Abu Dhabi Foodie News: Villa Toscana’s mushroom festival, Market Kitchen’s new cookery classes and Benihana’s golden nugget

Sea bass with mango salsa and fresh arugula leaves prepared by the chefs during Market Kitchen’s Saturday masterclass. Courtesy Stacie Overton Johnson

Villa Toscana in the St Regis Abu Dhabi will launch La Sagra del Porcini this Saturday. A sagra is a local food festival and the porcini is an earthy, delicate mushroom that is a staple of Tuscan cuisine. Head chef Stefano Viola has designed a set menu of dishes featuring the porcini including pan-fried scallops with green apple purée and porcini carpaccio and beef tartar with diced porcini on burrata mousse with black truffle. The special porcini menu, which starts at Dh375, will be available from this Saturday through November 1. Dinner is served at Villa Toscana nightly from 7pm to 11pm. For reservations, call 02 694 4553.

In other St. Regis Abu Dhabi news, their newly opened restaurant called The Terrace on the Corniche (which replaced Rhodes 44) has just launched a brunch offering. Starting at Dh295, the brunch features live cooking stations along with other brunch favourites — seafood, grilled meats, desserts and more. From 12:30pm to 3pm. For reservations, call 02 694 4553.

Le Royal Meridien’s Market Kitchen is launching a new masterclass this Saturday, which should delight every food-lover in the capital. The 4-hour masterclasses include trips to the fish and vegetable markets with the Market Kitchen chefs, where they can advise on how to choose fish and produce. Guests pay for their own fish and vegetables, then return to Market Kitchen where the chefs whip up a variety of dishes using the food purchased at the market. Guests learn many helpful cookery tips along the way. There is no set cost to the class. At the end of the meal, guests simply pay for what they think the class is worth. You can read about my experience (with more details on the masterclass) in Sunday’s Arts&Life edition. The masterclasses will be held every Saturday starting at 10:30am. For more information, call 02 674 2020.

Rotana’s Benihana restaurants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are celebrating their 50th anniversary this November with a variety of special promotions. They will offer a golden anniversary platter made up of four classic Benihana dishes. The platter will also include the Golden Nugget, a limited edition sushi created for the anniversary. With every order of the platter (Dh50), guests will have a chance to qualify for the Golden Draw to win a 5-night stay at the Salalah Rotana Resort in Oman. Groups of five or more will get a complimentary anniversary platter. Benihana restaurants can be found in the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi as well as the Al Bustan Rotana and Amwaj Rotana in Dubai.