Simply Abu Dhabi II

106 SIMPLY ABU DHABI NOBU AT HOME , ALMOST ! ! ! Arnie Hira & Jordana Lynch, founder and CEO of Simply Abu Dhabi, threw open the doors to their penthouse flat to a small group of his closest friends to showcase the talents of his good friend and critically acclaimed Chef Paul Day. The three-hour bash in Alderley Edge -Cheshire, saw Arnie sitting down with Manchester United and England stars Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown, good friend and Manchester United defender John O’Shea and Mike Batchelor, who at the time was a senior Director at Klienwort Benson private bank in London. Arnie said: “Getting Paul Day involved was a massive coup and I thought showcasing his cooking to a select group of close friends was a great idea for letting people know what they can expect from Paul when he open his own. “Paul is one of the best chefs in the world; he spent three years at Nobu on Park Lane in London and his cooking is exceptional.” The stunning meal enjoyed by Arnie and his pals saw them trying a mixed menu of top-quality pan- Asian food starting with Salmon Sashimi with Ginger and Yuzo Soy. The lucky diners then moved onto Scallop Ceviche with Pomello and Honey Popcorn followed by Tuna Tataki with White Onion and Black Pepper Dressing. But these dishes were just the beginning of a nine-course feast that saw the high-society gang enjoying Spicy Beef and Chicken Yakatori, Chilli Salt Squid with Sweet Chilli and Black Pepper Baby Back Ribs. This was followed by Saki steamed Sea Bass, Rare Beef Salad with Thai Herbs and Red Chilli, and to top it all off Lamb Mussaman with potatoes and peanuts. What made it unique was the fact that the meal was prepared by Paul in the kitchen at Arnie’s flat - a far cry from the top-level commercial kitchen galleys the highly rated chef is used to. Paul said: “Arnie’s flat is open plan so I was cooking and talking with the guests at the same time. We all got on really well and everyone had a good time. There was a lot of banter while the food was being cooked and served, and they loved it.” Arnie said: “The lads just couldn’t believe the food that was coming out of our kitchen. I mean we have thrown a few dinner parties in our time but this was something else. If this is what Paul can do in my tiny kitchen, imagine what it’s going tobe like when he opens his own restaurant.” The night ended with the guests going out in to a small village called Hale which is another suburb in leafy Cheshire in the UK.