Chef Mariam Almansoori shares how local flavours, global influences and entrepreneurial ambition are shaping the next chapter of her UAE restaurant chain Montauk.
Chef Mariam Almansoori is part of a new generation of Emirati culinary talent redefining how the world experiences local cuisine. The Emirati chef and founder and CEO of Montauk Restaurants & Cafes has built her career around bringing the flavours of the UAE into a contemporary culinary conversation, blending international influences with distinctly local ingredients, spices, and traditions.
Founded in Abu Dhabi in 2019, Montauk has grown from a homegrown dining concept into a multi-location UAE brand, defined by what Almansoori calls “Emirati fusion”, an approach that respects the foundations of local cuisine while leaving room for experimentation and new perspectives. Alongside her role in the kitchen, she has also emerged as a business leader, overseeing the brand’s growth while maintaining its focus on thoughtful hospitality and an elevated yet approachable dining experience.
Here, Almansoori discusses the memories that shaped her cooking, building Montauk from the ground up, balancing creativity with entrepreneurship and her ambition to take Emirati culinary identity to an international audience.
What first drew you to cooking, and when did you realise that it could become a serious career?
For me, cooking was never simply about preparing food; it was always a way to express identity, memory, and emotion. I grew up understanding that food can bring people together and preserve stories across generations. The turning point came when I realised that what began as passion could also become purpose. I wanted to build a career where I could represent Emirati cuisine with confidence, challenge expectations, and create something that could grow far beyond my own kitchen.
How did the dishes, ingredients and culinary traditions you encountered growing up in the UAE shape your identity as a chef?
Growing up in the UAE gave me a very strong culinary foundation. Our food is rooted in generosity, family and hospitality, and ingredients such as dates, spices, rice and local flavours carry memories that are deeply personal to me. Those traditions taught me that a dish can tell you where someone comes from before they speak. As a chef, I carry that heritage with me, but I also reflect the UAE I know today: ambitious, diverse, modern and open to the world.
You founded Montauk in Abu Dhabi in 2019. What gap did you see in the market?
When I founded Montauk, I felt there was space for a homegrown concept that could combine strong culinary identity with a modern, internationally relevant experience. I did not want to create another restaurant that simply followed what already existed. I wanted Montauk to have its own voice – a place where the food, atmosphere and hospitality felt considered, but never intimidating. From the beginning, the ambition was to build a UAE-born brand with the standards and character to stand confidently alongside international concepts.
How do you define Emirati fusion, and how do you experiment with international flavours without losing the authenticity of the local cuisine?
For me, Emirati fusion is not about changing Emirati food until it becomes unrecognisable. It is about understanding its soul well enough to know where you can innovate. I start with the story, technique or flavour that makes a dish authentically ours, and then I explore how another ingredient, culture or method can create a new perspective. The local identity must always remain clear. Innovation should add another layer to the story, not erase the original one. That balance between respect and curiosity is where meaningful fusion happens.
As Montauk has expanded across the UAE, how have you maintained consistency while allowing each location to respond to its setting and community?
Consistency begins with having a very clear identity. As we grow, the quality of the food, the standards of service and the values behind Montauk cannot change simply because the location changes. At the same time, hospitality should never feel copied and pasted. Every community has its own rhythm, and we listen. We protect the brand’s DNA while allowing each location to build a genuine relationship with the people around it. Growth is successful when guests recognise Montauk immediately, but still feel that their location belongs to them.
You are both the creative force behind the food and the CEO of a growing hospitality business. How did you make the transition from chef to entrepreneur?
The transition happened naturally because I realised that creating a great dish and building a great company require many of the same qualities: discipline, vision, resilience and attention to detail. As a chef, I learned to lead under pressure, make decisions quickly and never compromise on standards. As an entrepreneur and CEO, I had to expand that mindset beyond the kitchen – into people, operations, branding, finance and growth. I still think creatively, but today I also think about how that creativity becomes a sustainable business and an opportunity for the people around me.
What does luxury mean to you within a restaurant, and how do you create an elevated experience that still feels welcoming and approachable?
Luxury, to me, is not defined by excess. It is defined by thoughtfulness. It is the quality of an ingredient, the confidence of a dish, the way a guest is welcomed, and the detail they may not consciously notice but can feel. True luxury is when everything has intention without making the guest feel uncomfortable or excluded. I want an elevated experience to feel warm and effortless. The greatest compliment is when someone receives exceptional quality and still feels completely at home.
What has your journey taught you about confidence, leadership and making space for other women?
My journey has taught me that confidence is not about entering a room believing you know everything; it is about knowing your value, being willing to learn and having the courage to make decisions. Leadership has also taught me that success becomes more meaningful when it creates space for others. As an Emirati woman, I am proud to be part of a generation that has been given extraordinary support and opportunity in this country. I believe our responsibility is not only to succeed individually, but to make the path wider for the women who come after us – to mentor, trust, employ and give them opportunities to lead.
How do you hope Montauk will evolve in the years ahead, and what would you still like to achieve?
I still feel that I am at the beginning of what I want to build. Personally, I want to keep learning, evolving and representing the UAE through food in ways that have real meaning. Professionally, I want Montauk to grow without ever losing the identity and standards that made people believe in it from the beginning. My ambition is to build a homegrown hospitality group with international relevance – one that creates concepts, develops talent and carries a piece of Emirati creativity wherever it goes. Growth matters to me, but legacy matters more: I want to build something that will keep its value long after any single achievement.
