International and local traders are readying to serve up a treat at the Abu Dhabi Corniche this weekend at the third and final instalment of Street Feast - part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Food Festival.

A caravan of food trucks will converge on the West Plaza at the Corniche in the UAE capital from Thursday afternoon to offer visitors a gourmet experience in street food over three consecutive evenings.

Street Feast, held over successive weekends in Madinat Zayed in the Western Region, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi city, is just one ‘course’ of the Abu Dhabi Food Festival along with Emirati Kitchen and Gourmet Abu Dhabi. The festival is presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

Last weekend, more than 15,000 visitors enjoyed entertainment, masterclasses by expert chefs and fine food at Al Jahili Park in Al Ain, with the event deemed a great success by organisers.

Philip Lowery, director, Food Market Events, which brought the food trucks from the UK, said: “We were absolutely overwhelmed by the response from the people of Al Ain to the inaugural Street Feast Festival – over 15,000 visitors descended on Jahili Park to enjoy fabulous street food, exciting entertainment and an array of international and local chefs doing their best on the chef demo stage.”

“The feedback from visitors we spoke to was amazing and it was lovely to see the whole community getting together to enjoy a marvellous day out for all the family. We are really excited about taking the event to Abu Dhabi Corniche next weekend for the big finale and the traders are already starting the prep work to ensure they can feed an eager and hungry crowd,” he added.

As well as the food, visitors will also be entertained by teams of international chefs sharing their culinary skills with free cooking demonstrations including Andy Bates, Suzanne Husseini and Jun Tanaka. There will be entertainment for younger members of the audience as well as a live music stage.

Hilary Bodie, the founder of A Taste Experience (ATE), who shipped her vehicle from the UK to take part in the festival, said: “It’s our first time in the country and we’ve been overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people both in Madinat Zayed and in Al Ain. It was a trip into the unknown for us but has turned out to be a really worthwhile experience. We can’t wait to come and visit Abu Dhabi where I’m sure there will be even more people wanting to try the food. We’ll definitely be coming back next year.”

Entrance to Street Feast is Dh10 ($2.72) with children under 12 free. Tickets can be bought at the gate. Street Feast opens on Thursday at 6pm and runs until 10pm on Saturday. – TradeArabia News Service