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Food carnival set to become vibrant gourmet affair
Food carnival set to become vibrant gourmet affair 20 February 2014 Dubai Food Carnival tickets priced at Dh30 for adults, while children under 12 enter free. The two-day Dubai Food Carnival at Dubai Festival City from Friday set the ball rolling for the 23-day Dubai Food Festival organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE). The star-studded food and beverage event at the Outdoor Events Arena of Dubai Festival City is made up of many mouth-watering portions giving foodies the opportunity to tuck into a diverse selection of cuisines, interact with celebrity chefs and indulge in a number of family-themed activities including cooking demos, culinary master classes, workshops, food samplings, competitions and comedy shows. Meanwhile, to encourage as many families as possible to enjoy the vibrant gourmet affair, Dubai Food Carnival has launched a special offer on admission prices. Tickets are now priced at Dh30 for adults, while children under 12 enter free. Just for starts, the opening day will be ushered in by a colourful carnival parade at the 360° stage, which will host the bulk of the entertainment acts, followed by live appearances by famous Sumo wrestlers, fun activities and a series of demonstrations and appearances by renowned chefs and food personalities. Commenting on the carnival’s exciting weekend calendar of events, Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions and Events Department, DWTC, said: “The Dubai Food Carnival will shine the spotlight on Dubai as a city where diverse cuisines and culinary arts are inspired by the multitude of cultures living in and visiting the Emirate, as well as our world-class portfolio of home-grown and international food brands. With more than 100 participating food retailers and exhibitors highlighting Dubai’s unique food culture, the carnival will be a fantastic culinary experience for food services companies and consumers, and the perfect curtain raiser for the Dubai Food Festival that will feature city-wide celebrations of all things culinary until March 15.” Celebrity chefs Adding to the public’s enjoyment of an extensive selection of cuisine, will be a galaxy of celebrity chefs and food personalities including international stars chef John Torode and chef Silvena Rowe from the BBC’s highly-acclaimed food shows, as well as regional culinary heavyweights such as the award-winning Maroun Chedid, from Lebanon, Manal Al Alem, known as “Queen of the Arabic Kitchen”, chef Tarek Ibrahim, of Fatafeat TV fame and the Indian cookery expert, Sanjeev Kapoor. Other personalities include Uwe Micheel, Director of Kitchens at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, and President of the Emirates Culinary Guild, and chef Toh Chye Siong, Chef de Cuisine at the award-winning Hakkasan Dubai. The culinary champions will engage with and entertain visitors at The Chef’s Dome, a live cooking demonstration area created especially for the carnival. The master chefs will also be using locally produced or sourced ingredients including meats, vegetables and fruits in their live demonstrations to raise awareness of the assortment of produce that is home-grown in the UAE. Fans of the celebrity chefs can also meet them at book launches and get autographs. Fusion of flavours With over 100 food and drinks stalls featuring local and international brands, Dubai’s most delicious weekend will give foodies a chance to explore the many gastronomic delights and munch their way around the world of cuisines. Among the food retailers and exhibitors participating in the vibrant gourmet affair are Sumo Sushii & Bento; Chinese Connection; Cocoville; Chamas at Crowne Plaza; Hakkasan; Mandilicious; Gourmet Burger Kitchen; McGettigan’s; Maison Mathis; Meat and Livestock Australia; Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor; Shake Shack; Pink Berry; Pizza Express; Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre; Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek; Sharaf Hospitality and Wok It. Muscle power … laughter Stepping up the tempo at the carnival will be multicultural performances by a troupe of roaming Brazilian Capoeira dancers, live music bands, Japanese Basho Championship sumo wrestlers led by three-time world champion Nara plus the region’s versatile bilingual comedy artiste, Ali Al Sayed. Adding to the two-day pageantry will be Mina Licione, star of Broadway hit, STOMP, who will perform the “Matbakh – Kitchen Rhythm”, with the help of kitchen utensils. Competitions For sheer gastronomic fun and adventure there is the Great Yalla BBQ, a country vs country BBQ competition sponsored by Weber and the MLA; Beat The Heat, a marathon chili-flavoured chicken wing eating competition; and My Dad Can Cook, a competition to find Dubai’s number one ‘father of the ktchen’. The Dubai Food Carnival will be open from 10am to 11pm on February 21 and 22. For more information, visit www.dubaifoodcarnival.com. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind Staff Reporter / 16 February 2014 Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival added to the line up of events. With just a few days until the start of the inaugural Dubai Food Festival (DFF), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), announced a full and appetising line-up for the city-wide celebration of food-related events, tastings and activaties. Two of the new events added to the line-up — Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival — further demonstrate the range of flavours inherent in Dubai’s culinary offer, which is inspired by both Arabic traditions and those of the 200+ nationalities who live in the Emirate, and is one of the key themes of the festival. