Celeb chef Sanjeev Kapoor to open Abu Dhabi outlet

Indian celebrity masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor is launching his fine dining restaurant 'Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor' in Abu Dhabi's Nations Tower, scheduled for early 2014.

Kapoor said: "This will be the only Indian restaurant in this particular area of Nations Tower and I hope to have it open in time for the Gourmet Abu Dhabi festival in February."

The chef added: "The restaurant will serve the authentic Indian and signature dishes now associated with Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor and we expect it to attract both tourists and residents.

"We have seen growing numbers of Abu Dhabi residents travelling to Dubai to dine at our restaurant there, so we decided the market in the UAE capital was promising. This trend, complemented by the vibrant Abu Dhabi dining scene and the increasing number of Indians now visiting the city prompted the decision to open here."

Indian travellers now make up Abu Dhabi’s largest overseas source market for hotel guests with 14,540 Indians staying in the emirate’s hotels in the first nine months of this year – a 31% uplift on the same period in 2012.

Kapoor also revealed that he is in discussions with TCA Abu Dhabi for a role in its annual Gourmet Abu Dhabi culinary festival which runs February 4-19 next year.

“I certainly would love to be a part of the festival which has made quite a name for itself on the international culinary circuit," he added.

“Festivals like this highlight the fact that food is synonymous with entertainment and educational; people meet and bond over food the world over. I look forward to joining in Gourmet Abu Dhabi, meeting its followers, who I understand come from a wide range of nationalities, networking with the international masterchefs who take part and, of course, exploring more of the emirate’s own culinary traditions.”