George Calombaris returns to Abu Dhabi

Chef george calombaris CREDIT: courtesy george calombaris

MasterChef Australia judge George Calombaris is returning to the capital to cook at Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, as part of the 16-day Gourmet Abu Dhabi culinary festival from February 4 to 19.

During the four-hour, Star Struck Cook & Lunch on February 15 at Eastern Mangroves, Calombaris will take guests through three recipes and then sit down for lunch with his students of the day. Places are limited to 24 guests.

The one-night-only dinner on February 16 at Sofitel follows the Greek-Australian chef's sell-out success at the 2012 festival.

For the 35-year-old Calombaris – who owns six restaurants in Melbourne and one in Mykonos, and draws upon his Greek and Greek-Cypriot heritage in his cooking – returning to Abu Dhabi is thrilling.

"I loved Abu Dhabi the first time round," he says.

"I visited the fish market and it was just incredible. You see could the boats coming in and see the anticipation on the faces of the fishmongers and the fish is super fresh and delicious.

“Abu Dhabi really is wonderful. It's kind of freaky because it's so young in terms of the country yet it feels so rich in terms of culture. You can smell it in the air, feel it in your body.”

He adds: "I also hope this time to incorporate into my recipes some touches of Arabia that I picked up on my last visit there."

Tickets for the Eastern Mangroves lunch are Dh600, while the Sofitel dinner is Dh750 per person. Visit www.gourmetabudhabi.ae for details