Exclusive Interview with Mohamed Rifky, Executive Chef at DREAM Dinner Show
“Mother Nature is the true artist, if you know how to work with her.” – Chef Mohamed Rifky
At DREAM Dubai, the spotlight doesn’t stop at the stage—it extends to every dish. Executive Chef Mohamed Rifky ensures the kitchen plays just as vital a role in the performance. His approach? Be part of the show, not just support it. From humble beginnings in Sri Lanka to leading one of Dubai’s most theatrical dining venues, Rifky has mastered storytelling through food.
From Peeling to Purpose: A Journey in Motion
Chef Rifky’s path began beside his mother in their Sri Lankan kitchen. Years later, a manager in Abu Dhabi noticed how carefully he prepped ingredients and told him, “You do everything with care.”
“That remark stuck with me,” Rifky says. “It showed me that even the smallest actions can carry meaning.”
Since then, each step in his career has added a new layer to his culinary mindset. While working at a fine-dining Mediterranean restaurant, he realized how food could become art. Later, his time with Alain Ducasse in Dubai taught him to value every ingredient for its purpose. These moments, stitched together, built the foundation of his current philosophy.
Designing Plates That Move With the Performance
At DREAM, the theatrical energy flows into the food. Rifky doesn’t aim to compete with the show—instead, he complements it.
“We add theatrical elements—smoke, vibrant colors, even glow-in-the-dark effects—to mirror each season’s theme.”
Moreover, he draws creative fuel from color, contrast, and emotion. Every dish contributes to the mood, the momentum, and the magic. In this way, the dining experience becomes a seamless part of the spectacle.
A World of Influence, One Story on the Plate
Having trained in Chinese, Indian, Arabic, French, and Mediterranean cuisines, Rifky speaks many culinary languages. But DREAM’s menu isn’t about fusion—it’s about harmony.
“Strong foundations in technique let me move between styles freely,” he says.
Thanks to years of discipline, he’s able to blend global touches into Mediterranean roots without losing the integrity of either. As a result, the food feels familiar yet fresh, bold yet balanced.
Staying Ahead in a City of Evolving Palates
Dubai’s culinary landscape has transformed dramatically. Rifky arrived when options were limited. Today, the city rivals top dining destinations worldwide.
“Guests here want more than great flavor. They want emotion, artistry, and meaning,” he explains.
Naturally, staying ahead requires more than creativity. It demands awareness, flexibility, and continuous learning. Rifky listens closely—to guests, to his team, and to the shifting rhythm of the industry. Still, he never strays from the core identity of DREAM, believing innovation should be guided, not random. curve.
Mentorship, Mindset & the Art of Patience
Known for his approachable leadership, Rifky trains chefs by working alongside them.
“I guide through observation and repetition. Real growth comes from persistence—not perfection.”
Instead of standing above, he stands beside. He sees mistakes as valuable lessons and believes real mentorship begins with understanding. Ultimately, his goal is to help each young chef discover their rhythm in the kitchen—and their voice.
The Dish That Says It All: Josper-Grilled Prawns
Rifky’s personal favorite? The Josper-grilled prawns. The aroma instantly transports him to childhood seaside moments in Sri Lanka.
“It’s simple yet strong. It shows who I am, where I started, and what I value.”
Charcoal-grilled and rich with flavor, the dish reflects his roots, refined by experience. More importantly, it reminds him—and his guests—that food is memory in motion.
TWG Tea, the finest luxury tea brand in the world, unveils its largest global flagship, TWG Tea Gallery, at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s international growth. Welcoming travellers around the clock, the TWG Tea Gallery is strategically located within one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, underscoring TWG Tea’s continued investment in travel retail as a key pillar of its global expansion strategy. Spanning 2,700 square feet beneath a soaring 23-foot-high ceiling, the new flagship represents the brand’s most ambitious retail expression to date, setting a new benchmark for luxury tea in the global travel retail landscape.
Envisioned as an immersive expression of TWG Tea’s craftsmanship and savoir-faire, this destination invites discerning travellers into a luminous world where rare harvests, exquisite blends and timeless rituals converge. Its landmark TWG Tea Museum showcases more than 170 antique tea wares and over 50 antique Russian samovars from the 17th to 20th centuries, personally curated by the brand over the past 15 years from around the world. TWG Tea Gallery also introduces a selection of exclusive creations, including the Grand Voyage Tea from the Grand Mode Tea Collection, the Singapore Surprise Gift Set, and specially created tea-infused macarons, ice cream and sorbet.
Bringing together the Tea Boutique, curated tea accessories, bespoke gifting and a Takeaway experience, this flagship also introduces Singapore’s only Tea-Infused Ice Cream & Sorbet concept, designed for travellers on the go. An impressive tea wall displaying more than 1,200 tea tins anchors the space, transforming the space into a compelling new expression of TWG Tea for today’s global traveller.
