The finest things the UAE has to offer, with Gerbou’s Chef Ionel Catau

Devina Divecha
[00:00 - 00:01] Oh, very cool. Sorry, are we recording this?

Chef Ionel Catau
[00:01 - 00:02] Are we recording?

Devina Divecha
[00:02 - 00:14] Okay, because I was like, he's saying great things. Why aren't you recording? Welcome to Nourish by Spinneys, the podcast which promises to inspire you to eat well and live well. I'm Devina Divecha.

Tiffany Eslick
[00:15 - 00:30] And I'm Tiffany Eslick. Welcome to a space where we hope to nourish your heart and soul. On this show, we chat with leading players in the food community, from farmers to foodies, as well as health and well-being experts. It's all about engaging conversations and fresh ideas.

Devina Divecha
[00:30 - 00:42] Today, we're taking our kits down to check out Garbu, which is a supper club, and talk to their head chef, Ionel Catau. Now, I had the opportunity to try out their supper club menu a few days before this interview.

Chef Ionel Catau
[00:42 - 00:43] Tell me more!

Devina Divecha
[00:43 - 01:09] It was honestly a fabulous experience. I wasn't quite sure what to expect before I got there, but I would say that with every step I took, I was really blown away. The decor spoke to different elements of Emirati, the culture, which was amazing, and the food itself was really, really good, and really a nod to different elements of what you would find here in the UAE. So yes, I would definitely return.

Tiffany Eslick
[01:09 - 01:17] Okay, I'm definitely going to try this, because I've also seen it popping up on everybody's social media feed, and it looks so interesting. So how did it get started?

Devina Divecha
[01:18 - 01:23] So Garbou is a collaboration between Tashkeel and Atelier House Hospitality.

Tiffany Eslick
[01:23 - 01:37] Right, and Tashkeel is an incubator for art industry, design here in Dubai, right? Yes. Which was set up in 2008 by Sheikha Latifa bint Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. And they do a lot to empower art and culture in the country,

Devina Divecha
[01:37 - 01:56] from consultancy to training to printing and cutting services for artists. And they also run an incubator initiative called Tanween, and there's honestly so much more. So we've put a link in our show notes so you can find out more about them. And Tashkeel is also where Garbou will be opening up a full restaurant in a couple of months, but more on that in just a moment.

Tiffany Eslick
[01:56 - 02:02] I'm so excited to hear all about this. Tell me about what you found out about the concept behind Garbou.

Devina Divecha
[02:02 - 02:28] Honestly, there is a lot to unpack here, but let's start with Chef Ionel Catau. He told me how he had been looking at a number of different countries in terms of where he wanted to set up a base, and he actually came to the UAE only last year and was checking out some of the Northern Emirates. He finally partnered with the team behind Garbu and moved to Dubai about seven months ago. So since then, Garbu has been exploring everything the UAE has to offer.

Chef Ionel Catau
[02:29 - 03:06] So from the very start, I've tried to eat in as many restaurants and as many different places as possible, to go and visit some incredible suppliers. We did hundreds of dishes for tasting, so that was discovering myself. Yeah. And especially because I was learning about new ways of cooking, new spices, new ingredients. Wow. Tanoor was something that was very new to me. I've never heard of that cooking technique before, so I did a lot of research. I went to the museums, to the libraries.
[03:07 - 03:31] And also, I think very special is when the team started to come on board, and now we start to work well together. And even if we're just at our start, we've only been working together for around two weeks. It's very rewarding because to watch them day in, day out, to see how they develop and how they grow. And I don't know, it's very hard.

Devina Divecha
[03:31 - 03:31] There's a lot.

Chef Ionel Catau
[03:31 - 04:10] There's a lot because as I said, I've tried to go everywhere from visiting Mushrif Park to see all those beautiful gaff trees, the Quranic Park, the suppliers. I remember when I've seen Farm to Table and to see rice grown here, I was very impressed. Or the saffron, or it's too many things. There's a lot, yeah. My trial, for example, it sounds weird, but like, I remember it very fondly because it was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. So, it is very rewarding. I don't know. It's hard to choose. Yeah. Like, for example, I'm also from a personal aspect.
[04:11 - 04:49] We also work with Atelier House and everyone over there tried to help me. So, they all had an impact on me, like from the marketing department, finance, the HR, to learn more about operations because they are also a big part of my role here at Gerbon. So, everyone was there to help me and to give me that platform for me to learn and develop myself. So, I look now back at my journey and I'm very fortunate and grateful for everyone involved.

