What do you get when you mix twenty restaurants, a handful of celebrity chefs and a sprinkle of live entertainment? The answer – the world’s favourite al fresco food, drink and music festival, and it’s coming to Abu Dhabi!
We hope that your tummies have been in training, because Taste of Abu Dhabi has finally arrived. It’s the capital’s inaugural instalment of one of the world’s best food festivals – and it has become one of the most eagerly anticipated calendar events of the year!
Abu Dhabi is spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out. Whether it’s fine dining or your favourite backstreet bistro, over 1,500 outlets across the capital will cater to your every craving.
And the best of Abu Dhabi’s restaurants and chefs will present a selection of their latest and greatest dishes at the festival of feasts, which runs on 6th to 8th November. More than 50 exhibitors in this chock-a-block festival will join them.
Taste of Abu Dhabi will let you eat your way around the world. Have a craving for Asian? Visit Angar, Avasa, Koi Abu Dhabi, Noodle Box, Sho Cho Abu Dhabi or Ushna. Each of these well-known eateries will offer a variety of dishes that will spice up your festival experience.
But don’t fill up just yet – the likes of Blue Grill and The Belgian Café will be preparing hearty hunks of meat plus fresh seafood throughout the day. You might want to try Café d’Alsace too, with its characteristic and stimulating fusion of French, German and Swiss cuisine.
Why not mix it up in the Med? There are plenty of outlets serving up Mediterranean cuisine, including Villa Toscana, Carluccio’s and Flooka.
Last, and by no means least, check out the Lebanese and Middle East outlets: Nolu’s Café along with Rozanah will whip up some sumptuous meals for visitors.
All this food won’t cook itself, and that’s why Taste of Abu Dhabi has drafted in the best. Along with the talented chefs of the featured hotels, the du Arena will become a mixing bowl of some of the world’s best-known celebrity chefs.
Twenty-two masters of the kitchen will be taking you through their classic dishes step by step in the demonstration kitchens, and as a side benefit you’ll find solutions for many of the common mistakes made in cooking.
And with so many chefs to see, you’ll be thinking there won’t be enough time to see them all, right? Wrong! Spread out throughout the weekend, top names like Jun Tanaka, Jenny Morris, Josh Stanzl, Albert Raven and Reza Mahammed will be cooking live, answering your questions and signing autographs.
As the smell of sizzling food fills the air, an exciting line-up of DJs, live bands and musicians will send sound waves across the arena, keeping festivalgoers going, and going, and going …
The entertainment stage will host some cracking performers. South African band 4THEMUSIC has built a massive local fan base for their versatile style; singer Crystal, who has sung with the likes of Daniel Bedingfield and Sugababes, will lend her silky tones to the show.
A festival wouldn’t be a festival without a cheeky Irishman on his guitar, right? Welcome to the stage Diarmuid O’Driscoll who will wow the crowds with his eclectic mix of covers featuring a Celtic twist.
And put your hands up for Randy! This one-man band’s skills on the guitar, bass, keyboard, harmonica and saxophone will blow you away.
And if this line-up of artists isn’t enough, you can make your way to the VOX outdoor cinema. There’ll be a medley of movies from new to classic films; VOX will also be showcasing the latest 4DX technology set to launch this year in the UAE.
So, if this wasn’t enough reason to visit Taste of Abu Dhabi 2014, maybe our Top Five reasons not to miss the festival will convince you…
TOP FIVE REASONS TO HEAD TO TASTE OF ABU DHABI
1) Abu Dhabi Street Theatre Festival
Abu Dhabi’s first ever Street Theatre Festival is set to knock you out with miming, juggling, unicycling and dancing. Held across all three days of the festival, the wandering performance is sure to be a hit.
2) More than just food
Taste festivals are about more than just good food. So when you’re ready to take a break from sampling some of the edible offerings, be sure to wander around the exhibitors’ stalls to browse the kitchenware at the Tavola stand or grab yourself some green goodies at The Green Ecostore. Don’t miss the outdoor VOX cinema where you can enjoy a series of family-friendly movies while tucking into customary cinema snacks.
3) Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
The capital’s inaugural Taste festival will open with a bang as The Four Seasons tribute band takes to the stage. The stars of the Broadway hit musical ‘The Jersey Boys’ will be belting out hit after hit from the iconic band. Expect the likes of ‘Sherry’, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ and ‘Walk Like a Man’.
4) Fun for the whole family
While grownups tuck into some tasty treats or learn some top tricks from the participating chefs, the little ones will have plenty to keep them busy too. Head to the Kid’s Zone to enjoy a host of activities and cooking classes and don’t forget to don your best costume for the fancy dress competition on Friday 7th November.
5) Competitions
If the chance to meet your chef idols isn’t enough, you’ll love the competition prizes on offer. Head to the festival for your chance to win a host of amazing prizes from weekend getaways and dining vouchers
to a trip for two to the Seychelles.
Recipe: ARANCINI DI RISO
Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour
Makes: 18 rice balls
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
500g uncooked Arborio rice
1 cup boiling chicken stock
100g frozen green peas
Salt and pepper, to taste
150g finely grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
250g mozzarella cheese, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
200g all-purpose flour
300g dry bread crumbs
500cl vegetable oil for deep frying
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring until onion is soft but not browned. Pour in the rice, and cook stirring for two minutes. Add hot chicken stock to the rice 1/3 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until the liquid has evaporated before adding more.
When the chicken stock has all been added, and the liquid has evaporated, stir in the peas. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Transfer the risotto to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Stir the beaten egg into the risotto. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and milk with a fork. For each ball, roll 2 tablespoons of the risotto into a ball. Press a piece of the mozzarella cheese into the center, and roll to enclose. Coat lightly with flour, dip into the milk mixture, then roll in bread crumbs to coat.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the balls in small batches until evenly golden, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a low oven while the rest are frying.
