When Manāo opened its doors in Dubai, it arrived not with a bang but with quiet confidence. Think soulful Thai flavors, a lively soundtrack and a minimal, modest setting where every dish on the 11-course tasting menu tells a story. Helmed by Dubai-born Chef Abhiraj Khatwani in partnership with Chef Mohamad Orfali, this is a love letter to Thai cuisine — bold, balanced and rooted in deep culinary curiosity. Within just five months, it earned a MICHELIN Star.
“It’s surreal,” says Khatwani, one half of the duo behind Manāo. “Five months in, we’re still finding our rhythm to be honest, and to be recognized this early, it’s humbling. It’s a win for the entire team.” But Manāo’s menu doesn’t shout its craft, it simmers slowly, building flavor through fermentation, layering texture and temperature, and telling a story that’s as much about friendship as it is about food.
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A friendship turned partnership
Manāo was born from conversations. Two friends sharing ideas and dreams over long, lazy coffees and late-night suppers. “We were friends first,” says Khatwani. “The kind that talked food, flavor and ‘what-ifs’. That friendship became a partnership, and that’s how Manāo was born.”That other half of the partnership is Chef Mohamad Orfali, the Syrian chef widely known for his experimental, genre-pushing work at One-MICHELIN-Star Orfali Bros (just a stone’s throw from Manāo). And while his culinary roots are Levantine, his fascination with Thai food runs deep.
“What drew us to Thai cuisine was its unapologetic boldness — I’ve always had deep admiration for how Thai food balances heat, acidity, sweetness and umami with such confidence and soul,” says Orfali. “It’s a cuisine that’s alive.”
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Thai roots, with Dubai soul
So, what exactly is Manāo? It’s not a traditional Thai restaurant — but neither is it trying to reinvent the cuisine. It’s something else: “a love letter,” as Orfali puts it. “It’s a reflection of what Thai food made us feel, filtered through our experience and the kind of storytelling we’ve always done at Orfali Bros.”
The duo not only traveled extensively across Thailand in their research but also across the globe where Thai flavors have intricately evolved. “We met with local chefs, ate in markets, in homes, in temples — trying to absorb every layer of the culture and cuisine,” says Orfali.
All of which made the 11-course tasting menu what it is today — an easygoing experience that typically lasts around two hours and heavily revolves around rice. “It’s the heart of Thai food,” says Khatwani. “We play with different textures throughout the meal, from crispy to creamy. Thai food is all about layering and a lot of that comes from sourness. It’s not just lime or tamarind, sometimes it’s from fruit or even fermented elements.”
Fermentation, in fact, is a recurring theme throughout the menu, too. “It’s a core part of how we build flavor at Manāo,” Khatwani explains, “A lot of that starts at Orfali Bros Lab: it’s our playground. That’s where we experiment, test and let things evolve.”
That evolution shows up in dishes like fermented chili pastes or even fruit that's been coaxed into new dimensions. The goal isn’t to be clever for clever’s sake, but to push Thai flavors in new directions.
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Thai food, reimagined
What sets Manāo apart from other Thai spots in Dubai isn’t just the modernity of the food, it’s the vision of two minds combined. “Manāo has its own identity,” says Khatwani. “Built from scratch, shaped by our team, our stories and the way we experience Thai food. Influences from Orfali cuisine are also embedded.”The cooking is gutsy and full of bold Thai flavors, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a single mouthful that doesn’t ‘wow’ the palate. Chef Orfali puts it simply: “Every dish we created came from a place of deep respect and curiosity.” From miang charred cabbage and grilled lobster tail to duck mochi and coconut-smoked short ribs, the menu takes guests from north to south Thai inspirations and beyond.
Mentorship in motion
The dynamic between these two chefs is one of student and mentor, though it’s more collaborative than conventional.“Working with and being mentored by Orfali is like being in a constant masterclass,” says Khatwani. “He sees things in food I never thought to look for. I bring energy, he brings focus, and somewhere between that, we find the sweet spot.”
That sweet spot can be tasted on every plate. One of Khatwani’s favorite dishes? A sticky rice roti that was the result of a happy accident.
“We were working on an Indian appam, but instead of using regular rice, we tried sticky rice. The result had this beautiful chew and depth — it just worked,” he says. “That texture felt right at home on the menu, and that’s how sticky rice found its way into Manāo.”
Freedom to create (and play)
With its ever-growing and competitive culinary scene, Dubai has become fertile ground for concepts like Manāo. How does one manage to make a restaurant stand out in 2025?
“Dubai’s a melting pot,” says Orfali. “People from everywhere, eating everything, all in one city. There’s so much room to create, to experiment, to be bold. It’s not stuck in tradition, which gives chefs real freedom. For me, it’s a playground. And more than that, it’s home.”
