Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2009

Ending on a true blue Arabian note, the inaugural Gourmet Abu Dhabi proved its mettle as a festival celebrating all aspects of gastronomy with an Arabian feast under the stars on the ten-day event’s last evening. Almost 200 guests lounged under traditional carpeted tents and dined at ornately decorated tables in the garden area of the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi. The buffet spread available included several ‘live’ stations where traditional Arabic cuisine such as flatbreads, kebabs and koftas were cooked on site and served piping hot. A traditional Arabic sweets selection was also laid out in splendour. Culminating in an evening of dancing and much music, this closing celebration was certainly a delightful close to a most successful culinary bash!

Considered the culinary king of cooking with vegetables, three-Michelin-starred Chef Alain Passard impressed guests at his culinary masterclass with two dishes that elevated the humble celeriac and beetroot to levels fit for haute cuisine. The first dish, a celeriac risotto, had many guests in the audience asking Chef Passard what other vegetables could be used in a similar manner. Chef Passard’s second dish showcased the use of three different kinds of beetroot on a single plate, brought together by a flavourful olive oil emulsion.

Culinary icon Annie Feolde is perhaps best known for being Italy’s most famous female migrant chef (she’s originally French), who currently holds three-Michelin-stars for her restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri. The forever-young matriarch who sports flaming red hair highlighted with a blonde fringe brought along three assistants from Italy and her Japan outlet who also helped during her masterclass demonstration. Showcasing a home-made pasta dish and an oven-baked fish fillet breaded with olive paste, Chef Feolde brought Abu Dhabi a taste of pure Tuscany.

One of St Emilion’s most famed properties, Chateau Angelus is today run by seventh generation winemaker and owner Hubert de Bouard de Laforest. His winemaking philosophy centres on creating wines of elegance and finesse with as little mechanical and artificial intervention as possible. As such, each of the wines showcased at this dinner displayed unique characteristics from vintage to vintage; a certain hallmark of a good estate. Coupled with the cuisine of three-Michelin-star Chef Alain Passard, a master of working with seasonal vegetable produce, the evening at Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri Abu Dhabi’s French fine-dining restaurant Bord Eau was a sold-out success!

This two-part programme focused our attention on all things chocolate! And, as expected, the audience turn-out was very high with many guests eager to question, challenge and even join our master pastry chefs up on stage. Guests attending the programme had the opportunity to experience a several aspects of chocolate usage — from making pralines and cakes to using chocolate in savoury dishes and how to use chocolate as a decorative tool.

With our chefs working so hard to make the inaugural Gourmet Abu Dhabi a success, we had to reward them with a night of partying! And that’s just what Chef Jacques Rossel and his team at the InterContinental Abu Dhabi delivered with style! A midnight party was held at the hotel’s main kitchen, complete with a band, lots of free flowing drinks and food and every chef involved with Gourmet Abu Dhabi was invited. It certainly was an excellent night out for many of the chefs who had never before danced the night away on the kitchen floor!

Chef Charlie Trotter and his team flew in to Abu Dhabi for a superb one-night-only dinner capped at only 60 guests. This was indeed a challenge, as many who had booked later missed the opportunity to savour the cuisine of a chef who is utterly dedicated to enhancing the pleasure of eating and drinking wine. Flip through our photo gallery for peek at all the intimate details.

France-born, Las Vegas-based Chef Laurent Pillard is most known for his US$5,000 burger — the one made with kobe beef and truffles, and served with a bottle of 1990 Chateau Petrus. From his up-market burger restaurant SLeeK, where diners can indulge in the most gourmet meat patties of their choice, Chef Pillard showcases two of his signature treats — one savoury version and one sweet version — and shows us all how fine dining isn’t merely about haute cuisine.

Going into deep detail and techniques on the different ways of working in the pastry kitchen, pastry chefs Frederic Bau, Oriol Balaguer, Hugues Pouget, Gilles Marchal and Yann Duytsche wowed the audience with their inventive and very innovative creations. With recipes covering everything from making ice cream from emulsion to using vegetables in making dessert, this forum was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see five master pastry chefs at work together.

Despite the fact that Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex couldn’t make it to Gourmet Abu Dhabi because of an injury, his capable assistant Armand took over and hosted the culinary masterclass without a hitch. Showcasing two recipes, one with poached oyster and the other with oven-baked fillet, Armand described to guests the philosophy of Chef Ansanay-Alex’s cuisine, and how it was possible for home cooks to achieve it in their own kitchens.

