Visitors to the 15th edition of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair can experience a uniqueblend of culture, art, and food at the eXcollective pop up culinary eXperience “A Moreish Taste of UAE Culture” at Manarat Al Saadiyat until 26 November.
eXcollective is an eXperience design collective of creative experts who have earned a reputation as trusted partners in the world of cultural eXperiences. Focused on celebrating the region’s culinary delights, showcasing its diverse arts and culture, and creating connections with the people who bring these traditions to life, collaboration is at the heart of their design ethos.
“A Moreish Taste of UAE Culture” is a collaboration between eXcollective, Chef Kunwal Safdar of Moreish by K, and Bani & Al Culture, three female owned locally based companies.
This immersive culinary eXperience is designed and curated to tell the story of UAE’s culture through cuisine. The menu is an ode to Emirati heritage, highlighting cultural exchanges and influences. Every plating is accompanied by an audio storytelling of either the dish or one of its ingredients.
Reiterating her sustainable practice, Chef Kunwal worked with the team to ensure “A Moreish Taste of UAE Culture” operates as a zero waste kitchen. Excess grain is donated to a local farm in Al Ain, and leftovers are used for composting. When sourcing ingredients, Kunwal only purchases what she calls the ‘ugly’ produce – the wonky fruit and vegtables that are rejected by supermarkets that are locally sourced and produced.
Through her food, Kunwal aims to tell a story of Emirati heritage, which she describes as her “ode to UAE culture”. She has taken stories that have been passed down through her family and added her own personal narrative to it.
The eXcollective “A Moreish Taste of UAE Culture” pop-up experience is available to fairgoers at Abu Dhabi Art, which runs until Sunday 26th November at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The menu showcases Emirati classics with Chef Kunwal’s own twist – opening with 19-hour-stewed camel bone broth, followed by local whipped goat cheese with baked dates and saffron infused honey dressing. Next up are the light pastry wrapped pulled beef and goat cheese samosas, and the main event of harees and haleem served with turmeric infused desi ghee and caramelised garlic. The fragrant finale is rose and almond rice pudding cooked in camel milk.
There is also a vegetarian menu available, which very closely replicates the dishes like-for-like..
Bookings can be made at www.excollective.design/experience-a-moreish-taste-of-uae-culture
The Abu Dhabi Art Fair is organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
The fair is the culmination of Abu Dhabi Art’s year-round programme, and provides an important platform for participating galleries to showcase ambitious installations and site-specific works by their artists to a wide audience.
The 15th edition of the fair sees 90 galleries from 31 countries, including for the first time, galleries from Georgia, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, and Chile, and also host to its first-ever collaborative community project installation, titled Into The Horizon.
For more information on eXcollective, visit its Instagram page on
[https://www.instagram.com/theexcollectivedesign/].
For more information on Moreish, visit its Instagram page on [https://www.instagram.com/moreish.by.k/?hl=en].
Entry to the fair is free, and visitors can register through the Abu Dhabi Art website. To view the full programme for the 15th edition of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair, please visit [https://www.abudhabiart.ae/-/media/ADA2023/ADA2023-Guide.pdf] some sessions require pre-booking in advance.