We had a fabulous time at Taste of Abu Dhabi this year too! Here’s a recap of the spectacular 3-day event, photo blog (At the bottom of this POST) and review about the same! Taste of Abu Dhabi is capital’s favorite food, drink and music festival. The festival is according to us a Foodie’s land of discovery, and can be a food-lover’s fantasy, heaving with exclusive fine-dining restaurants, world class celebrity chefs, and international music it offers all vital signs to the residents.
It was indeed one of the most memorable events to take place in Abu Dhabi year on year and can’t miss to impress us this year too.
There were over 15,000 affluent visitors, 25 signature restaurants from Abu Dhabi. Around 100 exhibitors and the real attraction was world class chefs for me being a food blogger. There was incredible line-up of music, however our favorite performance was by THE BAND – Wailers on first day of the festival, what a kick-start to grand entertainment affair.
Visitor’s attractions:
Enticing features like Chef’s Theatre, Cookery School, VIP Lounge, Kids Zone, VIP Family Zone and Music Stage kept the audience attention this year too. As Lurpak and Quooker being the sponsors made the stations extra efficient with availability of the hot water coming stranght from the taps in built-in stations at cookery tent. What a time saver, great & inventive set-up at outdoor.
There was a surprise factor in traditional VIP family lounge. One of the chefs was hosting small family cooking demonstrations in the lounge for us to get involved in! however, we kept searching for henna artist.
Innovative facts:
We loved to find some new cuisines and brand new restaurants to tantalize our taste buds this year. When we claim to Taste our way around the world, it was all because of Japanese, Arabic, South Indian, European and Italian restaurants available at the show. Our favorites being Royal Orchid, Zambar, Teatro & Prego’s.
All time favorites:
Koi, Caramel and Nolu’s café being our all-time favorite can’t fail to impress us this year too with their innovative TOAD Menu, also love some of the great offerings and find from a large number of exhibitors.
Some highlights and enjoying elements:
- Galito’s – we grabbed some hot flair spicy treats and did sauce tasting! 😉
- Love Doughnut – good grab & go stall for yummy doughnuts and Blk Alkaline water.
- Kulfilicious – tastiest Kulfi as per kids they ever had.
- The caricature fun at the market in Taste of Abu Dhabi.
- And those big Jengga pieces at Jack Daniels Booth.
- Safina, Prego’s and Villa Toscana’s succulent menu.
- Narangi and Matka kulfi from Peppermill was tastiest.
Chefs zone!
Is that Eric Lanlard munching of tandoori prawns, well that’s our first encounter to ever-smiling #CakeBoy back in town. Eric is an award-winning Master Pâtissier and international baking star, he is in town and after and other than TOAD there is a trail of his appeared events like baking classes, Afternoon tea and baking session and book signing onwards. Read my full review on Eric Lanlard – Love for Baking soon on Mahi Blog. He is author of five books including best-selling Chocolat, a celebration of this luxurious ingredient. Eric has presented four prime time television series including Glamour Puds and Baking Mad, and creates breath-taking cakes for many A-list celebrities.
Spice Prince Reza Mohammad was another star cast in Chefs. We thoroughly enjoyed his cooking demo at Chef’s theater and tips and technique at Cookery school.He is hugely popular and flamboyant TV chef, owner of the renowned Star of India restaurant. Jenny Moris soft and action packed demos were fun too. She indeed the giggling gourmet and has become a household name among audiences in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Most recently, she filmed Jenny & Reza’s Fabulous Food Academy with Reza Mahammad. Set to premiere in the Middle East this November, the program sees the two friends combine their passion for food by opening the doors of their Food Academy to teach six would-be chefs how to cook.
Chef, author and TV personality Suzanne Husseini also made the headlines the Taste of Abu Dhabi this year, and we also had experienced great Cooking demo from ever smiling and charming Siba Mtongana, who is a young and dynamic food enthusiast and has brought style and charisma to the South African television food scene.
Another truly entertaining and lively chef’s duo we met this year at TOAD is Steven Edwards & Joshua Stanzl – Chefs & Owners of Etch Food. Valentine Warner, Jose Pizarro & Nikita Gandhi also had appearances and made it to the fantastic line up of world class celebrity chefs. We witnessed live cooking demonstrations at the Chefs Theatre or learn some fun hints and tips on our cookery school.
We also some Chef Dilip Johri – peppermill and get a blurb about his famous DJ burgers which is a great hit, and also chat to Chef Suit Mandal from Avasa along with GAURAV and his great team at Avasa & Royal Orchid.
The festival was bursting with family fun as thousands of visitors and their kids flocked to the Funky Monkeys Kids Zone and the all-new Premier Family Lounge, which featured Arabic treats, and activities including spin the wheel, pizza-making, and face-painting.
TASTE OF ABU DHABI CONQUERS CAPITAL CRAVINGS
– Taste puts on biggest and tastiest festival yet with 25 of Abu Dhabi’s best restaurants, 10 international celebrity chefs, and sway-inducing tones from The Wailers
– More than 15,500 turn out for the return of the world’s fastest-growing al fresco food, drink and music festival
Really a foodie’s paradise. .UAE really give so much of importance not only to food,but also the quality and the hygiene standards..lovely reading ur review..it sure must hv been a huge fun n fair😊