Ask Chef Abhiraj Khatwani when he first sensed something special was happening, and he doesn’t mention inspectors or industry whispers. The rules Manāo refused to play byHere’s the paradox at the heart of Manāo: it now sits among Dubai’s Michelin-starred elite, yet it never set out to be a fine dining restaurant in the traditional sense. From coffee chats to co-foundersBefore Manāo was a restaurant, it was a conversation – two friends trading ideas over coffee. “Chef Orfali has this ability to see the bigger picture while still obsessing over the smallest details,” says Khatwani. The accolades have kept coming since the star – including Restaurant of the Year at the What’s On Dubai Awards earlier this year.