Finalists revealed in annual MMI Bar Academy comp

Ten teams from some of Dubai’s top bars, restaurants and hotels, including Okku, Gaucho, The Ivy, Zuma and Mahiki, are through to the finals of the third annual Platinum Fusion Competition.

Organised by the MMI Bar Academy and Russian Standard Vodka, the competition challenges teams of mixologists, chefs and waiters to create and serve innovative food and drink combinations — each using Russian Standard Vodka as the key ingredient and inspiration.

Completing the list of finalists will be teams from Fairmont Dubai, Amwaj Rotana JBR, Shangri-La Dubai, Grosvenor House Tower Two and Ritz-Carlton DIFC — who were crowned the winners last year.

The competition will take place on July 8 at Grand Hyatt Dubai, with participants competing for the title, a four-day trip to Moscow for the winning team and AED 12,000 in cash prizes for the best individual performances.

The teams will each have seven minutes to prepare and present their creations to a panel of judges headed by Simone Caporale, head mixologist at Artesian Bar, Langham Hotel in London, which was recently awarded the Best European Cocktail Bar at the Paris Bar Show.

Joining Caporale on the judging panel will be Uwe Micheel, director of kitchens, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek and president of the Emirates Culinary Guild; Julien Coron, head sommelier at Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire; Lino Marchese, bar manager, Bahri Bar, Madinat Jumeirah; Mike Borsdorf, executive chef, Grand Hyatt DSubai; Kerrie Simon-Lawrence, editor in chief, Cosmopolitan; and Louise Oakley, group editor, hospitality at ITP Business.