Gourmet Abu Dhabi, the 16-day annual culinary arts festival that will run across the emirate’s leading F&B establishments from February 8 to 23 next year, is poised for the largest-ever edition of its Abu Dhabi Gourmet Stars Awards – dubbed the ‘Oscars’ of the local culinary scene – after voting opened today for the 2012 gongs.
The first round of voting, open online to the public will see more than 40 eligible restaurants and 100 professional nominees representing all the host venues of Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2012 – being trimmed to a shortlist of three finalists per award at its closing on December 5.
From there, a second round of voting will open from December 12 to January 25, 2012, with the finalists again running the gauntlet of public opinion; this time alongside a ‘Mystery Diner’ scoring phase to be undertaken by an esteemed panel of industry judges.
With voting closing on January 25, the winners in 10 categories, covering both establishments and individual accolades, who have been operating in Abu Dhabi for at least six months prior to nomination, will be unveiled during a glittering awards ceremony that closes the fourth edition of the annual festival.
“The record number of nominees evidences Abu Dhabi’s increasingly diverse and vibrant F&B scene,” said Dayne Lim, Product Development Director, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), the festival’s presenting organiser. “Since its inception three years ago, Gourmet Abu Dhabi, which features an impressive collection of critically-acclaimed culinary masters, has fostered industry-wide improvements in standards and quality, with Abu Dhabi’s visitors and residents now spoilt for high-end dining choices. We look forward to a record level of public participation in our most hotly contested awards to date.”
The list of Gourmet Abu Dhabi Stars Awards is as follows: ‘Restaurant Host of the Year’, ‘Food and Beverage Manager of the Year’, ‘Restaurant Manager of the Year’, ‘Regional Cuisine Manager of the Year’, ‘Regional Cuisine Chef of the Year’, ‘Regional Cuisine Restaurant of the Year’, ‘Restaurant Chef of the Year’, ‘Pastry Chef of the Year’, ‘Executive Chef of the Year’, and the much-coveted ‘Restaurant of the Year’. This year, an ‘Honorary Mention’ was handed to Chef Ali Salem Ebdowa, Executive Head Chef at Mezlai Restaurant, Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi, for his innovation in emirati fusion cuisine.
To register your vote for the 2012 awards, log on to: www.gourmetabudhabi.ae
|