The creme de la creme of the world’s culinary scene descended on Abu Dhabi ahead of the inaugural Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants awards on Monday.
Some of the biggest names in global dining, including the World’s Best Pastry Chef Will Goldfarb, Mena’s Best Female Chef Tala Bashmi, and winner of the Foodics Icon Award for the Mena region Kamal Mouzawak, spoke to 300 excited foodies at the pre-event #50BestTalks.
The interactive afternoon, held at Yas Marina Circuit, included a mix of live interviews, presentations and discussions with the culinary stars who spoke of food’s power at uniting communities across borders.
It is the first time the World’s 50 Best Restaurants group is putting together a list for the Middle East and North Africa, meaning the outstanding restaurants across the countries in the region – from Bahrain and Iraq to Oman and Morocco – will be recognised during the grand ceremony at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers.
Bashmi is one of the chefs hoping her restaurant, Fusions by Tala in Bahrain, will make the list.
“As restaurateurs and chefs, we’ve all been working towards a platform that will allow us to showcase ourselves to the world,” said Bashmi, whose cooking focuses on modern interpretations of Middle Eastern dishes. “We just needed that little beam of light to shine on us and give us that opportunity, because there’s so much greatness in the Mena food scene.
“We’re finally getting the recognition that we deserve and are being put on a level with other chefs who we’ve always looked up to. I’ve always wondered: ‘Am I good enough?’. Now I have 50 Best telling me I am.
“Aside from that, food is an incredible way to connect people, and this is what we’re seeing at the #50BestTalks – people coming together and sharing their food, their culture and their story.”
Also at the event was UAE chef Izu Ani, formerly of LPM and now at the helm of several restaurants in Dubai, including Mediterranean-inspired Gaia. Throughout his 20-year career, Ani has united the region through food and spoke passionately about the potential it has to bring people together regardless of their background.
“Food is the story of our culture, and the Mena region has so much depth and so much flavour,” said Ani. “When you come to this region, you get an incredible culmination of flavours and histories in one place.
“The food carries a story, from where it started and how it started, and that’s the joy of food.
"Food is not [only] about sustenance; it opens our eyes to the world.”
The sentiment was echoed by Mouzawak, who spoke of his efforts to empower Lebanese communities through food. As well as setting up an emergency community kitchen in the aftermath of the deadly blast in Beirut in 2020, Mouzawak runs a series of restaurants across Lebanon that train, employ and champion local women as chefs.
When we have a problem, we cook our way out of it
Will Goldfarb,
winner, World’s Best Pastry Chef
“Good food starts in the home when you invite people to eat and enjoy what you cook. This is the basis of hospitality,” he said. “When you feed someone, you give a piece of yourself to that person. Food is about connecting, it’s about sharing and it’s about inclusion.”
Star of Netflix’s Chef’s Table Goldfarb, famed for his restaurant Room 4 Dessert in Bali, delivered a heartfelt presentation about the healing power of food, inspired by his own health struggles.
“I was diagnosed with soft tissue cancer in 2008, and after radiation and surgery, I went straight back to my old lifestyle and was constantly in and out of hospital,” he said. “Since 2017, I’ve been in a constant state of recovery, starting with the food I eat.”
His innovative approach to dessert creation is combined with his passion for the people of Bali, which also led him to focus on feeding his local community during the pandemic.
“First we heal ourselves, then we heal our team, then we heal the land and then, finally, we heal our communities, simply by cooking a hot meal for them every day,” he said. “Our Room 4 Community project cooks 50,000 meals a year and almost 100 per cent of the food we’ve cooked has been given away.”
Goldfarb has cultivated a 2,800-square-metre garden at his restaurant in Ubud, with 120 medicinal plants that he uses in the restaurant's dishes and drinks.
“Food has incredible healing powers,” he said. “When we have a problem, we cook our way out of it. This is why we all do what we do – to feel that connection with people. There is nothing better than that.”
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
The five pillars of Islam
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
