BOCA Review: Sustainably brilliant, or brilliantly sustainable?

FACT tucks into the UAE’s first carbon-neutral tasting menu.

BOCA has long talked about, and flown, the sustainability flag for Dubai’s food and beverage scene. With Head Chef Patricia Roig’s new carbon-neutral tasting menu, we have something that is undeniably sustainable, local, and earthy. However, the question is “can the provenance of the food match BOCA’s Michelin Green Star status?”

If you are a food, science, or wine enthusiast, then BOCA’s new menu is for you. Laden with information about local producers, acts of sustainability, waste management, and responsible sourcing. Honestly, I could grab a bottle from Shiv Menon’s award-winning cellar and bury my head in the information entwined throughout the menu for hours. The information is not overburdening, nor is it rammed down your throat; BOCA save that for the food. Throw in a page about the local ingredients and my heart is won. My biology brain is enamoured by traces of xerophytes and halophytes. My foodie brain is loving the bateel dates, the camel cheese origins, and Mary Anne’s edible flowers. The critical brain is wondering if this is all worth it.

Any time a restaurant claims to be sustainable, it is easy to find a sense of whataboutery. What about this premium ingredient flown in from Spain? What about the carbon emissions involved in bringing this New Zealand lamb to Dubai? There is no need, as BOCA aims high and accepts where this is not possible. The result: some absolutely cracking dishes to feast on. 

The tasting menu is attractively priced at AED 395 and includes vegan and vegetarian options. The grape pairing, headed up by the aforementioned Menon, is AED 725 and focuses on sustainable producers. Shiv promises a “story-telling experience” to enhance Chef Patricia’s menu. Omar Shihab, founder and chief sustainability officer, has forged links with Element Six and CarbonSifr to offer the UAE’s first carbon-neutral tasting menu, with “greater transparency in the menu and the produce source”. 

It’s inspirational but serious. Despite the captivating service levels, I cannot help but feel maybe some people just want great food and to forget about the trials and tribulations of the outside world. How will the average diner respond to the sustainable message?

If they are anything like me, they will be enamoured. Food is meant to be grown up. It can also be playful. Anchovy Gilda – bluefin tuna, gordal olive, chilli, quail egg, and pickled salicornia – is playfully mature. Dish number two catapults itself into my Top Ten Dishes of 2024. Desert Plants and Cherry Tomato Salad sounds humble. Throw in some strawberries, coconut, and dates and you have something quite wonderful. The dish reminds me of the great Tommy Banks with the savoury use of the strawberry. 

We amble through a well-textured Red Prawn Carpaccio, and a beautifully-plated Kingfish Gazpacho. Lamb Mollejas – sweetbreads – are possibly my only disappointment because I’m not sure they are the true star of the dish. It’s tasty and well-cooked, but maybe I am expecting more. Another chef favourite ingredient appears with Lion’s Mane Mushroom. A dish as cool as the mushroom’s name is plated in classic BOCA-style. Confit Cod is cooked to flaky perfection, and the Beef cheek overcomes my hesitation of being paired with smoked cauliflower. Chef Patricia has a wonderful touch on the plate but is willing to try some off-the-beaten-path combinations. Shiv’s grape pairing is clever and elevates the subtler flavours of each dish. From the Western Cape to New Zealand, Shiv’s mastery is evident alongside Chef Patricia’s food. It is a true collaboration for the ages.

Unlike some heavier-tasting menus, Chef Patricia eases you through to the end, getting richer and braver throughout each course. Carbonara Dolce is clever and includes beef bacon ice cream and rice noodles. But, please, when you visit BOCA, order the Pan Con Chocolate and Aceite dessert. Chocolate mousse, stale bread, sesame, cocoa crumble, olive oil ganache, and sea salt. That is some combination.

My meal was made carbon-neutral by scanning the CarbonSifr eco-dine QR code – a rare QR code success – accounting for the carbon emissions entailed in my journey to DIFC. BOCA offer one of the best-priced tasting menus at this level of dining and it’s fair to say that as big as the sustainable message is, it aligns appropriately with the quality of the food. Go for the food and go for the carbon neutrality because you will be happily fed either way.

BOCA; sustainably brilliant. 

GO: Visit www.boca.ae for more information.