boca

What does it mean to be homegrown? It seems a strange thing to ask in what is essentially a cityscape in the middle of the desert, populated by a melting pot of nationalities from across the globe. And the answer may surprise you.

“Being homegrown begins with values,” explains restaurant manager Omar Shihab, “In 2014, we felt a desire to do something new. A desire to build a restaurant concept that was true to the area we live in. A concept that would cater and feel homegrown to the people who live and work in Dubai. A concept that would pay homage to local producers, local ingredients, and local produce. By using predominantly local ingredients to create something that would rival any import.”

Yes, dear reader, you read that correctly, BOCA has, in a short span of years, created a farm-to-table dining concept in one of the world’s busiest and greatest cities – in the middle of one of the world’s driest deserts. A dining concept, they claim, will rival any big name restaurant in town. And will still be accessible to the masses. By using local concepts, ingredients and produce to create amazing eats. At a price many could afford.

And it started with a seemingly outrageous 2014 dream. “I was born and brought up here,” Omar explains, “I call this city home. I live and breathe this city. We knew we could create something that we could call our own. And that we could build it from scratch - if only we had the right people to translate our dreams into reality. For years, the dream steadily grew as the team around it came together, and especially since the introduction of then very young head chef Matthijs Stinnissen to the team, it seems the dream has only thrived and blossomed.

Indeed, stepping into the wonderful, airy, low key space that is BOCA in the year 2021, it would appear they have well and truly succeeded in creating something truly new and unique to the region.

Pushing the boundaries - defining homegrown

Situated in Dubai’s Financial District, BOCA seems at first glance a perfect place for after-work drinks and small bites with friends or colleagues at the large open bar area or outside in the spacious patio.

But BOCA is more than just that. It is also an amazing place for dinner whether you are a carnivore, a pescetarian, vegetarian or even vegan. BOCA embraces every diner with love and respect, quality ingredients and dining options that are truly unique.

The sustainable, ethical menu, created by Dutch-born head chef Matthijs Stinnissen is perhaps by no means what you would immediately associate with neither the term homegrown nor the general fine dining vibe of the neighborhood. It is a casual mix of freestyled Spanish-inspired cuisine with hints of Italian, Mediterranean and French influences, all with a heavy focus on local seafood and vegetables as well as some animal protein offerings.

It is vibrant, fresh, colorful and full of subtly underplayed techniques that serve to elevate such elements as hot water oysters and desert vegetables to something that can easily rival, even outshine the expensive imported alternatives that are so popular across the rest of the city.

From hot or cold tapas, over various paellas and sharing dishes to hearty lamb dishes, local seafood and even vegan alternatives, the menu spans widely and reads like a trip around the Mediterranean with a strong Spanish feel at its core. All seasoned with undogmatic international flair, technique and inspiration.

International cuisine meets local ingredients

Indeed, the homegrown moniker bestowed upon BOCA refers not to the cultural heritage of the food (nor the chef). It refers to the fact that the menu is created largely from the best possible local ingredients, treated in the best possible ways to create the best possible expression of what the region has to offer. BOCA is European food at its core, made from locally sourced ingredients and honed towards the preferences and complex palates of a city called home by nearly 200 different nationalities.

Read also: Matthijs Stinnissen - On creating a homegrown desert oasis

You will find very little Caviar, truffle and Wagyu and other expensive imported ingredients at BOCA. And what little you will find is only due to natural, local demand. “I have caviar and truffle, of course,” head chef Matthijs Stinnissen explains, “but I have it mainly because our guests ask for it,” he smiles. Catering to guests’ taste buds and desires is what BOCA is all about. But BOCA is also about putting focus on on what is local, great and affordable. What you will find at BOCA  instead of imported produce is some of the best and most respectfully treated local ingredients in the world. In a desert of all places.

It seems perhaps an odd thing to do, sourcing locally when you live in the desert. But for BOCA it has worked and it has become second nature to push the boundaries. It started small, of course, but then it just grew as the team got wiser. Paying close attention to sustainability, ethicality and seasonality along the way. And as of now, the team have managed to transform a growing array of ingredients into dishes that are locally sourced, great tasting and can be enjoyed without suffering the exuberant prices of imported items.

The menu moves with the season. In so far as Dubai’s mix of summer and really hot summer can be defined as seasons. At the peak of summer, local supply obviously goes down, but as of now 90% of the fish and seafood is sourced locally. Some of it from local farms, actually. And while there is a lot to be said about fish farms, it should be noted, that BOCA makes use of fish farm suppliers not as a cost effective method, but as an ethical and a sustainable alternative. To BOCA, every ton of fish - especially those of an endangered variety - bought from a sustainable and ethical fish farm is a ton that stays in the ocean.

In much the same way, to BOCA every ton of fruit, vegetable or produce bought from a local, hydroponic, desert farm is another ton not flown in from the great gardens of the Netherlands or tropical farms halfway across the world.

 The quality and taste of local vegetables and fruit, they realize, is perhaps not quite the same, as that of an imported variety from a more hospitable environment. But that is part of the concept that is BOCA’s inspiring kitchen: To play, learn, expand and come up with preparations, techniques and flavors that can make ingredients from one of toughest environments on the planet far outshine those imported from the most opportune areas.

In this way, BOCA aims to create a dining experience unlike any other. In Dubai and in the world. Have they succeeded? Ask the team, and they will tell you that they are only getting started. Take a trip to the bountiful desert oasis that is BOCA, however, and you will see with your own eyes how this young, dedicated team has achieved a new level of respect for ingredients, turning even the flashy megacity of Dubai one step more sustainable every day.