Abhiraj Khatwani and Mohamad Orfali team up for a Thai-inspired tasting menu.
Few restaurants dare to draw inspiration from something as understated — and essential — as lime. Into Dubai’s crowded dining scene arrives Manāo at Wasl Vita in Jumeirah 1, a homegrown Thai restaurant named after the Thai word for the unassuming green citrus fruit. The restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Abhiraj Khatwani and his mentor, Chef Mohamad Orfali. Within five months of opening, Manāo secured a MICHELIN Star, and Khatwani himself earned the 2025 MICHELIN Young Chef Award. The accolades set high expectations, yet the experience is measured, personal, and quietly assured.
Setting and Atmosphere
Manāo’s discreet entrance gives way to an intimate room featuring shelves lined with small sculptures that hint at the chefs’ travels, while a suspended rattan ceiling and abundant wood soften the space, creating warmth and intimacy.
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 11-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.
In the second wave, the menu moves south. A charcoal-licked King Crab Shoulder arrives in its shell, seasoned with fermented green chilli nam jim and coriander stems. A Pomelo Salad with Omani prawns and young ginger marries plump pomelo vesicles and herbs with pronounced seafood flavours for a dish that feels fantastically fresh. Rice takes the spotlight soon after and returns in different guises across the evening. 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 the Duck Mochi. Rice dumplings, grilled on one side and steamed on the other, are filled with smoked duck and served with a hot‑and‑sour broth reminiscent of tom yum. Next comes Sour Curry of Beef, a southern dish featuring trader’s rice, tamarind leaves, smoked chillies, and long pepper, which is robust, aromatic, and deeply satisfying.
Shaved ice of pink guava kombucha with pink peppercorn, young coconut and finger lime resets the palate with a cool, gently prickling sensation. Sticky Rice Skewers, made from puffed rice and sesame with a marshmallow-soft interior, arrive alongside roasted rice ice cream that tastes of grain and toast. The meal finishes with Thai Banoffee — banana ice cream, palm‑sugar caramel and cashews — celebrating the banana in multiple textures and delivering a fun finale.
Verdict
Service is warm, alert, and unforced, condensing storytelling into bite-sized snippets that match the tempo of a meal, delivering 11 courses in just over ninety minutes. Chef Abhiraj often presents dishes himself, explaining the ingredients and advising on how best to enjoy them. 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 11 superb yet succinct courses. And, just like that lime, it feels both adventurous and familiar.
The tasting menu is priced at AED 450 per person.
GO: Follow @manao_dubai on Instagram for more information.