Tiffany Eslick
[04:51 - 04:58] How interesting. It almost sounds like he's done all the things that some of us who've been around for a while. haven't gotten to do. Yeah.

Other speaker
[04:58 - 05:01] And it was really nice to hear about his discoveries in the UAE.

Devina Divecha
[05:02 - 05:12] And as someone who's grown up here, it's like watching a fresh perspective, which was brilliant. And of course, how they've then taken all of those things that make this place special and bring it under Gerbon.

Chef Ionel Catau
[05:12 - 05:50] Gerbon means welcome to our humble abode. And to me, it means exactly just that. We want to welcome our guests and to send them on a journey through the finest ingredients found here in the UAE. And when we're talking about here, we also need to know that it's a melting pot of cultures and influences. So, we do take inspiration not only from Emirati culture, but also about our relationship with different places from the Arabic Peninsula and international influences.
[05:52 - 06:29] But it also will reflect as much as we can. We want to give our guests a chance to experience the local artisans and suppliers and producers. And from the beautiful table to the biodegradable chandelier to the plants we have outside to the plates that are made here in the UAE and so many more things. This is something that matters to us. The farm to table, the sustainability, the connection, the tradition. But it's also very important that for us. It's that we try to combine tradition with innovation.
[06:29 - 06:44] So, it's something that we try to showcase throughout the entire, not just through the food or through the drinks, but through the entire experience from the start to the finish.

Devina Divecha
[06:44 - 07:11] There are so many different things I want to talk about because when I came here for the actual supper club, the dinner, I was genuinely just taken aback with, for me, it was the details, which you mentioned. I think there was so much care that I could see taken from everything from the branding to the chairs to, like you said, the chandelier. I think, can you tell us a little bit about the chandelier as well? What it's made of? Because I thought that was fascinating as well.

Chef Ionel Catau
[07:11 - 07:51] Yes, every detail matters. And we have put a lot of thought and a lot of hard work into it. I said, it's a lot of people behind the scenes that they do deserve all this credit. Yeah. We wanted to. We wanted to almost give you the same feel that you would almost have when you, when we start Gerbou hopefully in April. So we wanted to the food to be a similar or the furniture or the vibe itself. So this is why, because, for example, outside we have a barbecue area and the plants because at Gerbou we're going to have a fire pit and underground cooking.
[07:51 - 08:24] And so we'll have someone outside cooking in front of the customers. And I said that the table is very special because I was like dates are such an important part of the culture and it's such a beloved ingredient. And to use the from the day three, the things that normally will be discarded and to create what I believe is a very beautiful piece of art. I think it deserves that name or the biodegradable chandelier that I think all those details together. It's what sets us apart.

Devina Divecha
[08:24 - 08:52] Yeah, no, I think just everything, like you said, it just kind of stands out. And like you say, a lot of reference points to obviously where we are at the moment. The fact that we are in the UAE and a lot of these, you know, like you said, the palm or the leaves that were used in the chandelier, they're all from here. And that was amazing to see. It just felt quite a holistic experience. It wasn't just, oh, here's the food, but here's everything else also.

