Manao tasting menu: new AED350 eight-course experience

Manao tasting menu launches an AED350 eight-course format that condenses the original 12-course progression into a sharper Michelin-starred experience today.

Manao’s new eight-course tasting menu, priced at AED350 per person, moves away from the original 12-course format to deliver a more focused progression without losing the kitchen’s signature arcs of flavour. The menu opens with bold bites and moves into richer, aromatic plates before concluding with a bright, aromatic dessert. The changes are designed to make the restaurant more accessible while preserving the culinary story.

Chef Abhiraj Khatwani and co-founder Mohamad Orfali keep the kitchen’s voice intact: smoky fermentations, sour lifts and concentrated textures. Optional supplements include crab shoulder and a beef curry puff, and the non-alcoholic pairing programme uses fermentation and clarification to mirror the food’s intensity. Service remains polished and relaxed, and the new price point of AED350 aims to bring more diners through Manao’s doors.

Manao’s eight-course tasting experience is a condensed AED350 menu that trims the original 12-course sequence into a focused progression of bold Thai-inspired plates. The new format preserves the kitchen’s rising intensity while shortening service time to suit more diners and repeat visits.

The AED350 eight-course menu opens with flavour-forward bites such as charred cabbage miang and lobster khanom krok and moves through savory mid-course dishes into one of two curry mains. Optional supplements such as crab shoulder and a curry puff with beef are available for additional cost, and dessert finishes with rosella granita and white rose custard. The non-alcoholic pairings use fermentation and clarification techniques to match the menu’s textures and acidity.

This format reduces commitment without diluting craft, but it also concentrates crowding at peak times; bookings at the AED350 level may still be needed on weekends. Diners should note the menu’s balance of smoke, fermentation and acidity so they can choose the southern-style lamb or yellow prawn curry main that best fits their heat tolerance.

• Shorter format makes Michelin-star dining more accessible
• Optional supplements allow personalisation
• Non-alcoholic pairings use fermentation and clarification
• Service remains polished and relaxed

Manao sits in Al Wasl, a central neighbourhood that positions the AED350 eight-course tasting as an easy stop for diners across Dubai. The location supports walk-in and destination dining, making the condensed tasting more practical for both locals and visitors.

Al Wasl’s mix of residential streets and hospitality venues means Manao benefits from weekday office traffic as well as weekend leisure diners, which improves table turnover at the AED350 price point. The new format's shorter length helps the kitchen seat more covers during service periods while preserving the restaurant’s Michelin-starred profile. Accessibility by car and short taxi rides keeps the restaurant reachable for groups choosing between the southern-style lamb or the yellow prawn curry as mains.

Location matters because it influences demand for the AED350 menu and the availability of optional supplements such as crab shoulder. Diners from neighbouring communities may find earlier or later sittings easier to book, while weekend demand will still be highest for the condensed tasting.

The charred cabbage miang provides an immediate burst of smoke, texture and acidic lift and arrives as part of the AED350 eight-course opening sequence. It’s designed to set the flavour tone early in the tasting.

This bite balances charred vegetal notes with bright sour elements so it prepares the palate for richer dishes later in the meal. In the AED350 menu, the miang’s intensity is calibrated to work alongside the lobster khanom krok and curry puff, creating contrast rather than overwhelming the diner. The technique highlights fermentation and acidity themes that recur through the tasting.

The risk is that intense opening flavours can dominate a shorter menu if they aren’t modulated; Manao tempers the cabbage with supporting acids and textures so that the miang acts as a precursor rather than a climax in the AED350 progression.

• Sets the tasting's smoky-acidic tone
• Designed for contrast with seafood and curry courses
• Works as an introductory palate cleanser
• Part of the AED350 eight-course flow

Lobster khanom krok pairs sweet coconut and concentrated seafood notes with a spicy lift, offering textural contrast as part of the AED350 eight-course menu. It balances sweetness and heat to create a memorable early course.

The khanom krok uses lobster for briny depth and a slightly crisp exterior to play against creamy coconut and chilli accents. On the AED350 tasting, this course sits alongside the charred cabbage miang to build a layered opening sequence that mixes sweet, spicy and textural play. The effect is immediate and designed to make the diner anticipate fuller flavors later on.

