Our annual holiday to Abu Dhabi was booked early in 2015 and at that time I had no idea it would coincide with the taste of Abu Dhabi food festival 2015. Upon finding out the great news, I knew my attendance would have to be compulsory, as this show is every foodies dream.
Another draw card was the line up of international chefs that would be in attendance. I was especially looking forward to meeting the proudly South African chef, Siba Mtongana, and I was fortunate to meet her in person. Such a warm and friendly person!
Upon entering the food extravaganza, I knew I could spend the entire day there, but with 2 little kids in tow, 3 hours would have to do.
Crowds were lined up to taste the finest of Abu Dhabi cuisine from their 25 best restaurants.
With all the food being halal and each restaurant having so many dishes to offer, we were not sure where to begin!
My husband and I sampled as much as we could eat, and probably consumed a days worth of calories in 2 hours!
We started with one of our favorites, Caramel, and sampled the Kobe beef sliders and the TNT shrimp, which were both heavenly. The soft sweet bun and authentic beef patty topped with balsamic onions was divine.
Next we sampled the delicacies from Peppermill Abu Dhabi. They specialize in Indian cuisine and their food didn’t disappoint as well. The butter chicken in a tomato gravy with a raisin pulao was good and their legendary DJ bun kabab was yummy as well. A soft bao bun filled with chargrilled chicken/lamb, mint mayonnaise and masala potato chips…I’m feeling for some right now!
Read below for a Walnut Pesto version of this delicious street food!
Next up was another favourite of ours whilst living in Dubai. Authentic Italian cuisine from Carluccios. The shredded beef gnocchi was amazing, perfectly cooked gnocchi in a creamy tomato beef ragu.
Fortunately, the portions are a sample size, which allows you to taste a little of everything at the show.
It was time to move on to desserts and I had done my research from beforehand on the popular sweet treats.
We definitely had to visit Le crème brulee Maison. Since creme brulee is a favourite family dessert, this place was dessert heaven. Over 10 different flavours of creme brulee, we were spoilt for choice. We settled on the original vanilla bean, made with the original recipe based on the classic by the master Francious Massioulet. Every spoonful was pure indulgence and was definitely the best version of the dessert we have eaten.
Our stomachs were literally bursting and this meant time for us to head on home, but as we were walking towards the exit, the intoxicating aroma of Holland House Mini Pancakes had drawn me in. These little bites of heaven are Dutch pancakes that are incredibly soft and fluffy. Each serving is floating in a Nutella sauce…decadent!
These were the kids favourite as well.
And just as I thought I couldn’t possibly eat any more, I passed an exhibitor that makes different flavours of chocolate molten cake. Being a chocoholic, this was irresistible.
Aptly known as Molten Me, they specialize in these small, rich cakes oozing with chocolate lava, and offer them in numerous flavours. You can get a milk/white chocolate or red velvet base with a variety of flavours like pistachio, cookies and cream, lemon, hazelnut, etc. I was definitely not going to pass on this, and I chose the hazelnut to accompany back to my hotel to enjoy later on. It was incredibly rich and decadent, and definitely a treat for special occasions.
The Taste of Abu Dhabi was by far the best food show that I have been to, and I would have liked to taste a lot more that was on offer. Nevertheless, a definite treat for the tastebuds. If luck has it, maybe I will be back for the Taste of Abu Dhabi 2016 (wink wink)
The trip to the UAE was a food lovers dream come true and after eating some of the most delicious food, I was inspired with some great ideas to prepare new creations in my kitchen.
One such dish, was the DJ Bun Kabab from Peppermill Abu Dhabi.
I have adapted this dish by using available products and ingredients to suit my family’s taste. Hope you will give it a try!
