Dubai Chefs Find Alcohol Ban Distasteful

The Dubai authorities plan to step up enforcement of a law enacted in 2003 prohibiting restaurants from using alcohol in food preparation, according to media reports.

Several Dubai chefs have argued that strict enforcement of the ban would compromise their dishes. They are in talks with the municipality for less severe regulations.

Alcoholic drinks are widely available in Dubai, and the law on the use of alcohol in food has been mostly disregarded. But the latest move appears aimed at easing worries from devout Muslims that no wine or liquor was used in preparing their meals. Fines for violators can run nearly $5,500.