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Thursday 19 OcTOber 2017

Renaissance’s Arabic Pop-Up Restaurant:

‘I Learned the Essence of the Arabic Kitchen in the Middle East’

By LINDA REIJNDERS The menu will be filled with
ORANJESTAD - Bhumi Ray Upadhya from India is the classic, Arabian dishes that
chef of the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino and this take you to a magic world.
very coming weekend he will indulge us in the culinary This will not be a Fata
world of Arabia. The magic will happen Friday and Sat- Morgana, the chef has
urday during the pop-up lunch and dinner by Renais- knowledge that will be ex-
sance at former Carpe-Diem restaurant. Unique as- pressed though his superior
pect is that the chef for sure captures that real, authen- culinary talents. “Tabou-
tic taste as he learned it in Oman, Qatar and Dubai. leh will be on the menu,
“To perfect my dishes I imported special spices from a perfect combination of
Dubai. I focus on the real taste, not a modern spin-off.” bulgur, parsley, mint, on-
ion and tomatoes. This
dish has a special function
in Arabic countries as it is
very hot there, so this helps
the digestion and has a
calming effect.” Fattoush
is another dish that exists of
more than 15 ingredients
and makes a refreshing
addiction of crispy lettuce,
crunchy fried squares of
pita, diced tomatoes, cu-
cumbers and onion, garlic,
lemon, olive oil and mint.
“Spinach Fatayer and beef
Sambuski are filled pastry
triangles that cannot be
left out.” The Shawarma,
Shish Tawook and Chicken
liver – a very classical Ara-
bic dish- are amongst the
soul-soothing, wholesome world”, Upadhya says. His stomach. Hospitality in In-
food menu. passion for cooking start- dia is essential, cooking is
ed in his childhood when love.” With 200 to 300 cov-
Cooking is Love he and his three brothers ers to prepare for the pop-
The pop-up dinner con- started to compete in the up dinner he has a lot of
cept is a series that is kitchen under the guided love to share and we sure-
planned out for the whole surveillance of grandma. ly will step open-hearted
year, this Arabic version is “I always loved to make into his Aladdin adventure.
the last one in this year’s people happy and the More information: Face-
row. “Every month you best way to do that in book Renaissance Aruba
can taste a bit of another my opinion is through the Resort & Casino q