BOCA HOSTS SPECIAL DINNER IN HONOR OF FLAVOR ENHANCING TECHNIQUES

Click here to see video from the event.

Aging, fermenting, smoking, braising, curing, and infusing are all methods used to develop and improve flavor in food and drink. These methods are said to have also been humanity’s attempt to preserve time.

Join us on March 17th for an intimate dinner with special guest Xavier Gramona, champion of aging and head of the family-owned estate, Gramona, from Penedés, Catalunya, Spain led by head chef Matthijs Stinnissen. The specially curated six-course menu honors preservation and flavor enhancing techniques and includes dishes such as “24-HOUR COMPRESSED TOYBOX TOMATOES” with Haden Mango ‘egg yolk’, “MAGRET DE CANARD & CELERIAC” with 12-day salt crusted celeriac, celeriac pickled in elderflower vinegar, and buttermilk ricotta and a “FERMENTED CARROT CAKE” with tarragon jam, and miso caramel ice cream.

Dinner will be paired with six prized wines from the biodynamic and highly sustainable estate of Gramona including their signature long-aged Cava, and wines made with the ancient Xarel-lo [shah-rell-lo] grape. A vertical tasting option of three vintages of an additional premium wine from the house of Gramona will be available during the evening by Coravin.

Click here to see the full menu.

This special dinner is limited to forty seats and available for one night only on March 17th, 2021 from 7:30 PM. Advanced booking and payment are essential.

AED 295 per person for food only. AED 445 per person for a paired dinner.

Prices are inclusive of 5% VAT and subject to 7% authority fees and 10% service charge.
We regret that we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions at this event.
Spaces are limited and confirmed bookings are essential.

For bookings: 043231833, hola@boca.ae, online link or WhatsApp on +971521607507

BOCA TO HOST TWO INTERNATIONAL GUEST CHEFS INCLUDING A RECIPIENT OF A MICHELIN GREEN STAR – To celebrate sustainable produce, Al Andalus recipes and Spanish lamb

BOCA will host Spanish Tapas Master, Ager Urigüen, and recipient of Michelin Green Star, Miguel Ángel de la Cruz (also known as ‘The Forager Chef’), at a series of collaboration dinners celebrating sustainable produce, recipes from Al Andalus heritage, and Spanish lamb. The event is in collaboration with the Interprofessional Organization of Spanish Lamb Meat (INTEROVIC).

The two visiting chefs share BOCA’s passion for locally sourced ingredients and come with a wealth of knowledge regarding foraging and choosing produce that grows within the local environment. BOCA has recently launched a new menu that includes desert plants native to the UAE in addition to a range of locally sourced and sustainable fish and seafood.

Cooking along BOCA’s Head Chef Matthijs Stinnissen, guests Ager and Miguel have prepared a four-course sharing meal inspired by recipes from Al Andalus focusing on free-range Spanish lamb and its primal and secondary cuts in addition to using foraged whole pine cones from the forests of Castilla y Leon in Spain. The eight dishes that make up this collaboration dinner will include ‘LAMB LIVER PÂTE WITH PLUM JAM CONFIT’, ’LAMB CHURRASCO & AUBERGINE’, BOCA’s ’SPRING IN THE DESERT’ made with 5-day aged local beetroot and native desert plants and ’SLOW COOKED STUFFED LAMB NECK WITH DATES AND ALMONDS’.

This three-chef collaboration dinner is limited to forty seats and available over two nights on February 23rd and 24th 2021 from 7:30 PM. Advanced booking and payment are essential.

AED 195 per person for food only. Food and a bottle of Familia Torres, Las Pisadas, Tempranillo 2016, Rioja DOC, Spain shared between two for AED 295 per person.

Click here to see the menu. 

Prices are inclusive of 5% VAT and subject to 7% authority fees and 10% service charge. We regret that we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions at this event. Spaces are limited and confirmed bookings are essential. Guests can book through 04-3231833 and hola@boca.ae

DELICIOUS AND RESPONSIBLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS MAKE THIS VALENTINE’S SPECIAL MENU AT BOCA

This Valentine’s choose to celebrate with a delicious meal at BOCA, where you can experience a sharing menu of eight dishes highlighting responsibly sourced local ingredients.

