Chez Valcucine with Miele kicks off during the Dubai Design Week
On Thursday, 6 November, during Dubai Design Week and the Italian Cuisine Week—an initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to celebrate and share Italian culinary culture worldwide—the newly opened Valcucine Dubai | Merise, atelier hosted the exclusive event Chez Valcucine with Miele.
This occasion marks the first international stop of the format conceived by Valcucine in collaboration with Miele, selected Atelier partners, and Zelo Networking by Lorenza Dalla Pozza. More than a simple dinner, it was a high-level experience where design, culinary excellence, and relationships came together in a single vision.
Launched in Italy in 2024 with stages in Rome, Turin and Milan, Chez Valcucine with Miele is a strategic project dedicated to the world of design: a meeting place for architects, designers, and professionals who share a culture of beauty, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
A dialogue between values and flavors
Throughout the evening, the showroom became an experiential stage where the values shared by Valcucine and Miele—Well-being, Timelessness, Innovation, and Sustainability—came to life through an author's tasting journey by chef Raffaele De Mase of Aroma (Palazzo Manfredi, Rome, one Michelin star).
Well-being was interpreted by a tartlet with guacamole and citrus-marinated amberjack, a perfect balance of freshness and lightness.
Timelessness found expression in grilled baby lettuce with an elegant Caesar sauce, a tribute to the simplicity and poise of great classics.
Innovation was told through Like a Carciofo alla Giudia, a contemporary take on an icon of Roman tradition.
Finally, Sustainability was celebrated with a saffron risotto creamed with Parmigiano Reggiano, an ode to essentiality and the value of ingredients.
To conclude the journey, a selection of petit fours by Pastry Chef Angelo Musa of Bonbon Café at The Lana, Dorchester Collection—one of the most acclaimed voices in contemporary pastry—was served.
Signature cocktails created by The Bar Tailors paired each course with bespoke matches, enhancing aromas, textures and values in perfect harmony between cucina and mixology.
An evening of relationships and design culture
The evening opened with greetings from Damir Eškerica, CEO of Valcucine, Niveditha Reddy, Co-Founder of Merise, and Sawaya Sawaya, Managing Director Miele UAE, immediately creating an atmosphere of dialogue and collaboration. Also in attendance were Ivan Ceschiutti, Sales Director Export Worldwide at Valcucine, and the entire MERISE team — Naeem Banu (Co-Founder & COO), Nissar Saleem (Co-Founder & Director – Business Development), Anand Gunjur (Co-Founder & Director – Operations), and Nashwan Hameed (Director of Operations).
A select audience of architects, interior designers, and brand partners helped make the event a moment of genuine dialogue and high-quality networking, in the spirit of sharing and design culture.
The guest list continues with Olivera Hofman, Technical Director at Corporate Brand, and Jeremy Robinson, Managing Director at EDGE Architects. Mennah Darwish, Senior Design Manager at HH, also participated, as well as Sawsan Haber, Founder and Creative Director of Dipiugi Interior Architecture. Marina Khalil, Owner of Mkdesignlab, and Preeti Sharma, Associate Partner at Ckarchitecture, came to the event too.
Seema Almansoury, CEO and Founder of Eva Interiors, joined the event alongside Elena Olena, Designer at Living Style. Ekaterina Anokhina, Partner at Katya Presto Art, took part, together with Emma Ford, Business Development Manager at Edge Architects. Hala Nahas, Associate Design Director at Dabbagh Architects, and Abdulla Kunhi, Managing Director at AK Designo.
Joining them are Sayuj Suresh, Creative Director at DreamBox, and Islam Hatem, Sales Director at Nextspace. From ISTO, Senior Design Manager Bogdan Kostelnyi and Co-Founder & Partner Maksym Popovych attended. The guest lineup also included Hrag Geukjian, Partner at Hrag Geukjian Architects, Firas Tannous, Managing Partner at QMC Surfaces, and Sherif Hassan from Dubai Holding Real Estate.
With Dubai, Chez Valcucine with Miele officially begins its international journey, bringing Italian excellence to the world as a total experience: where design meets conviviality, and the kitchen becomes a universal language of beauty, balance, and innovation.
Ph credits: Joel Hirst
