More than 150 dishes from a record 30 restaurants will be on offer this month at Taste of Dubai, whetting the appetites of excited visitors keen to see one of ten celebrity chefs over the three day food, drink and music festival.

Presented by Philips and running from March 14 to 16, Taste of Dubai will introduce 12 new restaurants at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, including many which have recently opened to the public such as Prime 68, Izakaya and Rang Mahal by Atul Kochhar in the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai and Frevo in The Fairmont The Palm.

Ten celebrity chefs are booked to star this year including star of primetime British TV Gizzi Erskine and TV chef and author Ariana Bundy, as well as Gary Rhodes, Richard Sandoval, Vineet Bhatia, Jason Vale, Atul Kochhar, Giorgio Locatelli and the Giggling Gourmet Jenny Morris and the Spice Prince of India, Reza Mahammad from The Food Network.

Visitors will have a chance to sample dishes, which all cost between Dh15 to Dh30, from restaurants such as Armani/Amal and Armani/Ristorante, Asado and Thiptara from The Palace Hotel, No 5 Bar & Lounge in the Ritz Carlton DIFC, Rivington Grill, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Rhodes Mezzanine, Nobu, Gaucho, Ronda Locatelli and The Gramercy, a statement from the organisers said.

By purchasing a ticket to the festival, visitors are entered into a prize draw to win the ultimate dining experience worth Dh15,000 ($4,082.79) comprising 30 vouchers worth Dh500 from every participating restaurant so the winner can continue to enjoy a Taste of Dubai throughout the year.

The event will have 33 chef displays in the Philips Chef’s Theatre and 26 interactive sessions in the Kenwood Cookery School. Budding chefs can sign up to the cookery school on a first come first served basis, with each masterclass open for registration 30 minutes before they begin.

Dine in the Dark with Chef Andy Campbell is a new feature this year which will test the senses when visitors are blindfolded and served three large canapés and a glass of grape, the statement said.  Their sense of smell, taste and texture will help them to identify 20 ingredients from a list of 100; by guessing correctly, they will be entered into a prize draw to win an exclusive fine dining experience at home, courtesy of Chef Andy Campbell, worth Dh5,000.  

The entertainment stage, sponsored by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts will star two UK acts, The Counterfeit Beatles and The Noisettes, as well as regional musicians Lisa Theunissen and The Makers, Rachael Calladine and The Everyday People, and The Boxtones, alongside a selection of Virgin Radio DJs, fire dancers and samba performers.

Standard entry costs Dh60 in advance and Dh80 on the door, while VIP tickets are Dh220 per person in advance and Dh240 on the door, providing fast track entry, access to the VIP enclosure, two free drinks at the VIP bar, three free dishes from any participating restaurant and entry into a free prize draw. – TradeArabia News Service