“The TWG Tea Gallery represents the most definitive expression of TWG Tea to date. More than a Tea Boutique, the flagship brings the past, present and future of tea into one immersive experience, celebrating the stories, traditions and artistry that have shaped tea over the centuries, brought to life through its landmark TWG Tea Museum. Singapore has remained central to TWG Tea since its founding, and we are honoured to present our largest global flagship at Changi Airport, an icon of aviation excellence and an extraordinary platform to bring the world of TWG Tea to travellers from around the world.” —Taha Bouqdib, President & CEO of V3 Gourmet and Co-Founder of TWG Tea
“Changi Airport is proud to be home to TWG Tea’s largest flagship store in the world and its first-ever TWG Tea Museum. As one of Singapore’s most recognised brands, TWG Tea offers travellers a uniquely Singapore experience. Together with TWG Tea, we are delighted to introduce a collection of exclusives created specially for Changi Airport, including Singapore’s only tea-infused ice cream and sorbet concept. This new flagship transforms a retail visit into an immersive journey through the heritage, artistry and culture of tea, reflecting the innovation and hospitality that define both TWG Tea and Changi.” —Hung Jean, Managing Director of Airside Concessions at Changi Airport Group
A Voyage Through Design
This location within Changi Airport was chosen to house TWG Tea Museum to form a defining part of the flagship experience, showcasing more than 170 antique tea wares and decorative objects spanning cultures and eras. The collection offers a compelling window into the artistry and cultures that have shaped tea over the centuries, adding a rich traditional dimension to the contemporary travel retail experience.
Among its highlights are Yixing clay teapots, traditionally marked by their makers and prized for their craftsmanship and provenance, alongside Chinese and Western tea wares tracing evolving traditions of form and decoration from the 18th century to the present day. Blue-and-white ceramics shaped by Chinese-Islamic artistic exchange sit alongside porcelain once prized in Europe as “white gold,” revealing the movement of ideas and aesthetics across cultures through the rituals of tea.
The collection also includes more than 50 antique samovars from Russia, with notable 19th- and early-20th-century examples from the celebrated workshops of Tula and beyond. Works by makers such as the Batashev and Shemarin brothers bear distinctive hallmarks attesting to their provenance and craftsmanship, offering a further perspective on the decorative traditions surrounding tea.
This dialogue between cultures continues in the flagship’s design, crowned by a hand-painted ceiling depicting a luminous world tea map. As its defining architectural feature, the composition traces the global journey of tea through intricate motifs and rich colour, extending the museum’s narrative of cultural exchange into the contemporary setting of Changi Airport Terminal 3.
Orilla is turning Wednesday nights into an occasion with the launch of Mi Amor, a new weekly ladies’ night bringing together free-flowing drinks, live entertainment and an elevated late-night atmosphere at the restaurant’s rooftop setting in Jumeirah Village Triangle.
Launching on Wednesday, 7 October from 7:00pm onwards, Mi Amor invites ladies to dress up, gather their favorite people and settle into an evening designed around good energy, flowing drinks and memorable moments.
Set on the 27th floor of Hotel Local, Orilla provides the backdrop for the new weekly ritual, combining panoramic surroundings with the restaurant’s lively Latin-inspired atmosphere. For the launch evening, guests can expect free-flowing drinks for ladies, sensational entertainment throughout the night and a room dressed for the occasion.
More than simply a midweek drinks offer, Mi Amor is designed as an opportunity to make Wednesday feel like the start of the weekend. From the first cocktail to the final song, the evening brings together music, entertainment and an upbeat social atmosphere for groups of friends looking to make the most of their night.
The launch will set the tone for what guests can expect from Mi Amor as it becomes a regular fixture at Orilla — a night built around celebration, connection and a little indulgence.
Mi Amor Ladies’ Night launches on Wednesday, 7 October, from 7:00pm onwards, with free-flowing drinks available for ladies and entertainment throughout the evening.
Event Details
What: Mi Amor Ladies’ Night | When: Every Wednesday, launching 7 October 2026 | Time: From 7:00pm onwards | Where: Orilla, 27th Floor, Hotel Local, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai | Ladies’ Offer: Free-flowing drinks | Entertainment: Throughout the evening | Reservations: +971 4 575 2986 / +971 55 104 7521 | Email: reservation@orillarestaurant.com
Limited tables are available. Guests are encouraged to reserve in advance and join Orilla for the first taste of Mi Amor.
AMAYA is now MYA. As the brand expands its regional and international presence, a unified name gives every location one voice and every guest one clear promise. MYA supports consistency across its growing portfolio of destinations while preserving the energy, hospitality and attention to detail established in Dubai.
The Dubai-born dining and lifestyle brand has refined its name as part of its continued growth: one concise name that can be recognized, remembered and expressed with equal confidence in every market. MYA is shorter by design, creating greater clarity across destinations, partnerships, communications and digital platforms.
The refinement is precise. MYA carries forward the same founder and leadership, the same team, the same concept, the same culinary direction, the same standards and the same distinctive guest experience. Everything that earned the trust of AMAYA’s guests remains at the heart of MYA.
“Strong brands grow through clarity, consistency and trust. MYA gives the name we have built a sharper global expression. Our people, standards and guest experience remain exactly the same. One name. One vision. One uncompromising standard, built in Dubai and continuing forward as MYA.”
– Murat Tutuncu and Moe Ezzat | Founders & CEO, MYA
MYA’s purpose is clear – to give the established Dubai-born hospitality brand a shorter and more consistent name as it grows across destinations. The shorter name increases recognition, the unified name strengthens consistency, and the same standards give the brand the foundation to grow confidently across cultures and geographies.
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