A tasting menu that journeys the breadth of the African continent.
Dubai’s dining scene moves fast, yet African cuisine remains underrepresented. Savryn Dining at Wasl Vita Mall in Jumeirah 1 aims to change that. This confident newcomer from Chef Shehab Medhat brings a modern lens to dishes and ingredients from across the African continent.
Savryn’s narrative starts with a legend. The restaurant takes its name from a mythical spice said to “bloom only under moonlight,” once used by ancient cooks to “awaken memory in a single bite.” That sense of discovery shapes the experience, from the first snack to the last spoonful, inviting diners to explore familiar flavours in unexpected ways.
Design sets the tone for a memorable meal. A striking red facade leads into a warmly lit room that feels intimate without being precious. The space is small but theatrical, featuring billowing red curtains and lamps adorned with ostrich feathers, which direct the focus firmly to the four-seat kitchen counter. The result is inviting and purposefully discreet, ideal for a lingering evening backed by a soundtrack that swerves from Davido to Tiwa Savage.
At the pass is celebrity Chef Shehab Medhat. His journey began as a dishwasher and evolved into an international career, including helming kitchens in Accra, Ghana. He has made history as the first Egyptian chef to compete in global competitions, and the 26-year-old was recently crowned the winner of MBC Top Chef 2025. That momentum, combined with his travels across Africa, inspired the concept.
The menu reads like a culinary map, covering Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. Small cards provide details on the inspiration for each dish, backed by an explanation from the charismatic Chef Shehab Medhat himself. If you want the full experience, we’d recommend the 11-course tasting menu (AED 465), in which every plate is designed to be shared and discussed, with sauces and spice blends doing much of the storytelling.
We begin with a tidy cone of salmon tartare, which opens the meal and introduces xawaash, the Somali spice blend that threads through several of the courses. Here it brings a soft murmur of cinnamon, cumin and cardamom to raw salmon, which is cut small and dressed with a green coriander emulsion. A lime-and-ginger gel lifts the richness, while salmon roe pops with saline brightness. The layering is clever and controlled, with the savoury ice cream cone best consumed in three bites to appreciate the flavour changes.
A playful detour follows with “Foie Gras Who?”, a chicken-liver mousse set in an oversized egg and sandwiched between a chicken-shaped tuille. The garnish of caramelised onion and pomegranate molasses steers the flavour profile toward the Levant, the molasses bringing tart perfume and gloss. It is rich but not heavy, the texture aerated to a near-whipped lightness.
The highlight of the night is the Ostrich Sambousek, a nod to the Kenyan street snack, with a filling of ostrich sourced from Al Ain. The meat offers a robust flavour, similar to beef, providing a welcome contrast to the crisp, golden pastry. Kenyan-style yoghurt sauce cools while a raspberry gel pricks the palate with sweet heat.
An Egyptian eggplant moussaka pays tribute to the chef’s mother. It comes presented inside a miniature aubergine shell, a sustainability-minded flourish that adds Insta-worthy charm without gimmickry. Inside, soft, smoky eggplant is layered with buffalo cheese, basil emulsion and pickled tomato.
Suya-spiced wagyu arrives as a skewer, glistening and rosy, inspired by the street kebabs of Ethiopia and Nigeria. The suya rub is nutty and perfumed, the familiar tickle of ground peanut and chilli carried by fat that melts on contact. Nigeria continues to inspire with Ata Din Din, where the Yoruba red pepper stew is distilled into a slick, scarlet intensity that laps at a dice of otoro tuna.
Onto the main courses. Golden ribs showcase the kitchen’s slow-cooking and spicing. Short rib yields to the spoon, lacquered in a curry slow-cooked with over 17 ingredients and drawn from Zanzibar’s spice routes. A coconut chutney bright with herbs and a whisper of green chilli cleanses between bites, while paratha encourages a hands-on approach.
Te Oyoo Ten, meaning “How are you?” in Ghanaian, pairs soy-glazed lamb chops with corn polenta, spinach cream, and fried plantain. The plate nods to the Ghanaian flag in its palette while a spoon of shito adds smokiness and heat. Dip the chop, swipe through the polenta, catch a shard of plantain, and it all clicks.
Desserts continue the cross-continental narrative. A lone Pyramid moulded from a dark chocolate mousse gives way to a seam of spiced cherry. Beside it, a bite of kunafa with mastic cream and pistachio crumbs provides crunch, perfume and a reminder of place. The Tomato dessert, the Top Chef-winning television signature, is the kind of finale that earns its reputation. A tomato shell breaks to reveal vanilla mousse and a basil-scented compote on a chocolate crumble that suggests garden soil. The effect is playful but anchored in flavour.
At Savryn Dining, Chef Shehab Medhat draws a map of Africa across the plate, tracing routes that pass from east to west before circling back to his Egyptian roots. Service is engaged and informed. Dishes are introduced with crisp explanations that highlight inspiration and technique, and pacing is confident without feeling hurried. It is the food, from the Fufu Croquettes to the Jollof Rice, that carries the conversation.
If you are ready for something different, this is where to book next.
GO: Follow @savryn.diningroom on Instagram for more information.