Byte to Eat: Futuristic Dubai restaurant WOOHOO to open in September with world’s first AI la carte chef

Dubai’s culinary scene is about to get a futuristic twist. WOOHOO, a new restaurant set to open in September 2025, claims to feature the world’s first AI-powered chef, bringing artificial intelligence into the heart of the kitchen.

Located in Kempinski The Boulevard Hotel, near the Burj Khalifa, WOOHOO is the latest concept from Gastronaut Hospitality, and promises a dining experience driven by algorithms, data, and culinary science.

At the core of this innovation is Chef Aiman — a custom-built large language model trained on vast amounts of food science data, thousands of recipes, and even the molecular composition of ingredients.

AI chef in Dubai

The name “Aiman” merges “AI” and “man,” highlighting the partnership between machine intelligence and human artistry.

While human chefs will support the AI, the recipes, menu design, and dish innovation will be created by the AI model itself.

Chef Aiman doesn’t just cook — it optimises. The AI system will:

• Reduce food waste by incorporating typically discarded ingredients
• Analyse texture, acidity, and umami to build entirely new flavour profiles
• Create original recipes guided by scientific insight rather than human instinct

Speaking to Reuters, co-founder Ahmet Oytun Cakir said: “Human cooking will not be replaced, but we believe Aiman will elevate ideas and creativity.”

As AI continues to disrupt industries from finance to fashion, Dubai is now serving up a bold experiment in tech-led fine dining. WOOHOO may just be the beginning of a new era where the next great chef isn’t human — but trained on data.