The terrific Thai restaurant wins Restaurant of the Year at the FACT Dining Awards Dubai 2026 for a second year running.
At FACT, choosing Restaurant of the Year prompts considerable debate. The question extends beyond the most accomplished plate to the restaurant that best expresses where a city’s dining scene is heading. Manāo, our Dubai winner in 2025, offered a persuasive answer. In 2026, with its MICHELIN Star retained, this small restaurant at Wasl Vita in Jumeirah 1 remains an example of what homegrown talent can achieve. Its personality comes through most clearly in the cooking
Named after the Thai word for lime, Manāo was developed by Chef Abhiraj Khatwani with mentor and collaborator Mohamad Orfali. His time cooking with locals in Udon Thani helped shape an approach informed by everyday Thai food, with fermentation, roasting and grilling providing the foundations. Rice, coconut and citrus recur throughout. Khatwani received MICHELIN’s Young Chef Award in 2025, but his restaurant’s appeal rests on how effectively those ingredients work together. The accolades set high expectations, yet the experience is measured, personal, and quietly assured.
Setting and Atmosphere
Few restaurants dare to draw inspiration from something as understated — and essential — as lime. The room supports that sense of purpose. A suspended rattan ceiling and generous use of wood bring warmth to the compact interior, while shelves of small sculptures introduce personal touches. A central bar gives the space a natural gathering point, and the open kitchen keeps the brigade within view. Sade gives way to hip-hop on a soundtrack that lends the evening an easy rhythm. The setting feels intimate, with enough activity to keep it animated.
This compact room has hosted several concepts over recent years, from Fat Uncle to Gimi, but Manāo makes sense of the footprint. A central bar anchors the room, while the open kitchen allows diners to watch the kitchen brigade at work. The superb soundtrack shifts from Sade to hip-hop, complementing the warmth of the quaint space while signalling that the focus is firmly on the food.
The Chefs’ Story
Manāo is the work of chef Abhiraj Khatwani, previously of Yellow Monkey, in collaboration with mentor Mohamad Orfali of the FACT award-winning Orfali Bros. Having stepped away from fine dining, Khatwani spent time in Udon Thani cooking with locals and studying the form and function of everyday Thai food. That fieldwork informs a menu that looks past greatest hits and into the recipes and techniques that shape regional cooking. While the name of the restaurant means ‘lime’ in Thai, the menu features the citrus fruit in addition to rice and coconut as its anchors. The resulting multi-course tasting menu utilises grilling, roasting, and fermentation to provide structure, while thoughtful pairing of juices and house ferments, such as kombucha and kvass, incorporating indigenous spices, is encouraged.
A memorable meal
A meal at Manāo begins with one-bite dishes that deliver unapologetically bold flavours. Miang sees charred cabbage leaves cradling a sour relish and candied cashews. The smoky, fiery first bite concludes with a lingering sweetness from the nuts, setting the tone for the meal. A Gillardeau oyster follows, glossed with an orange‑chilli nam jim and crowned with fried shallots, while Lobster Khanom Krok flips a familiar street snack from sweet to savoury in which tamarind‑brushed grilled lobster sits on a coconut‑rich fermented rice custard so compelling that you might ask for seconds.
The Sticky Rice Roti is marvellous and moreish, combining coconut-smoked short ribs, kaffir lime relish, and fermented sticky rice in a supple taco. Crab Curry brings diners to central Thailand with Alaskan king crab swimming in a rich coconut curry, accompanied by a fluffy steamed rice cake ideal for soaking up the gravy.
One of Manāo’s most intriguing dishes is a mung bean crêpe that holds shredded lamb curry and grilled chilli relish, while young coconut and green papaya form a salad. King crab also appears as a leg preparation with spicy coconut broth, mangosteen and caviar. Next comes Sour Curry of Beef, a southern dish that brings southern spices together with caramelised onion stock and shrimp paste relish, which is robust, aromatic, and deeply satisfying. The progression maintains the kitchen’s interest in acidity, richness and texture.
The dessert selection has evolved, too. Passion fruit granita with jasmine and chewy pineapple, followed by Khao Lam, a black sticky rice pudding with salted pandan, and white sesame ice cream with fermented pineapple honey and puffed rice. Rice and fermentation carry through to the finish, giving the menu continuity beyond its savoury courses.
Verdict
Service is warm and attentive, with explanations kept concise enough to preserve the meal’s momentum. Khatwani’s appearances at the table add useful context, particularly when explaining an unfamiliar ingredient or how to approach a dish. The house-made non-alcoholic pairings, including juices and ferments, deserve consideration for the way they extend the kitchen’s exploration of acidity and spice. There’s no rigid white-tablecloth formality, just passion for the project.
For diners willing to embrace a set menu and a non‑alcoholic pairing, Manāo delivers superb yet succinct courses. And, just like that lime, it feels both adventurous and familiar.
Where: MANĀO, Wasl Vita, Jumeirah, Dubai
When: Tuesday to Sunday from 7pm to 11pm
Contact: https://manao.ae