Dubai culinary creatives are taking center stage in a new storytelling series launched by Dubai Culture and itsodeeble. The first episode of Our Dubai Creatives introduces four chefs whose journeys highlight the people shaping Dubai’s food culture, creative economy, and multicultural identity.
Dubai has become one of the world’s most exciting food destinations, but behind every restaurant, supper club, and dining concept are people building something much bigger than a menu. That is exactly what Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and creative storytelling platform itsodeeble are exploring through their new collaborative series, Our Dubai Creatives.
The debut episode focuses on four culinary talents whose stories reveal why Dubai continues attracting ambitious creatives from around the world and why so many choose to stay.
Why Dubai Culinary Creatives Are Getting the Spotlight
Our Dubai Creatives is a collaboration between Dubai Culture, Creative Dubai, and itsodeeble, a platform known for documenting authentic stories from across the UAE.
Rather than focusing on businesses or institutions, the series highlights individuals who have transformed Dubai from a place to work into a place they proudly call home. Through personal conversations and behind-the-scenes insights, viewers get a closer look at the journeys that have shaped some of the city’s most influential creative voices.
The first episode turns its attention to food, one of Dubai’s most powerful cultural connectors.
Meet the Dubai Culinary Creatives Featured in Episode One
Three Homes Ago Supper Club
Three Homes Ago Supper Club has become one of Dubai’s most talked-about underground dining experiences. Known for intimate gatherings that bring people together through food and storytelling, the concept represents a growing movement within Dubai’s independent dining scene.
Its inclusion in the series reflects the increasing influence of community-led culinary experiences across the city.
Chef Dabo
David Jezreel Lizardo Pamplona, better known as Chef Dabo, is one of the UAE’s most respected Filipino chefs.
As the co-founder, managing director, and head chef of Naimas Café and Bistro, he has earned multiple industry accolades, including four Gold Medals at Salon Culinaire Dubai. His cooking style combines Filipino heritage with Pan-Asian and Latin American influences, creating dishes that mirror Dubai’s multicultural identity.
Chef Gio Ledon
Born in Las Vegas and now based in Dubai, Chef Gio Ledon spent five years helping establish Akira Back Dubai as one of the city’s most awarded dining destinations.
Alongside his work in professional kitchens, he has built a strong digital following through food-focused content across social media platforms, representing a new generation of culinary creatives connecting with audiences beyond restaurant walls.
Marwan Charaf
Marwan Charaf is the founder of SmokinBarrel, an award-winning concept known for slow-smoked meats, creative tacos, and globally inspired flavours.
His culinary perspective is shaped by exposure to different cultures and cuisines, resulting in a style that blends international techniques with regional influences.
How Dubai Culinary Creatives Are Shaping Culture
Dubai’s culinary creatives have become cultural ambassadors for the city.
Through restaurants, cafés, supper clubs, and independent food concepts, they create experiences that bring people together while introducing new perspectives and preserving traditions from around the world.
Food has always been one of the easiest ways for communities to connect. In a city home to more than 200 nationalities, chefs play an important role in building those connections. Their work extends far beyond kitchens, influencing conversations around identity, belonging, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
The success of Dubai culinary creatives also reflects the city’s wider ambition to become a global hub for innovation and culture. As Dubai continues investing in its creative economy, stories like these help showcase the people driving that growth every day.
Why This Series Matters
Dubai Culture has set ambitious goals for expanding the emirate’s creative economy, and initiatives like Our Dubai Creatives help bring that vision to life by highlighting the people behind the progress.
Instead of focusing on statistics, developments, or institutions, the series puts real human stories at the centre of the conversation.
For a city built by people from every corner of the world, those stories are often what make Dubai unique.
What To Expect Next
Episode One of Our Dubai Creatives is available now through Creative Dubai’s official channels.
Future episodes are expected to spotlight creatives from other industries, offering a closer look at the artists, founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators helping shape Dubai’s future.
For anyone interested in food, culture, creativity, and the people behind the city’s most interesting ideas, this is a series worth following.
Cover Image: AI-Generated for Illustration Purposes
