Annual extravaganza organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi will shine spotlight on culinary talent in the emirate
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has revealed that this year’s Abu Dhabi Culinary Season, the emirate’s annual six-week festival of food, will take place from 1 November to 15 December.
Curated to shine a spotlight on the UAE capital as a global dining hotspot and a home to a diverse and unique culinary landscape, Abu Dhabi Culinary Season 2020 will feature an expansive programme of interactive dining experiences, all adhering to stringent safety measures.
Now in its second year, Abu Dhabi Culinary Season will continue to promote the dining scene in the capital through a diverse six-week programme built on creative dishes and experience innovations by talented local chefs, limited edition menus, exclusive offers and engaging competitions.
In addition to the dozens of new opportunities to explore culinary arts and craftsmanship, coffee experiences, sweets and desserts, and a raft of hidden F&B gems to uncover, this year’s expansive programme will feature the latest chapter of the popular Chef’s Table series, which highlights the array of world-class talent in the emirate’s eclectic F&B fine dining portfolio.
“As a key part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s drive to improve the emirate’s hospitality sector, this year’s Abu Dhabi Culinary Season will deliver inspirational F&B moments for the huge community of foodies across the nation,” said His Excellency Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi. “As we continue with preparations to welcome international visitors back to the emirate, everyone can be assured of our unwavering commitment to globally-recognised health and safety measures that will ensure exciting and safe food experiences, celebrating the multinational brilliance of Abu Dhabi’s iconic food scene.”
Anchored by ‘Art On A Plate’, a new chapter in the year-round Chef’s Table dining series, Abu Dhabi Culinary Season will see ten leading chefs create limited-edition five-course menus that uniquely fuse taste and aesthetics over any traditional approach. Restaurants hosting exclusive menus across the six-week campaign include French-Mediterranean fare at LPM Restaurant, a modern Cantonese 10th anniversary celebration at Hakkasan, Leonardo Da Vinci-inspired dishes at Villa Toscana, and a Japanese Watercolour tribute at Li Jiang.
Talking about the new Art à la carte menu, LPM Restaurant Chef Patron Raphael Duntoye said: “We have chosen a selection of signature dishes and also some of our newly launched creations, which we believe best represent this special project. Guests will experience the true artistic spirit and influences of the South of France: fresh, simple, colourful and inspirational, just like the food at LPM.
“LPM Restaurant is honoured to be part of Abu Dhabi’s Culinary Season and to represent Abu Dhabi as a top dining destination. We hope that we will entice new and old LPM fans throughout the six-week project and showcase some of the new dishes that were added to the a la carte menu this month.”
All participating Chef’s Table restaurants will offer five-course menus featuring artistically styled vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Artistic collaborations are expected to elevate the dining experiences across all restaurants by taking guests on an exploration of the senses.
The Abu Dhabi Culinary Season schedule will see Mirzam, the UAE’s home-grown chocolatiers, launch limited-edition, specially curated treats at their Qasr Al Hosn boutique. The offerings include coffee cups specially designed for the event by Emirati watercolour artist Moaza Matar.
“The history of gahwa preparation in the Emirates is so embedded in the culture, with recipes varying from family to family, and spice mixes differing in each one. Using a family recipe shared with us from Abu Dhabi, we’ve crafted a rich spiced ‘Abu Dhabi Gahwa’ drinking chocolate with saffron, rose, cardamom and coffee,” said Kathy Johnston, Chief Chocolate Officer at Mirzam.
Culinary experiences are also taking over Yas Island, the emirate’s leisure and entertainment destination. Running from 8 until 28 November, the inaugural Yas Flavors will highlight the island’s gastronomic diversity as 40 of the island’s trendiest restaurants will offer three-course menus for AED 99, AED 129 and AED 149 per person. Participating outlets include Mexican favourite Amerigos, burgers and crazy shakes at Black Tap, and authentic Japanese with verdant views of Yas Links at Matsu.
The next generation of food bloggers will also have a chance to shine. The Abu Dhabi Culinary Season will seek out Abu Dhabi’s best foodie storytellers in a public food photography challenge. From delicious dessert shots, to creatively captured moments from kitchen to table, content creators are encouraged to let their creativity run free. Shortlisted entries will also be exhibited at a special event during the six-week culinary celebration.
Elsewhere, diners hunting for Abu Dhabi’s favourite casual hidden gems can join an interactive scavenger hunt through the capital’s leading authentic restaurants to win prizes, while the city’s favourite dessert hotspots – perfect for those with a sweet tooth – will also take centre-stage at Sweetest Things.
Additional Abu Dhabi Culinary Season 2020 partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks. To find out more, please visit: www.adculinaryseason.ae.
