The 9th annual Taste of Dubai festival is in full swing at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.
Thousands of foodies poured through the gates on opening night to get a taste of the nearly 20 featured restaurants and the dozens of food vendors and exhibitors. Celebrity chefs hosted cookery demonstrations throughout the night and will continue to share their culinary secrets throughout the weekend.
There are plenty of newbies among the restaurants at this year’s festival including Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay; Vesna; The Croft; Bistro Des Arts and Catch Dubai. Across the board, the portions seem smaller than in years past – but it’s a good change given the amount of food on offer. With the smaller portions, you can save room for more bites.
The Taste of Dubai runs March 11 until midnight and March 12 until 11pm. Standard tickets are available online at tasteofdubaifestival.com/tickets for Dh75 or at the door for Dh90. VIP tickets are available for Dh240 online or Dh260 at the door.
The restaurants have put their best food forward, each bringing a sampling of their most popular dishes to the festival. After eating too much food from too many restaurants, Stacie Overton Johnson found her favourite bites.
The gourmet duck burger from Bistro Des Arts is, without a doubt, the best dish I had. The flavour-packed duck and confit patty along with a generous portion of pan-seared foie gras are set atop a heap of caramelised onions that added just the right amount of sweetness. It's served in a toasted brioche bun. Don't miss it.
Price: Dh30
I loved the deviled chicken skewers with blue cheese dip from The Croft. Executive chef Darren Velvick says this dish is his take on Buffalo chicken wings. It is very reminiscent, but trust me when I say Velvick's version is better. The chunks of chicken are incredibly tender, drowning in a sauce made with cayenne pepper, tabasco sauce, chilli powder and butter "to balance it out," says Velvick. The blue cheese dip is made with English stilton cheese and sour cream. You won't be disappointed.
Price: Dh15
I'm not a fan of pasta so I was reluctant to try the mushroom pasta from Catch Dubai, but the staff on hand assured me it's one of their signature items in the restaurant. And now I know why. The thick spaghetti noodles are simple, but the sauce that spaghetti is drenched in is anything but. Made with enoki and button mushrooms, the sauce is heavy on butter, cream and truffle oil (it might be what dreams are made of). It's rich, smooth and bursting with flavour. It's a small portion, but it's all you need given the richness of this dish.
Price: Dh30
I was eager to try the famous shepherd's pie at Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay and it didn't disappoint. This little pot of decadence is packed with incredibly well-seasoned lamb that's been braised for at least seven hours; onions; diced veggies and a smashed potato topping. There's also a Parmesan crust, dusted with a sprinkle of parsley-brioche bread crumbs. This is shepherd's pie, done right.
Price: Dh30
For something on the spicy side, head over to Sonamu Korean restaurant and pick up an order of dakkochi (Korean skewered chicken street food). These two chicken skewers come slathered in a Korean chilli paste sauce, sesame seeds and slices of green onion. The spicy sauce is the star here - the chicken just acts as the vehicle to deliver it to your mouth. Don't ignore the little pile of pickled cabbage and carrots under the skewers – it's excellent.
Price: Dh30
sjohnson@thenational.ae
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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