Clear your dinner plans for 22 and 23 October. Chôm Chôm’s chef Kelvin Ng and chef Reif Othman are coming together for two evenings that bring Vietnamese and Japanese flavours to the same table. The eight-course collaboration opens at REIF Japanese Kushiyaki in Dubai Hills on Thursday, 22 October, before heading to Chôm Chôm in Galleria Mall, Al Barsha, on Friday, 23 October.
At the heart of the collaboration is Chôm Chôm’s lively approach to Vietnamese dining: fresh herbs, punchy sauces, crisp textures and food that invites conversation. Kelvin’s Vietnamese steak tartare arrives with lemongrass chilli nước chấm and prawn cracker, while crispy prawns are coated in ginger fish caramel. There is also grilled lamb lúc lắc with pickles and citrus pepper nước chấm.
Reif brings his own playful touches to the table, from raw hamachi with sweet ponzu and tomato coriander relish to a prawn-stuffed crispy chicken wing. His grilled black cod comes with lemongrass yellow pepper sauce and yuzu kosho, finding common ground between the two kitchens.
Each venue puts its own signature on the final courses. On Thursday, 22 October, dinner at REIF Dubai Hills finishes with Japanese wagyu dashi and a white chocolate pandan kaya fondant with azuki coconut ice cream. On Friday, 23 October, Chôm Chôm rounds off the experience with fragrant beef pho broth and a mango pudding with pandan jelly, pomelo, coconut cream and passion fruit ice.
For Chôm Chôm, the collaboration offers a fresh way to experience its Vietnamese flavours, bringing Kelvin’s cooking into conversation with Reif’s Japanese influences across two distinct settings.
