Dubai to debut restaurant operated by an AI chef

Dubai is set to push the boundaries of culinary innovation with the upcoming launch of WOOHOO, a futuristic dining experience where an AI chef takes center stage. Scheduled to open in September, the restaurant is located in central Dubai, just steps away from the iconic Burj Khalifa.

While food will still be prepared by human hands for now, everything else—from the menu and ambience to the overall dining concept—will be crafted by an artificial intelligence model named Chef Aiman.

Chef Aiman, a blend of "AI" and "man", is a culinary large-language model trained on decades of food science, molecular gastronomy, and over a thousand international recipes. According to Ahmet Oytun Cakir, co-founder of WOOHOO and CEO of Gastronaut, the AI chef deconstructs dishes into flavor elements like acidity, umami, and texture, then recombines them to create unique culinary concepts.

Though Aiman can’t taste or smell, human chefs test and refine the AI’s creations. Leading this collaboration is Chef Reif Othman, a renowned figure in Dubai‍‍`s dining scene. He helps translate Aiman’s algorithmic insights into actual, palatable dishes.

In an interview with the interactive AI, Aiman said, “Feedback from human chefs helps refine my understanding of what works in practice, beyond just data.”

The restaurant’s goal isn‍‍`t to replace human creativity but to enhance it. “We’re not replacing chefs,” said Cakir. “We’re expanding the creative potential through AI.”

WOOHOO also aims to tackle sustainability by encouraging the use of underutilized ingredients like meat trimmings and kitchen scraps in its recipes—something Aiman is specifically programmed to explore.

Looking ahead, the founders hope to license Chef Aiman to restaurants globally, helping reduce kitchen waste and promoting eco-conscious dining around the world.