CarniVibes Curbside Alchemy Vol 3.

Clear your Saturday! CarniVibes is back, and it’s louder than ever.

What began as a small gathering of chefs and food lovers has evolved into one of Dubai’s most anticipated culinary experiences. Born from a shared love of food, fire, and community, CarniVibes brings together the people who keep the city’s dining scene alive, the chefs, producers, and the crowd that knows good flavour when they taste it.

Created by CarniStore, the community lane activation has become a playground for creativity. It’s where the city’s most dynamic chefs step out of their restaurants, cook in the open, and let imagination take the lead.

This year, CarniVibes Curbside Alchemy Vol 3. returns to Alserkal Avenue promising serious flavour and plenty of attitude.

The Line-Up

Taking centre stage is a roster of chefs who know how to turn ingredients into experiences. Each chef will create one-off street-food dishes using CarniStore’s premium proteins, served with a backdrop of music, fire, and the kind of beautiful chaos that makes CarniVibes so addictive.

Chef Milan Jurkovic brings a bold and distinctive voice to Dubai’s culinary landscape as the Culinary Head of 21grams, the city’s beloved Balkan bistro.

A native of Novi Sad, Serbia, Milan translates the depth and heritage of his Balkan roots into a contemporary dining experience that balances authenticity with creativity. Guided by the values of simplicity, integrity, creativity, and sustainability, his cooking is a tribute to emotion and craftsmanship.

Since joining 21grams in 2017, Milan has played a central role in shaping the restaurant’s success and identity. His leadership and culinary vision have helped 21grams earn consecutive recognitions from Gault & Millau (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), the prestigious 50 Best Discovery by the World's 50 Best Restaurant in 2022, The Michelin Bib Gourmand Award in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and the MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants by the World's 50 Best Restaurant in 2024 and 2025. establishing it as a benchmark for soulful, story-driven dining in Dubai.

Alongside his work at 21grams, Milan also contributes his expertise to piehaus, reimagining traditional phyllo pies with modern flavours, and to etar, a catering studio dedicated to bespoke, design-driven culinary experiences.

Chef Milan is a strong advocate for sustainable and responsible cooking, working closely with local farmers and producers, and ensuring that seasonality and minimal waste remain at the core of his menus. His leadership extends beyond the kitchen, inspiring teams to see food not only as nourishment but also as a cultural connector and creative expression.

Chef Kelvin Kelly is a South African-born chef whose culinary philosophy is rooted in simplicity, integrity, and flavour. Trained in South Africa, he has built his career around a deep respect for clean, high-quality ingredients and honest cooking. After moving to Dubai in 2015, Kelvin became part of the city’s evolving food culture, bringing his signature approach to creating dishes that are made from scratch, thoughtfully balanced, and full of character. As the Head Chef and Partner at One Life Kitchen & Café, he has spent the past decade shaping menus that reflect both creativity and consistency, celebrating real foodand seasonal produce.

Known for his calm leadership and meticulous attention to detail, Kelvin believes that great food starts with great ingredients and a genuine connection to the people you’re cooking for. His approach continues to inspire a loyal community of guests who return not only for the flavours, but for the authenticity behind every dish.

Carmen Rueda — Executive Pastry Chef at BRIX, turns technique into emotion, known for her dessert artistry that now spills beautifully into the savoury world.

She began my culinary path in Madrid, where I trained in Culinary Arts and discovered my deep passion for pastry. Moved to France to work alongside World Pastry Champion Olivier Bajard, an experience that shaped her understanding of precision and artistic expression.

She returned to Spain to join El Bulli, one of the world’s most iconic restaurants (3 Michelin Stars), where she was immersed in the groundbreaking creativity that forever changed the culinary landscape. Later, she moved to the UK to join The Fat Duck (3Michelin Stars), where she spent over four years. For three of those, she led the Experimental Kitchen as Executive Pastry Chef, focusing on research, innovation, and multi-sensory design.

Her career in Singapore, with Janice Wong, Asia’s 50 Best Pastry Chef, developing high-concept plated desserts rooted in bold flavours and delicate techniques. She also brought her expertise to South Africa, Poland, and Saudi Arabia, including her time with Nobu, where she adapted her style
to different cultures and fine dining environments.

In 2025, she was honoured to be named MENA’s Best Pastry Chef, a recognition that celebrates not only her personal journey but the growing appreciation of dessert as a true culinary art form.

Chef Penelope Diaz recognised by Gault & Millau UAE, featured on 50 Best Discovery and shortlisted for Middle East’s Best Peruvian Cuisine Restaurant 2025 by the World Culinary Awards, Penelope Diaz has carved her place among Dubai’s most respected chefs.

The Peruvian born chef is the heart behind Fusion Ceviche, a hidden gem restaurant with queues out the door and a loyal crowd hooked on her bright and soulful cooking. Her dishes draw on family, heritage and a belief that food should feel like home.

Fearlessly challenging what restaurants are meant to be, Penelope has made Fusion Ceviche a category of its own. Her vision has turned a simple idea into one of Dubai’s most defining dining experiences.

Chef Margarita Vaamonde is a Venezuelan-born chef with over 20 years of international experience across Venezuela, Argentina, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. Her culinary path includes working alongside world-renowned chefs such as Pierre Gagnaire and Masaharu Morimoto, where she helped open Morimoto Dubai as Executive Sous Chef.

In Argentina, she honed her craft at Elena, the Four Seasons Buenos Aires restaurant listed among Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, and later joined CATCH LA in West Hollywood as Executive Sous Chef. In Dubai, she became Head Chef of MasterChef, the TV Experience, representing the global brand regionally and collaborating with contestants, champions, and celebrity judges from MasterChef UK, Australia, the U.S., Italy, and India. Today, Margarita leads as Executive Chef of Soul Kitchen Dubai and all Factory People projects. Soul Kitchen is a concept inspired by the Arab diaspora to Latin America in the late 19th century. Her menu bridges Lebanese and Latin American flavours—from Hummus with Chimichurri to Wagyu Kafta in Arepa. The fusion of these two worlds became her signature concept: LeLa Cuisine, a celebration of the Arab soul and Latin passion translated into bold flavours.

Since opening in September 2023, Soul Kitchen has been named among Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 40 Best New Restaurants in the World (2024) and top 29 Restaurants in Dubai, and earned nominations from FACT (winner of Best Fusion category), BBC Good Food, and Zenith Magazine, where Margarita was recognised as Chef of the Year nominee. As a graduate of art school, she continues to explore creativity through ceramics and illustration, bringing the same artistry to her food and storytelling.