Abu Dhabi: As the three-day Taste of Abu Dhabi (November 10-12) gets under way at Zayed Sports City, we speak to three star attractions:
Chef Tarek Ibrahim
Award winning and internationally renowned Egyptian chef Tarek Ibrahim developed his passion for cooking at a young age and went to become a highly respected teacher in culinary art at the Arts Institutes International Minnesota from 1999 to 2005.
Star of Fatafeat TV shows 100 Macaroni and Min Misr, he is currently working as corporate chef for Meat and Livestock Australia. His cooking is influenced by both eastern and western cultures.
Excerpts from an interview:
Why did you become a chef? Who was your inspiration?
The biggest inspiration was my mother, my grandmother and the Egyptian cuisine they cooked every day. My mother was an excellent cook. In the US, they called me ‘Chef From Scratch’ because I used to do everything from scratch. My greatest inspiration was chef Thomas Keller. His techniques and perspective on things inspired me greatly. I get an adrenaline rush whenever I enter the kitchen. I love everything about my profession.
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I started as a pastry chef and I hold a valid commercial pilot licence. However, I choose cooking over flying because of the joy of doing it. But thanks to my cooking profession I have been able to travel around the world.
What can we expect from you at Taste of Abu Dhabi?
It is a surprise. I am going to show some of my recipes and I will also be cooking together with my friend chef Mohammad Orfali. I will be teaching and challenging people in making the perfect omelette and steak through my Masterchef Classes.
What prompted you to be part of Taste of Abu Dhabi?
With all humility and modesty, as a celebrity chef we always like people seeing us on TV, but there’s a huge distance between us and the viewers. Being in the midst of people and cooking in front of them brings me closer to my fans. And that’s why I really enjoy doing this event.
What’s your signature style? My cooking technique is mostly made up of simple food combinations that nobody thought of before. I always like to let food bring out its flavour. Instead of hiding the flavour, I try to highlight it.
Which are your favourite restaurants?
Zuma, Nusert and La Petite Maison.
Chef Mohammad Orfali
Syrian-born Mohammad Orfali is a restaurateur and head of culinary content at the Discovery network’s Fatafeat TV – 24-hour, free-to-air cooking television channel based in the UAE.
Orfali specialises in Aleppian cuisine and contemporary Arabic cuisine, and is the leading Arab proponent of molecular gastronomy. He is also credited with hosting the Middle East’s first Arabic gastronomy cooking show.
What inspired you to be a chef?
My passion for food guided me towards making a career in this field. The greater part of my “experience” came from reading books and keeping up-to-date with the works of great chefs such as René Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, Heston Blumenthal, Ferran Adrià, Grant Achatz and Joan Roca.
You are trained in many cuisines yet you chose to stick with the Syrian cuisine. Why?
Initially, I was only interested in French and other international cuisines. But I realised that I will never make French or Italian food the same way as a native chef, just as a French or Italian chef will never be able to cook Aleppian food as well as I do.
Also, while the cuisine of Aleppo is quite famous in the Levant, Middle East and Turkey, it remains mostly unknown to the rest of the world. That was at the core of my decision to showcase Aleppian cuisine to the world.
What are your signature dishes?
‘Puffed bulgur crackers with labneh and avocado puree’ and ‘Freekeh risotto with sous vide lamb shanks’.
What is your favourite meal?
Burger is my all time favourite.
What can we expect from you at Taste of Abu Dhabi?
I will be participating as the judge for the segment Cooking Challenge. I will also be conducting three cooking demonstrations with my friend chef Tarek Ibrahim.
Chef Ed Baines
If you are a fine dining devotee, take note of what British celebrity chef Ed Baines has to say.
“Cooking is not about creating a Taj Mahal on a plate. Over-emphasis on presentation is an approach behind the times,” said Baines, who owns the Randall & Aubin restaurant.
Speaking to XPRESS, Baines said the latest food movement taking over the culinary business is ‘premium casual dining,’ which is all about using premium products but cooking in a casual fun way. “You will see the new style in my demonstrations at Taste of Abu Dhabi. The new philosophy is to cook well and be consistent,” said the chef who is a star attraction at the three-day food festival.
Baines said taste and smell matter the most when cooking.
“These are the two most nostalgic feelings people attach to a restaurant. Now cooking is all about bringing happy thoughts.
“Those in the industry who are sophisticated and knowledgeable have realised that cooking is about message and mentality. If the taste is good, everything else will take care of itself. There is no need to spend hours on presentation,” said Baines.
