What better way to recognise the city's culinary achievements than at a seven-course dinner designed and prepared by some of the world's top chefs? Gourmet Abu Dhabi, the gastronomic festival that has, for the past 10 days, seen the city's kitchens host the likes of Alain Passard, Claude Bosi and Régis Marcon, is now in its final furlong. The Awards Gala Dinner, which took place at the Al Raha Beach Hotel on Monday night, gave the city's cooking fraternity a chance to be recognised among their peers as well as the industry's elite.
First, though, it was down to the business of eating. Appetisers were served al fresco from a series of cooking stations on the terrace. Tartare of salmon, strawberry and wasbi by Claude Bosi (the two-Michelin-star chef and owner of Hibiscus restaurant in London), baked leg of rabbit with parsley and Périgord truffle by the German chef Martin Fauster, and smoked oyster with coconut soup by the Spanish chef David Muñoz were some of the morsels that took the edge off the guests' appetites before the ballroom dinner.
Visiting master chefs were invited on to the stage to open the proceedings. More Michelin stars you are unlikely to see again in one place. Meanwhile, the nominees were tucked away in the kitchen, helping to prepare dinner. First up was a mouthful of grilled lobster with lemon grass, grilled shallots and Asian citron served on betel leaves, cooked by David Thompson, the owner of Nahm restaurant in the UK. Tangy and fresh, it woke up the taste buds with a jolt before the brochette margaridou, one of the three-star French chef Régis Marcon's speciality dishes, a creamy mushroomy bite of veal served with morel mushrooms.
After the tian of king crab and lobster with scallop ceviche (from the cuisine of the Australian chefs Greg Doyle and Grant King), it was time to hear the results of the voting, which, we were told, had been carried out by both the public and an industry panel. Ten categories covered hosting, cooking and regional and international cuisine. It is testament to the city's growing culinary scene that several new venues were represented. Host of the Year was Marie Irene, from Ushna, the Indian restaurant at the Souq Qaryat al Beri. And Pastry Chef of the Year - a newly introduced award - was Avril Dsylva from the Yas Island Rotana.
The big wins of the night, though, were shared between a small clutch of hotels. Restaurant Chef of the Year was awarded to Jean Hurstel from Bord Eau, the Shangri-La hotel's much-feted French restaurant. And Restaurant of the Year was clinched by Sayad at the Emirates Palace. Wearing the biggest smile on his face was Gary Robinson, who won Executive Chef of the Year for his work at the Shangri-La Hotel. "I'm flattered and thrilled," said the Scottish chef, who worked for the Prince of Wales for seven years before moving to Hong Kong and then joining the Shangri-La in April 2009. "But I don't take credit for this in its entirety," he added. "I have a marvellous team of chefs whom I must also thank. The restaurant scene in Abu Dhabi is getting stronger all the time, so I'm thrilled to be voted above my peers."
Achievements in regional cuisine were also recognised. Regional Cuisine Chef of the Year was won by Hassan Assaf from Al Mawal at the Hilton Hotel. And Regional Cuisine Restaurant of the Year went to Diwan L'Auberge at the Emirates Palace hotel.
Awards distributed, four courses remained, including vesuvius of rigatoni from the cuisine of the Italian chef Alfonso Laccarino, and, perhaps the highlight, veal with four spices and celeriac mousseline cooked by the great French master chef Alain Passard. The wafer-thin pink slab of meat with a piquant dressing and served simply with mash was followed by saddle of lamb en croute with fennel mousse prepared by the German master chef Heinz Winkler. Thankfully, as Mubarak al Muhairi, the director general of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, which organised the event, pointed out, several weeks remain until the Abu Dhabi Triathlon, which will give everyone a chance to work off their feast.
Gourmet Abu Dhabi runs until Friday. For more information, go to www.gourmetabudhabi.ae.
@Email:kboucher@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding