New Star in Town: ETOILES

The tableware at ETOILES includes a funky cruet set – very small, heavyweight silver, lovely to pick up and use. You probably won’t need them, though. The seasoning of the food will be impeccable. The chef is Dean Bouvet; has arrive in Abu Dhabi 18 months ago and has built a good local quality ingredients and techniques to apparently modest dishes. That’s not to say that his food looks unsophisticated – the plates are a delight to the eye as well as the palate – and his combination’s are inspired.

The roasted chicken terrine, for instance, was impeccably cooked and presented; but it was the puddle of mountable (pure’e of roasted aubergine and tahini) that really lifted the starter. Scallops with langoustines was a simpler dish, but one that requires pinpoint accuracy in the cooking – and doing the scallops on one side only guarantees an interesting contrast of textures.

Much the same applied to the main course of salmon steak (cooked exactly, with crisp skin and a pearly pink centre) served with a delicate crab veloute on squid linguine. Now, adding squid ink to pasta often does nothing for the flavor: not this time, it was subtle and a good background to the fish.

If you guys want a real treat, ask for the joule de boeuf with horseadish mash, Joule de boeuf is beef cheek, and Dean Bouvet cooks it slowly for many, many hours while managing to lose none of the flavour. Good ingredients, treated well and sprinkled with imagination: now that’s good cooking.

Chinese Crackers

Shoppers to Abu Dhabi Mall are to get more than they bargained for when warriors’ of one of China’s oldest martial sects invade for a summer spectacular in August. Abu Dhabi Mall will host the Shaolin Show from 5th to 11th August. Hailed as one of the most spectacular martial arts show in the world, it will transform the Mall’s main atrium into a traditional Chinese setting.

With its origins over 1,500 years ago, Shaolin Kung Fu is based on the observations of animal movements, physical endurance and spiritually. The show has been acclaimed internationally for its remarkable feats of physical mastery and brilliant choreography; it is played out against a backdrop of four scenes of summer, autumn, winter and spring, revealing the rarely seen temple life of the Shaolin.

The hit has previously played to sellout audiences of over 400,000 people on the world tours.

Abu Dhabi Mall is running its annual Summer Shop & Win Promotion until 31st July. For each AED 250 spent, customers at the Mall receive one coupon to enter the Grand Raffle Draw with the chance of winning two Escalade 4×4s, home furniture, and other prizes. There are other smaller raffles each week too.

Lifts for Pedestrian bridges

Abu Dhabi Municipality intends to install elevators on several of the pedestrian  bridges that have been erected as part of the Salam Street development.

The move will help the disabled, children and the elderly, but also aims to encourage safer use of the road – pedestrians frequently brave the traffic to cross the streets in the Tourist Club area.

The first phase will see the construction of elevators on two bridges on 10th Street – opposite the Abu Dhabi Mall and near the Meridien Hotel – and by the Khalifa B complex one street away.

Mission of Hope

The suffering of the children of ETHIOPIA proved too much for Abu Dhabi businesswoman Maria Brown. As she reflected on the continuing flow of heartrending images of the innocents caught up in the middle of war and famine, Maria decided that action was needed.The result is the launch of single-handed campaign that could provide long-lasting aid for thousands of needy children. Maria, a consultant with the international Reeds recruitment network, has organized a silent auction for Ethiopiaid – a charity that donates directly to local community projects in Ethiopia. She will be the only woman from the Middle East to travel to Ethiopia in November to take part in desperately – needed education work for young children there.

Maria explains: “My aim is to go to Ethiopia to teach some of the local children. It is such a worthy cause and all funds raised through this silent auction will go to help the needy. ” Having spent the past 24 months working in countries where wealth is in abudance, I want to give something back. By working with Ethiopiaid I hope to be able to do that and experience a truly humbling chanllenge.

The silent auction will be launched on the web this week. To date the items on offer include…

• a one – week stay for two in Portugal
• a two – night deluxe stay in Paris
• two tickets to see Keane in concert in Dubai next month
• numerous luxurious dinners, spa treatments, and hotel stays and AED 15,000 worth jewelery from sponsor Tiffany.

Ethiopiaid, the only UK charity to fucos efforts solely in Ethiopia, was founded in 1989 by Professor Alec Reed – chairman of the Reed Recruitment Group. To date Ethiopiaid has donated over 20 million to projects in Ehtiopia; currently it is working with 16 dedicated partner projects and aims to donate approximately 2 million to these deserving causes each year.