Admit it. Those new year resolutions you clung to for the first half of the month are starting to lose their sheen. It's been weeks since you went near chocolate, and red meat seems like a distant memory. Well, your regimen is about to collapse in spectacular style with the arrival of Gourmet Abu Dhabi, the food festival during which 39 chefs, boasting 22 Michelin stars among them, take up residence in the capital.
Now in its second year, the event has been expanded to 15 days to take in some of Abu Dhabi's newest venues, including the Yas Hotel and the Fairmont Bab al Bahr. World-renowned chefs, including Alain Passard, Claude Bosi, Regis Marcon and Suzanne Tracht will deliver specially designed menus. And foodies will have the chance to learn from the pros at a series of culinary masterclasses on cuisine from Thailand, Germany, India and Australia.
For those who aren't yet ready to leap off the new-year-resolution wagon, there is still every reason to join in: several chefs who champion healthy cuisine are among the personalities attending. Passard, a chef with three Michelin stars who will be hosted by Bord Eau at the Shangri-La hotel, removed red meat from his menu in 2001, and is renowned for his innovative use of vegetables. All the food for his Paris restaurant, L'Arpège, is sourced from an organic garden located outside the city.
The Cantonese chef Tam Kwok Fung, who will be hosted at the Shang Palace at the Shangri-La hotel, uses the power of herbs and traditional Chinese medicine in his cooking. Based in Macau, he runs restaurants at the Lung Hin and Treasure Palace hotels. And Heinz Winkler, a two-starred German chef who will be hosted at Mezzaluna at the Emirates Palace hotel, incorporates the medicinal properties of herbs and plants in his food at his Bavarian restaurant Residenz Heinz Winkler.
Healthy cuisine is now much higher up many chefs' list of priorities, says Fung. "In China we see more people getting educated about what they should be eating. They are more concerned about health issues and aren't just looking for nice flavours but also the quality of the ingredients." Cantonese cuisine typically uses traditional Chinese medicine, he says. "We use different kinds of vegetables and herbs that can help keep your body in balance according to yin and yang."
Dishes must change according to the season. "For instance, now it is winter in southern China, so we eat a lot of warm dishes like lamb or soup. Whereas in the summer, we will have a lot of fruit and herbs." Using the best quality and freshest ingredients is crucial. "People are looking for materials that are as natural as possible. For example, in our kitchen, we use Wagyu beef even in wok-fried or stir-fried noodles. And in our Szechuan-style stir-fry, we will source the string beans from Kenya."
Environmental concern has also contributed to this shift in mentality, Fung says. "In the 1970s and 1960s, people in China, if they had a lot of money, they would look for hard-to-find materials. But now less and less people are putting shark fin or blue fin tuna on the menu." For Winkler, who started using herbs and aromatic plants in his cooking in 1988, the health benefits are numerous. "Active substances are good for digestion," he says, "and make a more vital life possible."
These chefs should have no problems sourcing ingredients since Abu Dhabi Organics, the emirate's first and only internationally certified organic farm, is planning to allow them access to its farm to harvest what they need. Established 10 years ago, the farm received certification in 2007. Several Abu Dhabi supermarkets now stock its produce, including the farm's first stand-alone grocery store, Mazaraa, which opened in the Mushrif area last year.
"The idea is that the chefs can choose whatever they like," said a company spokesman, "and serve it to the public." The farm has grand plans to serve as a model for the rest of the emirate. "We want to encourage all farmers to convert to organic and help to supply the local market because one project cannot feed everyone," he said. Medicinal herbs and organic vegetables aside, it wouldn't be a food festival without the opportunity for at least a little gluttony. At the other end of the scale, master patissiers including Pierre Hermé, Carles Mampel, Loretta Fanella and Vincent Bourdin are hosting chocolate and pastry workshops (February 14), while chocoholics can enjoy a chocolate dinner (February 16) in which every course contains the cocoa bean in some guise.