Because the menu is condensed to AED350 and eight courses, each plate must be precise; the lobster khanom krok is seasoned and portioned so it reads clearly without crowding the palate ahead of richer meat or curry mains.

• Combines coconut sweetness with chili lift
• Uses lobster for briny depth
• Provides crisp and creamy textural contrast
• Key early course on the AED350 menu

The curry puff in Manao’s AED350 eight-course tasting reads as a comforting, savoury interlude that layers spice, umami and pastry texture. It functions as a bridge between lighter starters and more aromatic mid-course plates.

Filled with concentrated curry flavours, the puff provides a familiar texture that contrasts with fermented and acidic elements elsewhere in the menu. On the AED350 menu the curry puff is offered both in the core progression and as an optional supplement paired with beef in some service slots, giving diners the choice to deepen the tasting. The pastry temperature and seasoning are tuned to complement subsequent mains rather than overpower them.

For diners, the curry puff’s familiarity offers relief within an adventurous menu, but it can also be upgraded as a supplement for those wanting a richer mouthfeel in the AED350 experience.

• Comforting texture amid bold flavours
• Can be taken as an optional beef supplement
• Balances fermented and acidic plates
• Part of the AED350 eight-course flow

The sour tomato broth provides a bright, savoury lift designed to cut through richer dishes and reset the palate within the AED350 eight-course sequence. It acts as an acid-driven counterpoint before heavier mains.

This broth uses sourness and umami to refresh the palate and intensify subsequent flavours, which is vital in a condensed AED350 menu where each course must read distinctly. The broth’s acidity and aromatic depth support both seafood and meat paths, nudging the tasting toward richer, smoky plates without losing clarity. In a shorter tasting, such a lift helps maintain forward momentum across eight courses.

Diners should expect a clean, sour profile that clarifies flavours; if you favour gentler acidity, mention it to service staff so the experience aligns with your palate while remaining within the AED350 price point.

• Resets the palate mid-tasting
• Balances smoky and fermented notes
• Works with both seafood and meat mains
• Key to maintaining clarity in eight courses

The fermented sticky rice roti is a textural star because it combines chewy, slightly tangy layers with smoky aromatics to stand up to bold proteins on the AED350 eight-course menu. Its contrast of mouthfeel and flavour anchors the richer part of the tasting.

Fermentation gives the roti a tang that complements slow-cooked elements, and the sticky rice base provides a satisfying chew that offsets sauces and reductions. In the AED350 tasting this roti precedes heavy finishes, often paired with substantial proteins to maximise textural contrast. The technique demonstrates how Manao uses fermentation as both a flavour and structural tool.

The roti’s complexity is a highlight, but diners sensitive to stronger fermented flavours should be prepared for an assertive component in the AED350 progression; service can advise on pairings or portion adjustments if needed.

• Fermentation adds tang and depth
• Sticky rice provides chewy texture
• Pairs well with slow-cooked proteins
• Standout component in the AED350 tasting

Coconut-smoked short beef ribs provide a smoky, fragrant crescendo that anchors the richer end of the AED350 eight-course menu. The dish combines smoke, coconut aromatics and slow-cooked beef for a decisive finale.

On the AED350 menu the ribs arrive after layered mid-course plates and before dessert, delivering deep savoury notes balanced by coconut fragrance and acid from earlier bites. The ribs are a show-stopping texture and flavour moment designed to satisfy without overstaying their welcome in a compact tasting. Diners choosing supplements like crab shoulder can still enjoy the ribs as the menu’s primary meat highlight.

Because the tasting is condensed, this crescendo must be both dramatic and disciplined; Manao keeps portions and seasoning in check so the ribs conclude the AED350 experience on a memorable but balanced note.

• Provides a smoky, aromatic finish
• Balances coconut aroma with slow-cooked beef
• Designed as a decisive main in the AED350 menu
• Portioning keeps the tasting balanced

Manao’s AED350 eight-course tasting condenses the restaurant’s 12-course legacy into a sharper, more accessible Michelin-starred experience while preserving the kitchen’s use of smoke, fermentation and acidity. Led by chef Abhiraj Khatwani and co-founder Mohamad Orfali, the menu includes optional supplements and a thoughtful non-alcoholic pairing programme, making the AED350 format practical for a wider range of diners.