Jason Atherton never stops. With near-constant travel between the 16 restaurants that his The Social Company runs around the world, the British chef is back in Dubai – where he used to live in the early 2000s – to oversee the progress of his restaurant Row on 45.

Here, he walks Esquire Middle East down memory lane with the 5 dishes that have helped shape both him as a chef person, and as a person.
Oyster Ice Cream

This is the dish I am most famous for. It draws inspiration from Thomas Keller’s Oysters & Pearls at The French Laundry, where I experienced a profound revelation about how simplicity can have a lasting impact on one’s taste buds. Thirteen years ago, I embarked on a journey to recreate a similar experience and developed Oyster Ice Cream— which now features at my London restaurant Pollen Street Social. It has since evolved even further based on its current iteration served at Row on 45.
Uni on Toast

I ate this at dish at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare. I always liked Uni (sea urchin) toast, but had never tried it on a warm brioche or Japanese milk bread before. It was a combination of two simple ingredients, yet it was perfect. Chef César Ramirez cooked the bread to order, and the Uni on top was in perfect condition. It was a luxurious yet simple experience. To me, it’s one of the greatest snacks in the world.
Brioche at Row on 45

This is the greatest bread I have ever made. Laminated brioche is one of the most challenging breads to create and due to the UAE’s humidity levels, the bread’s ability to rise is impacted—it needs to be perfect! We glaze it with locally fermented Hatta Honey, adding a sweet-yet-sour taste to the bread. Additionally, we use sea salt to balance out the flavour. It embodies perfection in a single piece of bread, and I’ve already noticed many chefs attempting to replicate it.
Marco’s Bouillabaisse

The first time I made Bouillabaisse, a classic French fish soup, it was so intense in flavour, brightly coloured, and luxurious. Up until that point, I didn’t believe soup could be that interesting because I was still a young chef, and it wasn’t challenging enough. After learning the recipe from Marco Pierre White, I started to understand how enchantingly complex it actually is and, of course, to make it to his standard. It is a dish that still inspires me, and I have been using the recipe ever since.
Gordon Ramsay’s Soufflé

Just like every chef who worked in one of Gordon Ramsay’s kitchens back in the day, I learned how to make his incredible soufflé. It is sheer perfection and I have always included a flavoured soufflé on my menus around the globe and consistently receive feedback that it’s the best soufflé anyone has ever tasted. That’s all down to Gordon himself.