Sassicaia and Chef Annie Feolde — two icons of Italian gastronomy — came together in one of Abu Dhabi’s top Italian restaurants to present a booked-out food and wine pairing dinner. Despite a sandstorm engulfing Abu Dhabi, the evening was a smashing success for Emirates Palace’s Mezzaluna restaurant. Guests were highly complimentary of Chef Feolde’s cuisine and all present held the wines of Tenuta San Guido in high esteem as well.

Curtis Stone, an Australian chef now based in Los Angeles US, is most known for his Take Home Chef television series. A passionate chef and entertainer, Stone has perfected the art of injecting humour and a whole lot of fun into the dishes he delivers with flair. Stone is as comfortable on stage as he is in the kitchen and has thus used his gift to bring us all an entertaining night out here in Abu Dhabi.

Chef Charlie Trotter is the self-taught culinary maestro who has as firm a passion for wine as he does for cooking. As such, he advocated the art of food and wine pairing during his culinary masterclass and made sure to pinpoint several wines which would match well with his two dishes presented. Chef Trotter also presented an appetising beverage made from chilled mangosteen, to further promote his theory that a diner’s palate must be ‘opened’ to fully enjoy cuisine. He also showed the audience the evolution of his cooking, and presented two different versions of the same dish — one in a style served 20 years ago, and the second in a version served today.

In a round of forums on culinary education and Arabian hospitality, Gourmet Abu Dhabi recognised the importance of continuous education in the food and beverage industry. Complacency is often the reason for the decline of an F&B outlet and such forums seek to increase awareness of international trends and also to expose local professionals to a wider range of cuisines.

Born in India, Atul Kochhar is the first Indian national to be awarded a Michelin-star. Now having made his home in London. UK, Chef Kochhar’s cuisine combines seasonal ingredients from Europe with the spices and culinary techniques of traditional India. Chef Kochhar is also well-known for presenting his dishes in a contemporary style — a style which one would not immediately associate with Indian cuisine. As a firm believer in tailoring his dishes to fit his environment, Chef Kochhar presents a sweet and sour prawn dish as well as baked John Dory fillet at his Gourmet Abu Dhabi culinary masterclass — two dishes that are easily replicable in home kitchens here.

The Singapore-based Director of Kitchens for the internationally recognised Tung Lok group of restaurants, Chef Sam Leong is credited as a foremost proponent of modern Chinese cuisine in Asia. His creations often incorporate Western ingredients into Chinese cooking methods, resulting in dishes that surprise guests both in style and taste. This is Chef Sam Leong’s first time in Abu Dhabi, and he’s showcasing two of his signature dishes — crispy prawns with wasabi-mayonnaise sauce and a delicious cod fillet.

Marking the halfway point of Gourmet Abu Dhabi was a gala dinner cum awards ceremony for the Gourmet Stars of Abu Dhabi awards. The event also saw almost all of the visiting masterchefs serving up either canapés during cocktail hour or a full course during the gala dinner. The evening was also certainly a showcase of the culinary prowess and abilities of Abu Dhabi’s culinarians, who were instrumental in the preparation and execution of all the dishes presented. Even more inspiring, was the fact that over 100 service staff joined together from all the hosting establishments to work hand-in-hand to ensure the evening’s event proceeded smoothly. Check out our photogallery for all the glitzy details!

Once again, a chateau dinner has proven to be highly successful. Amalfi restaurant played host to two-Michelin-starred Alain Soliveres and the wines of Chateau Cos d’Estournel in a sold-out evening of great food, top wines and also soothing sounds from a sexy chanteuse. The wine pairing menu comprised highly acclaimed vintages of Chateau Cos d’Estournel — a wine which oenologist Robert Joseph says he trusts blindly every vintage. In the kitchen, Chef Alain Soliveres sent out such well-executed cuisine you would never have guessed Almalfi wasn’t his own restaurant.

This dinner showcased the best of three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck’s Mediterranean-influenced cuisine, and the culinary adaptability of a man who arrived in Rome speaking no Italian at all. His seven-course menu comprised ingredients such as parmesan cheese, lamb and even a basic consommé which had the evening’s guests ooh-ing and ah-ing over his colourful presentation and tasty dishes. Chef Heinz Beck it seems, is the perfect example of a culinarian who understand the need for precision in cooking while still allowing space for creativity and innovation.

