Love Food Festival Abu Dhabi

I walked into Mushrif Park full of excitement as nothing makes me happier than stepping into an arena where food is king. As there were plenty of options, I made the decision to snub the local eateries that I have tried before and even those I could find in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze. A bright yellow truck with “say cheese” across the front caught my eye and followed the scent of deliciously melted cheese. I was tempted to try the Italian cheese with chicken and pesto but I thought it best to kick off my day with the English Cheddar, Emmental and Onion sandwich. I filmed the melt-in-your mouth deliciousness for Instagram and once I took a bite, I knew I was in for a treat! I would definitely recommend this sandwich from The Cheese Truck.

My mom was drawn to the Taqado truck which had a grilled corn station and I temporarily abandoned my mission for a taste of heavenly corn on the cob! I’m happy that they are locally-based because I would definitely go back.

Next I headed straight for Hix’s Fish Dog and while I had intended to have the Crab Fries, my sister enticed me to go for the Fish Bites. While I did enjoy the crispy affair, I think that I just wasn’t in the mood for fish and by that point I was getting a little tired and there aren’t that many shaded seating areas.

After a ridiculously long wait in line, I finally ordered a Lemon Mint from Tonique which was just another drink. Unfortunately, you can’t order drinks (other than coke and water) from any other vendor, so you’re stuck waiting in a long line for what is essentially lime water mixed with cherry or berries or mint.

My sister braved the line at The Other Side for an order of Honey Butter Chicken. We’re both picky eaters so we opted for a plain version sans the pickle and slaw but we were still impressed. I was underwhelmed by the bread so we discarded most of that and kept the yummy chicken. I would definitely go back for this.

At some point someone bought some Halloumi Fries and I actually enjoyed them despite the fact that I don’t like Halloumi cheese because I find it too salty.

My favorite part of any meal is dessert and I wanted to try the Vanilla Crème Brulee at Crema Caravan, as the truck is tastefully decorated and it is only second to tiramisu on my favorite desserts list. The lady at the truck gave me the best customer service of the day and I was happy to wait 30 seconds for the sugar to harden. The serving size was a little large for me and I thought it could have had a little bit more flavor but I would have it. I understand why the truck was a little less busy as custard is not ideal park food.

Finally, I closed the day off with churros from Churros Bros. Everyone in my family LOVED the churros although none of us enjoyed the chocolate sauce. I think my one disappointment was that they were not at all warm, they’d been sitting at least 10 mins before we got to them.

Overall, a day well spent and I would love to go again if I had the chance.  I would try the Pad Thai and Made of Dough. I would bring my own drink and maybe try some fries as a lot of places had them but I didn’t want to fill myself up on carbs. Hip Pop was popular with my family- I think the key to a successful tasting is to bring at least 3 people with you who are willing to split the meal with you. There are also some fun things for the kids to do like a jumping castle and a bunjee jumping zone.