Day Three

Gulfood isn’t so much a trade show as a small city devoted to food. Every booth felt like a stage set, every aisle a perfectly curated assortment of products and tastes. The most exciting thing I tasted came from combining two booths into one idea: a shot of espresso added to Oatly Karak Chai. It was bold, rich, smooth and immediately menu-worthy.

That night Jaclyn Oyola, co-owner of Summit F&B, treated us to Sushi Samba on the 51st floor of the Palm Tower, with panoramic views that made you feel like you were in a James Bond movie. The best bite for me was the salmon tiradito.

After dinner, we had a curated experience at Yaba Coffee for chef-driven sous vide coffee drinks (I’ll be playing with sous vide beverages from now on). A smaller group then went to the 1920 cocktail bar for live music and beautiful cocktails and finally to Jumeirah Beach for juice-based mocktails and hookah until 4 in the morning. It was the kind of night that builds trust between people who will hopefully collaborate together long after the trip ends.