In this forum focused on topics that every wine lover has an interest in, five of the world and Abu Dhabi’s wine professionals led the audience on a journey beyond the chateaux and wine estates. The discussion encompassed wine and food pairings, developing restaurant wine lists, proper storage of wines, the future of Old World wine, and the potential market growth for wines in Abu Dhabi.

Want to learn the basics of pouring out a heart shape into coffee or shaking up a cocktail that’ll get anyone high? Well, baristas Andrea Lattuada and Ludovic Loizon will take care of all your coffee needs while serving up some damned good espresso and mixologist Ernesto Lecthaler will put you in the mood for a party with his cocktail shake-ups.

German-born Chef Heinz Beck is Rome’s leading culinary maestro, who graced Abu Dhabi with his presence for just about 24 hours to be part of the Gourmet Abu Dhabi event. Starting with a culinary masterclass in the morning, Chef Beck held a ‘live’ demonstration to over 70 fans under the warm sun at Vascos restaurant. Chef Beck began the demonstration by showcasing some of the most modern cooking techniques like making powders and using siphons, but then moved on to demonstrating traditional techniques such as smoking vegetables.

Starting bright and early at 7:30am, this inaugural Gourmet Gold Experience was a first for the Abu Dhabi golf scene and an added bonus for chefs like Timothy Stanhope of Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri who enjoy golf as exercise. Catch all the action from the green, and the gourmet rest-stops along the way, in our photogallery!

If wine critics were Michelin-guide inspectors, they would give Chef Santi Santamaria’s cuisine three-Michelin-stars. And if Michelin’s inspectors were vino reviewers, they’d undoubtedly rate the wines of Alvaro Palacios near the magical ‘100 point’ mark. Chef Santamaria and winemaker Alvaro Palacios both represent the epitome of Spanish gastronomy — the former steeped in traditional cooking methods and flavours, while the latter is an exponent of the winemaking world’s top technologies and methods. Both are considered masters of their crafts and it is a true privilege that guests of Gourmet Abu Dhabi had the chance to taste the products of such unparalleled,
passionate producers.

As a meeting of minds, sheer talent and decades of experience, the inaugural session of the Gourmet Abu Dhabi Food & Beverage Forum proved to be an engaging and insightful look at the journey to setting up a successful restaurant. Five respected personalities from the global hospitality industry played off each others’ strengths and speeches to deliver a complete forum which members of the local Abu Dhabi hospitality industry certainly gained much from. In fact, who knows…some of the restaurant concepts and ideas tossed about at this inaugural forum might just make it onto the UAE market within the next year! Click on to our video presentations and picture gallery for all the details!

The owner of six restaurants spanning the globe and even two culinary schools, Belgian Chef Yves Mattagne is an entrepreneur and daredevil at heart. Living precariously in the kitchen is a daily activity for Chef Mattagne, who was an early adopter of using liquid nitrogen and siphons. The first dish presented combined elements such as espuma and foams with traditionally cooked ingredients (steamed Norwegian King Crab leg), resulting in an offering which satisfied guests all round. Chef Mattagne’s dessert was a ‘meringue’ — a sugarless and eggless one — whipped up with nothing but fruit and cream, and finished with liquid nitrogen.

Taillevent is the iconic Parisian restaurant considered one of the oldest dining establishments in the world. It has had a star-dusted Michelin-star history, and Chef Alain Soliveres is its latest head of the kitchen. Chef Soliveres blessed his virgin trip to Abu Dhabi with a preparation of two dishes at a culinary masterclass. Presenting a broccoli cream soup and ravioli filled with mascarpone and pecorino cheeses, Chef Soliveres proved his culinary mettle in dishing out Michelin-star worthy fare that hasn’t lost the cooked-from-the-heart touch.

Australia’s Margaret River region, where Leeuwin Estate is located, is bordered on all sides by oceans which give the area a unique microclimate. The ocean temperatures don’t vary more than two degrees Celcuis throughout the year, making the Margaret River region ideal for the cultivation of wine grapes. Across to Europe, we arrive in Belgium (famed for its mussels) where the bountiful ocean also influences Chef Yves Mattagne’s cuisine. Here in Abu Dhabi, both Leeuwin Estate and Chef Mattagne converge at Finz restaurant at the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi — an award-winning Pacific Rim seafood restaurant built right on the beach, on the edge of the Arabian Gulf. At the very first chateau dinner of Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2009, we found out how the ocean’s currents brought together Leeuwin Estate, Chef Yves Mattagne and Finz restaurant in a inspiring oceanic melody.

