Abu Dhabi's favourite food, drink and music festival is back!
Now in its third year in a row, this one will satisfy all of your foodie cravings.
The event will be jam packed with the latest, greatest and most exciting restaurants, world class chefs, an incredible line-up of music, tantalising fresh features and over 100 exhibitors.
There are close to 30 chefs participating at the festival this year.
Here is a guide of our top picks of chefs coming to Taste of Abu Dhabi this year.
The celebrity chefs:
1. Jenny Morris
The South African celebrity chef is known for her cooking shows, such as Jenny & Reza’s Fabulous Food Academy, and her bubbly personality. Nicknamed the Giggling Gourmet, Morris also judged the African instalment of Food Network’s popular culinary contest Chopped South Africa. A writer of four cookbooks, she was the first to start a cooking school for non-professional cooks in South Africa.
2. Ed Baines
He is the chef and owner of Randall & Aubin restaurant, champagne and oyster bar in London’s Soho. He has been part of the hugely successful TV show Britain’s Best Dish apart from having dedicated programmes including Lunch with Ed Baines and Ed Baines Entertains. The chef, who believes food is not just for taste but for “fun and entertainment”, has written two cookbooks and is currently working on a third book.
3. Sanjeev Kapoor
He is one of India’s finest and most popular chefs having pioneered food on television in the country. Today he’s known the world over not just for the food he serves but through his own channel, FoodFood, and as one of the judges on the beloved television challenge MasterChef India. In the UAE he has a number of restaurants including Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor, Options and The Yellow Chilli.
4. Pascal Aussignac
The Michelin-starred French chef, restauranteur and executive chef at Club Gascon, draws inspiration from his homeland of Gascony for his cooking. Having trained with French master chefs Gerard Vie, Alain Dutournier and Guy Savoy, Aussignac’s distinct flourishes include edible flowers. He also known to having developed the concept of “small plates” or smaller portions. Not only has he retained the Michelin star for 14 years, he was awarded the Restaurant Chef at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards in 2013.
5. Tarek Ebrahim
He has won several gold and silver medals at culinary competitions and was twice named the Primer Chef of America by the American Dairy Association.
With more than 30 years of cooking experience in the US and the Middle East, he is the star of Fatafeat TV shows 100 Macaroni and Min Misr.
6. Mohamed Orfally
Mohammad, is currently the Head of Culinary Content at the Discovery network’s Fatafeat TV and has hosted three cooking shows on the Fatafeat channel: Matbakhna Al Arabi for three seasons, Modern Arabic Cuisine for 2 seasons and the Hakawi show. He was Born and raised in Aleppo, the gastronomy capital of Syria and Levantine countries, Orfally’s interest in cooking began at a young age, and quickly turned into a passion for food and the culinary world at large —a world he now calls his own.
7. Simon Martin
This talented and larger than life chef is a master craftsman in Craft Guild of Chefs, a corporate chef at AATCO, a culinary consultant to Saudi Arabian Skills sector and City & Guilds of London, and a culinary advisor to Universal Infants Free School Meals Initiative. He was also a judge at both national and international levels including the great taste awards UK.
The Taste the World with Etihad Airways chefs:
8. Scott Bridger
Scott Bridger is the executive chef at Australian restaurant Bib & Tucker and May Street Larder. Chef Bridger’s winning dish was a Fremantle Octopus served with an ink cracker, beetroot skordalia and kohlrabi.
9. Andrea Provenzani
Andrea Provenzani is the executive chef at Il Liberty in Italy. Chef Provenzani’s winning dish was a parmigiana di melanzane.
10. Andre Gerrits
Andre Gerrits is the executive chef at Amsterdammertje in the Netherlands. Chef Gerrits won the prize of the best dish with his Kip & Krab creation.
11. Pascal Aussignac
Pascal Aussignac is the executive chef of the London based restaurant Club Gascon. Chef Aussignac won the Taste the World with Etihad Airways prize in London with his Truffled Slow Cooked Egg dish.
12. Michael Hunter
Michael Hunter is the executive chef of the Toronto based restaurant Antler. Michael was the winner of the Taste the World with Etihad Airways prize in Toronto because of his Spice Ash Crusted Venison Chop dish.
The local Abu Dhabi chefs
13. Ivan Sabol
Ivan Sabol is the executive chef of The Sportsman’s Arms, Abu Dhabi’s first family-friendly gastropub located in Zayed Sports City.
At Taste AD, you will be able to sample Ivan’s delicious dishes including his apple wood smoked beef short rib with sweet potato mash, chipotle glazed chicken wings with cool blue cheese dip, Jacks BBQ sliders as well as everyone’s favourite sticky toffee pudding dessert.
14. Sandeep Ail
Sandeep Ail is the Chef de Cuisine at Punjab Grill, the new fine dining Indian restaurant at the Venetian Village, Abu Dhabi. Stop by the Punjab Grill stand to try some amazing Indian cuisine.
15. Humberto Canales Salinas
Humberto Canales Salinas is the head chef at BU!, one of Abu Dhabi’s most exhilarating new F&B concepts specialising in Latin American cuisine. Stop by the stand at BU! To try authentic pan Latin cuisine.
16. Mohammad Abdelfattah
Mohammad Abdelfattah is the Executive Chef of Original Fusion. Mohammad’s roots and training are in his native Syria and creates mouth-watering dishes that will please the pallet.
17. Stephan Benkendorff
Stephan Benkendorff is the Chef de cuisine, JW Steakhouse and has been a hospitality professional for the last 15 years. Stop by the JW Steakhouse stand for some delicious carnivorous bites.
18. Bouchta Lamnouar
Bouchta Lamnouar is the sous chef at Velocity. He was born and raised in Morocco where he started his culinary journey. Make sure you head over to their stand for some elevated sports bar food. Perfect for when you’re craving something comforting.
19. Sven Mostegl
Sven Mostegl is a baker by passion. He is well-known in the German speaking community, because he offers the rarely found traditional handcrafted German bread and cakes. Anyone craving German ‘Bretzel’ right about now?