Expect ‘DIBBA BAY OYSTERS’ with salty Seedaf سيداف & tomato ponzu vinaigrette, ‘SEAFOOD CEVICHE’ made entirely of local and regional seafood, and ‘SPRING IN THE DESERT’ with local desert plants including Khobez خبيز, Homaid حميض , Seedaf سيداف , and pickled Khansour خنصور الجبل together with five-day aged local beetroot. For mains, couples share an ‘EMIRATI SEA BASS RAVIOLI’ with Arabian Gulf sardine beurre blanc and a ‘12-HOUR BRAISED LAMB’ with creamy polenta, crispy sunchoke, rosemary and seedaf سيداف. The meal ends with ‘MARINATED FIGS & DARK CHOCOLATE’ made with hazelnut ice-cream, guanaja chocolate mousse, and Emirati ‘Blossom’ honeycomb.

Click here to see the menu

BOCA recommends ‘SEA CHANGE MILLESIMATO (ROSÉ) PROSECCO’ with the Valentine’s special menu. ‘SEA CHANGE’ is a range of environmentally conscious wines that directly supports ocean conservation across the globe. The Prosecco rosé is made in the romantic Veneto region in Italy, light-bodied with a refreshing fizz and aromas of raspberries and strawberries. This ‘SEA CHANGE’ bottle comes with a starfish label. Why starfish? Well, out of the 40 species of starfish that exist, 8 are endangered. Starfish are also most commonly threatened by ‘Sea Star Wasting Disease’ which is said to be caused by global warming. Incredibly, eight different forms of plastic have been found in the stomachs of starfish.

The special menu is available on Sunday 14th of February 2021 for AED 495 for food only and for AED 655 including ‘SEA CHANGE’ Prosecco Rosé.

Prices inclusive of 5% VAT and subject to 7% Authority Fees. For bookings: 043231833, hola@boca.ae, online link or WhatsApp on +971521607507

‘SPRING IN THE DESERT’ with native UAE desert plants

DUBAI, UAE – FEB 2021: – “We have the sun, the sea and the sand. And if we can grow food using the three S’s, which are abundant here, we have a solution for the world.” H.E. Mariam Bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister for Food Security.

Tucked away in the heart of Dubai’s financial district is BOCA, a Modern European restaurant influenced by Spanish cuisine and with a strong commitment to sustainability and local sourcing. BOCA is a home-grown concept, born in the desert, and we have consistently showcased the UAE as being far from a barren land. The Hajar mountains of the North are biologically rich habitats, while the Central Region’s oases are home to modern hydroponic, organic, and traditional farms, and the bounty from the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean is plentiful. We live in abundance; we just have to look a bit closer and work slightly harder.

We are extremely excited to unveil new food, beverage, and wine menus for this season; an accumulation of research, travel, trials, and ideas shared with farmers, botanists, municipalities from multiple Emirates, scientists from the ICBA (International Center for Bio-saline Agriculture), and artists represented by the Jameel Art Center. Building such partnerships helps us understand the country’s landscape, its soil structure, edible wild native plants of the region and how they were consumed in the past.

‘ORECCHIETTE VERDE’

For the first time, we feature four types of native desert plants from the UAE. Some are seasonal, some are rare, but they come together in the signature salad ‘SPRING IN THE DESERT’ made of Khobez خبيز, Homaid حميض , Seedaf سيداف , and Pickled Khansour خنصور الجبل together with five-day aged local beetroot. The taste profile of these native plants ranges from the extremely bitter to the slightly salty. We use them fresh and pickled while balancing them with the sweetness and acidity of other ingredients. Try them as well in our ‘ORECCHIETTE VERDE’ pasta dish. We have found that some of these plants are good complements to standard herbs. They particularly work well in a vinaigrette for ‘DIBBA BAY OYSTERS’ which make a come-back in this menu edition and we also use them next to rosemary in our classic ‘12-HOUR BRAISED LAMB.’

