27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Singapore chef Akmal Anuar's Harummanis Dubai enters Bib Gourmand list there
Chef Akmal Anuar (foreground, right) and his parents at the Michelin Guide ceremony in Dubai. PHOTO: AKMALANUAROFFICIAL/INSTAGRAM
SINGAPORE – Dubai-based Singaporean chef Akmal Anuar's five-month-old Harummanis Dubai has earned a spot on the Bib Gourmand list. Dubai's Michelin Guide 2025 was announced on May 22.
This accolade comes shortly after the restaurant opened in the glitzy city in December 2024.
It carries the legacy of chef Akmal's parents, who have been running their family's nasi padang hawker stall – also called Harummanis – in Teck Whye since 1992. Harumanis means sweet-smelling and refers to a popular Indonesian mango variety.
Akmal opened modern Malay restaurant Harummanis in Kampong Glam in Singapore in November 2023.
In Dubai, the menu at Harummanis offers traditional dishes with a modern twist. They include beef cheek rendang; ketoprak, an Indonesian salad reimagined with Japanese sesame sauce and kombu in place of the traditional peanut dressing; and smoky udang galah, featuring Australian jumbo prawns grilled with curry leaves and peppercorns.
Chef Akmal, together with his parents, attended the Michelin Guide's ceremony in Dubai and went on stage to receive their plaques.
In a post on Instagram, chef Akmal, 42, says: 'Today marks the day that I've fulfilled myself as a chef, son and a dad. To see my parents attend and be up on stage with them and receive their first Michelin award is a beautiful thing. This is so special.
'I feel so blessed and thankful to my team and family. I cannot ask for more.'
A post on Harummanis Dubai's Instagram account says: 'This journey took over three decades of feeding the community, storytelling, overcoming tribulations and many celebrations. We continue our mission to introduce Malay cuisine to the world and Dubai is truly home and a platform to do this.'
Harummanis Dubai adds to chef Akmal's stable of eateries in the United Arab Emirates city. Japanese restaurants Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori and Otoro are already on the Bib Gourmand list. His Italian restaurant Osteria Funkcoolio also makes its debut on the guide , under the Michelin-selected list.
Before chef Akmal left for Dubai in 2014, he was best known as the head chef at one-Michelin-starred Iggy's for seven years. During his time there, Iggy's ranked No. 26 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list and No. 1 on the Asian list.
Over the years, he has created several restaurants, including 53 in New York; Mavia and Chie in Sharjah, the UAE; and a boutique hospitality company, which oversees his restaurant empire.
More recently, he was awarded Berita Harian's 26th Achiever of the Year Award in October 2024, for making an indelible mark on the international fine-dining scene. The award by the Malay-language daily honours exemplary individuals from the Malay/Muslim community who have made a significant impact in their field.
On expanding Harummanis to Dubai, chef Akmal had said: 'Singaporean Malay cuisine has layers of depth that haven't been fully explored globally.
'Harummanis is about bringing those flavours to the forefront while staying true to my hawker roots. This is the food that shaped who I am.'
Check out ST's Food Guide for the latest foodie recommendations in Singapore.
