Taste Of Abu Dhabi Gears Up For The Ultimate Family Weekend Out

Taste of Abu Dhabi is gearing up to host the ultimate family weekend at Yas Gateway Park South from November 15 – 17, 2024. This year’s event promises a delightful array of activities for families with children of all ages, including culinary workshops, a mega kids zone, and plenty of delicious food options. Best of all, kids under 12 can enter the event for FREE!

Family Exclusive Cooking Sessions with Annabel Karmel
For the first time at Taste of Abu Dhabi, we are excited to introduce a special series of Junior Chef workshops hosted daily at the Kibsons Cook School. Designed for parents and their budding chefs, these sessions offer a fantastic opportunity to bond over the joys of cooking. Join celebrity chef and bestselling cookbook author Annabel Karmel as she leads these creative culinary adventures. Best of all, sessions are offered for free, on a first come first-served basis before each session.

We had the pleasure of meeting with Annabel for an exclusive chat about her upcoming appearance at Taste, and we are so excited to share her insights, thoughts and some event sneak peeks with you!

What are you most excited about for Taste of Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi has such an incredible reputation for amazing food, from authentic Italian, to Chinese, to local Arabic cuisine. And whilst I can’t wait to cook-up some of my favourite dishes, I’m so excited to experience a world of good food at the festival. I’m sure an abundance of new tastes and flavours will give me plenty of inspiration for new flavour-packed foods for growing kids.

And undoubtedly, I look forward to meeting local chefs who are putting Abu Dhabi at the top of the food scene, and it will be a pleasure to cook with lots of families, fuelling them with tasty ways to pack-in goodness.

What will you be teaching or sharing during your workshop?
In my workshop I will be focusing on quick and easy recipes that the whole family can cook and enjoy together. I’ll also be sharing my top tips for encouraging fussy eaters to eat their greens, and how to add that magical ingredient – ‘child appeal’ – to meals. Cooking is such an important life skill, and children love to be involved, so I hope my workshop will inspire families to cook together – and enjoy food together – at home.

What inspired you to become a chef?
It was a tragedy in my life that led me to my career. My first child, Natasha, passed away at just three months old from a rare viral infection. My son, Nicholas, was born a year later and was an incredibly fussy eater. I struggled to find recipes that appealed to him, so I set about devising my own. At the time, I ran a local playgroup and I soon other mums were asking for my recipes.

With a little encouragement, I started compiling a cookbook for babies and toddlers – The Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner. This book was my legacy to Natasha. A way of honouring her memory and giving purpose and meaning to her short but treasured life. I set out to learn about all the latest research on child nutrition and develop recipes that were both nutritious and tasty. Bland, boring food was off the menu!

The success of The Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner—which has since become the No.1 best-selling baby recipe book—launched a career I could have never imagined. Since then, I’ve written over 50 books, with my newest one on finger foods coming out next year.

One thing you’d like to share about your passion for cooking and food.
When my children were little, I used to get them to cook a meal for the family once a week. They were just 2, 4 and 5 at the time, but they loved feeling like they were part of the grown-up world. Some of my fondest memories are from those days spent in the kitchen together. There is something quite magical about cooking with children – it’s not just the food, but the shared experience. I think cooking together is one of the most valuable activities you can share with your children. Beyond the fun and quality time, it also teaches important life skills such as maths through measuring and timing, independence, creativity, and helps to instil a love of good, healthy food.

What is your go-to recipe for yourself or family?
It’s so difficult to choose just one recipe—it’s like asking me to pick a favourite child! I’m always exploring and developing new dishes for my cookbooks and recipe app, but there are definitely a few that stand out as being long-time family favourites. For hosting, I love making a big bowl of my Giant Couscous Salad, and for a simple mid-week meal, my Roast Chicken and Veg Traybake is a go-to. A newer recipe that has quickly become a household staple is my Sticky Chicken, which we’ll be making together at Kibson’s Cook School.

Interestingly, I get so many followers telling me that they still serve my famous chicken and apple balls at dinner parties! My mission is to support families with easy ideas that the whole family can enjoy – and that will stand the test of time.

Junior Chefs sessions are scheduled each day in the Kibsons Cook School, with registrations open 1 hour before each session. If your little ones are eager to have a try on the grills, they can also take part in a special Juior Chefs session on Friday at the Exit 10 &Aramtec Firepit where you can expect flame-fuelled theatrics, cowboy hats and more!