‘SEAFOOD CEVICHE’

The new menu features a ‘SEAFOOD CEVICHE’ made entirely of local and regional seafood (Gulf of Oman yellow-fin tuna, marinated local squid, torched tiger prawns, slow-cooked Indian Ocean octopus, and Arabian Gulf clams) and an ‘EMIRATI KINGFISH كنعد CRUDO’ with local edible flowers and herbs from Mary Anne’s Farm on the way from Dubai to Al Ain. We have replaced the Atlantic cod with local sustainable ‘ROASTED HAMOUR’ served with beurre noisette & mustard jus, potato mousseline, and pickled Khansour خنصور الجبل and added an ‘EMIRATI SEA BASS RAVIOLI’ with Arabian Gulf sardine beurre blanc.

‘EMIRATI SEA BASS RAVIOLI’

Other highlights in the menu include dishes inspired by the recent collaboration with ‘meat melt’, the local salt beef purveyors, a new ‘VEGAN PAELLA’ with heirloom carrots, black & red radish, and black garlic allioli, and an ‘ARROZ CON CARNE’ made with free-range braised lamb, local root vegetables, and ras el hanout.

‘ARROZ CON CARNE’

New desserts such as ‘VANILLA RICE PUDDING’ with Local Black Lime لومي Sabayon, ‘SPANISH ORANGE & SAFFRON CHEESECAKE’ and ‘MARINATED FIGS & DARK CHOCOLATE’ made with hazelnut ice-cream, guanaja chocolate mousse, and Emirati “Blossom” honeycomb also make the list. Click here to download the new food menu

VANILLA RICE PUDDING

This season we are also excited to unveil our own ‘DESERT GARDEN’ inspired by the ‘Desert is a Forest’ installation at the Jameel Art Center in Jaddaf, Dubai by Sunoj D and Namrata Neog. In this outdoor urban garden, we feature eight native desert plants sourced from multiple municipal nurseries across the UAE. The ‘DESERT GARDEN’ will be used to show edible native plants to our guests and to serve as a platform for us to experiment with more of them in the future. These desert plants and other ingredients from the menu feature in the booklet we have produced, “LOCAL INGREDIENTS: An Illustrated Guide”. Click here to download the guide. 

BOCA’s WINE CELLAR

On the wine side, our cellar is now home to a collection of 1,830 bottles from 240 labels, 69 of which are offered by the glass, including selections from the Coravin and two vertical tasting options. 40% of this list is Spanish listing 23 of the 138 official DOs and IGPs in the country with a focus on ‘smaller’ and upcoming regions such as Castilla VT & Conca De Barberà, Montsant, Somontano, and Toro DOs among others that may be currently producing the world’s future stunners. In line with BOCA’s philosophy to stand with regional producers, we also feature wines from countries close to our home including Syria, Lebanon, Georgia, Greece, Turkey, and Morocco. Other highlights include the low sugar and orange wine section and the inclusion of ‘dealcoholized’ wines. Our fascination with ‘fortified’ wines continues, listing 26 of them showcasing grapes from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Hungary. Click here to download the new wine menu

‘BOCAMISÙ’

The cocktail list now features drinks that are a result of our bartenders and our internal waste officer collaborating. Our bar team is mandated to move at least one cocktail per month into the ‘no waste’ section of this menu. Expect to see pineapple pulp turned into lollies for garnish, local yellow peppers dehydrated and crushed into rimming salts and passionfruit shells turned into coasters. We have also added a ‘TOOTH FAIRY’ section featuring dessert cocktails such as ‘BOCAMISÙ’ made with whiskey, Amarula, espresso, mascarpone, and Savoiardi biscuits and ‘JELLYSTONE’ with gummy bear-infused vodka, cranberry juice, lemon juice and a gummy bear stick. Click here to download the new cocktail menu. Click here to download the new cocktail menu

To celebrate the launch of these new menus BOCA is offering a tasting menu made of eight dishes recommended for sharing between two guests for AED 495 for food only and AED 695 including a bottle of Prosecco Rose from ‘SEA CHANGE’: an environmentally conscious wine that directly supports ocean conservation across the globe. This set menu price is at least a 20% discount on a la carte prices and a great way to get to try some of the newly launched dishes. Click here to download the new set menu

– ¡Salud!-

photo credit Mishka Grobler @mishkadenise 

Join The Tasting Class and BOCA as we explore the origins of American, Irish and Scottish Whiskies. We learn to identify key traits and discover how these distinctive styles were born thanks to natural resources, necessity, passion, and politics.