Chef Ionel Catau
[08:53 - 09:27] No, this is amazing. It's something that is very important and it's something that we all believe in and we all want to use because UAE has an incredible larder of not only of ingredients, but of artists and potters and suppliers and people who do furniture and people who do the plates. And it's incredible what is available. And I think it doesn't, especially, for example, when it comes to food is very underrated for me. I was truly blown away. By when I first came in here by what is available.
[09:28 - 10:05] And even now, during the last seven months I've been here, I've discovered so many places and I'm still every single day I go and I said, Dubai, you don't stop to surprise me. You always discover something new in here, not only from a tourist perspective, but from like the people, the warm welcome you received. I remember the first time I've seen the gaff tree, which I immediately. When I heard the story and the importance of it in the local culture, I thought it was incredible. Or some of the suppliers when we visited them. And I remember I was shocked.
[10:06 - 10:42] I did not expect to find this quality of ingredients here. I said, this is better than most of the places I've ever lived in and the things I tried. And I was, how is this possible in here, in the desert? You grow this. Yeah. Especially to such a high standard and quality. It was blown away. And plus, we take our responsibility very seriously because we want to promote and to protect the environment. We as a team, we want to go to suppliers and to go and maybe plant a tree.
[10:43 - 10:56] Or for example, there is a beautiful story about a supplier that only hires people with determination. Okay. Yeah. And then we create chocolates and labneh and cheese balls.

Other speaker
[10:56 - 10:57] Oh, lovely. And I think the story was beautiful.

Chef Ionel Catau
[10:58 - 11:13] And I think it's exactly with those kind of people we are trying to like help and promote and work with because it tells a story. Yeah. It tells a story and people will be surprised by how incredible UAE is.

Devina Divecha
[11:13 - 11:18] Did you have a favorite dish of the supper club menu?

Chef Ionel Catau
[11:18 - 11:22] If I have a favorite dish of the supper club menu. I like all of the dishes.

Devina Divecha
[11:22 - 11:25] It's like trying to ask a chef to choose their child, clearly.

Chef Ionel Catau
[11:25 - 11:57] For me, the matchbox holds a very special place. Because from the start of my journey here in Gerbou, it was there. And also the cabbage, for example, because I was very impressed with the quality of the ingredients here. And it's a humble ingredient. It's something that we are very, we wanted to take humble ingredients. And see how we can elevate them together. And it's not just me, it's together. We brainstorm with the team. Yeah.
[11:57 - 12:36] And see how can we take something so humble and so almost underrated and make it shine. So like this, if you have this and then you have a meat course or a fish course, you do not miss that. You have the vegetarian, you're like, wow, this can stand out against anything. So, and that is not something very easy to do. And it's something that I like. I think it's something that we are very proud of. But as I said, I think the dishes, all the dishes tell our story like very beautifully. And our connections with the local artisans here in the farm here in the UAE.

Devina Divecha
[12:39 - 13:12] A quick heads up. We will have a bonus episode out next week with delicious ingredient details and some of the inspirations behind the supper club menu. So stay tuned for that. And when we come back, Chef Ionel gives me a sneak peek into some of the plans for the restaurant. That's right after this short break. Welcome back. I'm Devina Divecha and you're listening to Nourish by Spinneys and my conversation with Chef Ionel Catao of Garbou. I'd just love to hear a little bit more about what we're going to get once Garbou opens as a restaurant.

Chef Ionel Catau
[13:13 - 13:52] It might sound simple because we are a restaurant. But what we offer is simple. First, we will have breakfast, lunch and dinner. So do expect beloved dishes like a bite of tomato with camille bread, for example, for breakfast or underground cooking. We have an ice cream room and a gelato room upstairs. So we will create all our ice creams in-house and for everyone who doesn't like an ice cream. From kids to grownups and everyone loves ice cream. So, for example, that will be a part of our menu. The fire pit, the barbecues.
[13:52 - 14:30] We have some incredible gardens with a lot of native flowers and plants and trees. And for example, you can expect a lot of gaff trees. For example, this is something that we are very fortunate to have because it tells the it's a part of our sustainability journey. When it comes to the team, we at the moment, we will have around. 14, 15 chefs, including pastry. As I said, we are also very fortunate that we will do everything in-house.
[14:30 - 15:08] So we're talking about pastries and sauces and dressings and fermentation. And we are also working our front of house team. They will do our own cocktails, our own drinks, our own kombucha. And we actually have, as you tried already, a delicious kombucha made by Uther, who I think did something very, I think it was so refreshing and it was so delicious. And I think it was exactly what you need. Yeah. Like through the meal. So do expect those touches or those things.
[15:09 - 15:38] I do want to keep a level of secrecy. Yeah. Okay. And to welcome you. Yeah. I know it's hard for you to experience that. But as I said, just like in here, every detail will matter. And every small detail is being looked at. And for us to see how it can create a sense of togetherness of welcoming and also to tell the story.

