What’s a food you can’t stand? A food you can’t live without? A food you’re looking forward to trying out in the UAE?
UB40’s Ali Campbell and Boyzlife’s Keith Duffy take our Taste of Abu Dhabi quiz and answer all our burning culinary questions ahead of their headlining musical performances on November 7 and 8 (respectively) at du Arena, Yas Island. Happy eating — err, reading.
What can people expect from your set in Abu Dhabi?
Ali Campbell: We’re headlining Taste of Abu Dhabi on Thursday evening and we will be performing a set of the greatest hits, a few from the new album ‘A Real Labour of Love’ and some of the old favourites including ‘Food for Thought’, ‘One In Ten’ and ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.’ We are really looking forward to performing.
Keith Duffy: At Taste of Abu Dhabi, we have prepared a set which will consist of the No 1 songs from our careers in Boyzone and Westlife.
What are you currently working on and what’s next from you?
Campbell: We’re working on writing a new album this year as well as being busy touring around the world.
Duffy: We have currently just finished an album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, based in London, including five of our favourite Boyzone songs and five Westlife songs.
What foods are you most looking forward to sampling at Taste of Abu Dhabi?
Campbell: We’re looking forward to tasting some authentic Emirati cuisine and hoping to get our hands on some baklava whilst we’re in Abu Dhabi.
Duffy: I personally love all Asian cuisines so I’m hoping to try everything on offer.
Is there a food you’ve tried before and immediately regretted?
Duffy: I try to taste every traditional dish from every country I visit, sometimes that’s not always good.
Campbell: It would have to be sea urchins in the South Pacific. It is the strongest tasting thing I have ever had and the taste was revolting.
What’s a food that everyone seems to love, but you can’t get behind?
Duffy: The only food that I couldn’t get a taste for was sushi, however, over the course of the last year I’ve started to actually love it.
Campbell: Sweet potato fries.
If you could pick one dish as your speciality to cook, what would it be?
Campbell: I love to cook a ragu for bolognese or lasagne. It’s a secret recipe.
Duffy: I love to cook a nice hot chilli con carne.
Finally, if you can only eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Duffy: If I had to eat a food type every day for the rest of my life I’d like to say KFC. But realistically thinking, it would probably have to be fruit.
Campbell: It’s a hard one but probably Red Snapper (escoviche or fried) with plantain.
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The details
UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro are an English reggae and pop band; originally, UB40 formed in 1978. Boyzlife is a supergroup comprised of two former members of boy bands — Keith Duffy of Boyzone and Brian McFadden of Westlife. The pair came together in 2016. Tickets to Taste of Abu Dhabi start from Dh60 online.
