Abu Dhabi's Michelin Guide Food Festival: Where food is a feeling

By seven, most of the outdoor seating areas were occupied, there was laughter and chittering in the air as flashes went off, and all you needed to do for a good meal was to follow your nose.

When the olfactory tool is at your disposal, there’s little chance you will miss the best deals – mine led me to MIKA, a serving of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flare. The meal of choice: Wagyu beef taco with Chimichurri, pickled onion and lime.  The verdict: A silence that’s born in satisfaction, where the meat is butter and the flavour is all you can focus on. The world is a distant memory while you dig in. The taco’s soft shell is a ghost of the carbs that might have stifled the glory of the dish. As it happens, though, the perfectly seasoned Wagyu shines though.

Once we’ve eaten our fill – it’s time to look around The Michelin Guide Food Festival, the third edition, which will be around until tomorrow (Nov 23) at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. Think of this as a carnival by the beach – the water gently laps at the beachy shoreline – with plenty of food, fun, and memory-making moments for the whole family.

Opposite Mika stood a curious semi-circular tunnel of red, with shelving that grew herb shoots. From basil to mint and thyme, the tunnel walked us though the properties of each plant and what it would be good to eat with. The red walls acted as sentry to an olive tree that had been prepped for aesthetic comfort as young children discovered ‘plantable cutlery’. What that means is BloomSpoons offers utensils such as spoons with a smattering of seeds inside them. Anyone – from a child to the elderly – can plant them and watch them grow.”

The red tunnel shrubs were a living example of what you could expect from your gardening project in a week, explained Anamaria Adriano, from Philippines, who gave us a practical demo.

While food battles – comedy skits where chef actors argued about what ingredients should be used more than others – took place on a stage, fellow foodies lined up for the star restaurant tasting-sized bites. Available at affordable rates (most things cost less than Dh100), the line-up included everything from escargot to burgers. Abu Dhabi-based expat Joharra and her husband, who is currently visiting, Howard, were looking forward to the exotic snails. “Whatever we’ve tried so far, we have loved,” said Joharra.

Seafood, too, was a popular choice, with lobsters, fish, and shrimp making it to many menus.

For some, these stalls brought a bite of nostalgia and a need to reminisce about the taste of home. Teachers Nini and Cassie, who were out for a Friday night gallivant stood studying the Hakkasan Dubai menu. “We’ll probably eat this, because we are from China,” they enthused.

For chefs – local and international - it was a time to create food worth a Michelin star and see in real time the impact they were having on everyone’s taste buds.

When we asked chef Ronald Hsu, the James Beard-nominated founder of American restaurant Lazy Betty, which dish from his menu he liked best, he smiled: “Honestly, I think they're all very good, but my favourite is probably this one, the shrimp causa (points to it). I think it is very elegant and while it doesn't look like there's a lot going on, you have very many layers of flavour. You have a shrimp salad at the bottom that's spiced with a little fermented chili, then a very cooling avocado mousse, and then a very rich and unctuous potato foam on top, and then we finish it with the pepper relish. So you get a lot of different flavours and a lot of different textures.”

Meanwhile, chef John Bates, of InterStellar  BBQ, says he turned to his roots for this showcase. “This menu is very much a reflection of like where I grew up, in South Texas. When Michelin asked me to come here and cook barbecue, I was like, ‘Well, we can't have my barbecue pits, these huge metal pits that cook very low and slow.’ So, I decided to cook food that was more typical of where I grew up … that was kind of the starting point.”

He suggests tucking into the lamb chops at his stall.

On either side of a fountain that cuts the food festival into two locations, there are structures that can accommodate a chef creating magic in the kitchen and those who want to attend his or her masterclass. The first one held was by chef Sagar Kalra, who taught us how to make pao bhaji (an Indian street food delicacy made with mixed vegetables and served with a side of well-buttered bread). While this one was for adults, on the other side of the premises stood a masterclass space for kids (each day has two such classes, don’t forget to bring the littles).

Meanwhile, influencers had prized chances to sample their next viral reel. Mr Taster, who has an Insta profile with 2 million followers, gave the nosh at the fest two thumbs up. “I’m really enjoying it,” he told Gulf News.

As friends gathered to survey the offerings, laughing even as they lined up next to gourmand brands that promised a well-thought-out bite, children rushed about – as they will – discovering not only new flavours but also what a carnival of food really looks like. Some would stop for photos with the Michelin Man, while others were on a mission: you see, when you enter The Michelin Guide Food Festival you are given a map. The map points out the locations of the many award-winning restaurants but also offers you a chance, should you try something from each spot, a way to get rewarded. Every restaurant you eat at will give you a sticker and when you’ve collected your pamphlet-full, you will get a surprise present.

The lesson here: come with fat pants – you know the ones, with a little give, so you aren’t left uncomfortable after a good meal (or five) – well broken-in shoes, and an empty belly. Bon appetit!

Don't miss it!

Tickets to the food festival begin at Dh100.