Today’s your last chance to get to the capital’s first Taste of Abu Dhabi festival. The three-day event kicked off Thursday night to an eager — and hungry — crowd. Celebrity chefs gave entertaining cookery presentations in the chef’s theatre and they cooked with guests in the cookery school. There were mimes, jugglers, movies, live music and more. This festival truly has something for everyone. But the star of the Taste of Abu Dhabi is — and should be — the food. Each of the 18 participating restaurants served about four different dishes, so finding the festival’s best bites was no easy task. Here are the dishes you don’t want to miss:
Lemon quinoa salad from Nolu's Cafe — Filled with quinoa, pomegranate seeds, corn, parsley, a bit of feta cheese and slices of lemon rind, this dish is zesty and refreshing. This is what eating healthy tastes like. And it's delicious.
Handmade spinach and ricotta ravioli from Villa Toscana — this is a great example of something that tastes a lot better than it looks. It's just a single green ravioli (it will be difficult to convince a kid to try this). But rest assured, it's worth the Dh30 for this dish. This little pasta pocket is packed with spinach and creamy, sweet, salty cheese. It almost didn't need the marinara sauce it came with.
TNT Shrimp from Caramel — Four big, crispy prawns coated in a delicate batter, topped with Japanese mayo that was only slightly spicy. I went back for seconds.
Croquettes from Flooka — Croquettes are small fried balls that can be stuffed with a variety of fillings. Flooka's version comes packed with prawns and gruyere cheese. They were so crispy on the outside that the smooth, soft centre came as a surprise. They were rich, creamy and moreish.
Sayadiyah from Flooka — The kingfish in this fish and rice dish is thick, flaky and mild. It's set on a mound of brown rice with slivered almonds and pine nuts. The crunchy nuts were a great contrast to the soft fish. This dish has been popular with the crowds at Taste.
Chicken tikka from Avasa — I've eaten a lot of overdone (and dried out) chicken in chicken tikka dishes. Avasa's version is done so well, it deserves a mention. The barbecue chicken — marinated in cloves, red chilli, mint and more — is tender and juicy. Word spread quickly about how good this was and people have been lining up at the festival to get a taste.
Baby cornfed chicken from Safina — This is my favourite dish at the festival. People were crowding around the stall to get their hands on Safina's Wagyu sliders. But, with a recommendation from the manager, I chose the chicken. I'm glad I did. The succulent chicken legs were served with crunchy celery, mushrooms and polenta — it's a rich, creamy combintation bursting with flavor. This dish alone is enough to get me to Safina, a restaurant I've yet to try.
If you've not yet been to the Taste festival, you still have a chance. The festival at du Arena runs today from noon to 10pm. You can buy tickets at the door for Dh80. Once you're inside, dishes range from Dh15 to Dh30. For more information, visit www.tasteabudhabi.com
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
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The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
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'Peninsula'
Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ra
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Rating: 2/5
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5