Extraordinary Chefs in Abu Dhabi

At the age of 26, Tom Aiken was the youngest British chef ever to be awarded two Michelin stars. He is the author of three cookbooks (Cooking, Fish and Easy) and is well known for his former Tom’s Kitchen brasserie-style group of restaurants in the UK and Istanbul. As the inspiration behind the new menus at The Abu Dhabi EDITION hotel, Aiken channels his culinary ethos of making the most of local ingredients to ensure the highest-quality dishes. We recommend the Market Green Earth Burger – a kale-and-spinach-infused brioche bun topped with a juicy burger, sundried tomato and aquafaba mayonnaise relish, grilled portobello mushrooms, avo and piquillo peppers, and an aubergine relish.

Chef Christian Buenrostro has a true passion for food, particularly Asian flavours and how they perfectly infuse with other global cuisines. He often says, “I’m a chef from Mexico, but I’m not a Mexican chef.” At the helm of everything flavourful at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi, Buenrostro has an eye for detail across all areas of the kitchen. His Raw Vegan Pizza is pure gastronomic glee. The base is a blend of butternut squash, flaxseed, lime juice, oregano and basil leaves, topped with a tasty tomato sauce and herby, semi-dried tomatoes. Delicious!

Turkish chef Ibrahim Osbay is passionate about great-tasting comfort food with a distinctive Mediterranean twist. As head chef at Sahha restaurant at Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Osbay brings his Turkish flair to every dish on the menu. We highly recommend the Lamb Shank with Orzo Pilaf. Osbay marinates the lamb for 24 hours before slow-cooking it in a hot oven for three hours in a rich sauce of olive oil, red pepper, garlic and onion, after which it is placed on a bed of orzo pilaf and topped with toasted almonds and peanuts.

Hailing from Aleppo, Syria, chef Mohammed Farouq has loved cooking since he was a 12-year-old boy learning from his professional chef father. Farouq is a specialist in Arabic fare, and hopes to preserve this distinct cuisine. Farouq prides himself on having perfected the Arabic grill. “It’s the spices you add to it, and most importantly, the timing,” he says. Head to Kamoon at Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana, where you have to try his delicious Kebab Rayhaan – one of the most unique dishes in the restaurant.