AI chef runs the kitchen at Dubai's new futuristic restaurant

AI chef runs the kitchen at new futuristic restaurant in Dubai - photo 1 — Woohoo restaurant in Dubai, run by an AI chef, combines futuristic cuisine with technology-driven creativity. Photo: Woohoo

Chef Aiman

One quiet afternoon a few years ago, Dubai restaurateur Ahmet Oytun Cakir was brainstorming menu ideas.

The veteran hospitality expert, who owns an empire of famous eateries such as BohoX and Rove, suddenly had a bold idea: he would turn to ChatGPT.

Seconds later, the newly launched chatbot provided a recipe for spiced lamb. And the Cakir restaurant owner decided to give it a try.

“It was amazing. Right after we took the photo, we put the idea on the menu and it suddenly became a bestseller,” added Ahmet Oytun Cakir.

And it was from that famous dish that a more daring thought was sparked: What if the entire restaurant could be run by artificial intelligence?

By September 2025, Mr. Cakir's Gastronaut Hospitality Company launched Woohoo restaurant, a completely AI-based concept, located right next to the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The restaurant, which the group has dubbed "the future of cuisine", is run by Chef Aiman.

Developed by a custom AI model called Umai, invented by UAE-based tech company Vivid Studios, the AI chef is presented as an avatar: a middle-aged Caucasian man with sleek silver goggles and a mysterious , sci-fi- like charm.

Aiman is not a hands-on cook, but a creative director. Chef Aiman can analyze ingredients, create unique flavor combinations, and write detailed recipes for the real chefs in the Woohoo kitchen to test.

What's more, the opening menu of the restaurant, which is run entirely by AI, is surprisingly familiar.

About 80% of the dishes at Woohoo are Asian-inspired favorites: crispy duck salad, rock shrimp tempura, an extensive sushi roll menu, and foie gras-topped Wagyu beef skewers.

The restaurant is like a science fiction world .

AI chef runs the kitchen at new futuristic restaurant in Dubai - photo 2 — Chef Aiman is portrayed as a middle-aged white man with shiny silver sunglasses. Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, the vast restaurant space makes customers feel like they’ve stepped into a science fiction world. It turns out that AI not only runs the kitchen, but also orchestrates the entire experience.

The layout blurs the line between restaurant and digital art gallery. Dining tables are arranged around the center of the room: a giant computer that powers high-tech live entertainment.

Screens wrap around the walls of the room, projecting an imaginary skyline of Dubai in 2071.

Experience sound and vision come to life. A high-energy show with lasers, images and custom-designed music working in unison.

These explosions are meant to transport diners to a parallel universe, as messages or warnings from the future.

For Umai, Woohoo is just a prototype. The tech company plans to license the software to other restaurants around the world, creating customized AI chef personalities and regional menus.

“This tool can track inventory, optimize menus, manage staff, reduce waste and increase profits at any restaurant. The more data it collects, the smarter the AI chef becomes ,” said Mohamed Tarakomyi, co-founder of Umai.

Additionally, the study found that a smart kitchen can reduce waste by up to 51% by using AI tools to track and analyze waste.

The initiative has attracted interest from major food and beverage companies such as Unilever, Walmart, McDonald's and meal kit provider HelloFresh.

Aiman, which cost about $1.1 million to develop, has proven useful beyond the confines of the kitchen and continues to be programmed to learn, develop its own preferences and tastes.

The AI chef has become the face of the Woohoo brand, appearing in podcasts connected to the restaurant industry and being the focus of marketing campaigns.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/du-lich/dau-bep-ai-dieu-hanh-bep-tai-nha-hang-tuong-lai-moi-o-dubai-183960.html