Life is sweet
Bake up a storm with Taste of Abu Dhabi’s participating pastry pros
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you won’t want to miss two of the festival’s true artists of pastry – Eric Lanlard and Bader Najeeb Al Awadhi.
At only 18-years-old, Emirati chef Bader Najeeb Al Awadhi is already an inspiration for both young and old. The Dubai native first caught the baking bug around 13-years-old when he joined his mother in the kitchen. But it wasn’t until he was interviewed during the Young Entrepreneur Competition a few years later that he decided to follow his passion for baking. Numerous newspaper interviews and TV opportunities swiftly followed and today, Al Awadhi is overcoming cultural differences to make a name for himself.
“Culturally, many people have something against an Emirati man being in the kitchen, especially in the pastry industry,” says Al Awadhi. “But the support I get from people is much stronger than the hate, so that keeps me going.”
Today, the baking prodigy cooks up a storm on various TV shows, with several others in the pipeline. So where does he plan to go from here?
“While I’m capable of opening my own restaurant, my experience now is like any other home baker. I want to gain more experience from all of these chefs that I’m meeting and hopefully in the future I’ll take a course abroad so I have an advantage over everyone else when I do open a restaurant.”
And gaining experience is exactly what he’s doing, having rubbed shoulders with his number one inspiration, Buddy Valastro, during the Cake Boss’s recent show at Emirates Palace. Al Awadhi will be running masterclasses at Taste of Abu Dhabi, no doubt another valuable experience for both the chef and the Taste visitors who will join the baker for his session.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting the other chefs who are flying into the city for the event,” says Al Awadhi, “as well as hosting my own cookery class and interacting with the people who will join me on stage. I look forward to meeting everyone at the event and answering their questions live.”
As a self-taught baker who’s still learning the tricks of the trade, Al Awadhi is keen to offer his advice to others, encouraging them to take classes, read books and watch videos.
“YouTube was my best teacher – but ultimately everyone learns by doing. So as long as you don’t burn your house down, just practise in the kitchen until you perfect whatever you’re baking or cooking!”
Author of five cookbooks, owner of London’s Cake Boy boutique and award-winning pâtissier – Eric Lanlard is no stranger to the spotlight. The French baker sits down with us ahead of his Taste of Abu Dhabi visit to tell us why he loves food festivals and what we can expect from his cooking demonstrations.
What are you most looking forward to at Taste of Abu Dhabi?
Spending quality time in Abu Dhabi to get a good feel for the place and meeting all my fans and supporters face to face. Being a ‘gourmand’, I am also looking forward to eating and sampling all the dishes from the incredible participating restaurants, hotels and chefs!
What can we expect from you at the Chef’s Theatre and Cookery School?
I will be demonstrating some new recipes from my last book ‘Chocolat’ and sharing a lot of tips and techniques that will help make people’s baking experiences easier and more successful.
What’s your favourite thing to bake?
I love baking with seasonal ingredients and am a great fan of spices and floral extracts, which is why I love the Middle East. I like my baking to be simple – but with texture and hidden surprises like a liquid centre or a crunchy base. I want the experience to be entertaining right up until the last mouthful or final bite!
Who is your baking inspiration and why?
My baking hero is Antonin Carême, the self-made pâtissier who became known as “King of Chefs and Chef of Kings”. His determination, artistic flair, hard-working ethic and legacy drove me to become a better chef. Not a day goes by that I do not think about him when working in my kitchen.
If you could only have one piece of baking equipment what would it be?
A set of scales! Baking success is all about precision – as we say in France, ‘patisserie is chemistry’!
What was the most difficult baking technique for you to master?
Piping choux pastry perfectly into éclairs and profiteroles was a bit of a nightmare! For weeks I used templates underneath the baking paper to get the right sizes or shapes. But suddenly it all happened and for the last 20 years I can pipe anything with my eyes closed … well, almost!
What’s the most overrated food trend at the moment?
Molecular gastronomy. Yes, it’s fun and entertaining – but I prefer my food to be simple, flavoursome and seasonal. If I want to watch a show I will go to the theatre.
Ready, steady, Eat!
Step one: Set the date
Taste of Abu Dhabi takes place at du Arena, Yas Island from 6th to 8th November. The festival will run from 4pm to 11pm on Thursday 6th November, 12pm to 11pm on Friday 7th November and from 12pm to 10pm on Saturday 8th November.
Step two: Buy your tickets
Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.ae or at the event itself. There are two categories of tickets: standard and VIP. A standard ticket entitles you to entrance for one day, access to all the festival features and entrance into the Ultimate Dining Experience raffle draw. The VIP ticket (adults only) gives you the same entitlements, along with access to the VIP lounge, three complimentary beverage vouchers for the VIP bar and three complimentary food vouchers to be used at any of the participating restaurants.
Standard tickets start from AED 65 with VIP starting from AED 170. Children under 12 enter for free.
Step three: what you will need on the day
With no rain forecasted, it’s safe to say you can leave your umbrellas at home. But there are a few things you should know before heading to Taste.
Dishes cost between AED 15 and AED 30 each. Several restaurants accept cards as well as cash, but some will take cash only – so make sure you have some dirhams for those dishes that catch your eye (there will be an ATM machine on site). There is parking available for all and if you do need to leave the event at any point, you can re-enter on the same day – just don’t leave for too long or you’ll miss out on some great events! Which leads us to step four …
Step four: plan your day
When you arrive, be sure to take a look at the programme to decide what you want to see and when. The jam-packed schedule includes timings of live acts on the entertainment stage as well as the chef’s theatre and cookery school. Warning: this part might be tricky because there is so much to see, taste and do! To find out more visit: www.tasteabudhabi.com