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, DTCM, said: “The quality and range of our culinary offering is something that will increasingly be used as a tourism driver and through the Dubai Food Festival we will demonstrate the variety of offer that exists across the Emirate, including world-class international brands, homegrown restaurants, and high quality street-food.” Laila Mohammed Suhail, Chief Executive Officer, DFRE said: “We are pleased with the response that we had from various stakeholders of Dubai’s food industry and gastronomy sector.” “The programme has been designed with all tastes in mind. From family-friendly consumer events to more industry focused forums and conferences, both residents and visitors can look forward to a festival that is as exciting and inclusive as it is delicious,” she said. Joining the line-up of events already announced including the Dubai Food Carnival, Gulfood, The Big Grill, and Taste of Dubai, will be the Grand Kerala Festival, The Taste of Peru, and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2014, Gulf Photo Plus 2014 and the Dubai International Boat Show will join the celebrations through specific culinary related activities and initiatives. Adding star power to the festival’s programme will be over 26 celebrity chefs. Representing restaurants and cuisines from around the world, these culinary stars include well-known names such as French Chef, Jean Christophe Novelli; Australian power pair, Greg and Lucy Malouf; Queen of the Arabic Kitchen, Egyptian Chef, Manal Al Alem; Lebanon’s Chef of the Year 2013, Maroun Chedid; and Indian TV personality, Sanjeev Kapoor. Home to more than 200 nationalities, Dubai’s diversity is reflected in its restaurant offer, a fact represented by two of the new confirmations to the programme. The Grand Kerala Festival (February 20-22) will showcase the rich flavours and vibrant colours of India’s southern state, with Dubai’s Wonderland transformed into a bustling Kerala village, complete with a lively array of exciting events and entertainment and authentic Malayalee cuisine. From South India to South America, the Taste of Peru (February 26 to March 1) will see Madinat Jumeirah Souk Madinat transformed into a four-day celebration of Peruvian gastronomy. The event will include appearances from celebrity Peruvian chefs and live Peruvian music, and feature award-winning cuisine inspired by a nearly 500-year melting pot of cultures and cuisines. The festival is set to take place between February 21 and March 15 at locations across Dubai. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Family Day at Global Village becomes hugely popular
Family Day at Global Village becomes hugely popular Lily B. Libo-on / 10 February 2014 Family Day on Mondays at Global Village with free entry for children below 12 becomes hugely popular among both residents and visitors Artists performing on ice stage at Global Village. -KT photos by M. Sajjad For 12-year-old Mishary from Kuwait, winter holiday is Global Village in Dubai. As cold weather envelops the GCC and Middle East, he knows it is time to shop for his favourite leather, T-shirts and toys, go for wonderful and exciting rides, and taste new delicious cuisine all available at this leading family entertainment and cultural destination. Year after year, his family has made it to Global Village. After all, he has Emirati cousins, who are equally excited to go with them to Dubai’s theme park. Arriving last Monday, the first Family Day in February, Global Village looked altogether different to him. “Wow! More fun rides, and a lot better. I love it,” Mishary exclaims. His parents, Talal Rashid and Khulod, say they are on a five-day holiday. “Global Village is like our second home. We spend our winter holiday here and go back to Kuwait full of memories, fun and surprises. We always find new things every time we come. As soon as we are home, our kids start looking forward to the next edition,” Rashid says. Global Village has become a byword for entertainment not just to residents in the UAE but also to many families from the GCC and other countries across the globe. Throughout February this year, children aged 12 and under get in for free every Monday, which is the “Family Day”. This new family package that costs Dh30 will allow entry to two adults and any number of children under 12. A Qatari family — Mohammed Al Khatani, Noura and their kids — has one more encouraging testimony to tell. A yearly visit to Global Village is to them an overwhelming experience. With excitement, the kids took half of the 50 fun rides on February 3. They watched the mesmerising acrobatic dances of “Level Up”. Just before anyone could stop applauding for an impressive performance, Chinese Unicyclists came on stage with their Bowl Unicycle Act, each of the seven young ladies throwing rice bowls at each other’s head without missing a single bowl, struck them with awe. And, to their amazement, in a separate built-in skating rink beside the World Culture Stage, the ‘Fairytales on Ice’, enabled them to see their favourite “Pinocchio” live. An Omani boy, Zayd Al Bandari, 14, spoke of his enormous love for all the shows and the mouth-watering cuisine he has