The Tasting Includes a welcome drink and a tasting of five whiskeys, a guided lesson with a WSET certified spirit educator and a light selection of tapas

The tasting will take place on BOCA’s private patio, and can seat up to 16 people while adhering to COVID spacing regulations. Please note that this is a communal table where all attendees will be seated along the same large table.

AED 295 AED per person.

February 3,  2021 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
March 3, 2021 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
April 14, 2021 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Head to The Tasting Class events page here to find out more and book directly.

For BOCA bookings: 043231833, hola@boca.ae, online link or WhatsApp on +971521607507

FOUR HANDS DINNER AT BOCA
‘The Best of Dubai: A Dining Experience’ Series 4

As part of ‘The Best of Dubai: A Dining Experience’ series by award-winning author Flavel Monteiro, Chef Matthijs Stinnissen and Chef Reif Othman team up for a four hands dinner in BOCA, DIFC for one night only on February 3rd 2021.

In this collaboration, Mediterranean restaurant BOCA plays host and welcomes unconventional Japanese street food into its kitchen. Expect European and Asian flavors with contemporary execution. This dinner promises to be an unparalleled culinary experience created by two of Dubai’s most celebrated home-grown chefs.

The six-course sharing menu will feature Reif’s NEW STYLE FATTY TUNA SASHIMI WITH LIME WAFU AND CRISPY NORI and KAGOSHIMA WAGYU RICE POT while Matt introduces his DRY AGED MEAT-ROOT WITH FERMENTED CHERRY AND PICKLED WATERMELON and a GRILLED OCTOPUS WITH CONFIT LOCAL POTATO, JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE PUREE AND BLACK RADISH

Guests who opt for the add-on beverage package will experience four carefully paired beverages including Mas Borras, Marimar Acero Chardonnay and Floralis Moscatel Oro all from Familia Torres.

This one-off dinner is limited to forty seats and available for one night only. Advanced booking and payment are essential.

FEB 3rd | 7:30 – 10:30 pm
AED 345 for food only| Add four paired beverages for AED 150

Prices inclusive of 5% VAT and subject to 7% Authority Fees and 10% Service Charge
We regret that we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions at this event.
Spaces are limited and confirmed bookings are essential.
Guests can book through 04-3231833 and hola@boca.ae or through WhatsApp

Click here to see the menu.

– ¡Salud!-

As part of The Best Of Dubai: A Dining Experience series by award-winning author of WG Magazine Flavel Monteiro, Chef Vinu Raveendran welcomes Chef Matthijs Stinnissen to a four hands on 21 and 22 January 2021 at Carnival by Trèsind

Both chefs bring their own personal unparalleled culinary flair to the table.

Seats are extremely limited and early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.

Dates: January 21st and 22nd 2021
Time: 6:30 PM & 9:30 PM
Price: AED 350 / person (food only)

For reservations: +971-522424262 carnivalbytresind@passionfandb.com

Click here to see the menu.

#bocadubai #carnivalbytresind #mydubai @visit.dubai #4hands #bestfinedining #dubaichefs

It’s all about la buena onda (good vibes)

Bound by the Andes from the east and the Pacific from the west, Chile stretches from the belly of South America all the way to the continent’s most southern tip. The cuisine is a combination of traditional Spanish fare and indigenous cooking using local ingredients, mixing European and Middle Eastern influences. Chile’s viticulture, with the recovery of forgotten grape varieties, is making it a world-class producer.

Chileans have boundless hospitality and are all about la buena onda (good vibes) and la buena mesa (good table) which translates into sharing a good meal, uncorking rich reds and crisp whites, and reveling in great company and endless conversations.

This December BOCA offers a limited period pop-up menu of four sharing dishes inspired by the hospitality and cuisine of Chile with a bottle of crisp Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for AED 345. The menu will feature Tuna Ceviche and Fritura de Pescado y Marisco Platter paired with a bottle of Miguel Torres Santa Digna, available only from December 6th to 12th.

