Food news: Cook & Coffee in Dubai, Juan Amador in Abu Dhabi

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Juan Amador in Abu Dhabi

At the launch of Gourmet Abu Dhabi last year, it was announced that the three Michelin-starred chef Juan Amador would be opening a restaurant in Abu Dhabi's Park Rotana hotel.

Things went quiet for a while, but Amador Restaurant and Cellar (pictured above) will be opening its doors on February 9, in time for Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2012, which runs from February 8-23.

The style of cooking is being described as "Spanish-influenced avant garde" and, according to Amador: "The restaurant will serve a combination of European and Arabian cuisine and mix a variety of cultures, flavours and aromas - it will combine characteristics of my existing cuisine and also what I learnt about local tastes, products and ingredients when I visited earlier in the year".

Hakkasan's outdoor terrace

The interior of Hakkasan in Abu Dhabi may well be stylishly moody, but light and airy it is not. However, thanks to a recently opened outdoor terrace (on the east wing of Emirates Palace), complete with views of the city and tinkling water features, diners can now enjoy their dim sum al fresco.

The head chef Lee Kok Hua has also added 11 new dishes to the menu for the winter season. We particularly like the sound of the charcoal-grilled duck breast with lily bulb; fried homemade pumpkin tofu with Thai-style mango sauce and Szechuan-style braised Dover sole with pickled cabbage.

For reservations call +971 2 690 7999 or for more information, visit their

page.

Cook & Coffee launches in Dubai

Located in the Jashanmal store in Festival City this new store/demo kitchen/ coffee shop launched on Monday.

According to the press release, the founders are trying to create an interactive shopping experience: "It is a place to relax and enjoy the latest innovation from DeLonghi and Kenwood while you unwind with a coffee, or  pick up some handy kitchen tips and tricks with demonstrations from professional chefs."

For more information, visit their

page