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Four of the senior chefs from the newly renovated Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi will be showcasing their culinary skills during the first ever Abu Dhabi Food Festival, the hotel announced today.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), the festival will run from February 5th to the 21st and is supported by the Emirate’s leading hotels, restaurants, malls and main attractions. International and local chefs will demonstrate their skills and specialty dishes from around the world to create culinary delights to suit every taste and palate.
Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi will showcase their chefs’ skills in Emirati cuisine during ‘Emirati Kitchen’, the first segment of the festival, which will be held from February 5th to the 7th on the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The recipes, a selection of traditional Emirati dishes, are provided by TCA Abu Dhabi culinary consultants and have been designed to be prepared easily by anybody. The sessions will take place each evening at 6.45pm, with a special session for the hotel’s Arabic chef, Mohammed Yahya, at 8.15pm on Friday 6th of February.
First up on 5th February is Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi’s Executive Chef and recently appointed Director of Food and Beverage, Justin Galea. Justin will be conducting a special workshop for children to kick off the Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ ‘Adopt A School’ programme, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, an initiative that aims to tackle childhood obesity by giving children a hands-on approach to food education.
Justin is the only authorised chef to lead the Adopt a School programme in accordance with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and will be the front man for the programme. He will be training other Starwood hotel chefs across Abu Dhabi, with the programme starting in schools from February 2015.
“Sourcing, preparing and eating healthy, good quality food is very important to me. As we increasingly see more health problems such as obesity and diabetes, it’s important that we as ‘food experts’ share our knowledge on nutrition and good food preparation with the new generation, and involving parents and teachers in that commitment is key to ensuring our children’s healthy future.”
On Friday 6th February, Jordan Annabi, the Chef de Cuisine at Market Kitchen at Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi, will put a new spin on the usual Modern American cuisine. Inspired by the greatest hits of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jordan uses local produce and fresh, bold ingredients which gives Market Kitchen its unique flare. He will be preparing Margugat, an Emirati vegetable dish with potatoes.
“I’m excited to be putting Market Kitchen on the culinary map of Abu Dhabi by re-creating classic delights by Jean-Georges Vongerichten using as many locally sourced and sustainable products as possible,” Jordan said.
On Saturday 7th February, Grant Ballinger, Chef de Cuisine at Stratos, Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi’s only revolving lounge bar and grill with 360 degree views of the city, will be in the spotlight. Grant will be preparing Tahta Maleh, a traditional Emirati dish which layers salty fish under rice.
“Stratos offers guests something unique in Abu Dhabi – with our quality food, extensive cocktail and beverage list, and the wonderful 360 degree views of Abu Dhabi that Stratos offers, our guests can enjoy a truly fantastic evening,” Grant said.
At 8.15pm on Friday 6th February, Jordanian-born Mohammed Yahya will be preparing Semach Mashway wa Mahshi, an Emirati dish of stuffed grilled fish.
Also as part of the Abu Dhabi Food Festival, Market Kitchen will be hosting Chef Peter Lloyd from Spice Market London from the 16th till the 19th February. Peter will prepare and present live a special menu to showcase the restaurant brand’s ‘Spice Market’ version to food connoisseurs in Abu Dhabi. The special menu will run alongside Market Kitchen’s regular menu for one month from mid-February till mid-March.
Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi will also be participating in Gourmet Abu Dhabi at the Saadiyat Golf Club during the festival, where a food station will be set up to showcase the signature dishes from Market Kitchen.
Shaun Parsons, General Manager for Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi, said: “We’re very excited to be participating at the first ever Abu Dhabi Food Festival, and are looking forward to showcasing the culinary talents of our very experienced and innovative chefs.
“It’s an exciting time for Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi - with the large-scale renovation of the hotel we have completely transformed our restaurant offerings. We’re hoping that the people of Abu Dhabi will love what our chefs present at the festival, and that they will come to visit our restaurants to get the true taste and feeling of dining with us.”
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