For novelty value, the Canadian chef and television presenter Bob Blumer, best known for his series Glutton for Punishment and The Surreal Gourmet, will host A Surreal Evening with Bob Blumer (February 7) and a surreal masterclass (February 8) in which he will teach participants how to make chicken popsicles and other bizarre concoctions. And those desperate to get a glimpse of the eighth floor of the Emirates Palace, traditionally reserved only for royalty, will finally get their chance at the Royal Dinner (February 9), a feast of Arabic cuisine prepared by hosting chefs. Here is a glance at the festival's highlights:
Alain Passard February 6-19, Bord Eau, Shangri-La hotel The French chef and owner of the three-star restaurant L'Arpège in Paris is one of the festival's biggest draws. He will be serving up some of his signature dishes at the Shangri-La's French restaurant. Claude Bosi, February 6-19, Pearls & Caviar, Shangri-La hotel Having trained under Passard and Alain Ducasse, Bosi opened his two-star restaurant Hibiscus in Shropshire, England, in 2000 before relocating from France to London in 2007. His style is innovative and contemporary but not without a nod to the past.
Heinz Winkler, February 6-19, Mezzaluna, Emirates Palace hotel The German chef and champion of food's medicinal qualities will be serving some of his signature dishes at the hotel's Italian restaurant. Mehmet Gok, February 6-19, Atayeb, Yas Hotel>/b> Gok is based at The Four Seasons hotel in Istanbul. He will offer gems of Ottoman cuisine at the hotel's Middle Eastern restaurant. Suzanne Tracht, February 6-19, Rodeo Grill, Beach Rotana
The owner of the acclaimed Los Angeles steakhouse Jar, will be serving up steaks and other global cuisine. Tam Kwok Fung, February 6-19, Shang Palace, Shangri-La hotel Those in need of some body balance can head to the Shangri-La's Chinese restaurant, where the Hong Kong-born chef will cook contemporary Cantonese cuisine, which incorporates elements of traditional Chinese medicine. Chocolate Dinner, February 16, 7-11pm, Yas Island Rotana, Dh850
Don't kid yourself; chocolate isn't just for pudding. Experience it in both sweet and savoury form at this dinner presented by a host of chocolate and pastry chefs. Domaine Michel Gros with Masterchef Claude Bosi, February 11, 8-11pm, Shangri-La Hotel, Dh850 Enjoy dinner cooked by the French masterchef. Foie Gras Dinner: Egon Muller-Scharzhof with Dieter Kaufmann, February 12, 8-11pm, Crowne Plaza, Yas Island, Dh850 The acclaimed German chef will serve up a foie gras dinner. Charlie Trotter Presents Game Cuisine, February 17, 7-11pm, Emirates Palace hotel, Dh950 The American chef is back for the second year, this time with a dinner featuring different kinds of game.
Admission to masterclasses is free but reservations are required. Bob Blumer, February 8, 1.30-3pm, Armed Forces Officers Club
Learn how to make a fillet of beef that looks like a cupcake and other weird and wonderful creations from the TV chef and personality - and king of surreal cuisine. Roy Yamaguchi, February 8, 9.30-11am, Armed Forces Officers Club The TV personality and chef gives tips on how to deliver his signature Hawaiian infused cuisine. Regis Marcon, February 11, 11am-12.30, Armed Forces Officers Club Another three-starred chef, so don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best chefs of his generation.
Chocolate and Pastry Workshop, February 14, 9.30-5.30, Armed Forces Officers Club, Dh174 Immerse yourself in a world of sugar at this masterclass hosted by world-class pastry chefs including Loretta Fanella, Vincent Bourdin and Pierre Hermé. Alain Passard, February 16, 11am-12.30pm, Armed Forces Officers Club It's unlikely that you will get the opportunity again to learn from this renowned master of French cooking.
Gourmet Safari, February 8, 6.30-11pm, Crowne Plaza Yas Island, Stills European Bar & Brasserie, Radisson Blu Hotel
If you haven't yet discovered Yas Island's culinary gems, this is the way to do it. Each course will take you to a new venue on Yas Island.
Gourmet Golf Experience, February 18, 1-9pm, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Dh500 (members), Dh750 (non-members)
Golf has never tasted so good. Work your way around the course with a different course and vintage to enjoy at each hole.
Gourmet Abu Dhabi runs from February 5-19. For reservations or more information visit www.gourmetabudhabi.ae.