DEC 6th-12th ALL DAY
Four courses and one bottle of Miguel Torres Santa Digna or a Jug of Virgin White Sangria – AED 345

Prices inclusive of 5% VAT and subject to 7% Authority Fees. For bookings: 043231833, hola@boca.ae, online link or WhatsApp on +971521607507

BOCA – Discover Chile Week – Dec 6-12 2020 – Menu

Get out the copas for La Rioja

It’s time to take your platos (plates) and copas (glasses) out again, this time for La Rioja, in Northern Spain, where some of the world’s best food and viniculture is produced. In fact, Rioja has been cultivated since Roman times producing high-quality olive oils, white asparagus, artichokes, ‘Piquillo’ red peppers, as well as some of the country’s best lamb, beef and game. Rioja is widely recognized for the complex Tempranillo grape that matches the deep and rich flavors of the region’s cuisine.

From November 22nd to the 28th join us on our recently opened terraces in DIFC as we take you on a gastronomical journey through Rioja. Enjoy a menu of five sharing dishes and a bottle of red Rioja from Familia Torres’s Altos Ibéricos for AED 345. The menu will feature dishes such as Salad of Regional Green Beans and Emirates Bio Farm Dandelion Leaves, Beef Short Ribs in Rioja Sauce, and Suckling Spanish Lamb with Creamy Polenta.

NOV 22ND – 28TH ALL DAY
Five courses and one bottle of Familia Torres’s Altos Ibéricos or a Jug of Virgin Red Sangria – AED 345

Prices inclusive of 5% VAT and subject to 7% Authority Fees

For bookings: 043231833, hola@boca.ae, online link or WhatsApp on +971521607507

BOCA – Discover Rioja Week – Nov 22-28 – Menu

A FEAST WITH FASAEEN Majd Kurdieh at BOCA Art Nights, Nov 2020

We are proud to collaborate with Fann A Porter, gallery space at The Workshop Dubai, to present A Feast with Fasaeen, an exhibition by renowed painter Majd Kurdieh, in celebration of art, food and conversations, at DIFC Art Nights on 17th and 18th November 2020. 

Presenting a selection of works on paper and canvas, the exhibition follows the journey of Majd Kurdieh’s protagonists, Fasaeen, through the delights surrounding food and cooking. The exhibition invites the viewer to investigate a range of expression and emotions, when humor and play are combined with thought provoking writings and poetry, the exhibition aims to shed a positive light in current times.

Majd Kurdieh is a painter whose childlike drawings speak to the soul. His cartoonish like work is a combination of art and literature. The painter lives on the edge of a forest in Lebanon away fromcivilisation and closer to nature where he dreams up his paintings like an alternative world. He uses cartoon-like characters to talk about the current state of the world. Most of Kurdieh’s works are accompanied by his quotes in Arabic that translates to a positive or powerful messages.

His work revolves around two characters, ‘Fasoon’ and ‘Fasooneh’, who are always smiling despite the fact that their world is filled with hardships. Fasoon and Fasooneh are joined by a ‘gang’ made of other animal characters called the ‘Very Scary Butterfly Gang’. Together their main mission is to steal sadness looming over the world with their sole weapon, the flower. His works connect with people on a deeper and meaningful level and are widely collected around the world. 

Recently, Kurdieh has featured in solo and group exhibitions at BBA Gallery, Berlin (2019), Manara Arts & Culture, Jordan (2020, 2019); Fann-A-Porter, Dubai (2019, 2018, 2016), El-Sawy Culture Wheel, Cairo (2019), and Athar Al Farasheh, Aleppo (2011), Sikka Art Fair, Dubai (2018) and Art Bahrain, Manama (2019, 2018). His works are housed in public and private collections in the Middle East and abroad, including HE Dr. Zaki Nusseibeh’s private collection and the Atassi Foundation.

Born in Aleppo, Syria in 1985, Kurdieh lives and works in Amsheet, Lebanon.

For bookings: 043231833, hola@boca.ae, online link or WhatsApp on +971521607507

Majd Kurdideh BOCA Catalogue Nov 2020