tasted in various restaurants at Global Village. “I came with my family from Oman. But, they are taking the fun rides and skills games for too long. I feel hungry so I have to come to this restaurant to get my fill. I still get to redeem my Dh10 voucher, which the restaurant gave me after dining with my cousin Achmad in a Turkish restaurant.” As Ahmad Hussein, Executive Director of Operations at Global Village, puts it: “We want to make this February as special as possible for families when they visit Global Village. These promotions are another way of giving something back to our guests and allowing them the chance to experience more here. By letting children aged 12 and below enter for free, on Mondays, parents have the chance to take their kids on more rides and games and get closer as a family.” — lily@khaleejtimes.com Level Up Level Up is a world of video games that come to life to perform German wheels, dance performances, power skipping, roller skating stunts and acrobatics. It takes its young audience directly into a high-tech world of video games that set a pulsating journey as the hero of the show is transported to the virtual world. Maddie, 23, a Hungarian acrobatic dancer, says the team has undergone a very hectic rehearsal for two weeks before performing in Global Village. “Two of us are from Hungary and one from Spain. Our UK-based company is taking the best acrobatic dancers from different countries across the globe to perform at Global Village.” Fantasy Island Fantasy Island, one of the many new attractions, it is attracting huge crowds daily as it is the first of its kind in the Middle East. With more than 50 rides to choose from, families will have a wealth of new and innovative rides and experiences to enjoy for hours at a time. Thrill seekers can ride roller coasters, be terrified by a ghost ride, and then cool off on the log ride. The classic fun fair Dodgems are making a return, along with the highly enjoyable bungee and trampoline stands. Fairy Tales On Ice For the first time, Global Village has brought the imaginative Fairy Tales on Ice to the Middle East. This show is performed live on ice every Family Day with the children’s all Disney favourites in performance such as Snow White and The Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio, Aladdin, and Sleeping Beauty. Bilal Mansour, partner of Total Concepts International, which is instrumental in bringing the Fairy Tales on Ice, says that the 10 performers of the Hungarian troupe dress up as Disney characters from these children’s stories and perform dance routines on the ice to music straight out of the original animated movies. “Tonight, we have Pinocchio, but in the next three Mondays of February, the theatrical production will bring live Snow White and The Seven Dwarves, Aladdin, and Sleeping Beauty.” All Star Dunkers For the first time, visitors can also see five acrobats perform short dance routines between their sets of performing amazing twists and turns in the air in double somersaults. Comprising five guys, the All Star Dunkers from France perform back flips and lots of acrobatics before dunking a basketball. Using trampolines, they perform acro dunk, a spectacular combination of acrobatics and dunking performed for the first time in Global Village and the Middle East. Fred, their coach, says that the team has gone around the world for 17 years to perform acrobatic dunk. “They perform triple rider, which involves jumping, passing and swinging the ball under their legs and dunk a basketball in the net. They can do double somersault, but they still have to do it with acrobatics and dunking at the same time. It is very difficult to perform as it needs perfect timing and precision of each performer,” he says. Orbis The high-energy Orbis is a magical tour around the world — from Africa through China and Russia into India and South America — then celebrate music and culture from around the world in a fast moving and hugely exciting manner. A children’s show, Orbis will endear the entire family to watch it again and again until Global Village closes on March 1. Chinese Unicyclists Ten Chinese lady unicyclists straight from Beijing juggling while cycling, synchronising their moves with the rest of the performers have mesmerised the crowd at Global Village. They have come to Dubai and the Middle East for the first time. Shi Xin Xue, 16, an acrobat unicyclist, says that it takes two years or more to perfect the most difficult part, which is putting six to seven rice bowls on their foot and toss them one after the other in seconds towards their head and to perfectly balance herself as it lands one by one into a set of 20 rice bowls on her head. The unicyclists have toured most cities in the world to perform, including the USA, the UK, Korea, Japan, Switzerland and most of Europe. Argentinian Gauchos A Guinness World Record holder, the popular “Argentinian Gauchos” combine their modern dancing with the cultural aspect of the Gauchos, or South American cowboys. Visitors will be amazed by its highly visual and extraordinary performance that mixes precision, movement and music with “Boleadoras”, a primitive hunting weapon originally used by the Chinese, Eskimos and South American Indians. The Argentinian Gauchos is a two-person act that uses the swinging of Boleadoras, which are small balls fixed to the end of a rope, and tapping them on the floor in quick succession to create a beat to which they dance. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