Devina Divecha
[15:38 - 16:01] And you said, I think earlier, I think when we started the conversation, you know, you see yourself kind of being part of the Garbou journey for a long time to come. I'd love to hear what is it that, you know, your hopes or your aspirations for Garbu as a restaurant, as a brand, you know, what do you hope for it?

Chef Ionel Catau
[16:01 - 16:39] We want to be the kind of restaurant people want to come back time and again. And then for me personally, to... As my own personal goal, it's to be a mentor too. That is my biggest goal to the team, to have people that we can grow together and we can learn together and we can fail and do mistakes, but then learn from them. And all that journey is something that is very important to me. To also, I... Another thing is I want to, even if in a small way, to promote the Emirati food and the culture and the tradition.
[16:39 - 17:16] Because they are very special and I think they do deserve recognition at a higher scale. And when it comes to the restaurant itself, we want to promote, as I said, the best things of what UAE has to offer. Like this is something that is very important to us. Also combine the tradition with the innovation. So for that... For them to... If they come one time, two times, ten times, to still find something that can still surprise them.
[17:16 - 17:21] That's something that, as I said, inspired by the local artisans.

Devina Divecha
[17:22 - 17:31] So I have a question that we ask all our podcast guests. And this is the trick question. What is it that nourishes your soul?

Chef Ionel Catau
[17:32 - 18:07] The people. The people. I think it's at the heart. I think it's the most important thing for me. I think if the team is happy and if the team grows, we all grow. And that will reflect in what the customer will receive. It gets hard and we all get, you know, like a mix of feelings. But we push together. And if the team feels that they are working in a place that they can, I don't know, grow and develop. And when they look back at their journey, they're like, I'm a completely different person.
[18:07 - 18:39] Like I'm now, compared to how I was six months ago, I'm a very different person. So I want to do everything in my power for the team to feel the same way. Because not only they will win, I will win, but our guests will win. Because that will showcase in every single aspect of their experience. Not just in the food, but in the service, in the welcome, in the way we greet them. And in a sense of... What to me is true hospitality.
[18:40 - 19:19] I think that is why the people are, as I said, not only from a personal point of view, but professional, are very important to me. And for us, it's very important that there is no barriers. Like we learn from front of house, we learn from back of house, we work together. There is no... There is that wall or that barrier, it doesn't exist. Because we all strive to do better and be better. So we all share ideas, do projects and see. Because different backgrounds and more eyes and more hands, we all have different opinions.
[19:19 - 19:27] So together, when we combine those things, it will be, as I said, it will be something very special. So it's the people who make the difference for us.

Devina Divecha
[19:27 - 19:50] Great, thank you. Just want to say, I mean, it did come out even during the supper club night that I came through. You know... The people were amazing. The welcome was great. So I think you definitely succeeded with that. But yes, thank you for your time. And for also that amazing meal that night. The entire team was great. Thank you very much.

Chef Ionel Catau
[19:50 - 19:50] Yeah, thank you.

Devina Divecha
[19:50 - 20:19] What was your favorite? Oh, okay. So dessert is like a separate category for me because I can be however full if I like the dessert. You know, that's a special like thing. But from the rest of it, I am going to say... Oh, you know, the paratha and the kebabs we had outside in the barbecue? That was just like the blend of the paratha with the meat, with like the onion and all of that together.

Other speaker
[20:20 - 20:22] It was good.

Devina Divecha
[20:26 - 20:51] Right. So like I mentioned, we will have a bonus episode with all of the details of the supper club menu out next week. So stay tuned for that. This episode was brought to you by Spinneys and is hosted by me, Devina Divecha and Tiffany Eslick. We're produced by Chirag Desai. You can follow Spinneys on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more and visit us at spinneys.com where you can shop for fresh produce and a variety of local and exclusive products.

Tiffany Eslick
[20:51 - 20:54] We'll be back with a new episode in two weeks. See you then.