Junior Chefs Schedule:
Friday, Nov 15: 3:30 PM – Exit 10 &Aramtec Firepit
Friday, Nov 15: 4:30 PM – Kibsons Cook School
Saturday, Nov 16: 3:30 PM – Kibsons Cook School
Sunday, Nov 17: 3:30 PM – Kibsons Cook School

Mega Kids Zone & Activities
It’s not a festival without a kids only zone! Bigger and better than ever, the Splash ‘N’ Party kids zone will feature food themed bouncy castles, crafts, and a variety of activities. From burning off steam to letting out some creative energy, there is something to ensure all children will be entertained throughout the festival.

Activities are charged individually and include:

Giant Obstacle Course
Trampoline
Bunjee Jump
Meltdown
Human Crane
Soft Play Area
Chef Hat Decorating
Apron Decorating
Tie Dye Making
Slime Making
Coin Bank Making
Wooden Magnet Painting
Canvas Painting
Ceramics Painting
Mosaic Art
Hair Braiding

All New Kid-Friendly Dishes
Taste of Abu Dhabi will feature 16 of the city’s best restaurants, each bringing a specially curated menu of 3-5 taster size dishes for the event.

To ensure there is plenty on offer for young palates, all participating restaurants will feature a kid-friendly dish, ensuring that even the littlest food enthusiasts are satisfied with their culinary experience. Plus, all kid friendly dishes will come at a lower price point of AED 20 per dish.
Kid friendly dishes have been announced as:

Barbossa: Kids Quesadilla
Catch at St. Regis: Chicken Kushiyaki
Craft By Side Hustle: Cajun Mac & Cheese
Desert Lotus: Chicken Satay
The Director’s Club: Future Director’s Burger
Mika: Golden Calamari
BB Social: Crispy Chicken Bao
Silk & Spice: Gai Med Muang
Oak Room: Irish Cheddar Mac and Cheese
TAON: TAON Kids Corndog
Otoro: Chicken Slider
Paradiso: Penne with Tomato Sauce
José By Pizarro: Kids Chicken Croquetas
Ryba: Mango Cheese Cake
Li Jiang:Turong (banana spring roll)

Make It a Weekend to Remember!
With so much to explore at Taste of Abu Dhabi, why not turn it into a full weekend getaway? We recommend staying at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, where you can relax by the outdoor pool, enjoy the kids club, and dine at five premium outlets. Plus, with Yas Theme Parks right at your doorstep, you’re in for a deliciously adventurousweekend!

Join us for a fantastic family weekend at Taste of Abu Dhabi—where great food and joyful experiences come together!

Advance Purchase tickets are now on sale for Taste of Abu Dhabi. Guests are encouraged to purchase early as prices will increase on the door, and select packages are expected to sell out.

Category	Advance Ticket Price (AED)
Standard –1 day event entry, access to culinary workshops	75
Taster Ticket – 1 day event entry, 2 food vouchers, 2 drink vouchers, access to culinary workshops	180
VIP Ticket – 1 day event entry, Fast- track entry, 3 food vouchers, 4 drink vouchers, access to EdariVIP Lounge, access to culinary workshops	325
Sunday VIP Brunch Ticket – Sunday event entry, Fast- track entry, 5 food vouchers, 5 drink vouchers, access to Edari VIP Lounge, access to culinary workshops	375
Friday Work Social Package (exclusively for corporate groups over 10 people) Includes: Friday entry to the event before 3 pm, 2 food vouchers, option for 2 drink vouchers, access to Edari VIP lounge, access to culinary workshops.	Starting from AED 130 pp

Taste of Abu Dhabi will bring together an expected 17,000 foodies, friends and families to enjoy three days of culinary festivity and live entertainment.

Taste will showcase pop-ups from 16 of the very best restaurants in the region, world-famous chefs from all over the globe, as well some of the hottest up-and-coming culinary talent. Each restaurant will feature a menu of three dishes, served in taster-size portions, so that festival visitors can create their own tasting menu from their favourite restaurants in the line-up.

Live entertainment from the UAE’s best bands and DJs will further add to three-days of festival vibes – from chilled acoustic performances to lively DJ sets taking place across multiple areas of the festival, the crowds will be dancing from day to night.

Timings are confirmed as:
Friday 15 November: 1pm – midnight
Saturday 16 November: 1pm – midnight
Sunday 17 November: 1pm – 10pm

For more information and to stay updated on event details, visit https://tasteofabudhabifestival.com and follow us:
Instagram: @tasteofabudhabi
Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSLGSvtra/

Tickets can be purchased at: https://abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/88253/taste-of-abu-dhabi

Thank you to the Taste of Abu Dhabi 2024 Official Sponsors: