CRUNCH, the Jumeirah café and bakery from the Kazakh chef couple Mukhtar Kosbayev and Anastassiya, opened on Al Wasl Road on 1 August — and the queue is mostly for the croissant cereal. Gulf News has now profiled the couple behind it, giving the first independent account of a story we covered when it was still a plan.
Both founders have CVs that would normally sit behind a tasting menu. Kosbayev worked in Noma in Copenhagen and Frantzén in Stockholm; between them the pair have lived in seven countries, from Kazakhstan and Switzerland to Iceland and the US. CRUNCH itself is a more democratic project: coffee, bakery and kitchen under one roof, from 8am to midnight.
The croissant cereal that started as a gift
The dish drawing the queues was never meant to be on the menu. The cereal began as an invitation gift for guests: dozens of miniature hand-rolled croissants served with milk made from leftover test croissants, baked again and infused. A single portion takes 30–45 minutes to roll, which is a long time to spend on something that disappears in about 30 seconds.
Kosbayev credits the fine-dining years with one habit. “It taught me attention to detail.”
Guests kept coming in asking only for the cereal, and the founders held the price anyway.
“We didn’t want to become greedy. We just wanted people to enjoy it.”
The other quality check is their daughter, born while the café was being built. “If our daughter can eat it one day, we’re happy to serve it.” The menu runs from Scandinavian breakfasts and shakshuka to wagyu kalbi ribs, and Dubai’s mix is the point: the founders say more than 20 nationalities have visited in a single day, and the signs — “Welcome Home”, “Habibi, come to CRUNCH” — are aimed at people far from home.
“Our idea about CRUNCH was that we build this place like a home for people who are far away from their home.”
What’s on the menu at CRUNCH
The menu is priced for a neighbourhood café rather than a fine-dining CV, per the venue’s published listing:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Butter croissant | AED 21 |
| Almond or chocolate croissant | AED 29 |
| Turkish cilbir | AED 50 |
| Crunch Signature Breakfast | AED 89 |
| Lamb rack & lentils | AED 129 |
| Basque cheesecake | AED 50 |
| Signature drinks | AED 35–42 |
Where to find CRUNCH in Jumeirah
CRUNCH is at 325 Al Wasl Road, Al Bada’, Jumeirah 1, open daily from 8am to midnight. No reservation needed; free and valet parking available. Bookmark crunchdxb.com or follow @crunchdxb for the daily bake. For more recent openings, see our first look at Neo-Temaki’s handroll bar at JW Marriott Marquis.
What is the croissant cereal at CRUNCH?
The viral croissant cereal is a bowl of miniature hand-rolled croissants served with house-made croissant-infused milk. It started as an invitation gift for guests, and the milk is made from leftover test croissants that are baked again and infused — a portion takes 30–45 minutes to prepare.
Who founded CRUNCH café in Dubai?
CRUNCH was founded by the Kazakh chef couple Mukhtar Kosbayev and Anastassiya. Kosbayev worked in Noma in Copenhagen and Frantzén in Stockholm; Anastassiya walked into her first kitchen with no experience and later ran a culinary studio. They met at a food festival in Kazakhstan in 2020 and have lived in seven countries.
What does the menu at CRUNCH cost?
Croissants are AED 21–39, all-day breakfasts run from AED 50 to AED 89, mains from AED 89 to AED 130, desserts AED 39–65 and signature drinks AED 35–42.
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