A Michelin-starred caterer described how a television program altered her life. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, admired the cooking manner of Iranian-American chef Ariana Bundy and wished to meet her.
“He had watched my show on television with his family and was impressed by my work,” she told Khaleej Times after receiving the award for the year’s best new opening. Then we were able to meet him.
After the meeting, Ariana prepared a menu for Sheikh Mohammed to sample. She said, “After many conversations, I prepared a feast for him.” “He appreciated the food so much that he offered me a restaurant space to open my own business.”
Ariana, an award-winning cookbook author, and television hostess, stated that operating her restaurant was difficult and involved a steep learning curve. “We were delayed by four years, but it has been an incredible journey,” she explained. “The creative process was excellent, and I was given carte blanche to construct whatever I desired. I have the most incredible team at my disposal, so I had everything I needed to create something extraordinary.”
Her restaurant, Ariana’s Persian Kitchen, is located within Atlantis The Royal and serves a contemporary interpretation of Persia’s ancient and refined cuisine. Regarding textures, ingredients, and presentation, the restaurant reinvents traditional family-style Persian dishes. Guests can sample signature dishes such as rose-scented sea bass and her interpretation of traditional Persian ice cream with saffron, pistachios, rose water, and traditional Persian tea and baklava. It was the first time in Dubai that the Michelin Guide presented an award to a newly established restaurant. As an Iranian woman, Ariana said the victory meant much to her. “This award will give recognition to a food and culture that is relatively unknown,” she said. “I hope that by doing so, we can shed more light on our beautiful heritage, the food we serve, and the warmth of Persian homes.”
Ariana learned the ropes of the culinary industry from her restaurateur father, who owned avant-garde French restaurants in pre-revolutionary Iran and later in Beverly Hills.
After mastering the trade, Ariana became a pastry chef at a reputable patisserie, where she catered for the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and movie premieres. Her 2012 cookbook “Pomegranates and Roses: My Persian Family Recipes” won the Gourmand Cookbook Award and was nominated for the 2013 Writers’ Guild Award for best cookbook. In 2015, Ariana became the presenter of the cooking and travel series ‘Ariana’s Persian Kitchen. She stated that she feels fortunate for all of her accomplishments. “I feel like I am living in a movie,” she said. When I consider my voyage, I am moved to tears.
