at roughly €50 ($58), the dish combines flavours reminiscent of several raw meats and is served on a pulsating plate designed to look as if the dish is “breathing.”

“It was a total surprise. It was so delicious,” said customer Efe Urgunlu.

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The neon-lit restaurant features holograms, sci-fi visuals, and a dramatic cylindrical computer at its centre—presented as the digital mainframe powering the venue’s lights and smoke shows.

‘I don’t believe in it’

Turkish chef Serhat Karanfil, who oversees the kitchen, said he often adjusts chef Aiman’s selections.

“If I taste it and it’s too spicy, I talk to chef Aiman again. After we discuss, we find the right balance,” he explained.

Cakir hopes chef Aiman will one day be “the next Gordon Ramsay—but AI.”

But not everyone in Dubai’s culinary world is convinced. Michelin-starred Syrian chef Mohamad Orfali rejects the concept entirely.

“There is no such thing as an AI chef. I don’t believe in it,” he told AFP, stressing that cooking requires nafas—an Arabic term describing a cook’s soul, intuition, and personal touch. “Artificial intelligence lacks feelings and memories; in short, it has no nafas. It can’t imbue it into food.”

Orfali uses AI only for administrative tasks such as scheduling and research. “We use it as a kitchen assistant, but ultimately, it won’t cook,” he said.

Dubai embraces the concept

Despite mixed opinions, Woohoo has quickly stirred excitement in Dubai, a city with its own AI minister and a deep appetite for innovation. Its AI chef has already become a social media sensation, with an Instagram account featuring Aiman’s avatar sharing recipes and kitchen tips.

Dio, a customer who visited after seeing the hype online, said the experience lived up to its billing.

“It’s such a creative concept, so I thought I must experience it myself,” she said. “The dishes were extraordinary.”