LIVE BLOG: Latest on Expo 2020 Dubai here
Gal Ben-Moshe, the owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Prism in Berlin, has flown into the UAE especially for Expo 2020 Dubai.
However, the Israeli chef will only spend two days in total at the world's fair, because he has one job — to cook an exclusive nine-course meal for 30 guests, at the Expo's Jubilee restaurant.
“It's quite overwhelming — it's great fun, but there's a lot to do to prepare,” said Chef Ben-Moshe, who is known for his modern Arabic style of dishes and was awarded his Michelin star in March 2020.
“I don't think you can walk into Expo without your jaw dropping 10 times, this place is spectacular. You can't go anywhere without being in awe.”
Expo is an opportunity to see places that you will not normally see
Gal Ben-Moshe,
chef-owner of Prism
Chef Ben-Moshe's last visit to Dubai was for the Gulfood trade fair in February, which felt like the antithesis of the lockdown that had been introduced in Germany to mitigate the impact of the second wave of the pandemic.
“I remember it looked to me like a foreign planet — suddenly being with people, going out to restaurants, getting served food by waiters,” he said.
“We take so much stuff for granted — it felt quite emotional.”
Shortly after feeding 30 people, Chef Ben-Moshe must return home to run his restaurant, and he regrets his flying visit to Expo 2020 is so short.
“I haven't had time to go into the pavilions — I would have loved to,” he said.
“I'm not a typical Israeli. Expo is an opportunity to see places that you will not normally see. So, I have a lot of Palestinian friends and I think for me to go to the Palestinian pavilion would be something that is almost obligatory, if I had the time.
“And one of my dreams is to cook Lebanese food, or even just to visit Lebanon, so I guess going to the Lebanese pavilion is kind of like a close second.”
Camel's milk and honey
Chef Ben-Moshe is the first of dozens of Michelin-starred guest chefs who will be visiting the world's fair over the next six months to cook for the Jubilee Gastronomy Chef’s Table.
International chefs will prepare a four-course lunch (from Dh795) and a premium nine-course degustation dinner menu (from Dh2,500), while renowned local chefs will create a nine-course tasting menu for dinner (from Dh795).
The dishes Chef Ben-Moshe will be preparing are rooted geographically in the Levant and use locally sourced ingredients with a Mediterranean twist.
These include milk and honey — a dish created using camel's milk custard, honey ice cream, Earl Grey tea and black truffles, and grouper cooked with unripe grapes and local grains, served with roasted leeks and a spicy, chilli sauce prepared with local shrimps.
Next up this month are Kim Joinie-Maurin of French Riviera fame on October 13, and on October 14, Vineet Bhatia — who runs Indya by Vineet in Dubai, as well as heading the Michelin-starred Rasoi franchisee — will cook for a lucky few.
Bookings are essential, and can be made by contacting 04 317 7120 or book.jubilee@gatesdxb.com.
Dishes at the Jubilee Gastronomy Chef’s Table - in pictures
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
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