In its second edition, MICHELIN Guide Ceremony Dubai 2023 awarded its Young Chef Award to rising star, Omkar Walve of avatāra restaurant. Presented by the world's oldest watch brand, Blancpain, this award recognizes young chefs dedicated to their culinary artistry, as well as their contribution to the world of gastronomy. The young chef’s outstanding commitment to innovation and creativity aligns perfectly with Blancpain’s values and quest for excellence, cementing the renowned watch brand as the ideal partner in the MICHELIN Guide’s gastronomic vision.
This year, the Special Award honours chef Omkar Walve, who’s support and creativity in avatara’s vegetarian kitchen helped earned the restaurant its One Star distinction in the 2023 selection. At only 29 years old, Walve’s contribution in the kitchen played a pivotal role creating the 16-course vegetarian meal that is unique to Dubai’s culinary scene, earning him the well-deserved recognition from MICHELIN.
“I was very happy when my name was announced on the stage, it was like a rush of emotions going through,” Walve explains. “It is difficult to put into words, but the only thing I can say is I was very happy to receive this prestigious award, I think it is a deep sense of validation of my hard work, and MICHELIN has recognised me as a young chef and took me into consideration.”
Walve considers working under the guidance of executive chef Rahul Rana as one of his most influential experiences in his career since starting in the hotel industry in Dubai. For the past six years, Walve has “pushed all [his] boundaries working as a chef each and every day,” which he describes is the root of his culinary inspiration.
“This was the very first time I worked for a fine dining restaurant, where you can go and talk with a guest, you can have a chat and describe whatever the dish is all about and be able to create a memorable dining experience for the guest.”
Alongside chef Rahul, they aim to create a “very unique experience” with their vegetarian set menu, which requires a certain level of innovative thinking to overcome the obstacles with such a concept. In showcasing the not-so-loved and rare vegetarian ingredients in their dishes, Walve and the team tackle creativity head-on and elevate them through pairings that are rather unexpected from Indian cuisine.
“The challenge we have taken on is using no onions, no garlic, and to change the perception people have of what Indian vegetarian food actually is,” he says. “Here we take the least favoured vegetables by Indian families or by the children of Indian families, like Bitter Gourd or Bottle Gourd, and have learned to pair them with different ingredients to highlight them in a way that leaves a lasting impression on diners.”
While he considers his guests’ experience as a big part of his inspiration, Walve also dedicates his inspiration to his team as well. They encourage him to keep learning and exploring his culinary skills, which is the advice he’d also like to share with up-and-coming chefs.
“Working in a small team has allowed us to sit together, talk together and work on the dishes together,” he explains. “In the kitchen, every day offers a new learning, whether it is from your seniors or whether it is from your juniors, everyone has something they can contribute that can improve your skills as a chef.”
Walve’s motivation to learn, develop himself and to proactively innovate as a chef makes him the perfect candidate for the Young Chef Award presented by Blancpain, as the brand is committed to constant innovation throughout generations.
The encounter between the world of haute horlogerie and haute cuisine, as the historic watch brand calls it, is dedicated to fine craftsmanship, the importance placed on product quality and the respect for terroir as well as traditions – a long-time vision that is shared by the MICHELIN Guide and iconic watchmaker.
Being a MICHELIN global partner, Blancpain elevates the Young Chef Award through its prestige and promotes the rising stars of Dubai’s dining scene by encouraging them to passionately strive for excellence, innovation, and creativity. In doing, it also gives young chefs a platform to be recognised locally and globally.
