Kibbeh to kunafa: 7 Arabic dishes and desserts to try at the Chef’s Table dining series in Abu Dhabi


Panna Munyal
  • English
  • Arabic

From Dunes to Oceans is the theme for this month's Chef's Table dining series, part of the second instalment of Abu Dhabi Culinary Season, an initiative organised by the capital's Department of Culture and Tourism. Running until Thursday, October 15, the food festival brings to the table 10 five-course set menus put together by restaurants around Abu Dhabi.

Beef carpaccio at Marco Pierre White
Beef carpaccio at Marco Pierre White

Each limited-time menu is meant to feature dishes that embrace Khaleeji heritage and regional flavours. So while you’ll still find Indian mezze at Namak by Kunal Kapur and all kinds of carpaccio at Mare Mare and Marco Pierre White, it’s the Arabic dishes that are the true stars of this culinary show. Here are some to sample.

Fishmarket

The InterContinental hotel Abu Dhabi restaurant has been serving its fare for more than 30 years, and its Emirati-inspired menu by chef Muhammad Luthfi supports the local farming community. On offer at this chef's table are bzar-rubbed hammour fillet, made of the quintessential Emirati spice mixture of roasted cumin, peppercorn, fennel, cinnamon, coriander and dried red chilli, and served with green lime and coriander aioli; and luqaimat and date cake, made with khalas dates sourced from a farm in Al Ain, and served with pistachio ice cream and edible rose petals.

Hoi An

Chef Ninh sought inspiration from Bedouin food, which he explains was cooked on an open fire and with a lot of spices owing to the region’s proximity and trade ties with India. These he combines with Vietnamese flavours such as herbs, soy, and chilli, and South East Asian cooking methods, to present Arabic-spiced beef rice paper rolls stuffed with muhammara, spinach leaf and mint. The prune and pistachio mahalabia, meanwhile, packs a powerful flavour punch, with a side of mango sticky rice and lemon sorbet.

Rosemary

The versatile Swiss chef Yvan Marclay of Bab Al Qasr Hotel presents Arabic-inspired soups and desserts on his wide-ranging menu. The former includes shorba laham with lamb and vegetables; lentil-roasted tomato soup with saffron; and chicken harees soup. Desserts are Umm Ali with rosewater cream; and kunafa in cannoli form with dry fruits and pistachio cream.

Kunafa cannoli at Rosemary
Kunafa cannoli at Rosemary

The must-try dish from this menu, though, is the awamat. The Lebanese doughnut balls are filled with dates, nut paste, blood orange soup and basil ice cream.

Sambusek

The limited-time menu was created by Rosewood Abu Dhabi’s executive Arabic chef Emad Zalloum, who launched the signature Lebanese restaurant in 2012 and oversees the Arabic cuisine across the hotel. Unlike the other participating restaurants, which serve a mix of Indian, Asian and Italian cuisine alongside the Arabic, most of the dishes on Sambusek’s menu are from within the region. However, chef Zalloum particularly recommends kibbe stuffed with minced beef, pine seeds and pomegranate molasses (a vegetarian option comes with fried eggplant and walnuts); and the traditional halawa trabolsyeh.

The Chef’s Table dining series, part of Abu Dhabi Culinary Season, runs until Thursday, October 15. In addition to the ones mentioned above, participating restaurants include Bentley Kitchen, Tori No Su and Tamba. The set menus are priced from Dh350 and reservations can be made by calling the individual restaurants

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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Cofe

Year started: 2018

Based: UAE

Employees: 80-100

Amount raised: $13m

Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group 

The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

MATCH INFO

Manchester City 4 (Gundogan 8' (P), Bernardo Silva 19', Jesus 72', 75')

Fulham 0

Red cards: Tim Ream (Fulham)

Man of the Match: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group H

Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)

Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

HAJJAN
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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Salah in numbers

€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of 39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.

13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.

57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.

7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.

3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.

40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.

30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.

8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.

While you're here
NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

MATCH INFO

New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)

England 155 (19.5 ovs)

New Zealand win by 21 runs

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Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Tour de France 2017: Stage 5

Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km

It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.

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