In a bustling restaurant in Deira, Dubai, the sounds of conversations mix with the noise of cutlery and a football match broadcast on television. Patrons lean across tables to chat, laughter rings out over the din, and among friends who have come for dinner, to meet, or to watch the game together, familiar pleasantries are exchanged.
Some customers order dishes from Côte d'Ivoire that they remember from childhood, while others have traveled from other parts of Africa to enjoy this cuisine. The restaurant Guissi Plaza, known by customers as Chez Maestro, often becomes an opportunity to spend time with people who understand what it is like to live far from home.
For businessman Fatiga Ibrahim, this restaurant has become a sanctuary for companionship. He visits when he wants to eat with his family, watch football, joke, and socialize with other Africans living in the United Arab Emirates.
Ibrahim notes: 'Of course, we gather together like a family, as if we were in Africa. Look at these young people here. We watch football together and laugh together. It reminds me... When I am here, it feels like I am home, like I am with my family.'
The appeal of the place for Ibrahim goes beyond culinary aspects. The restaurant allows him to meet new people and build relationships despite living outside his native country.
At Chez Maestro, relationships are built around Côte d'Ivoire cuisine and the restaurant owner, Aminata Camara. Camara has lived in Dubai for six years. She moved here with her husband, who relocated to the emirate for football. As their lives developed, the couple discovered that Ivorians in their community had few options for enjoying their familiar food, even with restaurants serving other West African dishes.
Initially, they started cooking and delivering food to clients. When orders sharply increased, the couple saw an opportunity to open a restaurant where guests could sit down and dine.
Camara explains: 'The idea for the restaurant, I can say, came from my husband. He came for football, and then he had the idea to do catering because there were more and more Ivorians. There were Malian restaurants, but there was no Ivorian restaurant. So we started at home. We saw that the customer base was growing, so he decided to open a restaurant.'
African culture is not limited by national borders nor does it remain unchanged when people migrate abroad. When Africans settle in other countries, they bring with them their food, culture, and languages, opening up opportunities to interact with people outside their own national communities.
Camara took over the daily management of the restaurant, while her husband continued playing football and participating in other events. The place quickly turned into a physical hub where consumers could gather, eat, and network.
The menu is largely based on the culinary heritage of Côte d'Ivoire. Camara mentions dishes such as garba, plakali, and foutou banane, which remind customers of home. Garba, made from attiéké and fried tuna, is particularly popular among the restaurant's broad audience.
This experience reflects a broader reality for Africans moving abroad for work and other opportunities. The African Union estimates that 4.7 million African migrants resided in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries by 2024. Their experiences vary, but for many, maintaining a connection to home also involves finding familiar food, languages, and communities in a new environment.
Camara found that consumers from neighboring countries, such as Guinea and Mali, love her cooking. People arrive with various culinary traditions, but the same dish can bring them all to the same table.
She shares: 'The dish that most evokes memories of home is especially garba, plakali, and foutou banane. But what is surprising, I must say, is that people from all these countries, whether from Guinea or Mali, seem to love garba even more than us.'
The popularity of these dishes has allowed Côte d'Ivoire cuisine to spread beyond its original population. Customers can choose dishes from their traditions while learning about the traditions of their neighbors. The restaurant becomes a center of cultural exchange through everyday decisions, such as choosing an order, sharing a meal, and what to order again.
Chef Adelaida Tagbo uses her work to stay connected to her cultural roots. Cooking familiar food in Dubai allows her to continue utilizing talents rooted in her own culinary traditions.
She believes: 'Cooking African food in Dubai, yes, I can say, it is a way for us to preserve our culture because, first and foremost, we are Ivorians, we are abroad. So we are really trying to use our skills abroad. In that sense, it is preserving our culture.'
Her perspective adds a new dimension to the establishment. While customers find comfort in the food, those who prepare it continue a tradition that links their life abroad with their home countries. Cuisine is part of their working life, but it also brings traditions into a new context.
Camara reports that the restaurant's clientele comes from various African countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Comoros, as well as Côte d'Ivoire. Some interactions that arose there went beyond the restaurant, as customers and staff became friends who entered their daily lives in Dubai.
She emphasizes: 'Of course, this place has become a meeting point for the African community. Many people gather here. I think you have seen it yourselves: it is not just Ivorians. There are Burkinabés, Malians, even Ethiopians, Malagasy, Comorians, and everyone gathers here. We ourselves have met people who became like family. Everyone gathers together; it's like we've returned home, right.'
The African Union views the diaspora as an integral part of the continent, comprising people of African descent living outside Africa. However, casual interaction and long-term relationships shape a sense of belonging abroad. At Chez Maestro, these bonds are formed over shared meals, football matches, and conversations between people whose paths might otherwise never have crossed.
The restaurant does not replicate life in Côte d'Ivoire nor does it erase differences between visitors. Instead, it provides a space where people can integrate aspects of their home lives into the communities they create in Dubai. At Chez Maestro, a dish from Côte d'Ivoire cuisine can spark a discussion, friendship, or an evening of watching football. Thousands of kilometers from the continent, the restaurant offers a place for visitors to share familiar tastes while simultaneously forging new connections with each other.