Santi Santamaria has a policy against doing culinary masterclasses, as he feels he is a bad teacher. He has, however, made an exception for only certain events — namely Gourmet Abu Dhabi and the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore, both organized by his bosom friend Peter A Knipp. Chef Santi believes in imparting the philosophy of true Catalan cooking, and certainly intrigued everyone at the masterclass by using only one basic stock to produce five delectable dishes. He poached, he boiled and he stewed; and he’s doing it all for you.

Lee Keung is the very first Cantonese chef awarded two-Michelin-stars in Hong Kong, but foodies world-wide have known about his culinary prowess for decades. As a master of Cantonese cuisine, Chef Lee remains humble — his most famous dishes, he claims, are home-cooked style dishes such as stir-fries; two of these he has chosen to showcase at his culinary masterclass. However, we’ve tried and tested his abilities at cooking up sublime all-time delicacies such as abalone, shark’s fin and double-boiled superior soups. For these, you’ll have to head out to Shang Palace at the recently-opened Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri.

Englishman Ian Wright lives a life most of us envy. At last count, the only places in the world Wright has not visited are Siberia and Antarctica – and he’ll be heading to Siberia in a couple of months! Indeed, how does one keep with this energetic bloke? Well, you can either catch his shows on the Discovery Travel and Living cable channel, or you can watch him ‘live’ at Gourmet Abu Dhabi…the second option certainly sounds like a better deal! Regaling the audience with embarrassing travel stories, and even one which involved footprints on a toilet ceiling, Wright took us on an adventure through the world…without us having to leave our seats! Flip through our gallery for
the highlights!

As the saying goes: You've got to start off on the right foot. And that's exactly what Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi has accomplished. Its French fine-dining restaurant Bord Eau opened specially for an exclusive group of 12 guests during lunch today, offering them the chance to dine at the acclaimed restaurant while being able to have full access of the restaurant's kitchen and, most importantly, have the full-attention of Chef Gilles Perrin. Chef Perrin in turn warmly invited them to explore his kitchen, ask questions of his staff, and even join in the entire process of dishing out a delectable eight-course menu. With such special guests in his home turf, Chef Perrin couldn't help but throw in a surprise treat - one whole Perigord truffle, generously sliced over pan-seared scallop and lettuce cream. Want to see it now? Well, click on to
our gallery!

Although Chef Marco Sacco did not utter a single word of English during his masterclass, the pint-sized masterchef still made our day. Through his engaging manner and enthusiastic response to every question, Chef Sacco made sure that language was not a barrier as everyone shares a universal love for great cuisine. Feast your eyes on our gallery where Chef Sacco cooks up home-made pasta and impresses with a structured foie gras dish that takes creativity in plating dishes to a higher level.

Norwegian one-Michelin-starred Chef Eyvind Hellstrøm, better known as the godfather of Norway’s most talented culinarians, kick-started the first Gourmet Abu Dhabi culinary masterclass with his inviting style of precision cooking. Chef Hellstrøm introduced Norwegian salmon, halibut and red king crab to guests who were amazed at his mastery of these native Norwegian seafood ingredients. As we learnt today, the Norwegian salmon is best enjoyed when its texture produces a ‘melting’ effect, and that white pepper is Chef Hellstrøm’s preferred spice for seasoning light-flavoured seafoods like shellfish, some fish and crustaceans. Check out our gallery for the
morning’s highlights!

This is an event which has been talked about for months…not just in Abu Dhabi and In Dubai, but throughout all the United Arab Emirates. And with two acclaimed organisations — Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd — coming together to plan and execute this ten-day festival, there was never any doubt the very first event would be a resounding success. Tonight, Gourmet Abu Dhabi’s cast of masterchefs (including the first batch of Michelin-starred culinarians to arrive) gathered under the stars at Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi’s Palace Terrace for a taste of the epicurean feasts on offer at each one of the hosting establishments — Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi, Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi, InterContinental Abu Dhabi and Hilton Abu Dhabi. Click on our event photos to see how all the guests we treated to the first peek at a gastronomic journey still to unfold!

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority is pleased to invite you on a culinary celebration of gourmet cuisine. This launch party heralds the coming of great things for all in the region, and indeed the world.

All great things have a beginning. For Gourmet Abu Dhabi 2009, this was where it started.