In a bustling restaurant in Deira, Dubai, the sounds of conversations mix with the noise of cutlery and a football match on TV. Patrons lean across tables to chat, laughter rings out over the din, and friends exchange familiar pleasantries during dinner, meetings, or while watching a game.
Some customers order dishes from Côte d'Ivoire that remind them of their childhood, while others have traveled from different parts of Africa to enjoy this cuisine. The restaurant Guissi Plaza, known by its patrons as Chez Maestro, often becomes a place to spend time with people who understand what it is like to live far from home.
For businessman Fatiga Ibrahim, the restaurant has become a sanctuary where he can find companionship. When he wants to have dinner with his family, he comes here. He watches football, jokes, and chats 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 family.'
For Ibrahim, the appeal of the establishment goes beyond cuisine. The restaurant allows him to meet new people and build relationships despite living outside his country.
At Chez Maestro, relationships are built around Ivorian cuisine and the restaurant owner, Aminata Kamara. Kamara has lived in Dubai for six years. She moved here with her husband, who settled in the emirate for football. As their lives developed, the couple discovered that among the Ivorian residents in their community, there were few options for enjoying their familiar food, even with restaurants serving other West African dishes.
Initially, they started cooking and delivering food on order. When orders surged, the couple saw an opportunity to open a restaurant where guests could sit down and eat. Kamara's husband suggested this idea, as he came for football and later considered catering due to the growing number of Ivorians. Although there were Malian restaurants in the city, there were no Ivorian ones. So, they started with a home business, and seeing the growth in their customer base, he decided to open a full-fledged restaurant.
African culture is not limited by national borders nor does it change when people migrate abroad. When Africans settle in other countries, they bring their food, culture, and languages with them, creating opportunities to connect with people outside their own national community.
Kamara took over the daily management of the restaurant while her husband continued playing football and participating in other events. The venue quickly became a physical place where consumers could gather, eat, and network.
The menu is largely based on Ivorian culinary heritage. Kamara mentions dishes such as garba, placali, 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 who move 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 involves discovering familiar food, languages, and communities in a new environment.
Kamara found that consumers from neighboring countries, such as Guinea and Mali, love her cooking. People arrive with different culinary traditions, but the same dish can bring them all to the same table.
She notes: 'The dish that most evokes memories of home is especially garba, placali, and foutou banane. But surprisingly, I can say 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 Ivorian 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 hub of cultural exchange through everyday decisions, such as ordering, shared consumption, and what to reorder.
Chef Adelaïde 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 of all, we are from Côte d'Ivoire, 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.
Kamara reports that the restaurant's clientele hails from various African nations, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Comoros, as well as Côte d'Ivoire. Some interactions that occurred there extended beyond the restaurant, as customers and staff became friends who became part of 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 come home, right?'
The African Union views the diaspora as an integral part of the continent, encompassing 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 Ivorian cuisine can spark a discussion, friendship, or an evening spent watching football. Thousands of kilometers from the continent, the restaurant gives visitors the chance to share familiar tastes while forging new connections with each other.
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