Up until it closed in 2019, the JW Steakhouse was known as one of, if not the best steakhouse in Dubai. Two of the main players were Chef Muhammad Iqbal and Restaurant Manager Casmiro D’Souza.
Between 2007-2019, they worked in perfect unison and now they are back together at FireLake Grill House at Radisson Dubai DAMAC Hills. They are here not only to start a new chapter but to write a new novel. In the past few months, FireLake has grown, & is establishing itself as a leading restaurant. Within 8 months of its launch, it has rapidly ascended to be amongst the top 15 restaurants in Dubai on TripAdvisor. The plan is paying dividends and the stars are aligning, & shining.
General Manager of Radisson Hotel, Dubai DAMAC Hills Sid Sattanathan commented:
“When I began recruiting the team for our FireLake Grill restaurant, it was always at the back of my mind to reunite the two stars of the JW Steakhouse with whom I had worked with earlier. Chef Iqbal with his long experience with grilling steaks to perfection, and Casmiro, whose knowledge of wines and service excellence helped make their former workplace the go-to steakhouse in Dubai for years.“
During their time at JW Steakhouse, they won 13 major awards together including the Best Steakhouse in Dubai 5 years in a row.
Their awards led them to many ceremonies and star filled events including the World Luxury Restaurants awards in Vietnam. Both Iqbal and Casmiro set off for the airport but only one of them made it to Vietnam. At the check-in, it was discovered that they needed a pre-arrival form to enter Vietnam and Casmiro having been mistakenly informed did not have his. Iqbal headed off alone and bought a new tie in the shop in Hanoi. He collected the prestigious award and spent 3 days alone wondering was this the end of the Dream Team.
The team did reunite of course and continued to win awards but their finish was a sad one with only 11 days’ notice being given before the restaurant closed. Of course, in those 11 days, the restaurant was packed every day and the guests got to enjoy their favourite restaurant one last time.
In a two-phased strategic recruitment plan, Iqbal joined the pre-opening team at Radisson Dubai DAMAC Hills at FireLake Grill House in March 2021, & Casmiro followed a few months later. Like Larry Bird & Magic Johnson reuniting, Tiger Woods & Augusta National, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United this was a return to bring greatness. Sid Sattanathan goes on to add:
“It took a few months to align the stars, but I am delighted to have made this reunion possible. Iqbal is a great coach, & is generous with sharing his vast experience. We are also interestingly seeing the return of many of their former guests to our FireLake restaurant, and I am sure more will be equally surprised & attracted to see what the pair can do together here at Radisson Dubai DAMAC Hills.”
From a 69-seat restaurant previously, the pair now have an audience potentially of 170 at FireLake. A chance to showcase their skills to a bigger audience, at the opposite end of town, and to continue their 12 years winning partnership.
Some things are meant to continue, such as the partnership between Iqbal & Casmiro.