Dubai: Filipino celebrity chef Pablo "Boy" Logro, the rags-to-riches TV star who rose to fame with his cooking shows, is looking to set a new milestone in Dubai.
His lofty aim is to spearhead the feeding of multitudes — up to 27,000 participants in a "boodle fight" meal — and thereby set a new Guinness World Record.
At the sea-side, fully air-conditioned mall — which is actually Dubai's new fish and vegetable market — Logro will decide on the seafood items to be served with new record in mind: to host the biggest seafood boodle fight.
According to Seafood Fest UAE’s website, the participants would be from different nationalities, aged 12 and above. They are expected to descend upon Dubai's Waterfront Market in Deira's Hamriya Port as part of UAE's 47th National Day celebrations.
By the numbers
At the venue, about 4,700 tables will be set outdoors, of which some 3,700 tables will be arranged like the UAE flag, following national colours of the Emirates.
Organisers revealed some of the numbers as follows:
■ Red tables: 1,062
■ Green tables: 710
■ White tables: 1,282
■ Black tables: 723
Each table would have between five and seven people. Then, about 1,000 other tables would be lined up around the promenade of the Waterfront Market, said organisers.
Logro, known for his Philippine TV shows Idol sa Kusina and Chef Boy Logro: Kusina Master, was in the UAE on Friday, where he revealed plans to set the new record right here in Dubai.
A “boodle fight” is a military-style eating competition, in which food, piled on top of banana leaves laid out on long tables, is to be eaten with bare hands washed with water from jugs prepared on the side; “eating combat” begins when the signal is given.
World record attempt
The world-record attempt will be one of the highlights of the Seafood Fest UAE 2018, set on November 30 to December 2 at the Waterfront Market, home of Dubai's delectable fresh dishes for global "foodies".
The Seafood Fest UAE will also witness other world-record attempts: the largest waving human UAE flag and the most number of people lighting a glow stick simultaneously.
But more than setting a world record, the Filipino star chef says putting together the seafood fest in the UAE is one of his career's biggest challenges.
As such, Logro and his team have left are leaving no stone unturned.
“Since last year, my team and I have envisioned to have a seafood festival here in the Waterfront Market,” says Logro.
The wide array of seafood choices in the UAE makes the country ideal to host such an event, he added.
“I believe the Waterfront is the right place for the seafood festival," says Logro.
If you haven't visited Dubai's new stylish, fully-airconditioned fish and vegetable market yet, take a peek below:
According to a Philippine diplomat in Dubai, the world-record attempt will seek to introduce the Filipinos' "boodle fight" culture to other nationalities.
"This year we are celebrating 47 years of the UAE and this is one way that the Filipinos and the rest of the ethnicities of the UAE could come together in a table — having everything shared,” says Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes, adding "because the UAE is one society made of all different nationalities and ethnicities."
The world-record attempt for the longest seafood boodle fight will happen on December 1, at dinner time.
Logro's team are preparing to feed up to 27,000 participants from different nationalities. The food standard of the seafood boodle fight will be created by Logro.
Longest boodle fight record attempt
While it will be the first attempt to establish the record for the longest seafood boodle fight, there is already a record for the longest boodle fight.
It was set in Laoag City, Philippines, in 2015. The participants took 30 minutes to consume the food set on tables stretching 4.858 km long.
For the longest table world record, the organisers aim to establish a record length of 4.5 kilometres.
The current world record was set by the Ajman Municipality & Planning Department on June 10, 2018, with the table measuring 2,983.64 metres.
The three-day festival is expected to gather up to 47,000 spectators.
Apart from a showcase of seafood fare, the festival will also feature food shows, play areas for children and other activities at the Waterfront Market.
The organisers aim to hold the festival annually, while some of the proceeds of this year's event will go to UAE charities such as the Emirates Red Crescent Society and Al Jalila Foundation.
What is a "boodle fight"
Boodle fight, which has risen in popularity, is a century-old tradition by the military wherein all participants partake of a meal served on a long table covered with banana leaves. In the military's tradition, diners practice “kamayan" (Tagalog for eating with the hands) and they do not sit in chairs but instead stand in a line on both sides of the table.
Watch this space for the full interview with Chef Boy Logro.
