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
SHAITTAN
Director: Vikas Bahl
Starring: Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Jyothika, Janaki Bodiwala
Rating: 3/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
What is cystic fibrosis?
- Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas and other organs.
- It causes the production of thick, sticky mucus that can clog the airways and lead to severe respiratory and digestive problems.
- Patients with the condition are prone to lung infections and often suffer from chronic coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
- Life expectancy for sufferers of cystic fibrosis is now around 50 years.
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Dengue fever symptoms
High fever (40°C/104°F)
Severe headache
Pain behind the eyes
Muscle and joint pains
Nausea
Vomiting
Swollen glands
Rash
SPECS: Polestar 3
Engine: Long-range dual motor with 400V battery
Power: 360kW / 483bhp
Torque: 840Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 628km
0-100km/h: 4.7sec
Top speed: 210kph
Price: From Dh360,000
On sale: September
Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
Scoreline
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')
Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
