Festival explores the diverse flavours of Canada

Although it may not have such an easily identifiable a style as Italian, French or Japanese cooking, Canada has its own unique food history and cuisine, as any Canadian will be sure to tell you. John Cordeaux was born in the UK, but moved to Canada at a young age, living in Montreal and Toronto for many years before moving to Abu Dhabi in 2009, to take on the role of executive chef at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. He says that thanks to the influx of immigrants from all over the world during the country's formative years, Canada has several different "food personalities", which differ not just from one end of the country to another, but from province to province. Despite this variety, Cordeaux believes that the common theme is the quality of ingredients. "The produce that is available in Canada is phenomenal. You've got amazing east coast lobster, scallops and salmon, fantastic meat such as buffalo, venison and elk and artisan cheeses from Quebec, which I think are up there with the best that France has to offer. It is quite simply a great food-producing nation." It is this pride in his country's ingredients that was the inspiration behind Taste of Canada, a food festival that will be held at the Fairmont starting on Friday, running until the end of the month. Over the next couple of weeks, Canadian ingredients such as sablefish, blue mussels, elk, scallops and tuna will all feature on the menu at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill, all in various guises. The recipe for the smoked Georgia Strait sablefish with corn and potato hash follows, if you would like to recreate it at home. Meanwhile, at CuiScene, the hotel's all-day dining restaurant, homesick expatriates can get their fill of poutine (the much-loved Quebecois dish of French fries topped with cheese curd and gravy), as well as pumpkin pie, buttermilk pancakes and many a maple syrup-glazed dish. Cordeaux says that this is a great opportunity not only to promote what he believes to be top-quality ingredients, but also to introduce them to people living in the UAE. At the moment, many of us may be unfamiliar with the taste of bison, dismissive of poutine, or intimidated by the thought of eating elk - a visit to the Fairmont this month could change that. This certainly isn't necessary for the Canadian-born Samer Kamal, who has been living in the UAE for six years. He is a big game fan and describes elk - one of his favourite meats - as "very richly flavoured, but not at all fatty or heavy. The taste is clean and pronounced and really quite unique". When Kamal craves Canadian food, he visits The Rib Room in Dubai, where bison is on the menu, or Asado at The Palace, The Old Town, to seek out the Canadian veal. For him, nothing beats eating out in Toronto, however, where he says the diversity of the ethnic enclaves mean that the food is second to none. "Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world; you can find great Greek, Chinese and Italian food, all within easy reach of each other." There is also a place in his heart for poutine, particularly when it is served in elevated form. "There's a restaurant in Toronto called Bymark, where they serve butter-braised lobster poutine with hollandaise sauce. It is one of the best things that I have ever eaten in my life," he says. Jenny Armstrong, another Canadian native living in Dubai, is not a fan of poutine. For her, no Canadian restaurant experience is complete without a Caesar, the drink that was invented in Calgary, Alberta in 1969. "It's very similar to a Bloody Mary," she explains, "but no one seems to know about it outside of Canada. The Clamato juice [a mixture of clam broth and tomato juice] just takes it to another level. Ideally, the rim of the glass should be dusted with celery salt and I like mine pepped up with fresh horseradish. It's spicy, savoury and delicious - there is nothing better," she concludes.