Dubai Dishes' Jason Atherton shares sweet story of how he met his wife - thanks to A-list celeb

Chef Jason Atherton is back in the Middle Eastern City of Dubai to explore local cuisine, and discover even more hidden gems.

This time, Jason isn’t alone as Ranvir Singh comes along for the journey too. Having started his career in Dubai, and meeting his wife there in 2001, the UAE city holds a special place in Jason’s heart, and he says he couldn’t believe it when the first season was a “smash hit”. “Everyone loved it!” exclaims Jason.

“It went down really well and I don’t do a lot of television but everyone knows my love affair with Dubai is deep. I love that I can shout out the place and let the public get to know it through my eyes. “The cliché is that Dubai is a five star shining city where everything is big and it’s all Rolls Royces, that’s not the case - it’s a diverse culture with so many different types of cuisines.” Jason and Ranvir don’t only go looking for the finest food in the city, they also explore the less luxurious areas.

One of Jason’s favourite places to eat was what he describes as a “hole in the wall”. “It was two guys cooking over a deep fryer,” he explains. “They had a little chopping board, a little fridge and were serving these spicy courgette fritters - they were so good.

My wife is from the Philippines, and there's a restaurant called Kookya serving the community. It's authentic, and delicious.” Jason first moved to Dubai in 2001 to set up Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant which is where he met his wife Irha, who was working in the hotel's reception.

The couple habe been going back and forth ever since - and now have their own eatery there. “The city has changed so much, it really is a food map,” says Jason.