In Dubai, a restaurant with an AI chef serves 'dinosaur tartare'

The WooHoo restaurant in Dubai surprises not only with its interiors and presentation but also with the fact that the main developers of the menu are artificial intelligence algorithms. Chef Aiman invents unusual dishes, including 'dinosaur tartare' and seaweed oil, combining science and gastronomy.

Fine dining restaurants have long been accustomed to surprising guests, but the Dubai-based WooHoo has decided to go further than anyone else by making artificial intelligence the main developer of its menu instead of an experimental chef. The innovative system Chef Aiman creates recipes that look as if they came from a science fiction movie: from 'dinosaur tartare' to seaweed oil served with marble beef.

Despite the loud name, the AI does not work at the stove – it is responsible for the concept and the formation of flavor combinations. As Ridlife.ru reports, the algorithm is trained on thousands of recipes, molecular gastronomy research, and databases on the chemical properties of food products. Based on these data sets, Chef Aiman suggests combinations that WooHoo calls new gastronomic hypotheses.

The most discussed item on the menu is, of course, the 'dinosaur tartare,' which the restaurant describes as an attempt to 'recreate the taste of extinct reptiles.' The actual composition of the dish is kept secret, but it is known that it is based on duck, and the presentation is accompanied by an unusual 'breathing' plate. The cost of a portion translates to about £44.

Other experiments include seaweed oil – a product with a rich umami flavor that pairs perfectly with wagyu cooked in a Japanese clay pot. The AI suggested such combinations due to the high natural glutamate content in the seaweed and its ability to enhance meaty notes.

However, they are not yet ready to fully trust the kitchen to the algorithm. The final touches and taste control remain with a human – chef Serhat Karangfil. He admitted that he does not always agree with the AI's decisions and adjusts the recipes after tasting.

The project developers explain that Chef Aiman uses data on guests' taste preferences, product structures, and chemical reactions. This allows for the creation of dishes that can surprise even experienced gourmets. Nevertheless, many experts are skeptical about the idea of an AI chef, pointing to the lack of intuition and sensory experience, which remain unique human skills.